Charles Ross Duke, Jr.
Rank/Branch:
Civilian
Unit: Dynalectron
Corporation
Date of Birth:
03 December 1943
Home City of Record: Texas
Date of Loss:
30 May 1970
Country of Loss: South
Vietnam
Loss Coordinates:
135710N 1071757E (AR775365)
Status (in 1973): Missing
In Action
Category:
3
Acft/Vehicle/Ground:
Cycle
Other Personnel in Incident:
Kit T. Mark (missing)
SYNOPSIS:
On Memorial Day weekend, 1970, Charles Duke and his friend, Kit T. Mark
reportedly left Pleiku, South Vietnam on their Hondas for a short trip
to a village nine miles north of Pleiku. They never returned.
A friendly helicopter in the
area saw the two on Hondas, and the tire tracks of two Hondas leading to
a mountain side location where they found concealed rockets pointing to
the military base at Pleiku. Leaflets offering a reward for any information
were dropped, but no information surfaced about Mark or Duke.
Although Duke and Mark were originally
listed as being missing seven days apart, their records were changed to
reflect the accurate date of May 30, 1970.
Charles Duke was born in Houston,
Texas. He served four years in the Air Force as an airplane mechanic. After
his discharge, he went to work for Dynalectron Corporation working on jets
and helicopters. In August, 1968, he went to Pleiku to work for Dynalectron's
war contracts. Charles planned to return to school after he returned from
Vietnam. Charles Duke and Kit Mark were not among the prisoners of war
that were released in 1973. High-ranking U.S. officials admit their dismay
that "hundreds" of Americans known or suspected to be prisoners of war
did not return.
Alarmingly, evidence continues
to mount that Americans were left as prisoners in Southeast Asia and continue
to be held today. Unlike "MIAs" from other wars, most of the nearly 2500
men and women who remain missing in Southeast Asia can be accounted for.
Duke and Mark could be among them. Isn't it time we brought our men home?
No One Is Free
When Others Are Oppressed
It is the Soldier, not the
press, that has given us
freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the
poet, who has given us
freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the
campus organizer, who has given us
the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the Soldier, not the
lawyer, who has given us
the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier who salutes
the flag,
serves under the flag,
and whose coffin is draped
by the flag,
who allows the protester
to burn the flag.
Until They're All Home . . .
Then I'll Leave It Alone
. . .
Big Lou's Other Adopted POW/MIAs
Ralph
H. Angstadt
Victor
J. Apodaca, Jr.
(Native American Brother)
Michael
J. Estocin
Harley
H. Hall
David
L. Hrdlicka
Albro
Lundy
Michael
T. Newell
Edwin
J. Pearce
Edward
J. Rykoskey
Operation Just Cause &
POW/MIA Web Rings Here
Vincent
A. Scungio
Henry
M. Serex
Michael J.
Speicher
Henry
H. Strong
Francis
E. Visconti
Robert
J. Wells
The Hurt of One is the Hurt of
All . . .
The Honor of One is the Honor
of All . . .
When One American
is not worth the effort to be
found,
then we as Americans
have lost our National Honor
. . .
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"All Biographical and loss information
on POWs provided by Operation Just Cause have been supplied by Chuck and
Mary Schantag of POWNET. Please check with POWNET
regularly for updates."
Big Lou
Last Update 06/08/2000
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