CROSBY, HERBERT CHARLES Remains Identification announced 12/19/2006 Rank/Branch: O3/US Army Unit: 71st Aviation Company, 14th Aviation Battalion, 16th Aviation Group, 23rd Infantry Division (Americal), Chu Lai Date of Birth: 30 May 1947 (Ft. Wayne IN) Home City of Record: South Georgia (Vietnam Veterns Memorial shows him to be from Ft. Sill) Date of Loss: 10 January 1970 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 152927N 1081808E (BT239141) Status (in 1973): Missing In Action Category: 4 Acft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1C, Firebirds Incident # 1547 Other Personnel In Incident: George A. Howes; Wayne C. Allen; Francis G. Graziosi (all missing) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1991 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 with information from David Grieger, who served with Herbert Crosby. SYNOPSIS: On January 10, 1970, Capt. Herbert C. Crosby, pilot; WO George A. Howes, co-pilot; SP5 Wayne C. Allen, crew chief; and SP4 Francis G. Graziosi, door gunner; were flying a UH1C helicopter (serial #66-739) as the flight lead in a flight of three helicopter gunships returning from Tien Phuoc to the unit base at Chu Lai, South Vietnam. (NOTE: Records differs as to the aircraft type on this incident. Some records show the aircraft type this crew was flying as UH1H, and some show it as a UH1C. Herbert Crosby flew Charlie models every day from at least July 1969 to January 1970. The serial number, #66-739 correlates to a C model, the first two numbers indicating that the aircraft had been made in 1966, and the H model only had come out a few months before this time. Although C models were gunships, and usually flew more or less independently, while this aircraft was flying in tight formation as flight lead, which would correlate with the H model, it has been confirmed that the ship on which this crew was flying was definitely a Charlie model.) At 1300 hours, the three helicopters departed the Special Forces camp at Tien Phuoc. Five to ten minutes later, due to instrument flight rules, Capt. Crosby directed the flight to change to a different flight heading. When the helicopters changed frequencies to contact Chu Lai ground control approach, radio contact was lost with Capt. Crosby and was not regained. The other two aircraft reached Chu Lai heliport, and at 1400 hours, search efforts were begun for the missing aircraft, although the crew was not found. According to a 1974 National League of Families report, George Howes survived the crash of this helicopter. The report further maintains that the loss occurred in Laos, although the coordinates place it some 40-odd miles from that country. A North Vietnamese prisoner released later reported that he had seen Howes in captivity the same month the helicopter went down. A second sighting by a villager in Phuoc Chouc (or Phouc Chau) village reported Howes and two other POWs stopped for water at his house in February, 1970, en route to Laos. Whether these reports also relate to Allen, Crosby and Graziosi, is unknown. When the last American troops left Southeast Asia in 1975, some 2500 Americans were unaccounted for. Reports received by the U.S.Government since that time build a strong case for belief that hundreds of these unaccounted for Americans are still alive and in captivity. Unaccounted for is a term that should apply to numbers, not men. We, as a nation, owe these men our best effort to find them and bring them home. Until the fates of the men like the UH1C crew are known, their families will wonder if they are dead or alive .. and why they were deserted. -------------------------------- NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense No. 1294-06 IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2006 Soldiers Missing In Action From Vietnam War are Identified The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors. They are Capt. Herbert C. Crosby, of Donalsonville, Ga.; Sgt. 1st Class Wayne C. Allen, of Tewksbury, Mass.; and Sgt. 1st Class Francis G. Graziosi, of Rochester, N.Y.; all U.S. Army. Burial dates and locations are being set by their families. Representatives from the Army met with the next-of-kin of these men to explain the recovery and identification process, and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army. On Jan. 10, 1970, these men were returning to their base at Chu Lai, South Vietnam aboard a UH-1C Huey helicopter. Due to bad weather, their helicopter went down over Quang Nam Province.A search was initiated for the crew, but no sign of the helicopter or crew was spotted. In 1989, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) gave to U.S. specialists 25 boxes containing the remains of the U.S. servicemen related to this incident.Later that year, additional remains and Crosbys identification tag were obtained from a Vietnamese refugee. Between 1993 and 1999, joint U.S./S.R.V. teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), conducted three investigations in Ho Chi Minh City and two investigations in Quang Nam-Da Nang Province (formerly Quang Nam Province).A Vietnamese informant in Ho Chi Minh City told the team he knew where the remains of as many as nine American servicemen were buried.He agreed to lead the team to the burial site.In 1994, the team excavated the site and recovered a metal box and several bags containing human remains, including those of these three soldiers. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains. For additional information on the Defense Departments mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site atdtic.mil/dpmo/ or call (703) 699-1169. ------------------------------- Mystery of POW-MIA bracelet solved BY HOWARD WILKINSON | [email protected] Capt. Herbert C. Brown. The name was a mystery to Terri Stamm of Springfield Township for more than 30 years, staring up at her from the POW-MIA bracelet she bought for $3 decades ago to honor those Americans left behind in Vietnam..... ================================== Two ends meet to close circle First came the official word. A stranger heard it, too, and passed along a lasting memento. By THOMAS LAKE Published January 27, 2007 TITUSVILLE, Jan. 21 In the end they identified just one tooth. It belonged to the old womans son. Now she sits on a brown wraparound couch in her living room, telling stories to a priest. On her wrist is a metal crescent with this inscription: CAPT. HERBERT CROSBY.... Thomas Lake can be reached at tlake@sptimes or 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6245. -------------------------------- December 31, 2006 Dear Rattlers and Firebirds, Im the younger sister of Capt. Herbert (Herby) Crosby. Ive been reading and enjoying your web site for days now. I was contacted by Ron Seabolt recently and was so elated by the wealth of information he gave me. I have since been referring the web site to everyone I talk with from media to friends and family. Its truly a great site, with huge significance to me and our family. Ron put me in touch with a couple people who knew and/or flew with Herby while in Vietnam. I had a wonderful conversation with Col. Broome (Whiz) recently and was so happy to talk with someone who knew Herby then. Col. Broome agreed to officiate the services at Arlington National Cemetery in May for us. We feel so honored to have him do this ? means so much to us and I know Herby would have wanted him also. Thank you Whiz. The specific date has not been set yet, and we may not get official word until March 2007. We have requested Friday, May 25th, then, if thats not available, Friday, May 18th, and third choice May 11th. As soon as I receive word of the date and verify times Ill notify Ron Seabolt in order to spread the news. Our family will be very honored to have any and all of you attend. It is so very touching to know that you all care. What a family of friends you are! We have family and friends who are also coming which will be a great tribute to Herby and Im sure they will also be delighted to me with you. We chose May for a couple reasons. Herby was born on traditional Memorial Day (May 30, 1947) and when a young boy always thought that the flags and parades were for him on his birthday. My father died on observed Memorial Day in 1991 (May 27th). Our family has always been patriotic, with having my father a World War II vet, and with Herby an Army pilot. Wed like to honor him as close to Memorial Day as possible. Our mother is 88 so traveling in the warmer months would be better for her also. She lives with me and my husband in Titusville. We never gave up hope, and you didnt either. We also will never give up hope for the remaining families awaiting word about their loved one. We have been contacted by people who wore one of the POW/MIA bracelets with his name on it who want to return it to us. There are so many out-reach things going on which is wonderful. Were in the process of starting a scholarship fund (The Cpt. Herbert C. Crosby Scholarship) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautics University in Daytona Beach, Florida, in his honor. I meet with the scholarship committee next week to set criteria, etc. Will let you all know more about this later. I am so looking forward to meeting any and all of you who attend at Arlington, or to talk with you on the phone. You are welcome to contact me at < [email protected] > Our family has been truly blessed and we would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. We thank you for your support, your service to our country and our freedom. You are all honored and respected by us. God Bless! Mary Lou Wade ========================== Cincinatti Enquirer Last Updated: 6:50 pm | Saturday, May 26, 2007 Long wait ends in Arlington She kept POW/MIA bracelet 35 years, now hes at rest BY MALIA RULON | [email protected] ARLINGTON, Va. - For Terri Stamm, watching Army Capt. Herbert Crosby buried Friday with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery was the improbable ending to an even more improbable journey.....
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 02:34:26 +0000
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