Capt. Kryszak was assigned a mission on June 3, 1966 which would take him and his crew over the Khammouane Province, Laos. At a point 10 miles east of Ban Pha Philang near the borders of Savannakhet and Khammouane Provinces, the AC47, also known as "Puff the Magic Dragon," was shot down. A nearby aircraft saw the plane go down but did not report seeing any parachutes.
According to the Air Force, subsequent searches for the aircraft revealed wreckage of the plane but none of the crew were found. Col. Harding E Smith was known to have survived the crash, although the whole crew was listed as MISSING IN ACTION.
The crew of the puff lost on June 03, 1966 are among nearly 600 Americans lost in Laos during the Vietnam War. Even though the Pathet Lao stated publicly that they held "tens of tens" of American prisoners, not one American was ever released--or negotiated for.
Many authorities have reluctantly concluded that there are hundreds left alive in captivity today.
JUDGE HAMILTON GAYDEN (615) 298-2146
This Operation Just Cause Web Ring site is owned by S. CHRISTINA SPENCER
~Unit: 4th Air Commando Squadron, Ubon AF TH
~Date of Birth: 07 August 1935
~Home of Record: Howe, TX
~Date of Loss: 03 June 1966
~Country of Loss: Laos
~Loss Coordinates: 170400n 1055900E (XD054858) Status in 1973: MIA
~Category: 2
~Aircraft/vehicle/Ground: AC47
~Refno:0354
~~Other Personnel in Incident: 1LT. Russell D. Martin; TSgt. Harold E. Mullins; Capt. Theodore E. Kryszak; Col. Harding E. Smith; SSgt. Ervin Warren....(All Missing)
KATHY BORAH DUEZ (309) 962-2803
March 12, 1994
In December, 1969, the Soviet Union broadcast an eleven minute propaganda documentary aimed at discrediting the United States and U.S. pilots in the Vietnam and Laos War. In the film there was shown a collage or composite of captured American pilots in "Vietnam, Laos, and China".
The Defense Department has acknowledged that the eleven minute film was produced by the Soviet Union and shown on Soviet television in 1969. The Defense Department has responded to a handful of family members who believe their next-of-kin may be on the composite, by unilat- eral conclusions that the particular "head-shot" is of a returnee. None of the inquiring families have been given a Defense Department analysis of the particular photo in question.
The Defense Department acknowledges that the collage has ninety- three (93) identifiable images of American POWs. DOD claims eighty- eight (88) are identified as returnees from captivity in either South or North Vietnam (none from Laos or other countries). DOD acknowledges that five (5) identifiable men's remains were returned; DOD does not name these returned remains.
In the backdrop of Dr. Stephen Morris's discovery of the "1205 document", a memorandum compiled by the North Vietnamese Chief of Staff General Quang in 1972, acknowledging a total of twelve hundred and five (1205) American POWs as compared to the release of five hundred and ninety-one (591) in 1973 during Operation Homecoming; several family members, activists, and interested photographic consultants decided to undertake our own comprehensive analysis of the 1969 collage of American POWs shown on Soviet television.
After months of concentration, photo comparison, family input, and photographic consultations, a group of several have compiled our own impartial analysis. The results are bittersweet: thirty-three (33) men have been identified on the collage as men who were not returned in 1973; another twenty-nine (29) are very good possibilities as being on the composite yet not repatriated at Homecoming.
We have identified six (6) men whose remains were returned; and these remains only returned in recent years, tending to prove the Viet- namese maintained a warehouse of remains or these men were alive in 1973 and died in captivity after 1973.
We are able to identify twenty-six (26) men who were, in fact, repatriated and who are on the collage, a few in coats and/or ties!
Our group also has evidence that the collage was only a part of other photos, probably hundreds more.
Out of the ninety-four (94) identifiable images, sixty-two (62) are possibly still MIA/POW, accepting a slight margin of error. Comparing our results to the 1205 minus 591 (returnees): between 50-60% were retained after 1973!
The thirty-three (33) men we believe are probably on the collage are: Leo Boston (CO), John Bischoff (SC), George Mims (SC), Randolph Suber (MO), Samuel Adams (FL), Kenneth Plumadore (NY), Leo Seymour (PA), Albert Pitt (NY), Richard Hawthorne (NY), Raymond Paul Salzarulo (WV), Ned Herrold (NJ), Michael Masterson (WA), Robert McMahan (IL), James Grace (LA), Raymond Echevarria (NY), Albert Page Jr. (NH), Clifford Cushman (SD), Roger B. Innes (IL), John Held (IN), Lucius Heiskell (TN), Thomas Allen (OK), Alexander Palenscar (NY), Joseph Davies (VA), Ronald Packard (CO), Wayne Eckley (OR), Michael Estocin (PA), Robert Pearson (WA), Courtney Weissmueller (FL), Ronald Dexter (TX), Lavern Reilly (MN), Kenneth Backus (NY), John O'Grady (NY), and John Graf (NJ).
The twenty-nine (29) that are possibly on the composite are: Brent Davis (CA), Billy Laney (FL), Walter Kosko (VA), Peter Stewart (FL), John Robertson (WA), Robert Coady (LA), Ronald Wayne Dodge (CA), Lawrence Helber (OH), David Williams (TN), Gerald Joseph Crossan (NY), Gordon Wenaas (ND), William Stroven (MI), Jack McCrary (TN), Larry Stevens (CA), Michael McEchanon (TX), Walter Moon (AR), Larry Jordan (CA) Michael Dunn (IL), Robert Govan (DC), Martin Massucci (MI), Joseph Karins (NY), William Glasson (CA), Charles Meldahl (WA), Glenn McCubbins (KS), Willie Stark (NE), John Worcester (MI), William Foreman (MN), Lee Nordahl (MI), and Stephen Kott (SC).
Also, there are several photos still under study and several "unknown" photos, eight or so.
The six (6) men we identified whose remains were returned will be kept to ourselves pending a DOD response, if any is forthcoming.
We also have identified thirteen (13) men captured in Laos, two (2) in China, and one (1) returnee held prisoner for five years in Bejing (and repatriated) but captured in North Vietnam.
Also in the film there is shown actual movies of Americans being captured. At least two (2) are tentatively identified as Richard Michael Allard (MI) and Luther Rose (TX).
A first generation copy of the collage plus mailing is available at cost. Send fifteen dollars ($15.00) to Hamilton Gayden, 106 Commons Drive, Nashville, TN 37201.
If you know any family members and are comfortable in discussing this analysis with them, please do so.
Also, this analysis and the collage would make a very good magazine or book pictorial expose that the American public can see with their own eyes. There is no copyright or any other superior rights to the collage or analysis. It is the product of over a hundred combined activists, family members, and photographic consultants. If you would like to contact magazine publishers, please do.
Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr. (615) 298-2146
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