NAME:BAILON, Ruben and

O'LAUGHLIN, STEPHEN M.,, Civilians,, Merchant Seamen

OFFICIAL STATUS: MISSING

CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED

RATIONAL FOR SELECTION: Both individuals were identified in photographs by government ralliers as having been prisoners of war. The last reported sighting was three years after their disappearance. No correlated reports of death have been received for either individual.

REFNO: 0223 19 Apr 76

(U) CASE SUMMARY

1. On 25 December 1965, Second Officer Stephen M. O'Laughlin and Seaman Ruben (NMN) Bailon, both of the Merchant Marine, disappeared while assigned to the SS EXPRESS BALTIMORE which was anchored in the port of Qui Nhon, South Vietnam. The last known location of these two men was in the Casino Bar in Qui Nhon with a Eurasian female identified as Marie Simons. Both men possibly took lodging at a hotel at 72 Gia Long in Qui Nhon, but this can be confirmed only by a single witness. on 26 May 1968, a rallier identified Stephen O'Laughlin from a photograph as being a PW he observed several weeks earlier. The sighting occurred on 5 May 1968 at an unknown camp location near Da Nang. In September 1968, a rallier identified Ruben Bailon from a photograph as a Pw in a camp near the Ashau Valley. The date of the sighting is unknown. Single photo identifications cannot be considered enough evidence for a change of status of either individual. (The coordinates CR 081 220 are given for Qui Nhon City.) (Ref 1 - 6)

2. ADO LMR II Comment - Numerous inquires were made to the Province Representative, Province Chief, National Police 31 and other possible sources of information in the area. The PubCom program saturated the area with generalized requests for information, but all of these efforts produced no results. These individuals' names and identifying data were turned over to the Four-Party Joint Military Team with a request for any information available. No response was forthcoming, Second Officer O'Laughlin and Seaman Bailon are currently carried in the status of Missing.

REFERENCES USED

1. LTR (U), from James March, 8 Jan 66.

2. LTR (U), From Mrs. Ross O'Laughlin, 30 Jun 66.

3. Telegram (U), 18 Jan 66.

4. LTR (U), MACPM, 29 Jan 66.

5. MSG.(C)CI Team 2nd Bn(PROV)525 MIGP Qui Nhon, 030705Z Jun 68.

6. RPT (U), HQ 3rd MARDIV (REIN) FMF #002A6068, 18 Sep 68.

ASSOCIATED INDIVIDUALS

1. Ruben (NMN) Bailon 0223-0-01

2. Stephen M. O'Laughlin 0223-0-02