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Michael D. Parsons

Carl Palen

Thomas R. Okerlund

Dennis W. Omelia

Luis G. Holgiun

Patrick Magee

Ferris Rhodes



	Name: Michael Duane Parsons Rank/Branch: O2/US Army Unit: 61st Assault Helicopter Company "Lucky Stars", 268th Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade Date of Birth: 07 May 1945 (San Francisco CA) Home City of Record: Reno NV Date of Loss: 03 January 1971 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 134700N 1090630E (BR960250) (MAP BELOW) Status (in 1973): Missing In Action Category: 4 Acft/Vehicle/Ground: U6 "Beaver" Name: Thomas Richard Okerlund Rank/Branch: Warrant Officer 3rd Class/US Army Unit: 61st Assault Helicopter Company 268th Aviation Battalion 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade Date of Birth: 05 August 1948 (Everett, WA) Home of Record: Seattle, WA Date of Loss: 03 January 1971 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 134700N 1090630E (BR960250) (MAP BELOW) Click coordinates to view maps Status in 1973: Missing in Action Category: 4 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: U6 "Beaver" Name: Dennis William Omelia Rank/Branch: Warrant Officer 3rd Class/US Army Unit: 61st Assault Helicopter Company 268th Aviation Battalion 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade Date of Birth: 06 May 1941 (Buffalo, NY) Home of Record: Smithfield, NC Date of Loss: 03 January 1971 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 134700N 1090630E (BR960250) (MAP BELOW) Click coordinates to view maps Status in 1973: Missing in Action Category: 4 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: U6 "Beaver" Name: Patrick Joseph Magee Rank/Branch: Specialist 6th Class/US Army Unit: Headquarters & Headquarters Co 223rd Aviation Battalion 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade Date of Birth: 22 September 1946 (Butte, MT) Home of Record: Alder, MT Date of Loss: 03 January 1971 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 134700N 1090630E (BR960250) (MAP BELOW) Click coordinates to view maps Status in 1973: Missing in Action Category: 4 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: U6 "Beaver" Name: Carl Anthony Palen Rank/Branch: Sergeant First Class/US Army Unit: 61st Assault Helicopter Company 268th Aviation Battalion 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade Date of Birth: 11 March 1947 Home of Record: Dubuque, IA Date of Loss: 03 January 1971 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 134700N 1090630E (BR960250) (MAP BELOW) Click coordinates to view maps Status in 1973: Missing in Action Category: 4 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: U6 "Beaver" Name: Ferris Ansel Rhodes, Jr. Rank/Branch: Major/US Army Unit: Headquarters & Headquarters Co 223rd Aviation Battalion 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade Date of Birth: 19 January 1936 Home of Record: Greenwood, SC Date of Loss: 03 January 1971 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 134700N 1090630E (BR960250) (MAP BELOW) Click coordinates to view maps Status in 1973: Missing in Action Category: 4 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: U6 "Beaver" Name: Luis Gallegos Holguin Rank/Branch: Warrant Officer 3rd Class/US Army Unit: 61st Assault Helicopter Company 268th Aviation Battalion 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade Date of Birth: 19 May 1950 (Casa Grande, AZ) Home of Record: Oxnard, CA Date of Loss: 03 January 1971 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 134700N 1090630E (BR960250) (MAP BELOW) Click coordinates to view maps Status in 1973: Missing in Action Category: 4 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: U6 "Beaver" Refno: 1687 Source: Compiled 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 in 1998. Other Personnel In Incident: Michael Duane Parsons; Thomas R. Okerlund; Dennis W. Omelia; Patrick Magee; Carl Palen; Ferris Rhodes; Luis G. Holguin (all missing) REMARKS: SYNOPSIS: On January 3, 1971, Capt. Ferris A. Rhodes, Jr. was the pilot of a U6 "Beaver" (serial #52-25884), carrying six passengers: 1Lt. Michaeld D. Parsons, WO1 Thomas R. Okerland, WO1 Dennis W. Omelia; WO1 Luis G. Holguin; SP6 Patrick J. Magee; and SP5 Carl A. Palen. This was an administrative support flight from Qui Nhon to Ban Me Thuot, South Vietnam, to collect replacement helicopters for the company. Some of the men aboard were helicopter pilots, and would fly the choppers back to the base at Qui Nhon. The U6 "Beaver" is an older, fixed wing aircraft of reasonable size (bigger than a "Bird Dog", for instance), rather short and squatty with a somewhat wide body. The aircraft departed Qui Nhon at about 0900 hours on January 3 without filing a proper flight plan, nor was the weather briefing obtained prior to takeoff. About 14 miles southeast of Phu Cat, at 1120 hours, radio and radar contact was lost with the plane. Because Capt. Rhodes had announced plans to remain overnight at Ban Me Thuot, no immediate searches were made. By January 9, when Rhodes and his passengers still had not returned, search efforts were begun at 0900 hours, and continued throughout the day with no sign of the aircraft or its personnel. The area of takeoff was tricky and the weather conditions were not good. Other pilots said that if planes taking off did not reach a safe altitude fast enough, they would crash into a mountain. Cruising speed for the "Beaver" was a mere 106 mph making it a prime target for flak. Conditions in the area indicated that the aircraft was shot down, and several years passed before the crew was finally declared dead. Evidence mounts that Americans are still alive in Southeast Asia. It is not known for sure if any of the crew of the U6 survived and are among them, but there is no evidence that they are dead. If they survived, they could still be alive. If not, then someone else's brother, son, husband, father is alive. We owe them our very best effort to bring them home.