COTTEN, LARRY WILLIAM 

                Name: Larry William Cotten 
                Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force 
                Unit: 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron 
                Date of Birth: 19 March 1945 
                Home City of Record: Nashville TN 
                Date of Loss: 09 March 1970 
                Country of Loss: Laos 
                Loss Coordinates: 152029N 1071429E (YB406972) 
                Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered 
                Category: 2 
                Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4E 

                Other Personnel in Incident: Lothar G.T. Terla (missing) 

                Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 September 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: 

                SYNOPSIS: The Phantom, used by Air Force, Marine and 
                Navy air wings, served a multitude of functions including 
                fighter-bomber and interceptor, photo and electronic 
                surveillance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast 
                (Mach 2), and had a long range (900 - 2300 miles, 
                depending on stores and mission type). The F4 was also 
                extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high 
                altitudes. The F4 was selected for a number of 
                state-of-the-art electronics conversions, which improved 
                radar intercept and computer bombing capabilities 
                enormously. Most pilots considered it one of the 
                "hottest" planes around. 
 
                Capt. Lothar Terla was an F4 pilot assigned to the 4th 
                Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn Airbase, Thailand. 
                On March 9, 1970, he was assigned an operational mission 
                which took him over Attopeu Province, Laos. His 
                bombardier/navigator on the flight was 1Lt. Larry 
                W. Cotten. 

                When the aircraft was about 10 miles southeast of 
                Chavane, it was hit by enemy fire and crashed. An 
                electronic search was made of the area to locate the 
                crash site and any survivors, but none were found. 
                The crashed aircraft was later found, and it was 
                determined that Cotten and Terla could not have 
                survived the incident. This determination was made 
                on unspecified information which was received by the 
                Department of the Air Force. 
 
                The Air Force believes that Cotten and Turla did not 
                survive. They are listed among the missing because 
                their remains were never found. They are among nearly 
                600 Americans who were lost in Laos. Since the U.S. 
                did not recognize the communist government faction 
                which captured and held Americans in Laos, no 
                negotiations were conducted to secure their freedom. 
                Consequently, not a single American held by the Lao 
                was ever released. 
  
                Tragically, many authorities believe there are hundreds 
                of Americans still alive in captivity in Southeast Asia 
                today. What must they be thinking of us? What will our 
                next generation say if called to fight if we are unable 
                to bring these men home from Southeast Asia?