Adopt An American POW/MIA

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Click Here To Adopt An American POW/MIA

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This crew was finally located and identified.
They were all laid to rest together in Arlington National Cemetery On Friday, 14 April 2000.
“I Once Was Lost But Now I’m Found”
Click here for their remembrance.
I have “adopted” an A

For Additional Information, Click Here For the Defense Department Office of POW/MIA

William Lawrence Deane
Rank/Branch:  O-4 (Major), United States Army

  • Unit: AGC Army Advisory Group Headquarters, MACV
  • Date Of Birth: 27 September 1934
  • Home City Of Record: Orlando, Florida
  • Date Of Loss: 8 January 1973
  • Country Of Loss:  South Vietnam
  • Loss Coordinates: 16421 N – 1070956 E – (YD-324528)
  • Status (In 1973): Missing In Action
  • Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H

Other Personnel In Incident: All Missing In Action

Elbert W. Bush
Richard A. Knutson
Manual A. Lauterio
William S. Stinson
Mickey A. Wilson

SYNOPSIS: WO1 Richard Knutson, pilot; WO1 Mickey A. Wilson, Aircraft Commander; SP-5 William S. Stinson, Gunner; SP-5 Manual A. Lauterio, Crew Chief; and Staff Sergeant Elbert W. Bush and Major William L. Dean, both passengers, were aboard a UH1H helicopter (serial number 69-15619) that flew in support of the American Senior Advisor to the Vietnamese Airborne Division in Quang Tri and Thua Thien Provinces, working between the provincial capitals of Hue and Quang Tri.

On January 8, 1973, at about 1430 hours, the aircraft had departed a landing zone enroute to other landing zones without making radio contact with the Second Battalion Technical Operations Center. When no radio contact was received by 1500 hours, the other landing zones were queried. The helicopter did not go to either of the two designated landing zones, nor had any communication been established with them.

The helicopter’s intended route would have taken it northwest toward Quand Tri, with a left turn to a landing zone South of the Thach Han River. Although the helicopter failed to contact either landing zone along the route, it was later seen flying toward Quang Tri City and crossing the Thach Han River into enemy-held territory. While in this area, the helicopter was seen to circle with door guns firing. Enemy automatic weapons fire was heard, and a direct hit was made on the tail boom by a missile, reportedly an SA-7.

Aerial searches of the suspected crash site on January 8 and 9 failed to locate either the wreckage or the crew. The aircraft was shot down less than three weeks before American involvement in that war came to an official end. Intelligence reports indicated that of the six men aboard, four were seen alive on the ground. Further information indicated that the aircraft did not explode or burn on impact with the ground. The families of the men assumed that their loves ones would be released with the other POWs. Some were even so informed.

But the crew of the UH1H was not released, and have not been released of found since the day of the incident. As thousands of reports of Americans alive in Southeast Asia mount, these families wonder if their men are among the hundreds thought to be still alive.

Thanks to “Gunny” George Fallon for registering me in this VERY worthwhile program. As George constantly states: “A man is not dead until he is forgotten.” You can be sure that I won’t “forget” these men, and particularly my adoptee, Major William Lawrence Deane.

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