CASE 1402-0-01

NARRATIVE

ON 6 MARCH 1969, CAPTAIN JOHN T. MCDONNELL AND.LIEUTENANT GREENFIELD WERE THE CREW ABOARD AN AH-LG HELICOPTER (SERIAL NUMBER 67-15845) IN A FLIGHT.OF TWO AIRCRAFT. THEIR HELICOPTER WAS HIT BY GROUND FIRE AND CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF GRID COORDINATES ZCI77968, APPROXIMATELY 50 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF HUE AND 3 KILOMETERS SOUTHEAST OF THON THUY CAM, THUA THIEN-HUE PROVINCE. ON 7 MARCH 1969 SEARCH AND RESCUE FORCES FOUND THE WRECKAGE AND RESCUED LIEUTENANT GREENFIELD. HE WAS SERIOUSLY WOUNDED AND COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THE INCIDENT OR THE FATE OF.CAPTAIN MCDONNELL. A GROUND TEAM SEARCHED THE WECKAGE AND FOUND CAPTAIN MCDONNELL'S UNDAMAGED HELMET ALONG WITH OTHER ARTICLES OF HIS PERSONAL EQUIPMENT. ADDITIONALLY, HIS SEAT BELT ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNBUCKLED AND THE STRAPS PLACED NEATLY OVER THE SEAT. THE GROUND TEAM CONDUCTED A DETAILED SEARCH OF THE AREA BUT COULD NOT LOCATE CAPTAIN MCDONNELL.

IN AUGUST 1990, A JOINT TEAM INVESTIGATED THIS CASE. THE JOINT TEAM INTERVIEWED MR. HUYNH VAN SO, THE LOC THUY VILLAGE PARTY COMMITTEE SECRETARY AND FRONT LINE CHAIRMAN FROM 1965 TO 1975. MR. SO STATED MANY AIRDRAFT CRASHED IN THE AREA WHERE THE CASE 1402 AIRCRAFT WAS LOST AND WHEN THE WAR ENDED THE LOCAL PEOPLE SCAVENGED THE WRECKAGE. THE TEAM DID NOT LOCATE ANY WITNESSES TO THE INCIDENT.

Passed of officials of the Veitnamese government

during 9-10 Jun 93 coordination meeting in Danang

CASE 1402-0-01

IN JANUARY 1991, A JOINT TEAM CONTINUED THE INVESTIGATION.OF THIS CASE. THE TEAM INTERVIEWED WITNESSES WHO PROVIDED INFORMATION INDICATING A HELICOPTER PILOT WAS WOUNDED WHILE RESISTING CAPTURE BY FORCES OF THE 4TH PAVN REGIMENT. THE PILOT DIED WHILE BEING EVACUATED TO MILITARY REGION TRI-THIEN-HUE HEADQUARTERS AND WAS BURIED ALONG THE TRAIL. THE JOINT TEAM EXCAVATED THE REPORTED BURIAL SITE BUT FOUND NO REMAINS OR PERSONAL EFFECTS.

A JOINT TEAM CONTINUED,THE INVESTIGATION OF THIS CASE IN AUGUST 1992. THE TEAM INTERVIEWED FOUR WITNESSES WHO WERE ASSIGNED TO MILITARY UNITS IN PHU LOC DISTRICT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE WITNESSES PROVIDED CORROBORATING HEARSAY TESTIMONY CONCERNING THE CRASH OF A U.S, HELICOPTER IN 1969 AND THE SUBSEQUENT CAPTURE AND BURIAL OF AN AMERICAN THEY REPORTED HE HAD DIED WHILE BEING ESCORTED PROBABLY TO THE TRI THIEN HUE MILITARY REGION HEADQUARTERS AND WAS BURIED ALONG THE ROUTE. ONE WITNESS REPORTED THE AMERICAN'S IDENTIFICATION TAG AND CARD WERE FORWARDED TO THE PHU LOC DISTRICT ENEMY PROSELZTING OFFICE. A SECOND WITNESS WHO SERVED ON THE PHU LOC DISTRICT STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY AND WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE OFFICE OF MILITARY PROSELYTING OFFICE REPORTED RECEIVING A WRITTEN REPORT ON THE AMERICAN ALONG WITH AN IDENTIFICATION TAG AND A CARD. HE KEPT THE TAG AS A SOUVENIR AND FORWARDED THE REPORT AND IDENTIFICATION CARD TO THE PROVINCE PROSELYTING OFFICE.

CASE 1402-0-01

THE-WITNESS REPORTED HE HAS SINCE MISPLACED THE IDENTIFICATION TAG. THE TEAM EXCAVATED THE ALLEGED BURIAL SITE BUT FOUND NO MATERIAL EVIDENCE OR REMAINS.

ON 24 AUGUST 1992 OF THE JOINT TEAM VISITED THE HUE. MUSEUM AND OBSERVED A NUMBER OF U.S. MILITARY IDENTIFICATION CARDS. ONE OF THE MILITARY IDENTIFICATION CARDS BELONGED TO CAPTAIN JOHN T. MCDONNELL., THE MUSEUM STAFF REPORTED TiHE IDENTIFICATION MEDIA WAS RECEIVED FROM MR. TRUONG CONG DON A TRI THIEN HUE PROVINCIAL OFFICIAL, SOMETIME AFTER APRIL 1975.

PERTINENT DATA ARE AS FOLLOWS:

NAME: MCDDNNELL JOHN TERENCE

RANK: CAPTAIN, U.S. ARMY

DATE OF BIRTH: 14 DECEMBER 1940

RACE:- CAUCASIAN

HEIGHT: 1.78 METERS

WEIGHT: 79.3 KILOGRAMS

HAIR: BROWN

EYES: HAZEL