OFFICIAL STATUS: MISSING

CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED

RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: The circumstances surrounding the incident do not provide any evidence of Specialist Lacey's possible capture or death. His companion's body was recovered, but there is no information about the status of SP5 Lacey.

REFNO: 1011 20 Apr 76

(U) CASE SUMMARY

1. On 31 January 1968 SP5 Richard J. Lacey and SP4 William C. Behrens left the Phu Lam communications facility ('Saigon area) in the early morning hours to deliver a message to the Regional Communications Group (also Saigon area). As there was considerable fighting in Saigon at this time, it is believed that the two men ran into the enemy. On 3 February (1968) SP4 Behrens' body was identified at the Tan Son Nnut Mortuary by members of his unit, but there was no record of when nor where his body had been found. The jeep in which the two men were riding was recovered sometime between 8 and 15 April (1968), but there is no record of where the vehicle was found nor was the condition of it noted. Specialist Lacey was never found. (The grid coordinates of XS 816 898 are provided as the general, probable location of the loss). (Ref 1)

2. ADO MR III Comment - Details of this case were given to the Two-Party Joint Military Team. and to the Special Assistant to the Ambassador for field operations, U.S. EMB Saigon. These details were subsequently given to the Mayor of Saigon, but neither PubCom nor National Police Special Branch investigators could develop any leads or additional information in this case. Go Vap District officials recovered a set of remains in October 1974 that possibly correlate to this REFNO, but CILTHAI determined remains to be Mongoloid. 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. SP5 Lacey is currently carried in the status of Missing.

REFERENCE USED

1. RPT (U), Findings of the MIA Board, HQ US-KRV, 18 MAR 68.