Shareware Supreme Volume 6 #1/swsii.zip/swsii/009/H092.ZIP/H092.TXT

Text File | 1991-02-12 | 4KB | 71 lines

HORNE, STANLEY HENRY
Remains Returned 08 April 1990 - ID Announced 14 November 1990

Name: Stanley Henry Horne
Rank/Branch: O4/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 19 May 1926
Home City of Record: Los Angeles CA
Date of Loss: 14 January 1968
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 214300N 1045100E (WK078059)
Status (in 1973): Prisoner of War
Category: 1
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D

Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 February 1991 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: The F105 Thunderchief ("Thud"), in its various versions, flew more
missions against North Vietnam than any other U.S. aircraft. It also suffered
more losses, partially due to its vulnerability, which was constantly under
revision. Between 1965 and 1971, the aircraft was equipped with armor plate, a
secondary flight control system, an improved pilot ejection seat, a more precise
navigation system, better blind bombing capability and ECM pods for the wings.
The D version was a single-place aircraft.

Maj. Stanley H. Horne was the pilot of an F105D Thunderchief dispatched on a
mission over North Vietnam on January 14, 1968. At a point on the Red River
near the city of Yen Bai in Nhgia Lo Province, Horne's aircraft was shot down
and he was never seen again. Horne was declared Missing in Action. The U.S.
Government believed the enemy knew his fate, but had no evidence to confirm
this.

Records on American military personnel were maintained in various government
agencies. Raw intelligence data from Southeast Asia freqently first found its
way into the files of the organization which came to be known as Joint Casualty
Resolution Center (JCRC). Many analysts believed JCRC records were the most
complete and authoritative, since they contained largely raw data without
benefit of analytical "muddling".

In November 1973, JCRC received a cable from Defense Intelligence Agency which
was copied to various high stations, including CIA, the Secretary of State and
the White House. The cable stated JCRC should "take necessary action to delete
any references pertaining to PW [Prisoner of War] status and place members in a
new MIA code" the files of Stanley Horne and several others. Whether JCRC had
intelligence that indicated Stanley Horne had been captured is unknown.
Ironically, Horne went down very near one of the prison locations (at Yen Bai)
which was determined to have held U.S. prisoners.

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.

Whether Horne survived the crash of his aircraft to be captured by the enemy is
certain not known. It is not known if he might be among those thought to be
still alive today. What is certain, however, is that as long as even one
American remains alive, held against his will, we owe him our very best efforts
to bring him to freedom.

In April 1990, remains were recovered which were subsequently identified as
being those of Stanley Henry Horne. In November of the same year, the U.S.
officially announced his return home after 22 years.