THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Lt Leslie Douglas,
Thank you for your service as a Rotary Wing Aviation Unit Commander, Helicopter Pilot with the 1st Cavalry. We remember all you who gave their all. It has been too long, and it's about time for us all to acknowledge the sacrifices of those like you who answered our nation's call. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

Leslie and I were in school together in Tupelo. I especially remember him in elementary at Church Street School. Very nice memories of him.

Dear 1LT Leslie Forrest Douglas Jr, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, Sir

Curt Carter

On June 30, 1970, SP5 John L. Burgess was the crew chief of a UH-1H helicopter on a command and control mission when it was hit by enemy fire, crashed, and burned near the Cambodia/South Vietnam border in Phuoc Long Province, South Vietnam. The other individuals aboard the aircraft included 1LT Leslie F. Douglas Jr., 1LT Richard Dyer, SFC Juan Colon-Diaz, and PFC Goosman. PFC Goosman, who was thrown clear of the aircraft (he was probably the door gunner), was the only survivor of the crash. PFC Goosman later stated that he pulled the aircraft commander clear of the aircraft, but because of the fire, was unable to free any of the crew members or the one passenger from the aircraft. Goosman was able to determine that no one else had survived the crash. He remained at the scene of the crash site until friendly troops arrived to secure the aircraft wreckage. The remains of the four crew members were placed in four body bags and evacuated. Major Knudson, who arrived shortly after the crash, landed in a secure LZ adjacent to the crash and picked up Goosman and the 4 body bags. They were transported directly from the crash site to medical facilities located at Camp Gorvad, Phuoc Vinh, South Vietnam. Graves Registration at Camp Gorvad forwarded the four body bags to the mortuary at Than San Nhut to undergo autopsies. At the mortuary, as identification was conducted, it was determined that they only had 3 sets of remains rather than four. While processing the remains at the mortuary, it was discovered that one of the body bags contained portions of the upper torso and another bag contained portions of the lower torso of the same individual. After this discovery, they were combined and positive identifications made of the three individuals, Douglas, Dyer and Colon-Diaz. Than San Nhut Mortuary never received any remains correlating to SP5 Burgess, and it was believed that the remains of Burgess were either burned beneath the wreckage of the aircraft or incinerated in the fire which engulfed the aircraft after it crashed. The mortuary suggested another search of the crash site area, but additional searches were not considered possible because of enemy presence in the area. When a final review of aerial photographs was made in 1973, there was no evidence of the crashed aircraft. In 2013 Burgess’ remains were positively identified and interred at Arlington National Cemetery. [Narrative taken from pownetwork.org; image from wikipedia.org]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

No. 463-13

25 June 2013

SOLDIER MISSING IN ACTION FROM

VIETNAM WAR NOW ACCOUNTED FOR

The Department of Defense POWMissing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that a soldier, missing from the Vietnam War, has been accounted for and will be buried with full military honors along with two of his crew members.

Army Specialist 5 JOHN LAWRENCE BURGESS, of Sutton Bay, Michigan, was the crew chief of a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter which crashed in Binh Phuoc Province, South Vietnam.

Also, killed in the crash were -

1st Lieutenant LESLIE FORREST DOUGLAS Jr., of Verona, Mississippi

1st Lieutenant RICHARD DYER, of Central Falls, Rhode Island

and

Sergeant 1st Class JUAN COLON-DIAZ, of Comerio, Puerto Rico.

Another crew member, Private First Class JOHN GOOSMAN, survived the crash and was rescued.

Remains representing Dyer, Colon-Diaz, and Burgess, will be buried as a group in a single casket, on 2 July, at Arlington National Cemetery.

On 30 June 1970, while on a command and control mission, the helicopter was struck by enemy fire, causing it to crash.

Shortly thereafter, friendly forces recovered remains of Douglas, Colon-Diaz, and Dyer.

The three men were individually identified and buried with full military honors.

At that time, no remains were attributed to Burgess.

From 1992 to 2012, more than a dozen joint U.S. Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams investigated the case, in Binh Phuoc Province, recovering human remains, personal effects, military equipment, and aircraft wreckage associated with this loss.

Burgess was accounted for using forensic and circumstantial evidence.