LYON, JAMES MICHAEL

Name: James Michael Lyon
Rank/Branch: O3/US Army
Unit: HHC, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
Date of Birth: 08 mARCH 1948
Home City of Record: Indianapolis IN
Date of Loss: 05 February 1970
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 163045N 1072824E (YD494093)
Status (in 1973): Prisoner of War
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H
Other Personnel in Incident: Tom Y. Kobashigawa, John W. Parsels, Daniel H.
Hefel (returned POWs)

REMARKS: 700206 DIC; MERCY KILLING

SYNOPSIS: At 1530 hours on February 5, 1970, Capt. James M. Lyon, pilot, Capt.
John W. Parsels, copilot, SP5 Tom Y. Kobashigawa, crew chief, and SP4 Daniel
Hefel, door gunner, were flying a UH1H helicopter (serial #68-16441) on a
maintenance mission from Hue to Phy Bai, South Vietnam.

When the aircraft was about 18 miles northwest of Hue City, the helicopter
caught fire and crashed (due to a malfunction). Capt. Lyon was thrown clear of
the aircraft and was burned extensively over his body and part of his right
leg. His leg was severed four inches below the knee. The other crew members
were also injured and could not take evasie action. They were captured at 1630
hours by NVA troops and spent the night near the crash site.

Throughout the night, the crew members heard their pilot yelling and moaning in
pain. At 0600 hours, Capt. Lyon moaned and then a shot was heard from his
position about 30 feet from the aircraft wreckage. No other outcry from Capt.
Lyon was heard, and the others believed that he had been killed by the guard.

Two weeks later, Capt. Parsels was told by 1Lt. Lee Van Mac (an NVA commander
at "Camp Farnsworth") that Capt. Lyon died from his wounds and was buried at
the crash site. 1Lt. Lee Van Mac gave Capt. Parsels the personal effects of
Capt. Lyon, including his ID card and several photos which appeared to be of
Lyon's wife.

In late March, 1973, Parsels, Hefel and Kobashigawa were released from prisons
in North Vietnam. In their debriefings, all three concurred on the story that
Lyon had apparently been shot. They considered it a mercy killing, because
their pilot had been so seriously injured that they doubted that he could
survive.

Curiously, the Vietamese have not returned the body of Capt. James M. Lyon, nor
have they been forthcoming with information concerning him. Tragically, Capt.
Lyon has been a prisoner of war for nearly 20 years - alive or dead.

Even more tragic are the thousands of reports that continue to flow in
indicating that some hundreds of Americans are still prisoner in Indochina.
It's long past time we brought our men home.