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MARINES MISSING FROM VIETNAM WAR ARE IDENTIFIED
Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (Public Affairs) ^ | November 5, 2008 | Staff

Posted on 11/05/2008 12:13:29 PM PST by Stonewall Jackson

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of four U.S. servicemen, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are Lance Cpl. Kurt E. La Plant, of Lenexa, Kan., and Lance Cpl. Luis F. Palacios, of Los Angeles, Calif. Remains that could not be individually identified are included in a group. Among the group remains are Lance Cpl. Ralph L. Harper, of Indianapolis, Ind., and Pfc. Jose R. Sanchez, of Brooklyn, N.Y. All men were U.S. Marine Corps. Palacios will be buried Friday in Bellflower, Calif., and the other Marines will be buried as a group in the Spring in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

On June 6, 1968, these men were aboard a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter that was attempting an emergency extraction of elements of the 1st Battalion, 4th Regiment, 3rd Marine Division then engaged against hostile forces in the mountains southwest of Khe Sanh, Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. The helicopter was struck by enemy ground fire and crashed, killing 12 of the 23 crewmen and passengers on board. All but four of the men who died were subsequently recovered and identified.

Between 1993 and 2005, joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident in Quang Tri Province, interviewed witnesses and surveyed the crash site three times. The team found a U.S. military boot fragment and wreckage consistent with that of a CH-46 helicopter.

In 2006, a team began excavating the site and recovered human remains and non-biological material evidence including La Plant’s identification tag. While at the site, a Vietnamese citizen turned over to the team human remains the he claimed to have found amid the wreckage. In 2007, another team completed the excavation and recovered additional human remains, life support material and aircraft wreckage.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: jpac; marines; mia; vietnam; vietnamwar; welcomehome
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To: Stonewall Jackson

bookmark


21 posted on 11/05/2008 8:39:01 PM PST by lakey
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To: Kathy in Alaska

BTTT


22 posted on 11/06/2008 2:58:05 AM PST by E.G.C. (Click on a freeper's screename and then "In Forum" to read his/her posts)
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To: Kathy in Alaska; Stonewall Jackson

You're home now.....R I P

LCpl Kurt E La Plant Lenexa, KS
LCpl Luis F Palacios Los Angeles CA
LCpl Ralph L Harper Indianapolis IN
Pfc Jose R Sanchez Brooklyn NY


23 posted on 11/06/2008 4:06:51 AM PST by beachn4fun (You now have four years to teach a Democrat!)
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To: rochester_veteran

Thanks for the link - the comments are quite poignant.


24 posted on 11/06/2008 5:25:35 AM PST by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

All,

Gunny our RC wrote the following on our web site:

All Viet Nam Veterans rejoice! One of our MIA’s is missing no more.

On 05 Nov 2008 the PGR welcomed home LCpl. Luis F. Palacios, USMC missing since 06 June 1968.

8 PGR members arrived at the Bob Hope USO at LAX and waited for Luis’s aircraft to arrive. The Airport Police escorted the PGR to post 2 in time for the PGR to greet LCpl Palacios as he left LAX. We then escorted him to Whites Funeral Home.

The PGR then moved him into the chapel area of the funeral home and formally welcomed him home. Each taking a moment to reflect on his long journey and to rejoice that Luis is back in the arms of his loving family and on the soil he bravely fought to protect.

Sempler Fi my Brother.

My comments.

This mission was very short notice (less than 8 hr)

We will render HONORS along with the USMC on fri.

The family invited the PGR.

I will post the after action report of the funeral.


25 posted on 11/06/2008 10:14:23 AM PST by Aquakat (The Media is the enemy of America; ACT ACCORDINGLY.)
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To: SLB; Aquakat; oh8eleven; beachn4fun; E.G.C.; lakey; Kathy in Alaska; bmwcyle; river rat; ...
I am going to start a ping list for all announcements from JPAC on POW/MIA returns.

Ping or Freep-mail me if you want to be on this list.

26 posted on 11/06/2008 10:26:30 AM PST by Stonewall Jackson (We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.-Robert E.Lee)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

I would like to be on the list until every single one comes home.

Thank you!


27 posted on 11/06/2008 10:30:12 AM PST by Travis T. OJustice (Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy.)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

BTTT


28 posted on 11/06/2008 10:32:12 AM PST by E.G.C. (Click on a freeper's screename and then "In Forum" to read his/her posts)
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To: Stonewall Jackson
I am going to start a ping list for all announcements from JPAC on POW/MIA returns.

Pls add me,

Thanks - llevrok

29 posted on 11/06/2008 10:43:07 AM PST by llevrok (While others are dreaming, you should be scheming.)
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To: freema

Ping!!


30 posted on 11/06/2008 2:17:38 PM PST by Mr. Silverback (A member of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition...ready for four years of hard slogging.)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

Heroes proved in liberating strife.


31 posted on 11/06/2008 2:19:33 PM PST by Mr. Silverback (A member of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition...ready for four years of hard slogging.)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

RIP. Someone’s family is at peace tonight.


32 posted on 11/06/2008 2:21:23 PM PST by LouisianaJoanof Arc (6 hours of mourning is enough. Now, stand up and fight and take back this country.)
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To: Kathy in Alaska

Welcome home faithful servants.


33 posted on 11/06/2008 3:02:41 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (TAZ:Untamed, Unpredictable, Uninhibited.)
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To: Stonewall Jackson; Mr. Silverback; Aquakat; Jarhead2844; USMCWriter; 1stbn27; 2111USMC; ...
Thank you for the ping, Mr. Silverback. Aquakat is participating in the PGR escort. Please ping me to the report, Aquakat?

34 posted on 11/06/2008 3:22:59 PM PST by freema (MarineNiece,Daughter,Wife,Friend,Sister,Friend,Aunt,Friend,Mother,Friend,Cousin, FRiend)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

Prayers for their families......


35 posted on 11/06/2008 3:25:32 PM PST by Kimmers
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To: Stonewall Jackson
Prayers Up!

For a short time, I held an MOS of 'Graves Registrar' for the Army. It was the best and the worst job I ever held in my 20 year career. *SNIF*

36 posted on 11/06/2008 3:29:22 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin ('Taking the moderate path of appeasement leads to abysmal defeat.' - Rush on 11/05/08)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

Welcome Home marines. RIP.


37 posted on 11/06/2008 3:29:27 PM PST by afnamvet
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To: river rat

I guess it goes to show that NO ONE wanted to be left behind in that land. Welcome home and RIP, Marines!


38 posted on 11/06/2008 3:40:42 PM PST by dcwusmc (We need to make government so small that it can be drowned in a bathtub.)
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To: freema

We stand at attention and salute each of them for their gallant actions in that last fight.


39 posted on 11/06/2008 3:44:04 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (Duncan Hunter was our best choice.)
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To: Stonewall Jackson

The Marines have a little different idea of “no one left behind”. God Bless the Corps, and my Marines.

Semper Fidelis


40 posted on 11/06/2008 3:53:08 PM PST by USMCPOP (Father of LCpl. Karl Linn, KIA 1/26/2005 Al Haqlaniyah, Iraq)
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