CASE SYNOPSIS:  HEITMAN, STEVEN WAYNE

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Name:				Steven Wayne Heitman	
Rank/Branch:			E5/US Army	
Unit:				H & H Troop; 1st Squadron
				9th Cavalry; 1st Cavalry Division
Date of Birth:			23 April 1943			
Home City of Record:		Indianapolis IN
Date of Loss:			13 March 1968			
Country of Loss:		South Vietnam	
Loss Coordinates:		163650N 1072618E	
Status (in 1973):		Missing In Action	
Category:			2		
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:	UH1B     
Other Personnel
In Incident:                    Cleveland Evans; Jimmy L. Watson
				(both missing)	

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS:  On March 13, 1968, SP5 Heitman, Sgt. Evans, passengers, WO Jimmy
Watson, pilot, SFC Eugene Gubbins, PFC Larry Moore and Lt. Purda, crewmembers
and 4 unidentified passengers of the 101st Airborne Division were aboard a UH1H
helicopter (tail #67-17254) which proceeded north from Phu Bai airfield on a
logistics mission to Camp Evans, Republic of Vietnam.

About 3-5 miles southeast of Camp Evans, the helicopter was hit by enemy fire
and was forced to land.  All 10 persons exited the aircraft and split into two
5-man teams in an attempt to evade to friendly lines.

Lt. Purda and the four 101st Airborne personnel walked into Camp Evans at 2000
hours.  An intensive search was initiated, but failed to reveal any trace of
the aircraft or the 5 missing.  On March 28, elements of the 1st Cavalry
Division found 2 bodies in a shallow grave in the area of the crash site.  They
were later identified as those of SFC Gubbins and PFC Moore.  The fates of the
other 3 remained a mystery and the three were classified Missing in Action.

Since the war ended, thousands of reports have convinced many authorities that
hundreds of Americans are still held captive in Southeast Asia.  The three
survivors of the helicopter crash on March 13, 1968 could be among them.  They
also could be dead.  Until the U.S. seriously pursues his fate, we may not
know with certainty what happened to Steve Heitman.