JTF-FA in Vietnam

Searching for a way out of the mist, the helicopter dipped below 700 feet. Moments later it slammed into the mountain at full throttle, 60 feet below the summit, according to Vietnamese officials.

''The helicopter tilted side to side, then fluttered up and down in an abnormal pattern,'' said Nguyen Viet Cuong, a local resident, speaking by telephone. ''The helicopter crashed into the mountain and exploded. We all saw flames flare up.''

"I heard the helicopter flying very low. The engine made a big noise, and then we heard a big explosion. It was very foggy so we couldn't see very much," said Nguyen Van Minh, 45.

"It was like during the Vietnam War again when we ran to see if we could help anyone from the crash. There was only one man who was still alive. He told us he was with the MIA team," he said. That man, a Vietnamese, died shortly afterward at the Am Mountain crash site.

A tattered rotor blade jutting from the hillside served as a grim marker over a valley of emerald-green rice paddies, while Vietnamese authorities in Quang Binh province mobilized army troops, public security troops – who confiscated the camera of an Associated Press photographer in the process - and medical workers to overcome the aftermath of the incident. Recovery teams carried the bodies in stretchers 30 minutes down a hillside for transportation by car to Hanoi for examination and autopsy.

An MIA recovery team was diverted from Laos to Vietnam to aid with the effort, a JTF-FA spokesman said. They will secure the crash site and search for personal effects to aid in the identification of remains.

The American government quickly issued a statement of condolence from its highest level after the accident. President Bush offered condolences to the families of those killed, saying: ''Today's loss is a terrible one for America. Although not lost in a hostile act, like those for whom they search, they too have lived lives of great consequence, answering a calling of service to their fellow citizens.''

STATEMENT OF SECRETARY RUMSFELD ON ACCIDENT IN VIETNAM

"Americans are saddened by today's tragic loss of life of both U.S. and Vietnamese service personnel in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Those of us in the Department of Defense, and the families of our missing, are keenly aware of the dedication of both the American and Vietnamese team members who were, on this very day, searching for servicemen who have been missing in action since the end of the war.

"Since 1985, American teams, with the full support of their Vietnamese counterparts, have conducted investigations and excavations in that country. As a result of this sustained cooperation, we have recovered and identified the remains of more than 600 Americans and continue to search for those still missing in Southeast Asia. Led by the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting and the U.S. Army's Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii, this recovery work is truly a noble calling.

"These joint teams have maintained a truly remarkable safety record, particularly given the dangerous and difficult terrain in which they work. Today's tragedy represents the first loss of life either side has suffered in the 65 joint field activities that have been completed in Vietnam. To the families of those whose loved ones have yet to be accounted-for, be assured that our mission will continue, even in the face of this tragedy. Our hearts go to the families and friends of those who today made the ultimatesacrifice in carrying out this humanitarian mission. They gave their lives so that others might come home. May God bless and be with them."

At the same time, Vietnam also issued a statement, saying, ''On behalf of the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien has sent his deep condolences to the families of the Vietnamese victims and at the same time to the government, the people and the families of the United States.''

But an unexpected problem plagued investigators at the crash site – looting. The Monday following the crash, the state-run Tien Phong ("Vanguard") newspaper said that a local resident stole nearly 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) of wreckage from the helicopter right after the crash. However, an official of the commune People's Committee called this an exaggeration. "Some children took little pieces away but we have been able to get all those things back," he said.

A U.S. official said such incidents were a concern to those trying to discover the cause of the crash, but cited reports that the amount of wreckage taken was much less than 500 kilograms. "Any disturbance of a crash site is undesirable from the standpoint of a clear investigation," he said.

By Tuesday, the Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted a top Vietnamese official - deputy air force commander Major General Mai Van Cuong - as saying that heavy fog led the chopper to veer into the mountain. "With very limited visibility, the MI-17 deviated to the left. When they realized that, it was too late, and when the aircraft tried to climb, its rear side hit the mountain."

Nevertheless - the crash resulted in the cancellation of the 65th Joint Field Activity – marking only the second time such a search mission was canceled. The other was in November 1999, when there was severe flooding in central Vietnam. The cancellation allowed for both governments to focus on the investigation and rebuild their search capabilities. One of the targets of the 65th JFA included the crash site of Air Force Captain Lawrence Evert's F-105D, which went down in 1967.

On April 13th, 2001, the remains of all 7 Americans were repatriated to the United States, starting at Noi Bai International Airport, the main airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Friday. Following the ceremony, the flag-draped transfer cases were placed aboard an Air Force C-17 by a military honor guard for the trip back to the United States. Brigadier General Harry B. Axson, the commanding general of the entire Joint Task Force, and the U.S. contingent escorted the remains back to the United States, arriving at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.

At a ceremony memorializing the occasion, Admiral Dennis C. Blair, the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), stated, “We can only say to the families who have suffered this loss that we grieve for your sons, husbands, and brothers – our teammates. We honor their service; we renew our dedication to the cause they served. We will never forget them.”

Colonel Cory was buried at site 574 at Fort Bragg Post Cemetery in North Carolina; Colonel Martin was buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Columbia, South Carolina; Major Lewis was buried at section 6-T, row 4, site 5 of Arlington National Cemetery; Sergeant Murphy was buried at Southlawn Memorial Park in Petersburg, Virginia; Master Sergeant Moser was buried at section A-E, site C-61A of Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California; Chief Gonzales was buried in section 48, site 102 of the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona; and Sergeant Flynn was buried at Montevallo Cemetery in Alabama.

On the morning of Wednesday, April 25th, 2001, at Fort Myer, Virginia, a memorial service was held for those killed in the mishap. Attended by family members of the seven Americans and co-workers from JTF-FA, Vietnamese Deputy Chief of Mission Pham Van Que,and members of the Vietnamese Embassy. Speaking at the event, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the example of the seven Americans and nine Vietnamese killed in the crash will serve to renew the commitment to further their work of accounting for missing Americans in Southeast Asia.

"Let us remember the words of Abraham Lincoln ... when he said 'It is for us the living to be dedicated to the unfinished work which they so nobly advanced,'" Wolfowitz said. "Our resolve is strengthened by their example."

After a 121 day hiatus, during which the JTF-FA, CILHI, and PACOM undertook a stringent review of operating procedures and implemented additional risk mitigation measures, the accounting mission in Vietnam continued at its previous pace, with the 66th scheduled search mission occurring in July 2001.

On October 10th, 2001, the collateral investigation of the MI-17 helicopter crash was completed. Each of the next of kin was given an opportunity to be personally briefed on the investigation results and, although exact details of the accident may never be known, a report by an American investigator, Army Lt. Col. David Shaffer, found that the flight crew was very experienced, and the pilot in command had more than 3,300 flight hours and was considered the Vietnamese military's best at maneuvering the Mi-17. Furthermore, the report indicated that deteriorating weather conditions, poor visibility and the pilot’s failure to properly react to the changing weather conditions - a scattered cloud level into an unforecasted, rapidly forming thick layer of fog - were all predominant factors in the accident.

Based on these results, PACOM lifted the moratorium on passenger use of the MI-17, with safety modifications – namely, the removal of the internal fuel tanks - in Vietnam and Laos.

In 2002, the Department of Defense decided that accounting efforts for all past conflicts would be best served by combining JTF-FA and CILHI into a single, cohesive organization. Thus, on October 1st, 2003, the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command, better known as JPAC, was established and headquartered on Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

At its headquarters in Hawaii, and on the third anniversary of the mishap, JPAC’s Commanding General, Brigadier General W. Montague Winfield unveiled and dedicated a memorial on an area called “Heroes Green.” The memorial is a lone rock about three feet high with an engraved plaque that bears the names of seven Americans, as well as the entire park. The general began the dedication by giving a short speech and reading the names on the plaque.

In Hanoi, near Det 2's headquarters, is another memorial to the 16 killed in this mishap.

On July 7th, 2006, the 16 killed were honored by the 109th Congress of the United States in a concurrent resolution (HCON 444 IH).