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1990-04-14
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83 lines
BLACKBURN, HARRY LEE JR.
Remains returned April 10, 1986
Name: Harry Lee Blackburn, Jr.
Rank/Branch: O5/US Navy
Unit: Fighter Squadron 92, USS CONSTELLATION (CVA 64)
Date of Birth: 28 December 1935 (Ft. Benning GA)
Home City of Record: Highland Springs VA
Date of Loss: 10 May 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 205700N 1062000E (XJ384165)
Status (in 1973): Prisoner of War
Category: 1
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4J
Other Personnel in Incident: Stephen A. Rudloff (Released POW)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 April 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: POSS DED RO85 RPTS ALGD SUICI
SYNOPSIS: Commander Harry L. Blackburn Jr. was a pilot assigned to Fighter
Squadron 92 onboard the USS CONSTELLATION. On May 10, 1972 he launched with his
radar intercept officer (RIO), Lt. Stephen A. Rudloff in their F4J Phantom
fighter aircraft. They were assigned on a flak suppression mission against the
Guan Lang Airfield near Hai Duong, Hai Hung Province, North Vietnam.
After effectively hitting two anti-aircraft positions, Cdr. Blackburn was in the
process of engaging enemy MiG aircraft when his plane was hit by ground fire and
he and Rudloff were forced to eject from the aircraft. Both cremen were seen by
other aircraft to safely eject with good parachutes, and were seen to land on
the ground several hundred yards apart.
Blackburn and Rudloff were initially placed in a category of Missing in Action,
which was later changed to captured (POW). Rudloff was released as a POW in
1973, but Blackburn was not, nor did his name appear on any list provided by the
Vietnamese. The U.S. does not classify persons as prisoner of war without
reason, and doubtless received intelligence to confirm the capture of both men.
When Rudloff was released, he reported that he was taken prisoner and locked in
a room in a nearby compound. The night of his capture, Rudloff heard a vehicle
drive up to the building and saw a light go on in the room next to his. Next, he
heard a noise which he described as a "hand slapping a face". Thinking the man
in the next room might be Blackburn, he began to shout, but was immediately
hushed by the guards. The light in the next room was then turned off and the
vehicle drove away. Rudloff believes this is the last contact he had with his
pilot.
The Defense Department further notes "POSS DED R085 RPTS ALGD SUICI", which
translates to "Possibly dead. R085 (Rudloff) reports alleged suicide." There is
no reference to this data remark in public U.S. Navy records.
In 1973, returning POWs reported seeing Blackburn's name scrawled on the walls
of their cells. Hanoi denied any knowledge of Harry Blackburn.
April 10, 1986, the Vietnamese returned remains they had "discovered" which were
positively identified as being those of Harry Blackburn. For 14 years, he was a
prisoner of war -- alive or dead. It is unclear how or when Blackburn died.
Since American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975, nearly 10,000 reports
relating to Americans missing, prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in
Indochina have been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials, having
examined this largely classified information, have reluctantly concluded that
many Americans are still alive today, held captive by our long-ago enemy.
It is not known how long Harry Blackburn lived as a prisoner of war. He is one
of about 100 Americans who were confirmed prisoners of war, and about whom the
Vietnamese denied knowledge. The Vietnamese also deny knowledge of the over 2300
other Americans still prisoner, missing or otherwise unaccounted for in
Southeast Asia. And the U.S. accepts them at their word and gratefully accepts
the "gift" of remains that should have been returned decades ago.
If even one American is still alive in captivity today, it represents our
nation's greatest shame. We must do everything possible to bring our men home.
Harry Lee Blackburn, Jr. was promoted to the rank of Captain during the period
he was maintained as a Prisoner of War.