Chief Master Sgt. Luther L. Rose, US Air Force

Deep Web Diver · #1 (**permalink**) August 11th, 2004, 04:08 AM

Air Force Link: Remains from Vietnam War identified, August 6, 2004

WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- An Airman missing in action from the Vietnam War has been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Chief Master Sgt. Luther L. Rose of Howe, Texas.

On June 23, 1966, Chief Rose was serving as a gunner on an AC-47 Spooky gunship on a nighttime armed reconnaissance mission over southern Laos. At about 9:25 p.m., an aircrew member radioed, "we have a hot fire," and another radio transmission was heard to order, "bail out." Witnesses reported the aircraft was on fire before crashing into a heavily wooded area 30 miles northeast of Tchepone, in Khannouan Province, Laos.

No parachutes from the six-man crew were observed and no emergency beepers were heard. An aerial search of the site found no evidence of survivors.

In cooperation with Lao government officials, a joint team of U.S. and Lao specialists traveled to a suspected crash site in Khammouan Province in October 1994 where a villager took them to an area where personal effects, aircraft wreckage, crew-related materials and a crew member's identification tag were found.

In May and June 1995, a joint U.S.-Lao team excavated the site where they recovered human remains as well as identification from other aircrew members. The U.S. recovery team members were from the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. Scientists there applied a wide array of forensic techniques to the recovered remains, including comparisons of dental charts and x-rays, as well as the use of mitochondrial DNA sequencing.

More than 88,000 Americans are missing in action from all conflicts. Of these, 1,855 are from the Vietnam War.

Stevin · #2 (**permalink**) August 11th, 2004, 07:41 AM

Another name with a Rosette before it. Glad he could be identified and returned to his family.

I read the other day that a special recovery team spent two or three weeks in Alaska, training for the recovery operation of three americans, KIA in Nepal in WW2. They are believed to lie at an height of 14,000 feet.

Thanks DWD! "Until They Are Home"

Air Force 4 Life · #3 (**permalink**) August 11th, 2004, 09:49 AM

Very nice read. Thank you

v\r TRB

Deep Web Diver · #4 (**permalink**) August 11th, 2004, 07:23 PM

You're welcome guys.

Deep Web Diver · #5 (**permalink**) August 13th, 2004, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Stevin:
I read the other day that a special recovery team spent two or three weeks in Alaska, training for the recovery operation of three americans, KIA in Nepal in WW2. They are believed to lie at an height of 14,000 feet.

I just saw something on this myself Stevin.

Army News Service: Recovery team to tackle China's austere slopes, Aug. 11, 2004

Quote:

U.S. Army Capt. Geoffrey Kent, a JPAC team leader, from Falls Church, Va., said, "What we found in Alaska is that your body will do whatever your mind tells it to do. When you surround yourself with a team that is as motivated as the one that I've got, it makes it that much easier."

Kent said there were certainly times the team members were exhausted and in pain.

"There were times when we asked ourselves what we were doing there," Kent said, "Those feelings were lost the moment that we pulled out the POW/MIA flag at the 14,000 [foot] base camp that read, 'You Are Not Forgotten.' We owe it to too many people -- nothing but our very best effort. I will say one thing to the three men in Tibet that we will search for. 'We're coming for you, and we will bring you home.'"

[ 12. August 2004, 11:34 PM: Message edited by: Deep Web Diver ]