Name: Thomas Rice Jr.
Rank/Branch: E4/US 7th Army Special Forces Group
Unit: Aviation Company, (Assault Helicopter) 299th Attack Helicopter Battalion,
assigned to 1st Cavalry Division
Date of Birth: 07 October 1942
Home City of Record: Spartanville SC
Date of Loss: 28 December 1965
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 135702N 1084955E (BR570450)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1D
Other Personnel In Incident:
Jesse D. Phelps; Donald C. Grella; Kenneth L.
Stancil (all missing)
Source:
Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
REMARKS:
OVERDUE ON 10-15 MIN FLIGHT - J
SYNOPSIS:
The large influx of American combat and support battalions arriving in
Vietnam in the mid-1960's afforded the Army Special Forces a wealth of potential
military backup and engineer support. Airmobile infantry promised quick and
decisive response to CIDG patrolling opportunities or adverse camp situations.
The availability of engineers assured required camp construction and defensive
strengthening of existing sites.
In exchange, the Special Forces provided support, regional intelligence and area indoctrination for the arriving Army formations. In mid to late December 1965, Special Forces Major Brewington's B-22 Detachment helped the 1st Cavalry Division to settle into the An Khe area. Assisting, was the 299th Attack Helicopter Battalion of the Aviation Company of 7th Special Forces Group (Assault Helicopter).
On December 28, 1965 a UH1D helicopter from the Aviation Company departed An Khe on a supply mission to a combat unit in the early hours. Radio transmissions revealed that flight was difficult because of weather and darkness. The pilot, WO2 Jesse Phelps, radioed for weather reports. The other crew of the aircraft consisted of SP5 Donald Grella, crewchief; WO3 Kenneth Stancil, co-pilot; and SP4 Thomas Rice, door gunner.
When the aircraft was about 10 minutes' flying time from An Khe, radio contact was suspended, and no further word was received from the aircraft. When the UH1D failed to return, an intensive search was conducted, with no sign of either the lost aircraft or its crew. The crew was believed to be all killed.
The crew of the UH1D are among nearly 2500 Americans missing in Southeast Asia. In the 1950's Henry Kissinger predicted that "limited political engagements" would result in nonrecoverable prisoners of war. This prediction was fulfilled in Korea and Vietnam, where thousands of men and women remain missing when ample evidence exists that many of them survived (from both wars) and are alive today. For Americans, and particularly the families of those who are missing, this abandonment of military personnel is unacceptable and the policy that allows it must be changed before another generation is left behind in some future war.
