27 May 2006 I wear John Adam's MIA bracelet. When I think of him, the words to the song "Travelin' Soldier" come to my mind, particulary the chorus: "One Friday night at a football game The Lord's Prayer said and the Anthem sang, A man said 'Folks would you bow your heads For a list of local Vietnam dead.' Crying all alone under the stands Was a piccolo player in the marching band, And one name read and nobody really cared But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair" Gwen Deubler Petersen 1025 East Ardoin, Eunice, La 70535 chramona@bellsouth.net "Travelin' Soldier" Written by Bruce Robinson and Farrah Braniff Used under 17 USC ï¿ 1/2 107

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall The 374th Tactical Airlift Squadron maintained a detachment of C-130 aircraft at Ubon RTAFB for flare-dropping missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail - the flares allowed tactical aircraft to identify and prosecute ground targets at night. The C-130s used the call sign "BLIND BAT". On the night of 22 May 1968 a BLIND BAT aircraft, C-130 tail number 56-0477, failed to return from a mission over southern Laos. Although no trace of the crew was found by search-and-rescue teams, there was evidence the aircraft went down near Muang Nong, about 20 miles southwest of the A Shau Valley. On conclusion of the SAR effort the nine men aboard were classed as Missing in Action. They remained and were promoted in that status until the Secretary of the Air Force approved Presumptive Findings of Death for them. The nine men aboard the C-130 were (PFod dates are shown in parentheses): 41st Tac Alft Sqdn, 374th Tac Alft Wing Col William H. Mason, Camden, AR (10/09/1980) Major William T. Mc Phail, Chattanooga, TN (06/29/1978) Major Thomas B. Mitchell, Littleton, CO (02/27/1975) CMSgt Calvin C. Glover, Steubenville, OH (06/29/1978) CMSgt Melvin D. Rash, Yorktown, VA (06/29/1978) SMSgt John Q. Adam, Bethel, KS (06/21/1978) SMSgt Gary Pate, Brooks, GA (01/09/1975) 23rd TASS, 504th Tac Air Spt Grp LtCol Jerry L. Chambers, Muskogee, OK (08/12/1976) 374th Field Maint Sqdn, 374th Tac Alft Wing CMSgt Thomas E. Knebel, Midway, AR (06/29/1978) Their remains have not been repatriated.

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