News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: Air Force News

Date: April 17, 2001

"Victims of helicopter crash arrive at Hickam
by Tech. Sgt. Chris Haug Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) -- The remains of seven U.S. servicemen who died in a Vietnamese MI-17 helicopter crash April 7 in Vietnam were honored here during a repatriation ceremony at 1:30 p.m. April 13.

The remains were flown onboard an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Vietnam to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and then to Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

Adm. Dennis C. Blair, commander in chief, ofU.S. Pacific Command, spoke at the ceremony and said that the "seven Americans served the United States with particular courage, working to heal the scars of war."

Following the Hickam ceremony, the remains were taken to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory-Hawaii for final identification prior to returning them to their families.

"We can only say to the families who have suffered this loss that we grieve for your sons, husbands, and brothers -- our teammates," Blair said. "We honor their service; we renew our dedication to the cause they served. We will never forget them."

The U.S. servicemen and nine Vietnamese were conducting operations in Vietnam preparing for the 65th joint field activity to recover and return the remains of American servicemen still unaccounted for as a result of the Vietnam War.

Joint field activities are monthlong operations held four times a year in Vietnam.

The seven military members were:

-- Army Lt. Col. Rennie M. Cory Jr., Detachment 2 commander, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting, Hanoi, Vietnam;

-- Army Lt. Col. George D. Martin III, incoming Det. 2 commander, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, Fort Drum, N.Y.;

-- Air Force Maj. Charles E. Lewis, Det. 2 deputy commander, JTF-FA;

-- Air Force Master Sgt. Steven L. Moser, Vietnamese linguist, JTF-FA;

-- Navy Hospital Corpsman Chief Pedro J. Gonzales, Consolidated Divers Unit, San Diego;

-- Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert M. Flynn, Vietnamese linguist, JTF-FA;

-- Army Sgt. 1st Class Tommy J. Murphy, mortuary affairs/team sergeant, Central Identification Laboratory-Hawaii.

The cause of the accident is being investigated. (Courtesy of Pacific Air Forces News Service)"