CASE 1402 (CAPTAIN JOHN T. MCDONNELL)

CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS:

On March 6 1969, at 1430 hours, Captain John T. McDonnell and First Lieutenant Ronald D. Greenfield were -the crew of an AH1G helicopter in a flight of two aircraft. Their target was 'a bunker complex- located in the vicinity of grid coordinates ZCI72962, approximately 50 kilometers southeast of Hue and three kilometers southeast of Thon Thuy Cam and Thon Thuy Yen Hamlets, Loc Thuy Village, near its boundary with Loc Tu Village, Phu Loc District, Thua Thien-Hue (formerly Thua Thien) Province. During the attack, their aircraft received ground fire causing it to crash in the vicinity of grid coordinates ZC177968, approximately 800 meters northeast of its target.

On 7 March at about 1330 hours, American forces rescued LT Greenfield. He said he was unconscious from the time of the crash until about 3-5 hours later. He believed that Captain McDonnell had removed him from the helicopter. At that time he noticed that his wallet and Timex watch were missing. Because personnel who had searched the crash site for Captain McDonnell told him that there were many footprints in the area, he though the Communist soldiers may have taken his personal effects while he was unconscious. Ground forces searched the area from approximately 1600 hours 6 March until 12 March, but were unable to locate any sign of Captain McDonnell. They examined Captain

Case discussed with the VNOSMP during the

10-12 July 1990 technical meeting in Hanoi

McDonnell's seat belt and harness and reported that he had .probably exited the aircraft following the crash. Also at the site were two helmets, maps, weapons and survival equipment which suggest he either had to quickly flee the area or was captured.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS OF THE CASE:

- A Company Commander from the 21st Battalion, 2nd Division reported he saw and conversed with an American fitting the description of Captain McDonnell at the MR-5 PW Camp (VIC BS5665382), on four different occasions, between August 19-72 and MR-5 acted as February 1973. [ REDACTED,] MR-5 acted as [REDACTED] interprreter.

AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:

1. Based on the information provided by Lieutenant Greenfield, the rescued member of the crew, Captain McDonnell apparently survived the incident and may have been captured by Vietnamese communist soldiers.

2. Whether captured by a local unit or a PAVN unit, ho would have been moved as quickly as possible to the Enemy Proselyting Element of the Political Section of HQ Military Region Tri Thien-Hue (MRTTH) for initial interrogation and indoctrination. If wounded, he would have been taken first to a medical unit.

Within a few days, MRTTH would have turned him over to the appropriate military station on the Lao border for evacuation to Vietnam. Regardless of how long Captain McDonnell survived after he was taken from the crash site, some record of his capture, subsequent interrogation and indoctrination efforts -- if any,, and his fate would have been made at MRTTH. Furthermore, MRTTH would have reported the basic facts and probably sent some items of personal identification to PAVN HQ in Hanoi.

3. Identify and locate political and military staff officers who served at the MR-5 POW camp in the vicinity of grid coordinates BS565382 during mid to late 1972.

4. Request the VNOSMP supply for joint research information about this case from wartime records of relevant military and party units and organs of Phu Loc District; Thua Thien Province; Headquarters Military Region 5, and the General Political Directorate, Peoples Army of Vietnam. Personnel from these units and organs also should be located and interviewed by the joint team. This information should allow the joint teams to focus their field investigation in the most efficient and effective. manner.