CASE SYNOPSIS: MANGINO, THOMAS ANGELO

Name: Thomas Angelo Mangino
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit: Company A, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade
Date of Birth: 16 March 1944 (Lyons OH)
Home City of Record: Alliance OH
Loss Date: 21 April 1967
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 152118N 1084704E (BS622987)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Sampan
Other Personnel In Incident: Paul A. Hasenback; David M. Winters; Daniel R.
Nidds; (all missing)

REMARKS: DISAPPEARED ON SAMPAN

SYNOPSIS: On April 21, 1967, SP4 Thomas A. Mangino, squad leader; PFC Paul
Hasenback, PFC David M. Winters and PFC Daniel R. Nidds, riflemen; were
returning from a combat patrol in the second of two sampans 100 meters apart
near Chu Lai, Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam.

Just before arriving at their destination, a Vietnamese civilian was seen
moving in his sampan toward the sampan carrying SP4 Mangino's squad. Another
sampan with 3 Vietnamese women was moving toward the first sampan, in which the
platoon leader rode. The first sampan started to leak, so proceeded faster
around and headed toward the beach. The Vietnamese women were still following
the first sampan. The distance between the two sampans carrying the Americans
was 200-250 meters.

The last time the platoon leader saw Mangino's sampan, the Vientamese civilian
was talking with SP4 Mangino's squad. The platoon leader's sampan arrived at
the beach 45 minutes later, and waited 20 minutes, then reported to the command
post that Mangino's sampan had not yet arrived.

Two hours after the platoon leader's sampan beached, SP4 Mangino's sampan had
still not arrived, so search efforts were begun. Two platoons searched the
area, and a helicopter searched from the air using a loud speaker. All efforts
were unsuccessful in locating Mangino and his squad.

Navy divers searched the river area without success. All aboard Mangino's
sampan knew how to swim. The Army strongly suspects that the enemy knows what
happened to Mangino and his squad.

Although returned POWs did not report having seen the men lost on the sampan,
Nidd's photo was identified by a refugee as having been a prisoner of war. The
circumstances surrounding their loss indicates the strong possibility, at
least, that the enemy forces knew their fates.

Mangino and his squad are among nearly 2500 in Southeast Asia who did not
return from the war. Unlike "MIAs" from other wars, most of these men can be
accounted for. Further, and even more significant, mounting evidence indicates
that there are hundreds of them still alive in captivity.

Refugees fleeing Southeast Asia have come with reports of Americans still held
in captivity. There are many such reports that withstand the closest scrutiny
the U.S. Government can give, yet official policy admits only to the
"possibility" that Americans remain as captives in Southeast Asia.

Until serious negotiations begin on Americans held in Southeast Asia, the
families of nearly 2500 Americans will wonder, "Where are they?" And the
families of many, many more future fighting men will wonder, "Will our sons be
abandoned, too?"