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Shareware Supreme Volume 6 #1
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009
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1990-09-15
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POWERS, JOHN LYNN
Name: John Lynn Powers
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit: 159th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division
Date of Birth: 13 November 1949 (Idaho Falls ID)
Home City of Record: Mackay ID
Date of Loss: 15 February 1971
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 163836N 1062558E (XD528405)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: CH47C
Other Personnel In Incident: Donald E. Crone; Barry F. Fivelson; Willis C.
Crear; Marvin M. Leonard; James H. Taylor (all missing)
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: EXPLODE - NO SURV OBS AIR - J
SYNOPSIS: Lam Son 719 was a large-scale offensive against enemy communications
lines which was conducted in that part of Laos adjacent to the two northern
provinces of South Vietnam. The South Vietnamese would provide and command
ground forces, while U.S. forces would furnish airlift and supporting fire.
Phase I, renamed Operation Dewey Canyon II, involved an armored attack by the
U.S. from Vandegrift base camp toward Khe Sanh, while the ARVN moved into
position for the attack across the Laotian border. Phase II began with an ARVN
helicopter assault and armored brigade thrust along Route 9 into Laos. ARVN
ground troops were transported by American helicopters, while U.S. Air Force
provided cover strikes around the landing zones.
On February 15, 1971, during one of these maneuvers, a CH47 helicopter was
assigned the task of ferrying a load of gasoline into Savannakhet Province,
Laos. The crew of the aircraft consisted of SP4 Donald E. Crone, crew chief; CWO
Marvin M. Leonard, pilot; SP4 Willis C. Crear, door gunner; SP4 John L. Powers,
flight engineer; 2Lt. James H. Taylor, aircraft commander. WO Barry F. Fivelson
was a passenger onboard the aircraft.
During the mission, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire and began to lose
altitude. During the descent, the sling load apparently exploded, causing the
helicopter to explode, break into pieces, and crash. Observers later said that
the helicopter seemed disoriented and that it had overflown the nearest friendly
location by several miles and had descended in enemy-held territory about 10
miles southeast of Sepone.
According to the U.S. Army, air searches conducted within minutes of the crash
revealed no sign of survivors. However, according to information given to family
members, the aerial search failed to find evidence of a crash. A ground search
was not possible because of hostile threat in the area. (Note also that Defense
Department data remarks indicates that a crash site was found and that no
survivors were observed from the air.)
The men aboard the CH47 were all classified Killed/Body Not Recovered. The
families maintain there is still a mystery surrounding the crash of the
aircraft, and they would like to know the whole truth.
Proof of the deaths of Powers, Fivelson, Taylor, Crear, Crone and Leonard was
never found. No remains came home; none was released from prison camp. They were
not blown up, nor did they sink to the bottom of the ocean. Someone knows what
happened to them.
The personnel aboard the CH47 are among nearly 600 Americans lost in Laos. The
communist Lao stated on several occasions that they held American prisoners, but
as the U.S. did not recognize the Pathet Lao as a legitimate government, we
never negotiated with them for their release. Consequently, not one man held in
Laos was ever released.
Were it not for thousands of reports relating to Americans still held captive in
Southeast Asia today, the families of the CH47 helicopter crew might be able to
believe their men died with their aircraft. But until proof exists that they
died, or they are brought home alive, they will wonder and wait.
How long must they wait before we bring our men home?