OFFICIAL STATUS: MISSING

CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED

RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: HM2 Laporte was last seen in a good parachute drifting away from other members of his reconnaissance team during a parachute drop. There is no evidence to indicate HM2 Laporte's death.

REFNO: 0830 20 Apr 76

(U) CASE SUMMARY

1. On 5 September 1967, Michael L. LaPorte was the medic assigned to a nine man reconnaissance patrol that was to parachute into "Happy Valley," (vicinity of grid coordinates (GC) ZC 144 644), South Vietnam. At drop time the forecast was negligible wind and favorable conditions. However, after exiting the aircraft, the jumpers encountered a westerly wind of 30 knots, causing the patrol to miss the drop zone by 3 1/2 kilometers and to land in heavy jungle canopy and rough terrain, (in the vicinity of (GC) ZC 184 6'65). HM2 LaPorte was observed by other members of the team, while still in the air to be drifting away from the others at much faster rate in a northwesterly direction. This was the last time HM2 LaPorte was seen. (Ref 1 & 2)

2. The drop area was searched unsuccessfully by reconnaissance personnel, and loudspeaker broadcasts were made by a U.S. Army Psyops Warfare Aircraft. (Ref 1)

3. The search was ended at 1645 hours on 6 September 1967, and the remaining members of the patrol were extracted. No trace of LaPorte was found. Two members of HM2 LaPorte's unit, HM2 [blank] and SSG [blank] former members of LaPorte's patrol, raised the possibility that LaPorte went AWOL from the patrol for the purpose of going to Saigon to be with an "alleged" Vietnamese wife. [Blank] further alleged that LaPorte had packed extra food and medical supplies prior to the patrol, and had withdrawn all monies due him from finance, and had updated his personnel record. Other members of LaPorte's Patrol had no knowledge of these allegations, and a former commanding officer of LaPorte doubted the accuracy of [blank] statements. The patrol members believe that LaPorte was probably killed or critically injured after the jump and was unable to link-up with his comrades. (Three members of the patrol had to be medevaced after landing with the high winds and extremely rough terrain). (Ref 1 & 2)

4. During the existence o' JCRC, the hostile threat in the area precluded any visits to or ground inspectors of the sites involved in this case. This individual's name and identifying data were turned over to Four-Party Joint Military Team with a request for any information available. No response was forthcoming. LaPorte is currently carried in the status of Missing.

REFERENCES USED

1. RPT (U), HQ lst RECON Bn lst Marine Div, FMF, w/statements, 19 Sep 67.

2. RPT (U), HQ 2nd CI Team, File #12-68-5X, w/statements, 1 Aug 68.