GRAF, JOHN GEORGE
Name: John George Graf
Rank/Branch: O4/USN
Unit: Chief of Naval AD Group US MACV, South Vietnam
Date of Birth: 20 October 1927 (Los Angeles CA
Home City of Record: Glendale CA
Date of Loss: 15 November 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 094036N 1063437E (XR730700)
Status (in 1973): Prisoner of War
Category: 1
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: OV1C
Refno: 1523
Other Personnel in Incident: Robert Thomas White (Released 1973)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project with the assistance of one or more
of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews: 15
March 1990. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998.
REMARKS: DIED ESCAPING 7000215; W/WHITE, R
SYNOPSIS: John G. Graf was a Tactical Observer attached to Chief of Naval AD
Group, U.S. MACV, South Vietnam. On November 15, 1969, Graf was a crewmember
aboard an OV1C aircraft flown by U.S. Army Capt. Robert T. White on a visual
reconnaissance mission. The U.S. Army aircraft was hit by hostile ground
fire and crashed some 20 miles southeast of Tra Vinh City, Vinh Binh
Province, South Vietnam. Both the pilot and observer were observed by an
American Coast Guard unit to eject safely. A local villager reported that
National Liberation Front Forces captured both crewmen.
On March 29, 1973, the Viet Cong announced that White was to be released on
April 1. He was the last American in the repatriation program dubbed
"Operation Homecoming". In his debrief, Capt. White reported that he was
held with Graf in various prison camps until late January 1970, when Graf
escaped with another POW. Before his release, the National Liberation Front
area commander told White to inform the U.S. authorities that Graf had
drowned during an escape attempt in February 1970. Former residents of this
area also reported this story to officials and that his remains were buried
in the Long Toan area.
Viet Cong papers were found in a Viet Cong camp which contained the
interrogation reports of both LCdr. Graf and Capt. White. Other captured
documents stated that Graf had died in February 1970, and listed the
location of his grave in Vinh Binh Province.
Although information concerning LCdr. Graf is still classified, it was given
to the Vietnamese in hopes that they would be forthcoming with further
information about his fate. The Vietnamese continue to deny any knowledge of
LCdr. Graf.
Numerous declassified DIA documents indicate LCdr. Graf was sighted ALIVE at
least 18 times in captivity. Document 2 724 0397 73 from the 500 MI GP dated
23 May 73 speaks of a live sighting of Graf. Other documents indicate the
"drowning" was only a story related by the communisists.
Nearly 2500 Americans remain missing or otherwise unaccounted for in
Vietnam. Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports concerning these missing
Americans have been received by the U.S. Government. Many experts are
completely convinced that hundreds of Americans are now held captive.
One set of critics say that the U.S. has done little to address the issue of
live POWs, preferring the politically safer issue of remains return. Others
place the blame on the Vietnamese, for using the issue of POW/MIA to their
political advantage. Regardless of blame, no living American has returned
through the efforts of negotiations between the countries, and the reports
continue to pour in. Are we doing enough to bring these men home?
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