MCVEY, LAVOY DON

Name: Lavoy Don McVey
Rank/Branch: O3/US Marine Corps
Unit: C/1 Recon Battalion, 1st Marine Division
Date of Birth: 22 February 1938
Home City of Record: Lamar CO
Date of Loss: 02 March 1970
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 154501N 1075001E (ZC036432)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground

Other Personnel in Incident: David W. Skibbe

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 September 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: 2LT David W. Skibbe and CAPT Lavoy D. McVey were both members of the
1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, but in different companies.
On March 2, 1970, Skibbe's recon team was operating in Quang Nam Province, South
Vietnam, about 10 miles northwest of the city of An Hoa when they engaged in a
firefight with enemy forces. During the skirmish, Skibbe was injured by small
arms fire.

The corpsman in attendance described the injury as a "penetrating wound of the
lower right leg, breaking the fibula 2" above the ankle leaving an open
fracture. Hemorrage was moderate and eased after a pressure battle dressing was
applied." Dave's broken leg was immobilized by the application of a splint
constructed from a small tree limb. Skibbe was in good mental command and
continued to lead and encourage his men. The corpsman was at the same time
treating another teammember who was more seriously injured.

Shortly after treatment was administered, an emergency medical evacuation
helicopter appeared in the recovery area, flown by a Marine major. That officer
reported that he positioned his helicopter in a 75-100 foot hover above the team
and under the direction of his crew chief, lowered the hoist cable, to which a
jungle penetrator was affixed, as there was no suitable landing zone.

After initial extraction of the more seriously wounded Marine was completed,
Skibbe was fastened to the seat of the lift device by other members of the team
and was slowly hoisted into the air. Team members later stated that they last
saw Skibbe as he cleared the canopy which in some areas was 30-40 feet in
height. They lost sight of him as he cleared the trees and assumed that he had
been drawn safely into the aircraft.

From the helicopter into which Skibbe was being hoisted, his company commander,
Capt. Lavoy D. McVey, the medical officer, pilots and crewmen, watched Skibbe's
ascent into the aircraft until he reached a point about 20 feet from the
chopper (100 or more feet altitude). At that moment, the hoist cable suddenly
snapped and Skibbe fell to the ground, clearly visible to those onboard the
helicopter, falling into heavy foliage which obstructed view of his actual
impact with the ground.

The pilot of the recovery helicopter immediately contacted the team on the
ground by radio and they radioed "yes, he's ok." The pilot interpreted this to
mean that the team knew that Skibbe had fallen and had located him. The pilot,
therefore, swung about, lowered the extract ladder for the remainder of the team
from a distance of about 100 feet. The team immediately affixed themselves to
the ladder, again unaware that Skibbe had fallen very close by, and were hoisted
into the air for the return trip to An Hoa.

The pilot, believing that Skibbe had been strapped to the ladder, continued with
the extraction. The team, believing that Skibbe was safely onboard the aircraft,
rode on to An Hoa. It was at An Hoa that the pilot and team mutually discovered
the error.

Both helicopters that had been on the extraction returned to the area, and an
attempt was made to insert Capt. McVey to search for Skibbe. It was during this
insertion attempt that McVey also fell to his death.

Because of the enemy position and dense jungle, it was decided not to attempt
another insertion. To do so might have caused the loss of even more men.
Although it was widely believed that both men sustained fatal injuries in their
falls, no sign of the two was ever located in later searches.

Nearly 2500 Americans were lost in Southeast Asia during our miltary involvement
there. Since the war in Southeast Asia ended in 1973, thousands of reports
relating to Americans prisoner, missing or unaccounted for have been received by
the U.S. Government. The official policy is that no conclusive proof has been
obtained that is current enough to act upon. Detractors of this policy say
conclusive proof is in hand, but that the willingness or ability to rescue these
prisoners does not exist.

Skibbe and McVey, if among those hundreds said to be still alive and in
captivity, must be wondering if and when their country will return for them. In
America, we say that life is precious, but isn't the life of even one American
worth the effort of recovery? When the next war comes, and it is our sons lost,
will we then care enough to do everything we can to bring our prisoners home?