This is the vital information and statistics
surounding the disapearence of my adopted
POW/MIA,
Edward Puck Kow Wong, Jr.

WONG, EDWARD PUCK KOW,
       JR.

Name: Edward Puck Kow Wong, Jr.
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit: 57th Assault Helicopter Company, 17th Aviation 
Group, 1st Aviation Brigade

Date of Birth: 25 February 1953
Home City of Record: Oakland CA
Date of Loss: 27 March 1972
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 162127N 1074739E
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

SYNOPSIS: SP4 Edward Wong was a door gunner on a UH1H 
assigned to the 57thAssault Helicopter Company. On 
March 27, 1972, he was in his position on a mission 
to rescue the crew of a downed Vietnamese Air 
Force (VNAF) helicopter which had crashed at a 
landing zone in Kontum Province, South Vietnam. The
other members of the crew were CW2 Larry J. Woods, 
pilot; 2Lt. Ngo Binh Quan, VNAF co-pilot; and SP4 
Dennis A. Hannon, crew chief. Also on board as
passengers were Capt. Lyle R. Rhoads, Jr, a U.S. Army 
advisor; and Capt. Nguyen Duc Phuc, ground commander 
of the ARVN 3rd Battalion, 47th Regiment. Wong's
UH1H was identified as tail #67-17841.

Accompanying gunships made an attack pass to suppress 
enemy fire in the area, and Wong's helicopter 
descended to make the rescue attempt. As the aircraft 
was landing, it received heavy automatic weapons 
fire, crashed and rolled down ahill, coming to rest 
upside down.

The two passengers exited the helicopter. Capt. 
Rhoads stated that he saw both pilots and the crew 
chief get out of the helicopter, but did not see SP4 
Wong leave the aircraft. SP4 Hannon said that after 
exiting the helicopter, he had seen SP4 Wong heading 
uphill and that he had a cut on his head and both 
legs were bleeding. Capt. Rhoads asked the ARVN 
ground commander about the other Americans. He 
indicated the location of the crew chief, and said 
that the other crewman was down the hill, and the 
American pilot was still in the area of the aircraft.

Later, when the ARVN unit on the LZ was preparing to 
walk to Fire Support Base Charlie, an estimated 2 
kilometers to the east, Capt. Rhoads talked to the 
crew chief and saw the poncho liner/stretcher on 
which SP4 Wong allegedly was lying. Capt. Rhoads did 
not see him, but saw his right hand holding the 
litter pole. On his right hand was what appeared to 
be a class ring.

The ARVN unit and surviving Americans were joined by 
a relief company from Fire Support Base Charlie, and 
proceeded to walk out at about 1600 hours on March
27. At some unspecified point along the trail, the 
litter bearers and the litter supposedly carrying SP4 
Wong were seen by SP4 Hannon to be resting along
the trail. This is the last time that this litter was 
seen by the surviving Americans.

At about 1830 hours, back at the LZ, an orbiting 
gunship saw one individual wearing black clothing 
standing on the landing zone waving a piece of white
cloth. Fifteen feet away from this man were four or 
five individuals wearing black or dark clothing, and 
hidden in a bush hedge. The gunship questioned
Capt. Rhoads by radio about the location of friendly 
forces, and after having been assured twice that all 
friendlies were off the landing zone, opened fire
with rockets. The gunship pilot reported that he hit 
the group.

Upon reaching Fire Support Base Charlie, casualties 
were loaded into two VNAF and one U.S. Army medivac 
helicopters. At that time, it was reported that SP4
Wong had been loaded on one of the VNAF helicopters 
by mistake. Searches were made in the ARVN hospital 
that had received the wounded and dead from this
incident, but Wong was not found. Efforts were made 
on March 28 and 29 tosearch the LZ and the trail 
taken by the survivors, but enemy action prevented
this. Wong was never seen again.

There is no doubt that Wong survived the crash of his 
helicopter, although injured. Apparently, he become 
considerably worse, as it was necessary to transport 
him by litter to the fire support base. The story 
clouds from here, leaving open several possibilities 
as to the fate of Edward Wong, includingthose of 
death, accidental loss of a living person, capture by 
the enemy, andeven death from friendly fire on the 
LZ.

Thousands of reports of Americans still held prisoner 
in Southeast Asia havepoured in since the war ended. 
Wong's family cannot be sure if he lived or died. 
They must wonder if he is one of the hundreds of 
Americans thought to be still alive. They wait.

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