THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Sp4 John Powers, Thank you for your service as a Chinook - CH-47 Helicopter Repairer. Glad you were identified in 2001, WELCOME HOME. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Tomorrow is Flag Day. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Every year on Memorial Day, I take time to search online for any updated information on John Lynn and the still unaccounted-for crew members. I know it is unlikely that any official updates will happen, but I think it is wonderful that people who didn’t know John have worn a bracelet for him and have posted remarks here. It has been several years since I visited the Vietnam memorial for fallen Idaho service members in Idaho Falls, so it is time for me to say something about him here on this Memorial Day fifty years after he joined the Army.

John Lynn was a year older than me, but was in my brother’s class, two years ahead of me in tiny Mackay High School (approximately 120 students). His sister Marie was the best girl in my class. I had the opportunity to know John Lynn better in autumn 1968 when we worked together (with his uncle) driving trucks and unloading sacks of potatoes before automation replaced this back-breaking labor in the Idaho potato fields. At the time, I was playing in a band and his uncle Johnny often played stand-up bass with us. Johnny called him Jack, and most everyone else called him John Lynn. I would bet that John Lynn’s army buddies enjoyed his easy-going company as much as his potato sack toting buddies did.

I enlisted before John Lynn. I didn’t request a guaranteed assignment, but I had the great fortune of being sent to the 29th Army Band in the U.S. Army of the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa). I played in many ceremonies where medals were awarded to soldiers who had demonstrated valor in Vietnam. Fortunately, they were all survivors. I can’t imagine how it would have felt to play a ceremony for the family of a fallen hero. I had many friends who went to the Old Guard, and they must have to have training to cope with the stress. I have been told that performing in military funeral ceremonies is a painful experience. I am grateful that John Lynn and his family had the honor of an Old Guard ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

AS TEARS COME 2 MY EYES, I'VE BEEN WEARING YOUR POW/MIA BRACKET SINCE 1987.
W ALL THAT I AM.
BROTHER YOU'VE NEVER BEEN FORGOTTEN

I'D LOVE 4 BLOOD 2 HAVE YOUR BRACELET

CORRINA MCGOWAN

I rember John Lynn from high school. His family owned a large farm and he always worked in the fields when not in class or goofing around. He like to tease all of his classmates, but was always a good friend. I was extremely saddened by his loss at the time. They were unable to find any of his remains, as the helicopter he was in was blown up in the air. He was and still is sorely missed.

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 CH-47 helicopter was assigned the task of ferrying a load of gasoline into Savannakhet Province, Laos. The crew of the aircraft consisted of crew chief SP4 Donald E. Crone, pilot CWO Marvin M. Leonard, door gunner SP4 Willis C. Crear, flight engineer SP4 John L. Powers, and aircraft commander 2LT James H. Taylor. 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 CH-47 were all classified Killed/Body Not Recovered. In October 2001 it was announced that a February 11, 2000 joint recovery in Laos resulted in the positive identification of the remains of four Americans: WO1 Barry F. Fivelson, Specialists 4th Class Willis C. Crear and Donald E. Crone, and John L. Powers. [Taken from pownetwork.org]