News-Info-Alerts

Re: Remains of Missing Pilots Located

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: August 24, 2002

"Bodies of U.S. pilots found in South Korea

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The bodies of two U.S. Army pilots whose helicopter crashed into a hillside in South Korea were found Friday, more than a day after the chopper was reported missing on a training flight.

Defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the crash site was about 13 miles south of Camp Page, an American base at Chuncheon, 50 miles east of Seoul, the South Korean capital.

The AH-64A Apache attack helicopter had taken off from Camp Page early Thursday morning. It slammed into a hillside above a car tunnel. No civilians on the ground were injured, the officials said.

The crash site and bodies were discovered Friday afternoon local time. Rain and heavy fog had hindered the air and ground search, which was launched Thursday morning.

The cause of the accident was being investigated.

The 8th U.S. Army, whose headquarters is in Seoul, identified the pilots as 1st Lt. Dustin Shannon, 23, and Chief Warrant Officer James Wallenburg, 40. Both were from B Troop, 1st Battalion, 6th Cavalry Brigade. Their hometowns were not released, but Shannon's relatives said he grew up in Vassar, Michigan. He was a son of Gary Shannon and Sandy Walker, general manager of The Vassar Pioneer Times, a weekly newspaper.

The families of the pilots were notified after they were declared missing, the Army said.

The pilots were flying the helicopter to their base at Camp Eagle at Wonju, about 55 miles southeast of Seoul, when they disappeared.

AH-64A Apaches are two-seat helicopters made by Boeing. They are the Army's main attack helicopter. They were used in the 1989 invasion of Panama, the 1991 Gulf War and peacekeeping in Bosnia. They carry Hellfire missiles, 70mm rockets, Stinger air-to-air missiles and a 30mm machine gun.

Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. "