REMARKS: EVADED ACROSS DAK POKO RIVER

SYNOPSIS: On the evening of April 23, 1972, Capt. Kenneth J. Yonan accompanied his ARVN counterpart to a water tower located on the northwestern edge of the Tanh Canh base camp compound near Dak To, Kontum Province, South Vietnam. Yonan was an advisor assigned to Advisory Team 22, MACV, and was assisting the ARVN 42nd Regiment based there.

At about 0530 hours on April 24, Capt. Yonan was still in the water tower when Viet Cong attacked the camp perimeter. Although tanks fired at and hit the water tower, two other advisors spoke to Capt. Yonan after the firing and Yonan reported that he was not hit and planned to join the other advisors when it was safe to do so. Radio contact was maintained with Yonan until 0730 hours. The other U.S. advisors began escape and evasion operations from the beleaguered compound.

Team 22 Advisors Maj. George W. Carter, Maj. Julius G. Warmath, and Capt. John P. Keller, were extracted by helicopter. The aircraft was a UH1H from the 52nd Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, serial #69-15715, and was flown by Lt. James E. Hunsicker. WO Wade L. Ellen was the co-pilot of the chopper, and SP4 Charles M. Lea, and SP5 Ricky B. Bogle were crewmen. Other persons extracted included 1Lt. Johnny M. Jones, from the 52nd Aviation Battalion; SP4 Franklin Zollicoffer, from the U.S. Army Installation at Pleiku, and Sgt. Walter H. Ward, unit not specified.

The helicopter departed to the northwest from Dak To, but was apparently hit by enemy fire, as it crashed and burned on a small island in the Dak Poko River about 500 meters from the end of the dock to the runway. Because of the rolling terrain, personnel at the airfield did not see the aircraft impact. A pilot flying over the wreckage reported that the helicopter was burning, but they could see no survivors. It was later discovered that five people did survive the crash - Warmath, Keller, Bogle, Ward and Lea. According to their statements, Hunsicker, Ellen, Zollicoffer, Jones and Carter were all dead.

Two other Team 22, MACV Advisors, LtCol. Robert W. Brownlee and Capt. Charles W. Gordon, and their ARVN interpreter, Sgt. Cao Ky Chi, were in a bunker near the airstrip approximately 4 kilometers to the west of the base camp when they were forced to withdraw under heavy enemy attack. They proceeded south of the compound across the Dak Poko River, but LtCol. Brownlee became separated from the others as they were advancing up a hill. Sgt. Chi and Capt. Gordon called out to him, but received no response. From the top of the hill, Sgt. Chi heard the enemy call out to someone in Vietnamese to halt and raise their hands. Sgt. Chi believed the Viet Cong were speaking to LtCol. Brownlee. Gordon and Chi evaded capture and eventually made their way to safety.

A Vietnamese who was captured and subsequently released reported that he had talked to another prisoner who had witnessed LtCol.Brownlee's death. He was told that LtCol. Brownlee had killed himself with his own pistol when communist soldiers told him to raise his hands in an attempt to capture him. Additional hearsay reports of his suicide were reported by another ARVN source.

Yonan never caught up with the others. For three days, helicopter searches were made of the area with no success. Ground search, because of the hostile threat in the area, was not practical.

In April 1988, the Vietnamese "discovered" the remains of Capt. Kenneth J. Yonan and returned them to the U.S. in a spirit of stepped-up cooperation on the POW/MIA issue. For nearly 20 years, this 1969 West Point graduate was a prisoner of war - alive or dead. His family now knows with certainty that he is dead, but may never learn how - or when - he died.

In addition to the reports regarding Brownlee's death, a South Vietnamese soldier reported that he observed the capture of one "big" American from the camp. Another report described the capture of a U.S. Captain stationed at the camp.

Since the war ended, reports and refugee testimony have convinced many authorities that not only do the Vietnamese possess several hundred sets of Americans' remains, more startlingly, they also control hundreds of living American prisoners.

As long as they are allowed to do so, the Vietnamese will return remains at politically expedient intervals. As long as they are allowed to do so, they will hold our men prisoner.

It cannot emphasized enough how important it is to keep pushing this issue inside the Beltway... The need to get specific answers is more important now than ever before. If still alive, some MIAs are now in their 70s...They don't have much time left. We have to demand the answers from the bureaucrats and keep standing on their necks figuratively speaking until they get the message that THEY work for US and that we are serious about getting these long overdue responses. Diplomatic considerations aside... We can no longer allow questionable protocols established by pseudo-aristocratic armchair strategists, to determine or influence the fate of the men who were in the trenches while the diplomats were sharing sherry and canapes and talking about "Their Plans" for the future of SE Asia.

The President & Vice President
Members of The U.S. House of Representatives
Members of The United States Senate

This page is also dedicated to my dad, Wally B., who served his country during World War II. He passed away last November and was so very proud to be an American. And, also, to those brave men and women who have fought and continue to fight to keep us free.

Operation Just Cause

This Operation Just Cause Web Ring site is owned by Ruth [Prev] [Random] [Next] [Skip Next] [Next 5] [Members] [Join]

This POW/MIA Ring site is owned by Ruth. [ Prev | Skip It | Next 5 | Random | Next | List of All Members] Want to join the ring? Get the info.

Email | Home | Places To Go...
Hall Of Fame | EarthAngels | Rings n Things
Antonio's Dilemma | LOTH | OverTheHill?
AWARDS | My Guys

Please Sign My Guestbook!

Thanks Doc for the great graphics!

Thanks Ron for the great graphics!

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page

"One Sweet Day"

Copyright © 1998
RGraziani ~ WebMistress

Purple Heart Background Created By: RGraziani. If you would like to use it, please feel free to do so. Just remember to let people know where you found it.