CHRISTIANSEN, Eugene F., PFC, USA

O'HARA, Robert C.,, SP5, USA

PARSONS, Donald E., LTC, USA

PADGETT,, David E., lLT, USA

STANLEY, Charles I., CW2, USA

OFFICIAL STATUS: BRIGGS: DEAD, BODY NOT RECOVERED

CHRISTIANSEN: MISSING

O'HARA: MISSING

PARSONS: DEAD, BODY NOT RECOVERED

PADGETT: MISSING

STANLEY: MISSING

CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED

RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: All of these individuals were lost in one helicopter incident. There are two correlated intelligence reports describing four of them, and two of the individuals were identified by family and friends in a North Vietnamese film. There have been no confirmations of death on any of these men since the incident date.

REFNO: 1372 20 Apr 76

(U) CASE SUMMARY

1. On 6 February 1969 CW2 Charles I. Stanley, pilot, 1Lt. David E. Padgett, aircraft commander, LTC Donald E. Parsons, lLT Ronald D. Briggs, and Maj. Vu Vann Phao (ARVN), passengers, SP5 Robert C. O'Hara, crewchief, and PFC Eugene F. Christiansen, gunner, were aboard a UH1H helicopter, ( #67-17499), on a resupply mission in South Vietnam. At about 1100 hours, while enroute from Landing Zone ((LZ) Vandgrift to LZ Tornado, 1LT. Padgett contacted the LZ Tornado radio operator, and stated that due to poor weather conditions and Door visibility the flight was returning to LZ Vandgrift. At that time the radio operator at LZ Torando could hear the helicopter northeast of his location, which sounded as though it was heading- in a northerly direction. When the aircraft failed to return to LZ Vandgrift a coordinated search and rescue operation was initiated and continued for a period of seven consecutive days, finding nothing. However, on the morning, of 7 February, R-Crown, (an airborne control aircraft), reported receiving radio beeper signals several times from the -general vicinity of where lLT Padgett's aircraft was last reported. The beeper signals were estimated to eminate from a point-- near grid coordinates (GC) YD 170 300. (The incident coordinates are listed in JCRC files as YD 182 212). (Ref 1 & 3)

2. On 4 September 1969 an ARVN source reported that in August he had seen LTC Parsons, Maj. Phao, LT. Briggs, and four other unidentified American POW's at a hospital in Laos. (The four unidentified POW's possibly were PFC Christiansen, CW2 Stanley, 1LT. Padgett and SP5 O'Hara). (Ref 2)

3. On 5 July 1972 an NVA rallier reported seeing two Caucasian POW's in the vicinity of a T-35 Commo-Liaison station on the 599th Infiltration Corridor in Laos (UTM coordinates unknown). The two POW's were being taker to North Vietnam. (Information in this report possibly correlates -To LT. Padgett and PFC Christiansen). (Ref 3)

4. LTC Parsons' spouse and friends identified him in a North Vietnamese film of a Protestant Service in September 1970. CW2 Stanley's mother made a tentative identification of her son in the same film. (Ref 3)

5. During the existence of JCRC, the limited information available precluded any efforts toward the resolution of this case. 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. lLT Briggs and LTC Parsons are currently carried in the presumptive status of Dead, Body Not Recovered. CW2 Stanley, lLT Padgett, PFC Christiansen and SP5 O'Hara are currently carried in the status of Missing.

REFERENCES USED

1. RPT (U), HQ USARV W w/inclosures, 7 Apr 69.

2. RPT- (U), HQ 3rd Army (Information from Mrs Patrick A. Parsons) 15 Sep 70.

3. RPT (U), MIA SEA.- Page 16, 31 Mar 73.

ASSOCIATED INDIVIDUALS

1. Ronald D. Briggs 1372-0-01

2. Eugene F. Christiansen 1372-0-02

3. Robert C. O'Hara 1372-0-03

4. Donald E. Parsons 1372-0-04

5. David E. Padgett 1372-0-05

6. Charles I. Stanley 1372-0-06