U.S. Finds Remains Of Soldier Missing From Vietnam War Plane Crash

[News_Editor]

U.S. finds remains of soldier missing from Vietnam War plane crash < br /> 2012-05-01 09:10:22 GMT+7 (ICT) WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The remains of a U.S. service member who went missing in a plane crash on the south-central coast of Vietnam during the Vietnam War in 1969 have been identified, the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Monday. His remains have been returned to his family.U.S. Army Captain Charles R. Barnes and four other service members departed an airfield in Qui Nhon on March 16, 1969, en-route for Da Nang and Phu Bai. When their aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air U-21A Ute, approached Da Nang, they encountered low clouds and poor visibility before contact was lost.After the aircraft failed to land as scheduled, a search-and-rescue operation was launched but eventually called off due to hazardous weather conditions. The cause of the crash was never determined. Barnes, who was from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the four other men were listed as missing in action.More than two decades later, in 1993, a joint U.S.-Vietnamese team conducted investigations in the provinces of Thua Thien-Hue and Quảng Nam-Äà Nẵng. "They interviewed a local Vietnamese citizen who supplied remains and an identification tag bearing Barnes' name, which he claimed to have recovered from an aircraft crash site," the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement on Monday.In 1999, a second joint U.S.-Vietnamese team interviewed additional local citizens about the crash and they were led to the crash site. A year later, a joint U.S.-Vietnamese team excavated the site and recovered human remains and material evidence.Using circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools such as mitochondrial DNA -- which matched that of Barnes' sister -- scientists from America's Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory were able to identify the remains of Barnes.Barnes will be buried on Wednesday at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia with full military honors.Since late 1973, the remains of more than 930 Americans killed in the Vietnam War have been accounted-for and returned to their families. With the accounting of Bernes, 1,671 Americans remain missing from the conflict, which ended in April 1975 and left more than 315,000 people killed.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-05-01

[koheesti]

Is this a Western thing, trying to account for war dead decades later? I'm not looking for a "West versus East" debate, just wondering how many other countries go to great lengths to locate and identify their war dead over 40 years later.

Edited May 1, 2012 by koheesti

[folium]

Is this a Western thing, trying to account for war dead decades later? I'm not looking for a "West versus East" debate, just wondering how many other countries go to great lengths to locate and identify their war dead over 40 years later.

Think you will find it is a very US and very Vietnam war focused process. There is still a nasty spat between those who believe that the North Vietnamese did not return all US POWs and those who see this as a cynical, conspiracy theory that causes misery for the families of MIAs.

There are about 2000 still listed as MIA from that conflict, but to put it in perspective the US had about 75,000 MIAs in WW2. If you visit Thiepval, Menin Gate and Verdun there are approximately 250,000 MIAs/unknown casualties from WW1.

[OZEMADE]

The British, Americans and Australians all try to account for their war dead or missing.

It must be a relief to their families to know they have been located and put to rest the wondering what happened to them.

It was only 12 months ago that the last 2 missing Australian Soldiers were located and recovered from Vietnam.

All Australian missing and killed in action servicemen and women have now been accounted for from that war.

I believe it was only a week ago that some new remains were found in Belgium of Australian and British soldiers from the second world war.

[kerryk]

The British, Americans and Australians all try to account for their war dead or missing.

It must be a relief to their families to know they have been located and put to rest the wondering what happened to them.

It was only 12 months ago that the last 2 missing Australian Soldiers were located and recovered from Vietnam.

All Australian missing and killed in action servicemen and women have now been accounted for from that war.

I believe it was only a week ago that some new remains were found in Belgium of Australian and British soldiers from the second world war.

And the Russians check out Explore the Valley of Death. I guess most countries do. The British war graves commission has I think the biggest job with graves in 150 countries.

[folium]

The British, Americans and Australians all try to account for their war dead or missing.

It must be a relief to their families to know they have been located and put to rest the wondering what happened to them.

It was only 12 months ago that the last 2 missing Australian Soldiers were located and recovered from Vietnam.

All Australian missing and killed in action servicemen and women have now been accounted for from that war.

I believe it was only a week ago that some new remains were found in Belgium of Australian and British soldiers from the second world war.

I have no desire to denigrate the efforts made to recover MIAs but you mention Australia who had 6 MIAs from Vietnam, all now recovered, but it is largely a question of scale and feasibility.

The US have over 2000 MIA from the SE Asian campaigns, mostly airmen lost over the hills of Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia in dense vegetation in a climate that rapidly breaks down organic and even inorganic matter.

The US alone have 73,690 MIAs from WW2.

See DoD website below:

http://www.dtic.mil/...ietnam/reports/

WW1 MIAs are in vast numbers (remains are still being discovered but normally by chance via construction or archaeological work), but many were literally pounded into the mud and will never be recovered, hence the Thiepval (which names 2 of my relatives as MIAs), Menin Road and Verdun memorials.

Vietnam estimates NVA and NLF MIAs at around 300,000, and without dog tags remain unlikely to be traceable.

A staggering piece of info popped up while looking into this namely that the US has 126 MIAs from surveillance flights that were shot down around the Soviet Union & China in the 1950s and 1960s. So much for a Cold War!

Edited May 2, 2012 by folium

[MAJIC]

Is this a Western thing, trying to account for war dead decades later? I'm not looking for a "West versus East" debate, just wondering how many other countries go to great lengths to locate and identify their war dead over 40 years later.

The caring countries,like to identify their dead.These soldiers faught for their Country and were Heroes,so why shouldn't the family and friends know what happened to them,its the decent thing to do!

[Colin Yai]

Is this a Western thing, trying to account for war dead decades later? I'm not looking for a "West versus East" debate, just wondering how many other countries go to great lengths to locate and identify their war dead over 40 years later.

The caring countries,like to identify their dead.These soldiers faught for their Country and were Heroes,so why shouldn't the family and friends know what happened to them,its the decent thing to do!

Yeah Majic , in a nutshell that just about says it all

[Somtamnication]

Every dead soldier deserves to be back home to their families, irrespective of who they are. Glad the yanks and brits do make efforts in that regard.

[Colin Yai]

Every dead soldier deserves to be back home to their families, irrespective of who they are. Glad the yanks and brits do make efforts in that regard.

Yeah Again every fallen soldier who has made the supreme sacrifice in the service of his Country should be remembered even if it was 40/50 years ago,"lest we forget"

[softgeorge]

The headlines are misleading it says, The U.S finds remains but the story says it was a local Vietnamese who actually found them. Who was it the local guy or the country called U.S?

[kerryk]

The headlines are misleading it says, The U.S finds remains but the story says it was a local Vietnamese who actually found them. Who was it the local guy or the country called U.S?

To the guy from the country called OZ the remains from a soldier from the country called US have been identified by DNA from his sister who also lives in a country called US. What the heck did a Yank ever do to you to leave you so bitter and obsessed with making fun of anything American even war dead? Jesus George get off it.

[transam]

Is this a Western thing, trying to account for war dead decades later? I'm not looking for a "West versus East" debate, just wondering how many other countries go to great lengths to locate and identify their war dead over 40 years later.

The dead are not numbers but folk with families whom will never forget their loved one and so foreclosure of a missing family member is paramount to folk with a heart.

[folium]

Is this a Western thing, trying to account for war dead decades later? I'm not looking for a "West versus East" debate, just wondering how many other countries go to great lengths to locate and identify their war dead over 40 years later.

The dead are not numbers but folk with families whom will never forget their loved one and so foreclosure of a missing family member is paramount to folk with a heart.

No one denies that but reality sometimes intrudes. MIAs on a scale of WW1 or WW2 are likely to remain that way.

Many of the US MIA in SE Asia will probably never be recovered, similarly some 1200 victims of the World Trade Center attacks were never recovered or identified.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been deleted as well as the replies to it. The poster has been suspended.

Stay on topic, be civil and use a reasonable amount of respect.

The OP is about the remains of an MIA soldier whose remains have been found.

[Colin Yai]

Is this a Western thing, trying to account for war dead decades later? I'm not looking for a "West versus East" debate, just wondering how many other countries go to great lengths to locate and identify their war dead over 40 years later.

The dead are not numbers but folk with families whom will never forget their loved one and so foreclosure of a missing family member is paramount to folk with a heart.

Yeah Transam And reading between the lines written by a guy who "has a heart "too , and I think its safe to say any one who has lost loved ones in the service of their Country would be quite touched by your simple message Edited May 3, 2012 by Colin Yai

[softgeorge]

The headlines are misleading it says, The U.S finds remains but the story says it was a local Vietnamese who actually found them. Who was it the local guy or the country called U.S?

To the guy from the country called OZ the remains from a soldier from the country called US have been identified by DNA from his sister who also lives in a country called US. What the heck did a Yank ever do to you to leave you so bitter and obsessed with making fun of anything American even war dead? Jesus George get off it.

I was in no way making fun nor am I bitter. I was saying that the headlines say the U.S finds remain and then when I read the story it says that it was a vietnamese, so either the story is wrong or the headline is wrong and it is confusing as to who located what. Maybe the headlines could have simply stated "Remains of missing U.S service men located"

I am ex serviceman and respect soldiers of all armies be friend or foe and would never disrespect them nor thier families. If just trying to clarify who actually did what is disrespectful then I am truely sorry to you.

[Colin Yai]

The headlines are misleading it says, The U.S finds remains but the story says it was a local Vietnamese who actually found them. Who was it the local guy or the country called U.S?

To the guy from the country called OZ the remains from a soldier from the country called US have been identified by DNA from his sister who also lives in a country called US. What the heck did a Yank ever do to you to leave you so bitter and obsessed with making fun of anything American even war dead? Jesus George get off it.

I was in no way making fun nor am I bitter. I was saying that the headlines say the U.S finds remain and then when I read the story it says that it was a vietnamese, so either the story is wrong or the headline is wrong and it is confusing as to who located what. Maybe the headlines could have simply stated "Remains of missing U.S service men located"

I am ex serviceman and respect soldiers of all armies be friend or foe and would never disrespect them nor thier families. If just trying to clarify who actually did what is disrespectful then I am truely sorry to you.

Quite an emotive Subject George, and its easy to misunderstand others posts on it,(as I did) anyway for me you've come up trumps by your simple explanation of what you actually meant

[kerryk]

The headlines are misleading it says, The U.S finds remains but the story says it was a local Vietnamese who actually found them. Who was it the local guy or the country called U.S?

To the guy from the country called OZ the remains from a soldier from the country called US have been identified by DNA from his sister who also lives in a country called US. What the heck did a Yank ever do to you to leave you so bitter and obsessed with making fun of anything American even war dead? Jesus George get off it.

I was in no way making fun nor am I bitter. I was saying that the headlines say the U.S finds remain and then when I read the story it says that it was a vietnamese, so either the story is wrong or the headline is wrong and it is confusing as to who located what. Maybe the headlines could have simply stated "Remains of missing U.S service men located"

I am ex serviceman and respect soldiers of all armies be friend or foe and would never disrespect them nor thier families. If just trying to clarify who actually did what is disrespectful then I am truely sorry to you.

George, you wrote, “The country called US.”

So lets talk about that. Why would you write, “The country called US?” I really didn't know you meant. Why would you write that?

It is not normal usage.

I'll tell you George because I doubt you will tell us. The usage is from a book called “A Country Called Amreeka.” US History retold through Arab-American Lives.

[folium]

The headlines are misleading it says, The U.S finds remains but the story says it was a local Vietnamese who actually found them. Who was it the local guy or the country called U.S?

To the guy from the country called OZ the remains from a soldier from the country called US have been identified by DNA from his sister who also lives in a country called US. What the heck did a Yank ever do to you to leave you so bitter and obsessed with making fun of anything American even war dead? Jesus George get off it.

I was in no way making fun nor am I bitter. I was saying that the headlines say the U.S finds remain and then when I read the story it says that it was a vietnamese, so either the story is wrong or the headline is wrong and it is confusing as to who located what. Maybe the headlines could have simply stated "Remains of missing U.S service men located"

I am ex serviceman and respect soldiers of all armies be friend or foe and would never disrespect them nor thier families. If just trying to clarify who actually did what is disrespectful then I am truely sorry to you.

George, you wrote, “The country called US.”

So lets talk about that. Why would you write, “The country called US?” I really didn't know you meant. Why would you write that?

It is not normal usage.

I'll tell you George because I doubt you will tell us. The usage is from a book called “A Country Called Amreeka.” US History retold through Arab-American Lives.

Think you are getting a little over-sensitive here. It is very common for people to refer to the USA as the US, much as it is referred to as America (much to the annoyance of the other Americans in the 2 continents!)

How about US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, US Coast Guard, US Postal Services etc, etc

[softgeorge]

The headlines are misleading it says, The U.S finds remains but the story says it was a local Vietnamese who actually found them. Who was it the local guy or the country called U.S?

To the guy from the country called OZ the remains from a soldier from the country called US have been identified by DNA from his sister who also lives in a country called US. What the heck did a Yank ever do to you to leave you so bitter and obsessed with making fun of anything American even war dead? Jesus George get off it.

I was in no way making fun nor am I bitter. I was saying that the headlines say the U.S finds remain and then when I read the story it says that it was a vietnamese, so either the story is wrong or the headline is wrong and it is confusing as to who located what. Maybe the headlines could have simply stated "Remains of missing U.S service men located"

I am ex serviceman and respect soldiers of all armies be friend or foe and would never disrespect them nor thier families. If just trying to clarify who actually did what is disrespectful then I am truely sorry to you.

George, you wrote, “The country called US.”

So lets talk about that. Why would you write, “The country called US?” I really didn't know you meant. Why would you write that?

It is not normal usage.

I'll tell you George because I doubt you will tell us. The usage is from a book called “A Country Called Amreeka.” US History retold through Arab-American Lives.

Sorry I seem to have offended you and it was not my intention and I appologise.

I have never heard of the book you refer to so that is not where I got the term U.S from and yes I will tell you why I used the term.

It was used in the heading and I also used it as an abreviation of the United States which itself is an abreviation of the United States of America (USA). I was being lazy and just typed the U.S. Again I am sorry for offending you and I hope you accept my appology.

[kerryk]

Sorry George I thought it was the odd usage of the English language, "Who was it the local guy or the country called U.S?" That is not normal usage. Normal would be the U.S. or the USA or America. Not the country called U.S.

[chuckd]

Sorry George I thought it was the odd usage of the English language, "Who was it the local guy or the country called U.S?" That is not normal usage. Normal would be the U.S. or the USA or America. Not the country called U.S.

I thought "the country called U. S." was a little odd as well. Time to move on.

[Scott]

Thanks softgeorge and other posters for being so understanding. Usually those little remarks end up in a flame-fest of epic proportions and I get to wear my delete button out!

[theblether]

Back on topic.

God bless Captain Charles R. Barnes, and God rest him.

God bless the people who spend years researching and looking for the lost sons and daughters, God bless the people who tend to the graves and take the time to remember, God bless the families who live without knowing, and God bless the families that do know too.

Every country I travel too I seek out the War Memorials, I go spend time among the people that gave everything, I bow my head and I remember one thing. These men were ordinary men and women put into an extraordinary situation.

God bless my Uncle, Trumpeter Smith, who was a POW in Taiwan. He had a nervous breakdown after the war, recalling the amount of times he had to play the Last Post over the graves of his starved, beaten and tortured friends.

God bless him and the other men that formed the Burma Star organization and spent every day in life remembering those that passed and fighting for compensation for those that lived. Those men that were dropped off a ship in Southampton weighing not much more than a skeleton and told to make their own way home. Shameful.

His story was one of the untold, amongst the millions that are untold, that is the way of the world. Right now there is a movie being made about one of his compatriots Eric Lomax, telling his version of the story and aftermath.

How about we just take pride in the people that went looking for Captain Charles R. Barnes, recognize his sacrifice, and take solace in the fact that his family can now lay him to rest?

Respect for your fellow man is the foundation of civilization.

[transam]

Back on topic.

God bless Captain Charles R. Barnes, and God rest him.

God bless the people who spend years researching and looking for the lost sons and daughters, God bless the people who tend to the graves and take the time to remember, God bless the families who live without knowing, and God bless the families that do know too.

Every country I travel too I seek out the War Memorials, I go spend time among the people that gave everything, I bow my head and I remember one thing. These men were ordinary men and women put into an extraordinary situation.

God bless my Uncle, Trumpeter Smith, who was a POW in Taiwan. He had a nervous breakdown after the war, recalling the amount of times he had to play the Last Post over the graves of his starved, beaten and tortured friends.

God bless him and the other men that formed the Burma Star organization and spent every day in life remembering those that passed and fighting for compensation for those that lived. Those men that were dropped off a ship in Southampton weighing not much more than a skeleton and told to make their own way home. Shameful.

His story was one of the untold, amongst the millions that are untold, that is the way of the world. Right now there is a movie being made about one of his compatriots Eric Lomax, telling his version of the story and aftermath.

How about we just take pride in the people that went looking for Captain Charles R. Barnes, recognize his sacrifice, and take solace in the fact that his family can now lay him to rest?

Respect for your fellow man is the foundation of civilization.

Couldn't have put it better, many thanks. A soldier does his job, that's it. Not a number but a family member who will never be forgotten, though we must all move on.

FREEDOM took many guys and gals from us, but we won.

[Xangsamhua]

God bless Captain Charles R. Barnes, and God rest him.

His story was one of the untold, amongst the millions that are untold, that is the way of the world. Right now there is a movie being made about one of his compatriots Eric Lomax, telling his version of the story and aftermath.

Respect for your fellow man is the foundation of civilization.

Well said, the blether.

There was a TV film made in 1995 of Eric Lomax's experiences and the lead-up to his rather tense reunion with the Japanese interpreter who caused him so much anguish during his imprisonment. It was called Prisoners in Time, but seems to have faded into oblivion, so I'm very glad a new film is being made. The telefilm led me to read Eric Lomax's book.

Eric Lomax's book "The Railway Man" is one of the most moving books I've ever read, and one I would recommend to all - men and women of whatever experience and persuasion regarding the rights and wrongs of war and military duty. I've seen it on the shelves at Asia Books in recent years, so I expect it's available. The Neilson-Hays Library also holds it.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Scott
formatting

[theblether]

God bless Captain Charles R. Barnes, and God rest him.

His story was one of the untold, amongst the millions that are untold, that is the way of the world. Right now there is a movie being made about one of his compatriots Eric Lomax, telling his version of the story and aftermath.

Respect for your fellow man is the foundation of civilization.

Well said, the blether.

There was a TV film made in 1995 of Eric Lomax's experiences and the lead-up to his rather tense reunion with the Japanese interpreter who caused him so much anguish during his imprisonment. It was called Prisoners in Time, but seems to have faded into oblivion, so I'm very glad a new film is being is being made. The telefilm led me to read Eric Lomax's book.

Eric Lomax's book "The Railway Man" is one of the most moving books I've ever read, and one I would recommend to all - men and women of whatever experience and persuasion regarding the rights and wrongs of war and military duty. I've seen it on the shelves at Asia Books in recent years, so I expect it's available. The Neilson-Hays Library also holds it.

I'll look out for it, there is a movie being made in Edinburgh at the moment starring the Oscar winners Colin Firth, ( The Kings Speech ) and Nicole Kidman, ( The Hours ) based upon The Railway Man by Eric Lomax.

It has just started production so I don't expect we will see it until late next year. On paper the war ended in 1945, for people like Trumpeter Smith and Eric Lomax it never ended.

The story of Eric Lomax is well known and will soon be world famous, if you can indulge me my Uncle Trumpeter Smith was imprisoned in Kinkaseke Copper Mine in Taiwan, where he was known as the Rabbie Burns of his camp. He spent all his time singing and reciting poetry to try and keep morale up. Here are a couple of links which acknowledge his work.

http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/asia_taiwan2.htm

http://claude.torres1.perso.sfr.fr/GhettosCamps/Stalags/Taiwan/DownTheMine.html

http://www.fepow-day.org/html/laughing_boy.htm

There are many more, the last link is from a site called Despair Poems. That gives us an idea of what these men endured.

Trumpeter Smith was the kind of man that self educated, after the war and once he had recovered as well as he could he became an expert on the works of the real Rabbie Burns. He was much sought after for his recitals as not only did he have the knowledge he also had the correct timber to his voice.

I was the little boy that sat engrossed as he told me all about his life and war experiences, I'll never forget the first time he told me all, I went out to the car and on the way home I said to my Mum, " That was amazing hearing all those stories ", my Mum replied, " It was amazing for you son, but what about your Aunt Nancy? she hears those stories every day".

That always stuck with me. Captain Charles Barnes never got a chance to bounce his nephew on his knee and tell him a story, this is the bare and abrupt fact of the matter. We can't spend every day grieving the dead, however we can show sufficient humility when the occasion arises to understand what these men, and I include Captain Barnes, endured was extraordinary.

It was my delight to work alongside the US military as a civilian for 5 years, their hospitality was superb, and working alongside the US military was a life enriching education for me.

So inasmuch as I love a good UK v US bun fight here on TV, I recognize in the words of Rabbie Burns, we're all men together.

That Man to Man, the world o'er,

Shall brothers be for a' that.

Robert Burns,

[Xangsamhua]

Thank you, theblether.

[chuckd]

God bless Captain Charles R. Barnes, and God rest him.

His story was one of the untold, amongst the millions that are untold, that is the way of the world. Right now there is a movie being made about one of his compatriots Eric Lomax, telling his version of the story and aftermath.

Respect for your fellow man is the foundation of civilization.

Well said, the blether.

There was a TV film made in 1995 of Eric Lomax's experiences and the lead-up to his rather tense reunion with the Japanese interpreter who caused him so much anguish during his imprisonment. It was called Prisoners in Time, but seems to have faded into oblivion, so I'm very glad a new film is being is being made. The telefilm led me to read Eric Lomax's book.

Eric Lomax's book "The Railway Man" is one of the most moving books I've ever read, and one I would recommend to all - men and women of whatever experience and persuasion regarding the rights and wrongs of war and military duty. I've seen it on the shelves at Asia Books in recent years, so I expect it's available. The Neilson-Hays Library also holds it.

I'll look out for it, there is a movie being made in Edinburgh at the moment starring the Oscar winners Colin Firth, ( The Kings Speech ) and Nicole Kidman, ( The Hours ) based upon The Railway Man by Eric Lomax.

It has just started production so I don't expect we will see it until late next year. On paper the war ended in 1945, for people like Trumpeter Smith and Eric Lomax it never ended.

The story of Eric Lomax is well known and will soon be world famous, if you can indulge me my Uncle Trumpeter Smith was imprisoned in Kinkaseke Copper Mine in Taiwan, where he was known as the Rabbie Burns of his camp. He spent all his time singing and reciting poetry to try and keep morale up. Here are a couple of links which acknowledge his work.

http://www.cofepow.o...sia_taiwan2.htm

http://claude.torres...ownTheMine.html

http://www.fepow-day...aughing_boy.htm

There are many more, the last link is from a site called Despair Poems. That gives us an idea of what these men endured.

Trumpeter Smith was the kind of man that self educated, after the war and once he had recovered as well as he could he became an expert on the works of the real Rabbie Burns. He was much sought after for his recitals as not only did he have the knowledge he also had the correct timber to his voice.

I was the little boy that sat engrossed as he told me all about his life and war experiences, I'll never forget the first time he told me all, I went out to the car and on the way home I said to my Mum, " That was amazing hearing all those stories ", my Mum replied, " It was amazing for you son, but what about your Aunt Nancy? she hears those stories every day".

That always stuck with me. Captain Charles Barnes never got a chance to bounce his nephew on his knee and tell him a story, this is the bare and abrupt fact of the matter. We can't spend every day grieving the dead, however we can show sufficient humility when the occasion arises to understand what these men, and I include Captain Barnes, endured was extraordinary.

It was my delight to work alongside the US military as a civilian for 5 years, their hospitality was superb, and working alongside the US military was a life enriching education for me.

So inasmuch as I love a good UK v US bun fight here on TV, I recognize in the words of Rabbie Burns, we're all men together.

That Man to Man, the world o'er,

Shall brothers be for a' that.

Robert Burns,

Well said.