Thanks,"Doc", for the great graphic

I constructed this page in remembrance of an adopted POW/MIA who was from my homestate of WEST VIRGINIA. Let me tell you what I know about him ...

His name if Robert William Hunt and he was born on August 16, 1939. He lived in Beckley, West Virginia.

He was an E4,(Corporal) in the US Army; Unit Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division. He was stationed in Vietnam.

Robert was a gunner on an M41 Tank. On February 28, 1968, his unit was engaged in a reconnaissace in force mission just north of Saigon in South Vietnam. Also with him was James J. Scuitier.

The enemy launched an attack with rocket propelled grenades and heavy automatic weapons fire just after the tank commander had stopped to check the identity of an indigenous person. During the assault, the tank received two direct RPG hits.

Hunt was seen standing in the rear of the tank just prior to the assault. Because of the heavy fighting, the area was not secured until the next day, and the tank could not be immediately checked for survivors. When search teams went into the area the following day, Hunt could not be found, but two tank crewmen's bodies were recovered. He was declared missing.

Lost the same day at the same coordinates on ground was James J. Scuitier. The Provisional Revolution Government s reported that he died while in captivity; however, PFC Scuiter's ramains were located and recovered from the scene of the combat where Corporal Hunt was declared missing. It is believed that the PRG had misidentified the remains. His name disappeared from the lists of missing by September 1978, but there is reference to his name in Hunt's files from the Joint Casualty Resolution Center. The files indicate that both Hunt and Scuitier were captured, but the Army has nothing on file to indicate that Hunt was captured.

The Vietnamese stated that Scuitier died in captivity, and although his name is no longer on the lists of missing, no record can be found of remains being returned that can be indentified as his. According to the Army, Scuitier was captured in March 1968 and died in March 1968. Other casualty records show that he died in February 1968 while on board the tank. Other files indicate that remains identified as thos of Scuitier were returned in February 1968. Finally, a cryptic data remark states "730127 PRG SAYS DIC" which could either mean that the Vietnamese stated on January 27, 1973 that Scuitier had died in captivity, or that the Vietnamese stated that he died on January 27, 1973.

Corporal Hunt was declared dead/body not recovered in September 1978. He has not been identified alive in the Vietnamese prison system.

Like many of the POW/MIA cases, there are frustrating discrepancies in those of Hunt and Scuitier. It is little wonder that many POW/MIA family members have learned to suspect information given to them by the government about their missing loved one.

In 1975 the U.S. interviewers located a former soldier from the People's Army 84th Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. He described himself as the individual who had fired the rocket propelled grenades which disabled the M41 tank and stated that an African-American had been captured on that date.

Since 1985, U.S. intelligence has received several reports about an African-American killed in action and buried in the Hoc Mon area. While not identified as Corporal Hunt, these reports are similar to the location and circumstances pertaining to his loss.

The U.S.Government seems to believe that all Americans left behind in Indochina are now dead. Critics wonder if that is the case, why are the over 10,000 sighting reports still classified? Why are the complete files of the men who are still missing denied to their families? What happened to Robert Hunt and James Scuitier? Are they dead-or alive? We may never, ever know the answer to this mystery.

2,031 POW/MIA(s) are still missing from Vietnam. Please help to bring our soldiers home by adopting your own POW/MIA. Visit the site link below,for more information. The site name is OPERATION JUST CAUSE.