Rank/Branch: 03/US Air Force
Unit:20th Tactical Air Support Squadron
Date of Birth: 18 April 1937 Detroit MI
Home City of Record: Dallas TX
Date of Loss: 26 November 1968
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 160129N 1064201E
Status (1973): Missing In Action
Category:2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:02A
Other Personnel in Incident: co-pilot (rescued)
RefNo:1330
Source: Compiled from one or more of the following:
raw data from US Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources,interviews. Updated by the
POW Network in 1998
Synopsis: Maj Gregg Hartness and his co-pilot departed
Da Nang airbase,South Vietnam in the 02A
aircraft for a night visual reconnaissance
mission over southern Laos at 0300 hours on
November 26,1968.
At 0413 as they flew over the rugged,jungle-
covered mountainous area, the aircraft sudden-
ly received a hit from an unknown source in the
aft section. Hartness issued the order to bail out
as the aircraft began to spin uncontrollably. The
co-pilot successfully bailed out of at 6000 feet
and was rescued a few hours later. Although he
saw no parachute, the co-pilot believes that
Hartness could have ejected without his seeing
him in the darkness.
At 0700 hours, an emergency signal was picked
up from a point 28 miles northeast of Saravane,
Laos. Search and rescue located the downed co-
pilot and rescued him. Recovery was difficult
because of the heavy jungle growth on the steep
hill he was on. No attempt was made to approach
the aircraft because it was still smoldering and
had unexploded ordnance aboard,and there was
hostile forces in the area. No further emergency
tranmissions were detected, and the search was
terminated.
Hartness is among nearly 600 Americans who were lost
in Laos. Many survived to reach the ground and radio that they were being surrounded. A few were photographed in captivity. Countless others have been described in rallier and refugee reports. The Pathet Lao
stated on several occasions that they held "tens of tens"
of American prisoners, yet not a single man held in Laos
was ever released or negotiated for. If Hartness is alive,what must be think of the country he proudly served and the careless manner in which he has been abandoned?
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