GOULD, FRANK ALTON

Name: Frank Alton Gould
Rank/Branch: O4/US Air Force
Unit: 72nd Strat Wing, Guam
Date of Birth: 22 May 1933
Home City of Record: New York NY
Date of Loss: 21 December 1972
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 194400N 1035900E (UH950020)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: B52D

Other Personnel in Incident: Vincent Russo; James Farmer; Deverl Johnson (two
other crewmen); all rescued.

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources including "Linebacker" by Karl J. Eschmann.
Updated 09/24/96 by the P.O.W. NETWORK

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: Frustrated by problems in negotiating a peace settlement, and
pressured by a Congress and public wanting an immediate end to American
involvement in Vietnam, President Nixon ordered the most concentrated air
offensive of the war, known as Linebacker II, in December 1972. During the
offensive, sometimes called the "Christmas bombings," 40,000 tons of bombs were
dropped, primarily over military targets in the area between Hanoi and Haiphong.
White House Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler said that the bombing would end only
when all U.S. POWs were released and an internationally recognized cease-fire
was in force.

The Christmas Bombings were of the most precise the world had seen. Pilots
involved in the immense series of strikes generally agree that the strikes
against anti-aircraft and strategic targets was so successful that the U.S.
"could have taken the entire country of Vietnam by inserting an average Boy
Scout troop in Hanoi and marching it southward."

The operation had its costs, however, in loss of aircraft and personnel. During
the month of December 1972, 62 crewmembers of B52 aircraft were shot down and
captured or went missing. Of these 62, 33 men were released in 1973. The remains
of roughly a dozen more have been returned over the years, and the rest are
still missing. At least 10 those missing survived to eject safely. Yet they did
not return at the end of the war.

December 21, 1972, on the third day of bombing, Waves One and Two proceeded with
their bombing missions. During Wave Two, due to the losses suffered by G-models
over Hanoi, the 6 B52Gs assigned to strike the rail yards were recalled by
SAC. Wave Three consisted 12 B52G and 9 B52D aircraft from Guam and 18 B52Ds from
Utapao. The Guam B52Ds were targeted against the Hanoi rail yards that had been
bypassed by Wave Two.

The Straw B52 cell flew into its mission at 34,000 feet, transiting the densest
air defense in the world with Soviet SA-2 missiles poised for their flight path.
Straw 02, the fifth aircraft in, took a hit about two seconds into its
post-target run from a missile fired, most probably, by SAM site VN-549. Straw
cell was engaged by up to 18 SAMs during the bomb run. The pilot had just
started a 45 degree banked turn when everything went black inside the fuselage.

The aircraft had fire in two engines and no electrical power. Because the crew
could not transfer fuel from one side of the plane to the other, as fuel ran out
in one tank, the bomber began losing its center of gravity. Severely damaged,
Straw 02 managed to keep airborne for thirty minutes as it flew towards Laos,
whereupon the pilot called for bailout.

At 15,000 feet, the pilot, Capt. Russo, exited the plane and watched as the
aircraft turned into a fireball as it impacted a hillside. After landing in a
tree, Russo waited 20 minutes for first light before lowering himself to the
ground. After a few minutes, he used his survival radio to transmit a Mayday
call. An F4 crew responded, telling him help was on the way. An SAR A7
eventually located him, after which a rescue HH53 arrived and hoisted him to
safety. All the remaining crew was rescued in the same manner except for Maj.
Frank A. Gould, the radar navigator, who was injured during the SAM explosion
and was not observed in a parachute.

SAR forces could not obtain any reading of a survivor beeper, and after an
initial search, it was determined that Gould had probably gone down with the
aircraft. In 1981 a U.S. satellite photographed a jungle clearing in this
isolated part of Laos. The photograph showed that someone had stamped the number
"52" in the elephant grass, in numerals three feet wide and fifteen feet long.
It is believed possible that Gould had in fact successfully ejected but may have
had a defective locator. If this is true, he was tragically missed during the
rescue attempt.

Gould is one of nearly 600 Americans who were lost in Laos. Although the Pathet
Lao stated they held "tens of tens" of Americans, no negotiations were held to
secure their release. As a result, not one American held in Laos was ever
released.

Since the end of the war, thousands of reports have been received by the U.S.
Government relating to Americans still alive in captivity. U.S. experts have
stated they believe Americans are still being held prisoner in Southeast Asia.
The question is no longer whether any are alive, but who are they, and how can
we bring them home?

NCCC - Veterans Journal Summer 1996 09/24/96
Family Tales

---------------------------------------------------------------------------    

Valerie Gould daughter of Col. Frank A Gould, MIA in Laos, testifies
before the House National Security Subcommittee on November 14, 1995:
   
. .. On December 20, 1972...the B-52 that my father was the radar navigator
on ... was shot down while flying a mission over Hanoi. The men were forced
to bail out near the Thai and Laos border...All of the crewmen were rescued
and returned safely with the sole exception of my father. That night, we
were told by the notification team that my father, Frank Gould, was on a
hill awaiting rescue. They said they had radio contact with him but could
not get to him. They later denied they had had radio contact.
   
The next day they had spotted mirror flashes that they thought were my
father's, but it was simply too late for them to land safely and get him.
When they returned the next day they were unable to locate him or any more
mirror flashes. A young search and rescue soldier found his helmet but could
not find him. His radio, beeper and parachute were also found. Later, the
government insisted the helmet belonged to another crew member. Gentlemen,
the government maintained this position despite the fact that there were
over 100 miles between each man...In 1991, we received our first live
sighting of my father in Laos. .. We were shocked when we were informed that
they hadn't been to the site and no, they didn't know when they would send a
team in. My family pointed out that for YEARS, they (the government and
military) had been claiming they would immediately send people in to
investigate any live sighting... We have been informed of more than seven
(7) sightings of my Father. We know there are more that have yet to be
declassified and released to us...Has anyone in the government or military
even bothered to physically check the live sightings out? No, they have not.
Have they interviewed the sources in a timely manner, say within a few weeks
of the initial contact? No, they have not.
   
Several of the reports claim Frank Gould is being held by a Hmong leader who
will turn him over for a reward...They (government officials) have
repeatedly told sources there are not any rewards...which is not true and
they know it. There is, in fact, a $2. 5 million reward put together and
offered by several congressional members and concerned citizens. . .When my
mother questioned why the source still had not been interviewed, some nine
months later, an analyst replied the primary source was ill. The primary
source was not ill, it was the secondary source. . . over a year late the
government has STILL NOT interviewed this primary source...My mother had
written President Clinton to inquire why they hadn't investigated any of the
live sightings reports. A Col. Henley of the Dept. of Defense answered her,
stating in the letter that "none of the reports contained any verbiage that
Frank Gould wanted to come home."...One of the live sighting reports had, in
fact, stated very clearly, Frank Gould was alive and wanted to come
home...Their listing of all of the sources of the remains reports as
credible while listing all of the live sighting sources, until the most
recent one in November of 1994, as not credible, disgusts us. Their spending
almost five years trying to prove a four inch bone fragment belonged to my
father infuriates us...It turned out a source had turned it over totally
unrelated to my father's case.

www.pownetwork.org/bios/g/g106.htm

Do you think there are any POW's still being held in SE Asia?  I do.

When I was on active duty everone in the 1st Ranger Battalion had one of these, the only Ranger missing in action. Also when we did our pish ups we end with one for the Airborne ranger in the Sky and one for Ranger Champion!

CHAMPION, JAMES ALBERT

Name: James Albert Champion
Rank/Branch: E3/US Army
Unit: Company L (Ranger), 75th Infantry Regiment, assigned to 101st Airborne
Division
Date of Birth: 16 November 1949
Home City of Record: Houston TX
Date of Loss: April 24, 1971
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 161155N 1071930E (YC484923)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground    
Refno: 1742

Other Personnel In Incident: Issako Malo (released POW); Marvin Duren
(rescued); John Sly (killed); (one other team member, the medic, rescued); CWO
Fred Behrens (from one of the helicopters, rescued)

Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: James A. Champion was a member of a six-man radio relay Long Range
Reconnaissance Patrol being inserted for operation in a saddle at
coordinates YC483923, Republic of on Vietnam April 23, 1971. After receiving
intense ground fire from their primary landing zone on the west side of the
A Shau Valley, the team was inserted into their alternate LZ.

Taking the point, Team Leader Marvin Duren was severely wounded by automatic
weapons fire, grenade and rifle fire, and was evacuated. His ATL, John Sly,
was killed in action in a heroic attempt with the team medic to drag Duren
out of the line of enemy fire.

CWO Fred Behrens, the MEDEVAC "Dustoff" pilot, was a volunteer, having flown
the mission because he felt his chances of succeeding in this hot LZ would
be higher than other, newer pilots, but he was shot down during his second
attempt to extract Sly from the LZ and found himself on the ground with the
team.

Several other helicopters with reinforcements were shot down by intense
ground fire and Aero Rifle Platoon reinforcements were forced to withdraw
and regroup due to heavy fire from the NVA.

During the three day battle that began at 1500 hours on April 23, Rangers
Champion and Issako Malo left the team's defensive perimeter to seek water.
Behrens heard shots, and the two Rangers never returned.

PFC Isaako F. Malo, was last seen at about 1600 hours on April 24. Champion
was last seen on the morning of 25 April when he left the site of one of the
downed helicopters to look for water. From April 25 through April 30, ground
and aerial searches were made for Champion without success.

Isaako Malo was confirmed captured, and after his release from captivity, he
stated that he was captured on the morning of April 25, and at no time did
he see PFC Champion in captivity.

A reaction force from L/75 Rangers was inserted into the area and
successfully drove the NVA elements away from the Ranger Team's position,
and survivors were evacuated. No one ever told the six-man team how large
the enemy force was that they had been up against. However, it was a large
enough force to warrant an Arclight strike by B-52 bombers.

Evidence mounts that hundreds of Americans still missing in Southeast Asia
are still alive, captive, waiting for their country to free them. James
Champion may be one of them.

RLTW!

Interesting...I didn't realize there was only one MIA Ranger.

The son of my Grandmothers friend:

MASTERSON, MICHAEL J.

Name: Michael John "Bat" Masterson
Rank/Branch: Ltc. O3/USAF
Unit: Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base
Date of Birth: 16 May 1937
Home City of Record:  Ephrata, WA   (Family in California)
Loss Date: 13 October 1968
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 192900N 1032000E
Status (in 1973)  Missing In Action/Prisoner of War
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground:   A1G
Refno: 1303

Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS:  "Bat" Masterson was flying a night mission near Ban Ban, Laos on
October 13, 1968, when his A16 prop air- plane developed gyro indicator
trouble and he developed vertigo.  Masterson radioed another aircraft that
he was bailing out in the vicinity of a Pathet Lao headquarters and nothing
has been heard from him since.

The Defense Department maintained Masterson as Prisoner of War, while the
Air Force listed him as Missing In Action. His wife is following his
directive, "If I become a POW, I'll just wait for my government to come and
get me.  But if I become an MIA, I want you to find out what happened to
me." Her search has led her to Laos and many times to Wash- ington D.C.  She
says, "Sometimes I feel that I can't possi- bly go on another day with this,
and then I see that I live in the greatest country in the world.  I have the
freedom to move about and choose what I do, and what I say; I think of the
men that are over there, that they can't speak for them- selves...it gives
me the strength to work for their release."

The Lao Government claims to have no knowledge of Michael "Bat" Masterson.

Quoted: www.fototime.com/21224AEFDECB52D/orig.jpg

I am sorry for the dumb question....but where can I get one of these?

LtCol Donald G. Fisher (Major when shot down.

22 Apr 1970.

Navigator on an AC-130.  After the shoot down there was comm over a survival radio to fighters in the area from a man identifying himself as Fisher.  That was the last sign of him.  He was never officially listed POW.

try www.memorialbracelets.com

store.yahoo.com/neuse/index.html

Deleted because I duped it...

SFC Dallas R. Pridemore (SSG when captured)
was taken as a POW on 8 sept 1968 and as far as I know is still listed as such.  Had this bracelet for quite a few years now and still wear it from time to time...


Name: Dallas Reese Pridemore  
Rank/Branch: Sergeant First Class/US Army  
Unit: Company D, 87th Infantry,  
95th Military Police Battalion  
Saigon, South Vietnam  
   
   
Date of Birth: 29 April 1941  
Home of Record: East Liverpool, OH  
Date of Loss: 08 September 1968  
Country of Loss: Soutn Vetnam
Loss Coordinates: 105055N 1064535E (XS946989)
Click coordinates to view mao  
Status in 1973: Prisoner of War  
Category: 1  
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground  
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)  

REMARKS:  "KIDNAPPED FROM GIRLFRIENDS HOUSE"

SYNOPSIS:  Then SSgt Dallas R. Pridemore was assigned as an infantry liaison non-commissioned officer stationed at Long Binh for his unit, Company D, 87th Infantry, 95th Military Police Battalion, which was garrisoned in Saigon.

On 8 September 1968, SSgt. Pridemore was off duty and visiting his Vietnamese fiancée's family in a village considered to be a suburb of Saigon, located some 4 miles northeast of the captial, Thu Duc District, Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam. During the visit, an unspecified number of Viet Cong (VC) soldiers came to the house stating they were National Liberation Front police who wanted to make an ID check of household personnel.

They searched the house, captured Dallas Pridemore who was wearing civilian clothes at the time, and led him away at gunpoint. The Viet Cong threatened SSgt. Pridemore's fiancée and her family not to have anything more to do with Americans, and indicated they would release him in three days. After his abduction was reported to US authorities, a thorough search of the village and surrounding countryside was conducted, but found no trace of SSgt. Pridemore. Because there were witnesses to his capture, Dallas Pridemore was immediately listed as a Prisoner of War.

Wartime intelligence reports gathered by US intelligence personnel indicated that Dallas Pridemore was last seen alive in Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia in January 1969. Rumors of his death had already surfaced when a skull reported to be his was found in April 1969. However, examination of the skull by mortuary personnel proved it was not his. Another report received by US intelligence was of the sighting of an individual resembling SSgt. Pridemore in Memot, Cambodia in April 1974.
 
 

In June and October 1989, US investigators in Vietnam interviewed witnesses who stated that Dallas Pridemore had been captured alive. They said he was initially imprisoned in Binh Duong Province and was later transferred to the custody of the Liberation Army Headquarters. Other witnesses stated that SSgt. Pridemore was being detained at a rustic prison in Cambodia when he was allegedly killed in a US bombing. Further investigation conducted in April 1992 by personnel from the Joint Task Force for Full Accounting (JTFFA) resulted in interviews with the former commander of the 1st Special Action Group, Sub-Region 4, who stated that SSgt. Pridemore's Vietnamese girlfriend was a local agent who compromised him and arranged his capture.

In February and March 1992, US investigators received additional information that Dallas Pridemore was sent to Binh Duong Province after capture. Other information gleaned at that time indicated he might have been taken into Cambodia in 1969.

On or off duty, on the front lines, in base camps, or visiting private homes, there were no safe havens in Vietnam as Dallas Pridemore discovered the hard way. There is no doubt he was alive and uninjured when he was led away by the VC. If he died in a prison camp, there is no question the communists could return his remains to his family, friends and country any time they had the desire to do so. However, if the reports of his death are wrong, his fate, like that of other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, could be quite different.

Here's Mine:

ENTRICAN, DANNY DAY
Name: Danny Day Entrican
Rank/Branch: O2/US Army Special Forces
Unit: Task Force 1, Advisory Element, USARV Advisory Group, 5th Special
Forces Group
Date of Birth: 12 August 1946 (Fort Devens MA)
Home City of Record: Brookhaven MS
Date of Loss: 18 May 1971
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 162800N 1065426E (YD036214)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 1
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1991 from one
or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated
by the P.O.W. NETWORK.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: 1Lt. Danny Entrican was a Special Forces reconnaissance patrol leader
for Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) alert team "Alaska" which was
inserted into the Da Krong Valley in Thua Thin Province, South Vietnam on May
8, 1971. Entrican's duty assignment in Da Nang was that of an advisor to the
South Vietnamese army. His team consisted of three Americans and three Chinese
Nung mercenaries. The team was overwhelmed in a firefight three days later about
1 mile from the border of Laos, due west of Hue.
During the firefight, two Americans and one Nung was killed. Surviving commando
Truong Minh Long and interpreter Truong To Ha stated that they rolled downhill
after a hostile search party detected them hiding in the bush. Danny and the two
Nung had tried to make a chopper pickup, but Entrican, who  was apparently
wounded and yelled at them to move out and try to make the pickup alone. Danny
Entrican was declared Missing In Action.
Three months later, a friend of Danny's who was intensely interested in learning
his fate heard his code name in an intercepted message. The message described
his movement from the South to the North as a prisoner. Because the code names
were highly secret and to be used by personnel on SOG missions to verify their
identity, the friend reasoned that the enemy had extracted the code name from
Danny. There could be no other way to obtain it and to him, it was clear proof
that Danny was alive.
Henry Kissinger did not put Danny's name on his list of "discrepancy" cases for
which the Vietnamese could certainly provide either the man or information on
his fate. These were individuals who were known to have been under enemy control
- alive or dead. To this date, Danny's family does not know his fate.

Quoted: Quoted: I am sorry for the dumb question....but where can I get one of these? I would like to know as well.

Not a dumb question at all.  Here's another link:  www.thebattlezone.com/powmia/bracelets.html

They all do the same thing, so I just went with lowest turnaround time for a custom one.  The one I've been wearing for the past few years is going back to the family.

Check out this link to...it has a ton of info:  www.pownetwork.org

SGT Eugene Handrahan
10-10-1968





GM