MORROW, LARRY KANE
Name: Larry Kane Morrow
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit: Troop H (Air), 17th Armored Cavalry Squadron
Date of Birth: 13 June 1951
Home City of Record: Lowell NC
Date of Loss: 29 May 1972
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 142501N 1075757E (ZA194964)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: OH6A - 66-17771
Refno: 1868
Other Personnel in Incident: Gerald Douglas Spradlin (killed, remains
recovered) [Note: earlier reports indicated a third crewman - this was
believed to be in error - crews were "two" man.]
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1990 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. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1999 with information from the
Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Assoc; Survivability/Vulnerability Information
Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: LNOF, 80369, CRAFX (Lindenmuth
Old Format Data Base. Crash Facts Message); Defense Intelligence Agency
Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also:
1868 () Loss to Inventory.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: SP4 Larry K. Morrow, gunner/observer, and WO1 Gerald D. Spradlin,
pilot, comprised the crew of an OH6A helicopter on a visual reconnaissance
mission near Kontum in South Vietnam. (NOTE: JCRC records the date of this
mission as 22 May 1972, while Defense Department records date as 29 May.)
During the mission, Spradlin's helicopter came under hostile fire,
disappeared over a ridge line, crashed, and burned. The Command and Control
helicopter observed the helicopter just prior to impact, and shortly after
impact, the Command and Control aircraft descended to the crash site and
atempted to locate survivors. Because of heavy enemy fire, however, Command
and Control was forced to leave. The crash was in an open area with enemy
activity, and no survivor movement was noted around the wreckage.
[Other records report:
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded;
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic
projectiles less than 20 mm in size (7.62MM); The helicopter was hit in the
Fuselage -Systems damaged were: FLT CONTROLS; The helicopter made a Forced
Landing. Aircraft took off, fully flight capable; The aircraft was diverted
or delayed after completing some mission objectives.]
On June 30, 1972, an ARVN platoon and U.S. personnel were inserted into the
area. A 100 meter area was searched around the crash site. The South
Vietnamese Army forces searched the crash site and recovered Specialist
Morrow's flight helmet and the skeletal remains of other crewmen who
perished in the incident. The crash site area was later struck by a B-52
airstrike.
On December 21, 1973, a Vietnam People's Army defector reported having seen
an American POW in June 1972 at a location approximately 55 kilometers from
the crash site. This report was placed in Specialist Morrow's file. In
August 1974, the crash site was searched again, but no further human remains
were recovered. In August 1983, U.S. intelligence received information
concerning the downing of a U.S. aircraft in the general area of Specialist
Morrow's loss incident. One airman was reportedly killed and one captured.
This report was also placed in Specialist Morrow's file. In December 1990,
U.S. investigators in Vietnam visited the area of this loss incident. They
interviewed a former Vietnam People's Army officer with knowledge of the
area and some responsibility for U.S. POWs held in the area. Although they
had information on some U.S. POWs, they had no information about Specialist
Morrow, including an indication as to whether or not he had been captured
alive.
Larry K. Morrow was originally classified Missing in Action. The Defense
Intelligence Agency further expanded the classification to include an enemy
knowledge ranking of 2. Category 2 indicates "suspect knowledge" and
includes personnel who may have been involved in loss incidents with
individuals reported in Category 1 (confirmed knowledge), or who were lost
in areas or under conditions that they may reasonably be expected to be
known by the enemy; who were connected with an incident which was discussed
but not identified by names in enemy news media; or identified (by
elimination, but not 100% positively) through analysis of all-source
intelligence.
In November 1973, Morrow was declared killed in action/body not recovered
based on a presumptive finding of death.
Larry Morrow is among nearly 2500 Americans who remained unaccounted for at
the end of the Vietnam War. Tragically, nearly 10,000 reports have been
received relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia since 1975. Many
authorities, who have examined this information believe there are large
numbers of Americans still alive in captivity.
Whether Larry Morrow survived the crash of his helicopter to be captured is
a matter of speculation, but it is possible, particularly given the
intelligence received in 1973. Whether he is one of those said to be still
alive is unknown. What seems clear, however, is that as long as even one
American remains alive held against his will, there can be no "Peace with
honor" in Vietnam. The war isn't over until all our men are home.
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