BRIGGS, RONALD DANIEL
Name: Ronald Daniel Briggs
Rank/Branch: O2/US Army
Unit: Advisory Team 4, MACV
Date of Birth: 24 March 1944
Home City of Record: Philadelphia PA
Date of Loss: 06 February 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 162750N 1070238E (YD182212)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H
Other Personnel In Incident: Robert C. O'Hara; Charles I. Stanley; David E.
Padgett; Eugene F. Christiansen; Donald E. Parsons (all missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 1990 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.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: On February 6, 1969, CW2 Charles I. Stanley, pilot; 1Lt. David E.
Padgett, aircraft commander; SP5 Robert C. O'Hara, crew chief; PFC Eugene F.
Christiansen, door gunner; LtCol. Donald E. Parsons, 1Lt. Ronald D. Briggs,
and Maj. Vu Vanh Phao, ARVN, all passengers, were aboard a UH1H (serial
#67-17499) on a resupply mission in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam.
While in route from Landing Zone Vandergrift to LZ Tornado, 1Lt. Padget
contacted the LZ Tornado radio operator at about 1100 hours and stated that
due to poor weather conditions and poor visibility, the flight was returning
to LZ Vandergrift.
At that time, the radio operator at LZ Tornado could hear the helicopter
northeast of his location, which sounded as if it were heading in a
northerly direction. When the aircraft failed to return to LZ Vandergrift, a
coordinated search and rescue operation was initiated and continued for
seven consecutive days, finding nothing.
However, on the morning of February 7, Crown, an airborne control aircraft,
reported receiving radio beeper signals several times from the general
vicinity of where Lt. Padgett's aircraft was last reported. The beeper
signals were estimated to emanate from that general direction. The source of
the signals was never determined.
The area in which the aircraft was estimated to go down has been dubbed
"Antenna Valley" and is located west of Cam Lo and on the backside of Camp
Carrol. The area was occupied by NVA regulars, and was never cleared.
On-site search was not possible at that time.
On September 4, 1969, an ARVN source reported that in August he had seen LTC
Parsons, Maj. Phao, LT Briggs, and four other unidentified American POWs in
a hospital in Laos. The U.S. Army determined that the four unidentified
Americans could possibly be Christiansen, Stanley, Padgett and O'Hara.
On July 5, 1972, an NVA rallier reported seeing two caucasian POWs in the
vicinity of a T-35 commo-liaison station on the 499th infiltration corridor
in Laos. The two POWs were being taken to North Vietnam. This information
was tentatively correlated to LT Padgett and PCF Christiansen.
In September 1970, LTC Parson's wife and friends identified him in a North
Vietnamese film of a protestant service in a POW environment. CW2 Stanley's
mother made a tentative identification of her son in the same film.
In December 1979, an alleged "gun-runner", Sean O'Toolis reported that he
had the fingerprints of Robert O'Hara, and that O'Hara was at that time
being held south of Hanoi near Bong Song. O'Toolis' information was
summarily dismissed by the U.S. Government and he was thoroughly
discredited, thus it is not clear how much credence can be given to his
information.
The reports relating to the crew of the UH1H that went down on February 6,
1969 are typical of the over 10,000 reports received by the U.S. Government
relating to Americans prisoner, missing or unaccounted for in Southeast
Asia. After reviewing "several million documents" and conducting "over
250,000 interviews" the USG has been unable to state categorically that
Americans are still alive.
Many authorities, however, including a former Director of Defense
Intelligence Agency, have reluctantly concluded that there are many
Americans still held against their will in Southeast Asia.
Families who receive these reports are especially tortured. With no means to
prove or disprove them, the tormen is indescribable. When they turn to their
government, they are usually met with the "mindset to debunk" described by
one high official in Congressional hearings. When they approach Vietnam,
they are told the person they seek is unknown to them. Yet the reports
continue to flow in, month after month, year after year. And year after
year, families wait.
And year after year, American servicemen wait -- wondering if their country
will ever bring them home.
[r1372.97
PROJECT X
SUMMARY SELECTION RATIONALE
NAMES: BRIGGS, Ronald D., lLT, USA
CHRISTIANSEN, Eugene F., PFC, USA
O'HARA, Robert C.,, SP5, USA
PARSONS, Donald E., LTC, USA
PADGETT,, David E., lLT, USA
STANLEY, Charles I., CW2, USA
OFFICIAL STATUS: BRIGGS: DEAD, BODY NOT RECOVERED
CHRISTIANSEN: MISSING
O'HARA: MISSING
PARSONS: DEAD, BODY NOT RECOVERED
PADGETT: MISSING
STANLEY: MISSING
CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED
RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: All of these individuals were lost in one
helicopter incident. There are two correlated intelligence reports
describing four of them, and two of the individuals were identified by
family and friends in a North Vietnamese film. There have been no
confirmations of death on any of these men since the incident date.
REFNO: 1372 20 Apr 76
(U) CASE SUMMARY
1. On 6 February 1969 CW2 Charles I. Stanley, pilot, 1Lt. David E. Padgett,
aircraft commander, LTC Donald E. Parsons, lLT Ronald D. Briggs, and Maj.
Vu Vann Phao (ARVN), passengers, SP5 Robert C. O'Hara, crewchief, and PFC
Eugene F. Christiansen, gunner, were aboard a UH1H helicopter, (
#67-17499), on a resupply mission in South Vietnam. At about 1100 hours,
while enroute from Landing Zone ((LZ) Vandgrift to LZ Tornado, 1LT. Padgett
contacted the LZ Tornado radio operator, and stated that due to poor
weather conditions and Door visibility the flight was returning to LZ
Vandgrift. At that time the radio operator at LZ Torando could hear the
helicopter northeast of his location, which sounded as though it was
heading- in a northerly direction. When the aircraft failed to return to LZ
Vandgrift a coordinated search and rescue operation was initiated and
continued for a period of seven consecutive days, finding nothing. However,
on the morning, of 7 February, R-Crown, (an airborne control aircraft),
reported receiving radio beeper signals several times from the -general
vicinity of where lLT Padgett's aircraft was last reported. The beeper
signals were estimated to eminate from a point-- near grid coordinates (GC)
YD 170 300. (The incident coordinates are listed in JCRC files as YD 182
212). (Ref 1 & 3)
2. On 4 September 1969 an ARVN source reported that in August he had seen
LTC Parsons, Maj. Phao, LT. Briggs, and four other unidentified American
POW's at a hospital in Laos. (The four unidentified POW's possibly were PFC
Christiansen, CW2 Stanley, 1LT. Padgett and SP5 O'Hara). (Ref 2)
3. On 5 July 1972 an NVA rallier reported seeing two Caucasian POW's in the
vicinity of a T-35 Commo-Liaison station on the 599th Infiltration Corridor
in Laos (UTM coordinates unknown). The two POW's were being taker to North
Vietnam. (Information in this report possibly correlates -To LT. Padgett
and PFC Christiansen). (Ref 3)
4. LTC Parsons' spouse and friends identified him in a North Vietnamese
film of a Protestant Service in September 1970. CW2 Stanley's mother made a
tentative identification of her son in the same film. (Ref 3)
5. During the existence of JCRC, the limited information available
precluded any efforts toward the resolution of this case. These
individuals' names and identifying data were turned over to the Four-Party
Joint Military Team with a request for any information available. No
response was forthcoming. lLT Briggs and LTC Parsons are currently carried
in the presumptive status of Dead, Body Not Recovered. CW2 Stanley, lLT
Padgett, PFC Christiansen and SP5 O'Hara are currently carried in the
status of Missing.
REFERENCES USED
1. RPT (U), HQ USARV W w/inclosures, 7 Apr 69.
2. RPT- (U), HQ 3rd Army (Information from Mrs Patrick A. Parsons) 15 Sep
70.
3. RPT (U), MIA SEA.- Page 16, 31 Mar 73.
ASSOCIATED INDIVIDUALS
1. Ronald D. Briggs 1372-0-01
2. Eugene F. Christiansen 1372-0-02
3. Robert C. O'Hara 1372-0-03
4. Donald E. Parsons 1372-0-04
5. David E. Padgett 1372-0-05
6. Charles I. Stanley 1372-0-06
* National Alliance of Families Home Page
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