Welcome Home
Posted on 02/14/2006 8:33:25 PM PST by USMC79to83
A long journey home.
Rest well brave warriors.
And the Hunter Home from the Hill
Words by R.L. Stevenson, Music & additional words by Tom Lewis
The lights here burn brightly, the welcome is warm,
And this is a haven from many's the storm,
A poet once said: "You can never go home.";
But now the wind's blowing chill,
Home is the sailor home from sea, and the hunter home from the hill.
So lay out a new course, North, South, East or West,
Make weight your anchor, sail on your last quest,
Steer for the one port you're sure to find rest,
Lay alongside with all skill,
Home is the sailor home from sea, and the hunter home from the hill.
Under the wide and the bright starry sky,
Dig me a grave, there let me lie,
Glad did I live and gladly I die,
I lay me down with a will,
And this be the verse that you 'grave for me:
Here he's at rest where he wanted to be,
Home is the sailor home from sea, and the hunter home from the hill.
Welcome home.
Wonderful news. Wonderful to know they will be tucked in their own beds, in their own home. Rest well, men.
BARKER, JACK LAMAR
Remains ID'd 08/30/2005
Name: Jack Lamar Barker
Rank/Branch: O4/US Army
Unit: Company B, 101st Aviation Battalion,
101st Airborne Division
Date of Birth: 22 March 1939
Home City of Record: Waycross GA
Date of Loss: 20 March 1971
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 163544N 1962513E (XD515352)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H
Refno: 1731
Other Personnel in Incident: John J. Chubb; William E. Dillender; John F.
Dugan (all missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 September 1990 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 2006.
REMARKS: EXPLODED FIRE NO SEARCH - J
SYNOPSIS: LAM SON 719 was a large offensive operation against NVA communications lines in Laos. The operation called for ARVN troops to drive west from Khe Sanh, cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail, seize Tchpone and return to
Vietnam. The ARVN would provide and command the ground forces, while U.S. Army and Air Force would furnish aviation airlift and supporting firepower.
The 101st Airborne Division commanded all U.S. Army aviation units in direct support of the operation. Most of the first part of the operation, begun January 30, 1971, was called Operation DEWEY CANYON II, and was conducted by
U.S. ground forces in Vietnam.
The ARVN were halfway on February 11 and positioned for the attack across the Laotian border. On 8 February, ARVN began to push into Laos. The NVA reacted fiercely, but the ARVN held its positions supported by U.S. airstrikes and resupply runs by Army helicopters.
President Nguyen Van Thieu ordered a helicopter assault on Tchepone, and the abandoned village was seized March 6. Two weeks of hard combat were necessary for the ARVN task force to fight its way back to Vietnam. Towards the end of the removal, a helicopter from Company B, 101st Aviation
Battalion was lost.
Flown by Maj. Jack L. Barker, the UH1H (serial #66-16185) was attempting to land to extract ARVN troops about 20 miles west of Khe Sanh. During the attempt, the aircraft came under enemy fire and was seen to spin, explode,
and catch fire, then to break up in the air. No signs of survivors were seen. The crew aboard the aircraft were PCF John J. Chubb, Sgt. William E. Dillender, and Capt. John F. Dugan. Because of the presence of enemy forces in the area, no subsequent search could be made for survivors.
Losses were heavy in Lam Son 719. The ARVN lost almost 50% of their force. U.S. aviation units lost 168 helicopters; another 618 were damaged. Fifty-five aircrewmen were killed, 178 wounded, and 34 missing in action in
the entire operation, lasting until April 6, 1971.
In all, nearly 600 Americans were lost in Laos, but because we did not negotiate with the Pathet Lao, no Americans held in Laos were released. Since that time, over 10,000 reports have been received relating to Americans prisoner, missing or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. Although many authorities are convinced that hundreds remain alive, the U.S. has not secured the release of a single man.
Thanks.
HEROS
You've been missed.
May you rest in peace. Job Well Done.
Welcome Home!
Welcome home brave soldiers. Rest in heavenly peace.
It's great they got to come home, too bad it was like this.
I wonder if they were in Phoenix, C/158 Avn. These guys did a hell of a lot of this kind of flying.
The time of their loss makes it during Lamson 719, too.
Thank you for your service, RIP.
My deepest gratitude and respect.
Welcome home Brothers. Thank you each for your service.
RIP
God Bless their families. Now they can be at rest and can remove the MIA flag.
One wonders if there will be some RAT hippies there to spit upon their remains when they arrive home? How about Hanoi Jane, Hitlery, Billy Jeff, the coward, the traitor Kerry and all the rest of those who denigrated the troops? Will they have anything to say? I doubt it. My Marine Bro returned from VN and was yelled at by morons like these. He never got over the disdain they showed for our VN heros.
Thank God for these heroes and their loved ones!
Thanks for posting this.
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