The Search for, Recovery, and Positive Identification of a Vietnam-Era U.S. Army Soldier
Abstract
In Quang Nam Province, then South Vietnam, on August 26, 1971, a convoy of United States Army armored patrol cars was returning to base at the end of the day. A rocket-propelled grenade struck one of the vehicles, and subsequently five of the soldiers were killed in action (KIA) while one was missing in action (MIA). After-action reports from eyewitnesses to the event described the MIA soldier as "vaporized" and his remains as "completely destroyed" since he had been seated on boxes of claymore mines, and the vehicle was said to contain white phosphorous as well. Search efforts nonetheless ensued for the MIA beginning 2 days after the attack and finally ending 29 years later when a U.S. Army search and recovery element (RE) discovered dental remains and a dental prothesis which were used to positively identify the soldier. This article describes the background to search operations, including Investigative Elements interviews with local witnesses as to the location of the remains; initial excavation operations; reinterview of witness 1; revision of the excavation plan and subsequent excavations; wet screening of all soil; recovery of dental remains, a dental prosthesis, and other material evidence; and laboratory analysis of the dental remains (i.e., a comparison of antemortem panorex films of the MIA's teeth with postmortem digital radiographs of the dental remains).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA515244
Entities
People
- Ann W. Bunch
- Calvin Y. Shiroma