Shareware Supreme Volume 6 #1/swsii.zip/swsii/009/B133.ZIP/B133

Text File | 1990-10-13 | 6KB | 96 lines

BEDINGER, HENRY JAMES

Name: Henry James Bedinger
Rank/Branch: O2/US Navy
Unit: Fighter Squadron 143, USS CONSTELLATION (CVA 64)
Date of Birth: 30 March 1945 (Philadelphia PA)
Home City of Record: Hatboro PA
Date of Loss: 22 November 1969
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 163740N 1055807E (XD033385)
Status (in 1973): Released POW
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4J

Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 May 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: 730327 RELSD BY PL

SYNOPSIS: The USS CONSTELLATION provided air power to the U.S. effort in Vietnam
early in the war, having participated in strikes against Loc Chao and Hon Gai in
North Vietnam during August 1964. One of the first American POWs of the war, and
certainly one of the most well-known, LTJG Everett Alverez, launched from her
decks and was captured during this series of strikes in 1964. The CONSTELLATION
was large and carried a full range of aircraft. Fighters from her air wing,
CVW-14, earned the carrier the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 1968 during a
particularly intense period of air attacks. VF-96, a premier fighter squadron
awarded the Clifton Trophy two straight years, flew from the CONSTELLATION in
October 1971. During this period, two of her pilots, LT Randall H. Cunningham
and LTJG William "Willie" Driscoll became the first American aces of the Vietnam
War, having shot down five Russian-made MiG enemy aircraft. The CONSTELLATION
remained on station throughout most of the war.

One of the aircraft launched from the decks of the CONSTELLATION was the F4
Phantom fighter jet. The Phantom, used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings,
served a multitude of functions including fighter-bomber and interceptor, photo
and electronic surveillance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2),
and had a long range (900 - 2300 miles, depending on stores and mission type).
The F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high
altitudes. The F4 was selected for a number of state-of-the-art electronics
conversions, which improved radar intercept and computer bombing capabilities
enormously. Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest" planes around.

LTJG Henry J. Bedinger was an F4J Naval Flight Officer assigned to Fighter
Squadron 143 onboard the USS CONSTELLATION. On November 22, 1969, he and his
pilot, LT Herbert Wheeler, were launched from the carrier on a reconnaissance
mission over Laos. Their call sign was "TAPROOM".

During the flight, as they were over Savannakhet Province approximately 10 miles
west-southwest of the city of Sepone, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire
and the crew was forced to eject. Two full parachutes were sighted by other
aircraft in the area and contact was made on their survival radios. The pilot,
LT Wheeler, was recovered by search and rescue helicopters. Bedinger radioed
that he was surrounded by enemy troops. This, along with heavy small arms fire
from the ground, prohibited a helicopter rescue of LTJG Bedinger. His last radio
transmission was, "I guess I'm a prisoner of war." Oriental voices were heard on
the rescue frequency several times after his last message.

Bedinger had been captured by the North Vietnamese operating in Laos. He was
immediately moved to North Vietnam where he spent the next 3 1/2 years as a
prisoner of war. Unlike other POWs, however, Bedinger was held apart from
Americans captured in North Vietnam, although he was put in with an American
civilian shot down in Laos, Ernie Brace.

At the end of the war, Bedinger and about a dozen others were presented as the
so-called "Laos prisoners." The original list of releasees did not include a
single man missing in Laos, and after considerable haggling, these men, who were
captured in Laos but moved immediately to North Vietnam, were included on the
list of the returnees. It was generally presumed that these men were held by the
Pathet Lao, and they were "officially" released by the Pathet Lao, but they met
their Lao "captors" on the day of their release. Bedinger had spent only ten
days in Laos; most of those ten days were consumed in travel to North Vietnam.

Nearly 600 Americans were lost in Laos during American involvement in the
Vietnam war. Although the Pathet Lao stated during the war that they held "tens
of tens" of American prisoners of war, no negotiations were conducted which
would secure the freedom of these men.

Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing,
prisoner or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S.
Government. Many authorities who have examined this largely classified
information are convinced that hundreds of Americans are still held captive
today. These reports are the source of serious distress to many returned
American prisoners. They had a code that no one could honorably return unless
all of the prisoners returned. Not only that code of honor, but the honor of our
country is at stake as long as even one man remains unjustly held. It's time we
brought our men home.

Jim Bedinger remained in the service and worked in the office of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff at the Pentagon in the late 1980's. He was promoted to the rank of
Lieutenant during his captivity, and in the late 1980's had the rank of
Commander.