SYNOPSIS:Lt. Taylor was not only doing his job, but his duty as well. On Feb 15, 1971, Lt. Taylor and crew took what was to be their last flight aboard their CH47. Their mission that day was to ferry a slingload of gasoline into Savannakhet Province, Laos.
During the mission, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire and began to lose altitude. During the descent, the slingload apparently exploded, causing the helicopter to explode, break into pieces, and crash. Observers later said that the helicopter seemed disoriented and that it had overflown the nearest friendly location by several miles and had descended into enemy-held territory about 10 miles southeast of Sepone.
According to the U.S. Army, air searches conducted within minutes of the crash revealed no sign of survivors. However, according to information given to family members, the aerial search failed to find evidence of a crash. A ground search was not possible because of hostile threat in the area. (NOTE: Defense Department data remarks indicates that a crash site was found and that no survivors were observed from the air.)
The men aboard the CH47 were al classified Killed/Body Not Recovered. The families maintain there is still a mystery surrounding the crash of the aircraft, and they would like to know the whole truth.
Proof of the deaths of TAYLOR, POWERS, FIVELSON, CREAR, CRONE, and LEONARD was never found. No remains came home, none was released from prison camp. They were not blown up, nor did they sink to the bottom of the ocean. Someone knows what happened to them>
The personnel aboard the CH47 are among nearly 600 Americans lost in Laos. The communist Lao stated on several occasions that the held American prisoners, but as the U.S. did not recognize the Pathet Lao government, we never negotiated with them for their release. Consequently, not one man held in Laos was ever released.
Were it not for thousands of reports relating to Americans still held captive in Southeast Asia today, the families of the CH47 helicopter crew might be able to believe their men died with their aircraft. But until proof exists that they died, or they are brought home alive, they will wonder and wait.
HOW LONG MUST THEY WAIT BEFORE WE BRING OUR MEN HOME?
All biographical and loss information on POW's provided by Operation Just Cause have been supplied by Chuck and Mary Schantag of POWNET. Please check with htp://www.asde.com/~pownet/POWNET regularly for updates.
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