OPERATION HOMECOMING

 

SUBJECT: OPERATION HOMECOMING

PRIORITY: 1

TO: ALL OLD TIGERS

FM: HMM-262 VIETNAM VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Dear Old Tigers:

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you and to your families.

There are many of you who knew Sgt. Harry T. Wilson, one of our brother Tigers, KIA/BNR, June 4, 1970. Up to mid-last year, we had shown him in our records as KIA (Killed In Action), but not KIA/BNR (Killed In Action / Body Not Recovered). It was our belief that our only brother not returned home had been Cpl. Terry Hoffman - MIA, who was finally brought back and buried on July 4, 1994.

Shortly after moving to Dallas/Ft. Worth early last year, I was visiting a local VFW Post. One of the back walls was dedicated to all the POW/MIA from Texas, dating back to World War II. The list was alphabetical, and there, at the end, was "Sgt. Harry Truman Wilson - MIA - Grand Prairie, Texas". After several months of checking with our Old Tigers, it was learned that Sgt. Wilson's body had been partially trapped under the fuselage when the aircraft crashed and rolled over. They had been on a classified mission in Southern Laos. Despite repeated attempts to extricate the body by the remaining wounded or injured crew members, all were evacuated under enemy fire.

Since learning that "one of our own" still had not been brought home to rest, we began contacting the various organizations. We have been in contact with:

- Joint Task Force - Criminal Investigation Laboratory Hawaii (JTF-CILHI): This is the group which does the physical excavations of the crash sites around the world.

- Joint Commission Support Directorate (JCSD): We have written to Senator Bob Smith (R-NH), the US Chairman of the Vietnam War Working Group (VWWG). This group is the joint Russian-US commission dedicated to locating all possible POW/MIA personnel

- POW/MIA Office HQMC: Obviously, responsible for Marine Corps personnel POW/KIA

Some good news is that the crash-site in Southern Laos has been confirmed by the JTF as a site to be excavated within the next 2 years, more or less. The JTF can practically look for remains anywhere, anytime in Vietnam and Cambodia. Laos is a different story. They must comply with the "North - South Rule". The Laotian Government has imposed certain restrictions on the process. The search for remains must follow a specific pattern, starting in the North and working their way South. The JTF cannot simply jump over an area. In other words, we need to wait until all the other identified sites, North of where Sgt. Wilson was KIA, are cleared first. The JTF is still searching in the Northern areas of Laos

Some even better news is that we have recently located a Nephew of Sgt. Wilson and we are now in contact with several of his siblings and other relatives. In as much as a blood sample is required for DNA identification, we are assisting in obtaining the appropriate sample.

We, the HMM-262 Vietnam Veterans Association, have accepted another mission, parallel to Operations Rose. It has been named: OPERATION HOMECOMING and we will dedicate as much time and effort as possible to assist in bringing our brother home, to his proper and final resting place.

In the meantime we need YOUR input:

FIRST - All of you who knew Sgt. Harry Truman Wilson, know of the incident or have any information, however seemingly insignificant, please email me with everything you have or might remember. Even the smallest thing, added to someone else's comment might add one more piece to the puzzle.

 SECOND - Any of you who knew him are invited to put something down in an email. I will be meeting with the Wilson family very soon (maybe next weekend). The family has some vague, gruesome details apparently have never spoken with any of his friends and/or squadron mates. I would like to present them with your comments, stories, etc.

Please use the following email for these responses: josephejacobs@aol.com

Semper FI

 HMM-262 Vietnam Veterans Association

Joseph "Jake" Jacobs
Commanding Officer
Email: josephejacobs@aol.com
Phone: 817-307-7023