VAN CAMPEN, THOMAS CHARLES
Name: Thomas Charles Van Campen
Rank/Branch: E3/US Army
Unit: Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Division
Date of Birth: 28 December 1945
Home City of Record: Oroville CA
Date of Loss: 24 June 1965
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 105912N 1064934E (YT075215)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 0102
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 September 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 1998.
REMARKS: WOUNDED - SEPARATED FROM UNIT - J
SYNOPSIS: PFC Thomas C. Van Campen was on a combat operation with his unit
near Bien Hoa, South Vietnam on June 24, 1965 when the unit came under enemy
sniper fire. During the encounter, Van Campen was wounded and became
separated from the unit.
Because of the hostile forces in the area, others in the unit could not get
to his position, and as a consequence, he was not recovered when the unit
left the area. It was believed, however, that he was dead when the unit left
the area. Subsequent searches of the area failed to reveal any further
information.
Since the war ended in Vietnam, refugees have flooded the world, bringing
with them stories of American soldiers still held prisoner in their
homeland. As of mid-1990, there were over 10,000 of these reports. Many
authorities now believe that hundreds were left behind as living hostages
and are alive today.
Thomas C. Van Campen is not believed to have survived the events of June 24,
1965. His family has accepted that he is dead. They no longer expect him to
come home someday. But hundreds of families wait expectantly and in the
special agony only uncertainty can bring. Hundreds of men wait in caves,
cages and prisons. How much longer will we allow the abandonment of our best
men? It's time we brought them home.
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