| P.O.W./M.I.A. Center |
 |
| This page is dedicated to all who gave some, the some who gave all, those still missing and never came home. POW/MIA's You are Remembered. |
 |
 |
| REITER, DEAN WESLEY Rank/Branch: O2/US Marine Corps Unit: Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161 Marine Air Group 16, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing Date of Birth: 10 October 1942 Home: Manchester, MO Date of Loss: 25 September 1966 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 164656N 1065421E Status: KIA/BNR Catagory: 3 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH34D Refno: 0472 Other Personel In Incident: Peter R Bossman; Phillip A. Ducat (both missing) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998. REMARKS: SYNOPSIS: Capt. Phillip A Ducat was a helocopter pilot assigned to HHM 161, Marine Air Group 16. On September 26, 1966, Ducat was assigned to a medical evacuation mission in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. His co-pilot was 1st Lt. Dean W. Reiter, of the same Marine helocopter company, and Hospital Corpsman Third Class Peter Robert Bossman, a U.S. Navy Corpsman. (NOTE: According to Navy records, Bossman was assigned to HHM 161, MAG 16.) When the helocopter was approximately 22 miles west of Dong Ha, Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, the aircraft was hit by enemy ground fire, burst into flames and exploded prior to impact with the ground. The crew aboard was killed, and the intense fire of the crash consumed all remains. The crew of the UH-34 was listed as killed, body not recovered. They are among over 2,300 Americans who remain prisoner, missing, or otherwise unaccounted for from the Vietnam war. The cases of some, like Bossman, Ducat and Reiter, seem clear - that they perished and cannot be recovered. Unfortunately, many other cases are clouded with doubt. Some were known to be in enemy hands. Others described their iminent capture by radio. Others simply disappeared. Since American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing, prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in Indochina having been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials, having examined this largely, classified information, have reluctantly concluded that many Americans are still alive today, held captive by our long-ago enemy. In our haste to leave an unpopular war, it now appears we abandoned some of our best men. In our haste to heal the wounds of this same war, will sign their death warrants? Or will we do what we can to bring them home? |
| KELLER, JACK ELMER Rank/Branch: O4/US Navy Unit: Attack Squadron 85, USS Kittyhawk Date of Birth: 01 May 1928 Home: Chicago, IL Date of Loss: 21 April 1966 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 184900N 1054200E Status: Missing In Action Catagory: 2 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A6A Refno:0309 Other Personel In Incident: Ellis E. Austin (missing ) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998. REMARKS: POSS DEAD/ IR 1516031772 SYNOPSIS: On April 22, 1966, a two-plane flight of A6A aircraft left the aircraft carrier USS Kittyhawk to strike a coastal target near the mouth of an inland waterway in North Vietnam. The target, an enemy supply area, was heavily defended by anti-aircraft artillary, automatic weapons and small arms. During the flight, the wingman broke away to investigate a barge, and notified Keller, the pilot of the other A6A, that he was having ordinance malfunction and was proceeding on to Hon Mat Island, less than 15 miles away, so that he could dump the remainder of his bombload safely. While the wingman was discharging his bombload, he heard a missile warning, but had no knowledge that a missile had been fired. Keller conducted a radio check with both his wingman and the E2 Command and Control aircraft to confirm that the E2 held them on radar. The wingman advised Keller that he would hold clear of the target and wait for Keller to finish his bombing run. Keller acknowledged. Keller and his backseater, Ellis Austin, continued on their run. That was the last anyone heard from Keller and Austin. The wingman later stated he saw a bright flash as he was heading away from the beachwhich he assumed was to be a bomb explosion. Both he and the E2 tried to contact Keller and his backseater, but were unsuccessful. The E2 had lost Keller from radar. An aerial search was conducted immediately with no visual or radio signals received by any of the search aircraft. Both men were carried in MIA status until June 1974, when their status was changed to killed under a presumptive finding of death. Nearly 10,000 reports of Americans relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia have been received since the end of the war. Many officials who have reviewed this largely classified material have reluctantly concluded that hundreds of americans are still alive in captivity. Whether Austin and Keller could be among them is unknown. But what is certain is that many are still alive, waiting for their contry to bring them home. Austin and Keller, if dead, rest in enemy soil. If alive, what must they be thinking of us? |
 |
| BENTON, GREGORY REA, JR. Rank/Branch: E2/US Marine Corps Unit: Company D, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division Date of Birth: 18 April 1950 Home: Vallejo, CA Date of Loss: 23 May 1969 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 160700N 1072000E Status: Missing In Action Catagory: 3 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground Other Personell In Incident: (none Missing) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 March 1991 from one or more of the following: raw data fro U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W NETWORK in 2000. REMARKS: SYNOPSIS Greg Benton is an American Indian (the USG shows Benton as Caucasian) and above all wanted to do his part for his country. He has a pin in his leg as a result of a car accident while delivering newspapers as a boy. Because of the pin, Greg had to fight to get into the Marine Corps and had a difficult time in boot camp because of it. But he badly wanted to become a Marine. When PFC Benton went to Vietnam, he was assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines in Vietnam. Like other soldiers in Vietnam, Benton was overwhelmed by the death of his comrades. In a letter home he wrote: "Death is slowly catching up with me, and I cannot avoid it much longer.I dislike having my life end in this hole, but there is little I can do to prevent it. Though my body may be weak and soft my spirit is strong and bold." On May 23, 1969, Benton was part of a security force evacuating casualties at Quang Tri when his helocopter landing zone was overrun. A firefight ensued, when it was over, search efforts were conducted of the area. All personell were accounted for except Benton. No trace was found. It was not known whether he had been injured, captured, or killed. Benton was classified Missing In Action. When U.S. involvement in the war ended in 1975, thousands of refugeesfled Vietnam to escape the communist regime, bringing with them stories of Americans still in their country. Since then, over 10,000 such reports have accumulated in U.S. agency files. Many experts, after reviewing the information, believe hundreds may still be alive today, still prisoners. It is not known if Benton survived the attack on the landing zone on May 23, 1969 or if he is one of those said to be still alive. If he is still alive, he surely remembers and has lived by the Marine Corps slogan, "Semper Fideles". he knows the importance his fellow marines placed on recovering even the dead from the battlefield. If he is still alive, he must wonder why his country has broken faith with him and why he has been abandoned. It's time we brought our men home. |
| This graphic courtesy of Joanne at "Patriotic Graphics by: Joanne" |
 |
 |
|
 |
| Graphic designed by Riad Dagher |
|
 |