BRUNSON, JACK WALTER
Name: Jack Walter Brunson
Rank/Branch: W2/US Army
Unit: 131st Aviation Company, 212th Aviation
Battalion, 11th
Aviation Brigade (see note in text)
Date of Birth: 14 March 1949 (Jamestown NY)
Home City of Record: Sinclairville NY
Date of Loss: 31 May 1971
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 162013N 1065308E (YD014094)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: OV1A
Refno: 1751
Other Personnel In Incident: Clinton A. Musil
(missing)
Source: Compiled from one or more of the following:
raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the
P.O.W. NETWORK in
1998.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: On May 31, 1971, WO Jack Brunson, pilot,
and Clinton Musil,
observer, were flying on a visual reconnaissance
mission when their OV1A
Mohawk crashed and burned due to unknown causes
about 6 kilometers
south-southwest of Phou Ke Dai, Savannakhet Province,
Laos.
The crew of another aircraft in the area stated
that the flight was
proceeding normally, and that Brunson was having
no problems. On the fifth
pass over the target, and in a steep left turn,
the observing aircraft lost
sight of Brunson and Musil's aircraft. The observing
aircraft saw a huge
ball of flame on the ground. Radio contact was
attempted, but could not be
established. There were no parachutes observed,
no electronic beacon
signals heard, and no survivors were seen on
the ground. Due to the
hostile threat in the area, no search and rescue
operation was initiated.
Brunson and Musil are among nearly 600 Americans
lost in Laos.
Because Laos was not party to the agreements
ending American
involvement in Southeast Asia, none of the Americans
the Pathet Lao
said they held were ever released.
Witnesses believe that Brunson and Musil perished
in the crash of their
light observation plane on May 31, 1971. Experts
believe that
hundreds of other Americans are still alive today,
held prisoner against
their will. Brunson and Musil would gladly fly
one more mission for
them. Why can't we bring our men home?
NOTE: The 20th Aviation Detachment existed until
December 1966,
at which time it was reassigned as the 131st
Aviation Company,
223rd Aviation Battalion (Combat Support). The
131st Aviation Company
had been assigned to I Corps Aviation Battalion
since June 1966,
when it arrived in Vietnam. In August 1967,
the 131st Aviation Company
was reassigned to the 212th Aviation Battalion
where it remained
until July 1971, whereupon it transferred
out of Vietnam.
There were a large number of pilots lost from
this unit, including
Thaddeus E. Williams and James P. Schimberg (January
9, 1966);
John M. Nash and Glenn D. McElroy (March 15,
1966); James W. Gates
and John W. Lafayette (April 6, 1966); Robert
G. Nopp and
Marshall Kipina (July 14, 1966); Jimmy M. Brasher
and Robert E. Pittman (September 28, 1966); James
M. Johnstone
and James L. Whited (November 19, 1966);
Larry F. Lucas (December 20, 1966);
and Jack W. Brunson and Clinton A. Musil (May
31, 1971).
Missing OV1 aircraft crew from the 20th/131st
represent well over
half of those lost on OV1 aircraft during the
war.
U.S. Army records list both Nopp and Kipina as
part of the
"131st Aviation Company, 14th Aviation Battalion",
yet
according to "Order of Battle" by
Shelby Stanton, a widely recognized military
source, this
company was never assigned to the 14th Aviation
Battalion.
The 131st was known as "Nighthawks", and was
a surveillance
aircraft company.
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for info on "adoption")
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