Maj. Morris L. McDaniel had flown nearly 100 combat missions when he and Capt. William A. Lillund were sent on a bombing mission into North Vietnam. McDaniel was looking forward to returning home to his wife and three children.
McDaniel and Lillund were flying an F105F "Wild Weasel" toward a target area northwest of Hanoi. His last contact with American forces was when he made a pre-strike refueling shortly before reaching the target area. His last known location was approximately 10 miles northwest of the city of Phu Tho in Vinh
Phu Province, North Vietnam.
In 1973, 591 other American prisoners of war from North Vietnam. McDaniel and Lillund were not among them. There were hundreds of men who were known or suspected to be prisoners who were not released.
When American involvement ended in Vietnam, nearly 2500 Americans remained prisoner, missing and unaccounted for. Unlike MIAs from other wars, the large majority of these men can be accounted for. Further, the U.S. Government has received over 10,000 sighting reports related to these missing Americans. Many
officials believe that Americans are still held in captivity, yet we seem unable to achieve their freedom.
Morris L. McDaniel, Jr. was promoted to the rank of Colonel and William A. Lillund to the rank of Major during the period they were maintained Missing in Action.
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