MISSING IN ACTION
George William Clarke Jr.
REMARKS: NEGATIVE SAR CONTACT
BACKGROUND:
When North Vietnam began to increase their military strength in South Vietnam,NVA and Viet Cong troops again intruded on neutral Laos for sanctuary,as the Viet Minh had done during the war with the French some years before.The border road termed the "Ho Chi Minh Trail" was used for transporting weapons,supplies and troops.Hundres of American pilots were shot down trying to stop this communist traffic to South Vietnam.Fortunately,search and rescue teams in Vietnam were extremely successful and the recovery rate was high.
Still there were nearly 600 who were not rescued.Many of them went down along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the passes through the border mountians:some were known to have been captured.Hanoi's communist allies in Laos,the Pathet Lao , publicly spoke of American prisoners they held,but when peace agreements were negotiated,Laos was not included,not a single American was released that had been held in Laos.
On October16,1967, the RF4C Phantom reconnaissance jet flown by Capt.Richard D.Appelhans disappeared while flying over Saravane Province,Laos.Flying as backseater on this flight was Capt.George W.Clarke Jr.
Radio and Radar contact with the aircraft was lost at grid coordinates XC961808,which is located in the Northeast portion of Saravane Province,Laos.Aerial searches were conducted,but no trace of the missing aircraft or it's crew were found.
American POW's who were released early (1968) report that they had seen George Clarke as a prisoner,and all stated that they last saw him alive.And his status was changed from Missing In Action to Prisoner of War.No further information was recived on Richard Appelhans.
Just before December 1971 Clarke's wife was informed by the Air Force "it had come to their attention" that her husband needed eyeglasses.Mrs.Clarke has a photograph of an individual in capivity she believes is her husband.
The U.S. maintains Clarke's case among those called "discrepancy"cases which are regulary presented to the Vietnamese as those that could be resolved.
Were it not for the thousands of rports concering Americans still held captive in Southeast Asia,the Clarke and Appelhans families might be able to close this tragic chapter of their lives.But as long as Americans are bring held captive, Clarke and Appelhans could be among them.It's time we brought these men Home.
Both men have been promoted to the rank of Major.
This man is not stranger,He is one of us who lived here in Hampton.Are we as Citizens of this City going to allow one of our "own" to be unaccounted for?
Please call or write our elected Officals to tell them how concerned you are about our POW/MIA's that have not returned home to the Peninsula.