News-Info-Alerts

Re: Eugene DeBruin - 40 Years Later Family Still Searching

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: May 26, 2003

The case of Eugene "Gene" DeBruin has haunted the family, researchers and countless others for 40 years. A former military man, DeBruin was a civilian Air America crewmember when his C-46 was shot down on 05 SEP 6, crashing near Tchepone (pr: SHAY-PONE) Laos. 2 crewmembers were killed in the loss and 5 others, including DeBruin, were captured by Pathet Lao forces.

A confirmed POW, DeBruin was photographed in captivity with 4 other captives, all of whose names were published along with the picture in a Pathet Lao leaflet. The entire crew was held together and moved numerous times throughout the Savannakhet and Khammouane Provinces of Laos.

In 1964 the men attempted an escape but were recaptured, the result being torture and privation for DeBruin and another POW who were believed to be the instigators of the escape.

In July 1966, DeBruin and several others, including Navy Aviator/POW Dieter Dengler who was captured in 1964 and now encamped with the Air America crew, escaped. Breaking up into pairs, they made their way through the jungle with Dengler succeeding in attaining freedom after 17 days in the jungle. DeBruin was last seen alive but he never made it to freedom. DeBruin was confirmed recaptured and transferred to yet another POW camp and eventually was known to be held with 8 other American POWs. In January 1968 the Americans were moved, destination unknown. Live Signting reports continued into the 1990's. However, his ultimate fate has yet to be uncovered, or if known, made public. His brother, Jerry DeBruin, has remained a tireless advocate for his brother for 40 years.

"Combined Locks family seeks brother lost in Laos

By Angie Gaspar
Post-Crescent staff writer

COMBINED LOCKS — Dar DeBruin-Hein was only 4 years old when her brother Gene’s C-46 airplane was shot down during the Vietnam War. Her memories of the nightmarish phone call her family received remain clear today, 40 years later.

“It was a fall day, Sept. 5. It was a real nice sunny day, and we got the call,” said DeBruin-Hein, of Combined Locks. “I remember my dad answering the phone, and I remember my dad making everyone be very quiet.”

Next the family draped a map across the table to find out where Laos was.

“I remember it vividly,” DeBruin-Hein said. “I remember writing letters to the president and senators, and getting boxes of letters and sending them.”

In 1963, Buchanan native Gene DeBruin was a 30-year-old civilian “kicker” when he was forced to parachute out of his fired-upon plane. He survived the crash and became a Pathet Lao prisoner of war in southern Laos.

A kicker’s duty is to kick pallets of food, in this case buffalo meat and dry rice, out the airplane door to aid the refugees below.

Before the Vietnam strife, DeBruin was a staff sergeant with U.S. Air Force from 1952 through 1956. He then worked as a smokejumper and received a degree in forestry at Montana State University. Then he volunteered as a kicker with Air America.

He had plans of joining the Peace Corps after his short stint as a kicker, according to DeBruin-Hein.

DeBruin’s plane had veered slightly off-course when he and six others were forced to the ground by their enemy.

Gene’s brother, Jerome “Jerry” DeBruin, of Toledo, Ohio, said there were seven crew members, including three Americans, three from Thailand and one from Hong Kong.

Jerry said the pilot and co-pilot died on impact, but the five passengers survived to be taken prisoners. As prisoners the men were kept together.

In his personal account published in Vietnam Magazine and later online, Jerry said there was hope within months after the crash that Gene would be released, but months turned into years as Gene was shuffled from one prison camp to another.

The five men then planned an escape, in May 1964, that was successful for three days, but they were caught when they went to a watering hole, Jerry said. They had limited food due to the dry season and drought.

“Gene overheard the guards saying they were going to kill the prisoners because they had no food for them,” Jerry said.

Two other Americans joined the prisoners in December 1965 and January 1966.

“The seven climbed a karst, divided into four groups to avoid detection, shook hands and said goodbye,” Jerry wrote. That was July 1966.

The second escape attempt for DeBruin was unsuccessful. Some of his comrades escaped and made it out, but DeBruin never returned home.

“He is still a POW who needs to be accounted for,” Jerry said.

DeBruin-Hein said the prisoners decided to attempt escape in pairs during the rainy season, and they packed dry rice.

One American and one Thai were rescued. Another American was killed, according to Jerry’s findings.

Gene decided to stay with a Chinese prisoner who was having difficulty walking due to an infection. There was some discussion of leaving him behind, according to DeBruin-Hein, but Gene was not willing to leave him to die.

“Gene was always the peacemaker of the group,” DeBruin-Hein said. “He said that he would go with the Chinese man, determining that it’s all or none.”

Gene never made it home, but he could not be confirmed dead, either.

Bob Tennison of Little Chute, a friend of Gene’s since elementary school, attended St. Mary’s Elementary and Kaukauna High School with him.

“He was a kind of quiet guy, wasn’t real boisterous at all, a real nice fellow,” Tennison said. “He was never a troublemaker or anything like that.”

Tennison said he was surprised about all the things Gene did, including becoming a smokejumper, getting his own small plane pilot license, working as a ski instructor, and being in the military. He said Gene seemed too easygoing to be involved in such things.

“I felt pretty sad that he was shot down. I knew his dad really well; he was down about the thing,” Tennison said. “They were really after the government to try to find him.”

The search continues through Gene’s brother Jerry.

“We’re still actively involved in trying to get my brother, if living seek his release or if dead bring his remains back to the United States for proper burial,” Jerry said. “We’re going to be starting our 40th year. We’re optimistic; the search goes on. The goal remains in crystal clear focus and is attainable.”

Jerry said he continues to track various prisoners and people who stayed behind after the war. He is covering all possibilities in finding out if Gene is alive. The government is still excavating graves, he said.

Gene was known as an outdoorsman, as he enjoyed hunting and fishing, and for being involved in his own neighborhood baseball league located in his family’s Buchanan farm field. He was the second oldest of 10 children.

“I remember getting gifts, and he wanted to send me a Husky dog, but my dad said no,” DeBruin-Hein said. “My sisters liked to clean out Gene’s clothes pockets because he always had Juicy Fruit gum.”

A part of Gene remains in Jerry’s blood — the love of baseball.

“Gene taught me how to keep score in baseball,” Jerry said. “He was my mentor and still is my mentor. You definitely take on characteristics of those who are older than you.”

Jerry grew up playing on the farm baseball field designed by Gene, where he learned how to play and love the game. Later he was offered a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox, but didn’t take it because of his responsibilities on the farm.

Jerry played college baseball for four years, and he recently published “Mud Hen Memories” in honor of Gene.

A longtime friend of Gene’s, Bob Wenzel of Little Chute, said he also played baseball with Gene in the neighborhood league. Wenzel also spent time with the Air Force around the same time Gene did. They graduated together from Kaukauna High School.

“I was a city slicker; he was a farm boy,” Wenzel said. “They called him ‘Hunk.’”

Wenzel said he never understood why Gene, with his college education and quality life potential, decided to serve as a civilian kicker during the Vietnam War.

“He was a kid that felt strongly toward helping people, and he got shot down doing mercenary work,” Wenzel said. “My feeling is that he died doing what he wanted to do. Sometimes the Lord only wants the good ones.”

Angie Gaspar can be reached by e-mail at pcnews@postcrescent.com

© 2003 Gannett Wisconsin"