THE WALL OF FACES

Like Dusty, who I know, I too wore Roger's bracelet. Now I am sending it to his sister through the League of Families. My wife and I were in DC for Veterans' Day this year (11/11/2000), and I again found Roger's name on the Wall. But this time, we could also find his final resting place in Arlington. It only has a temporary headstone, considering the September burial. But that will come in the spring. It is a very pretty spot. As Nurse Dusty said, welcome home, Roger. Welcome home.

CAPTAIN LEONARD MURRAY LEE

and

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROGER BURNS INNES


VF 33 - USS KITTY HAWK


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Lieutenant Commander Leonard Murray Lee had one of the most sought after
jobs for a pilot. He flew aboard the F-4 PHANTOM jet. The aircraft saw so
much combat in Vietnam that during the two year period of 1965 and 1966,
54 F-4C's were lost. The C, D and E versions also downed 107 enemy MiGs.
The PHANTOM's combat radius exceeded 900 miles and featured a maximum
level speed of over MACH 2. Its navigation system was comprehensive and
could guide the aircraft at a wide variety of levels and speeds.

The navigation and bombing equipment was mostly operated by the "guy in
back", the second man aboard. When Commander Lee flew on an armed
reconnaissance mission two days after Christmas 1967, his backseater was
LTJG Roger Burns Innes.

Lee and Innes were to fly the lead aircraft in a section of two at Cap Falaise,
North Vietnam. Lee reported a target, but had to position himself for a
better strike angle due to poor weather. At this time his wingman was able to
release his ordnance on the target. Radio communications with Lee's aircraft
confirmed the strike.

Lee began his bombing run immediately behind his wingman and was lost from
the radar scope of the E2A radar control aircraft. No further contact was made
with this aircraft. The wingman was unable to observe Lee and Innes due to his
relative position and the overcast weather in the area, and proceeded out to
sea in accordance with their mission briefing in case of emergency. A search
and rescue effort was initiated but to no avail. No wreckage was sighted, and
no emergency radio beacons were heard in the strike area. No anti-aircraft
fire had been seen in the target area.

Lee and Innes' aircraft went down about 50 miles west and slightly south of
the city of Thanh Hoa in Nghe An Province, North Vietnam.

Both men were classified as MISSING IN ACTION.

No one knew for sure whether they bailed out successfully or died when their
plane went down. A later intelligence report indicated that they were dead,
but that information was never substantiated.

The two remained missing, and their fates uncertain.

LEONARD MURRAY LEE was promoted to the rank of CAPTAIN, and
ROGER BURNS INNES was promoted to the rank of LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
during the period they were maintained missing.


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NATIONAL LEAGUE OF FAMILIES

NEWS UPDATE - 8 SEPTEMBER 2000

************************************************************


As of 8 September 2000 the number of Americans missing and unaccounted
for from the Vietnam War now stands at 2,005.

Today, the Department of Defense released the names of eight of nine United
States personnel now accounted for, six previously missing in Laos and three in
Vietnam. These Americans include Commander Leonard Murray Lee of Virginia
and Lieutenant Commander Roger Burns Innes of Illinois, both of the United
States Navy, missing in North Vietnam since 27 December 1967.

The Defense Department did not publicly release Commander Lee's name at the
request of next-of-kin; however, members of his family were quoted in the
Richmond Times-Dispatch in the September 4th edition, regarding his
identification..

Others include.....

Lieutenant Colonel Donald E. Paxton of Iowa, and

Major Charles Macko of New York, both of the USAF,

missing in Laos since 2 February 1969.....

Captain Stephen P. Hanson of California,

1st Lieutenant Jon G. Gardner of North Carolina, and

Sergeant Timothy R. Bodden of Illinois, all of the USMC, and

Sergeant Billy R. Laney of Florida, US Army,

all missing in Laos since 3 June 1967; and,

Chief Warrant Officer 1 William A. Smith, Jr., of Mississippi,

missing in South Vietname since 2 September 1968.


The accounting for these nine Americans brings the number still
missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War to 2,005.....
1511 in Vietnam.....421 in Laos.....65 in Cambodia and 8 in the
territorial waters of the PRC.....Nearly 85% of all Americans lost
in Laos and Cambodia were in areas then under wartime control
of the North Vietnamese, therefore, it is to Vietnam that we look
for archival records and witnesses to assist in accounting for them.....





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE

The remains of two UNITED STATES NAVY officers, missing in action from the
Vietnam War, have been accounted for and are being returned to their families
for burial in the United States.

One has been identified as LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROGER BURNS INNES
of Chicago.

The other officer's name will not be released at the request of his family, but is
known to be that of COMMANDER LEONARD MURRAY LEE.

On 27 December 1967, Innes and Lee were aboard an F-4B PHANTOM as the
lead aircraft in a flight of two from the aircraft carrier, USS KITTY HAWK.

The flight was an armed reconnaissance mission along the coast of North Vietnam.

Their aircraft was observed on radar as it started its attack on an enemy target,
but contact was abruptly lost in the vicinity of the target.

Repeated radio calls were unsuccessful, and an extensive visual and electronic
search conducted throughout the day failed to locate the aircraft.

Low flight ceilings and poor visibility in the target area prevented additional
search efforts.

In August 1992, teams of United States and Vietnamese investigators, led by
JOINT TASK FORCE-FULL ACCOUNTING, interviewed villagers and reviewed
documentation which indicated an aircraft crashed in 1967 about 300 meters
off the coast.

The information was a close match to the circumstances of their loss.

In 1995, investigators interviewed local fishermen who pointed out a general
area where their fishing nets had snagged on aircraft wreckage.

In February and March 1998, United States and Vietnamese divers surveyed
the underwater site and recommended a full excavation.

Then, in May and June 1999, United States Navy divers operating from a
Vietnamese barge, conducted the first underwater recovery operation in
Vietnam waters, approximately 10 - 15 meters deep.

These divers were able to recover remains, personal effects of the crew, and
aircraft debris.

Analysis of the remains and other evidence by the United States Central
Identification Laboratory, Hawaii, established the identity of these servicemen.

The United States government welcomes and appreciates the cooperation
demonstrated by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam that resulted in the
identification of these officers.

We hope that such cooperation will bring more significant results in the future.

Achieving the fullest possible accounting of Americans missing in action is
one of the nations highest priorities.


DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS RELEASE - Friday, 15 SEPTEMBER 2000

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS


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COMMANDER LEONARD MURRAY LEE


LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROGER BURNES INNES





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE

From a contemporary press report: 15 September 2000


Nearly 33 years after his plane was shot down over in coastal waters off North Vietnam, Navy Lieutenant Commander Roger B. Innes was buried on home soil Friday.

Innes was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia as National POW/MIA Recognition Day was marked with ceremonies across the country. Thousands of miles away, Innes story was told at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, home to the Army lab that identified the remains of the long-missing radar operator. The story is one about "the power of hope and determination," said Brigadier General Harry Axson Jr., commanding general of Joint Task Force/Full Accounting.

A Vietnamese fisherman found part of Innes' plane in 1995. His remains were recovered in 1998 and taken to Hickam where the Chicago native was identified last year. "Many other families of U.S. servicemen are still waiting for answers," Axson said. "Today, perhaps like no other time in the history of American wars, has such an organized effort ... been mounted to resolve the fate of U.S. service members."

Axson read from a letter he received from Innes' sister, Gail Innes, in which she said "today's science and technology have made it possible for me and my family to at last have our answer. There are answers out there, sometimes in as little as 30 feet of water."

Http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com/rbinnes.htm

Yesterday Roger Innes was buried with full military honors in Arlington Cemetery. For a *long* time I wore a bracelet for Roger, until the lettering wore off and the bracelet broke in two. I went to Israel, Kathmandu, and Bhutan with Roger. Roger came to my wedding. He visited the Wall with me many, many times. Roger went to lots of vets' meetings and drank lots of nice wine. There wasn't a day in my life that I didn't think of Roger and other MIAs. For years Illinois highways were festooned with billboards demanding, "Where is Roger Innes?" After over 30 years, we finally know. Welcome home, Roger. Welcome home.