One
of the earliest helicopters employed in Southeast Asia, and the primary
Marine Corps helicopter used during the early years of the war, was the
Sikorsky UH34D Seahorse. This aircraft was already quite old when they
arrived in the battle zone. However, both the US and South Vietnamese
military found them to be extremely effective throughout the war.
On
28 February 1970, Special Forces SFC William Boyle was a passenger on a
CH34 helicopter (tail #554324), call sign "King Bee," under the
control of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). While assigned to
MACV-SOG, Command and Control Central (CCC), SFC Boyle supervised a
resupply/medivac mission of another CCC team comprised largely by
indigenous personnel in the tri-border area where South Vietnam, Laos and
Cambodia meet. The Seahorse's destination was located in jungle covered
mountains approximately 2 miles north of the Lao/Cambodian border, 15
miles west-southwest of Dak Seang, South Vietnam, and 1 miles south of Ban
Pakha, Attapu Province, Laos.
MACV-SOG,
or Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group, was
a joint service high command unconventional warfare task force engaged in
highly classified operations throughout Southeast Asia. The 5th Special
Forces channeled personnel into MACV-SOG (though it was not a Special
Forces group) through Special Operations Augmentation (SOA), which
provided their "cover" while under secret orders to MACV-SOG.
These teams performed deep penetration missions of strategic
reconnaissance and interdiction that were called, depending on the time
frame, "Shining Brass" or "Prairie Fire" missions.
SFC
Boyle had just completed loading several wounded ARVN soldiers and was
last seen standing inside the aircraft by other soldiers who were to
continue the ground team's mission when an enemy rocket hit the
helicopter. The CH34 immediately exploded and the ensuing fire trapped
everyone inside. No remains could be found after the fire was extinguished
even though the wreckage and surrounding area was thoroughly searched. At
the time the formal search effort was terminated, William Boyle, the ARVN
aircrew and their wounded passengers, were all immediately listed Killed
in Action/Body Not Recovered.
William
Boyle is among nearly 600 Americans who disappeared in Laos. Many of these
men were known to be alive on the ground. The Laotians admitted holding
"tens of tens" of American Prisoners of War, but these men were
never negotiated for either by direct negotiation between our countries or
through the Paris Peace Accords which ended the War in Vietnam since Laos
was not a party to that agreement.
While
the fate of SFC Boyle is in little doubt, he has a right to have he
remains returned to his family, friends and country if at all possible.
For other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, their
fate could be quite different.
Since
the end of the Vietnam War well over 21,000 reports of American prisoners,
missing and otherwise unaccounted for have been received by our
government. Many of these reports document LIVE American Prisoners of War
remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.
American
servicemen in Vietnam were called upon to operate in many dangerous
circumstances both on and off duty, and they were prepared to be wounded,
killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be
abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
Incidental Information
