William H. Seward's - POW/MIA Page

Other Personnel In Incident: Robert Lopez; indigenous personnel; (all missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project (919/527-8079) 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. Copyright 1991 Homecoming II Project.

SYNOPSIS: On March 6, 1968, Maj. William H. Seward, pilot, and LtCol. Robert Lopez, passenger, were aboard a US Marine Corps CH46A helicopter (tail #151909, call sign Yankee Whiskey 17) as lead aircraft in a flight of two in company with several other support aircraft on an insertion mission in South Vietnam Also onboard Seward's helicopter were an unknown number of indigenous personnel working with the Special Forces team to be inserted.

While hovering above an 80-foot canopy to insert a the reconnaissance team, the aircraft received moderate small arms fire and began settling. The aircraft continued its descent until the rotor blades struck the trees and the aircraft twisted and fell, coming to rest on the right side in a nose-low attitude.

Following the crash of the helicopter, both Seward and the co-pilot were helplessly trapped in the twisted wreckage of the cockpit. The personnel who were able to get out of the burning aircraft succeeded in freeing the co-pilot. Maj. Seward was unconscious and trapped in the opposite side of the cockpit. Every effort to free him failed. LtCol. Lopez appeared to be trapped between the aircraft and the ground, and efforts to free him were useless.

Once flames reached the cockpit and ammunition began exploding, the men were forced to abandon rescue efforts. Within 30 seconds, the aircraft exploded and was completely consumed by fire. A short while later, the survivors were extracted by rescue helicopters and evacuated. A recovery team entered the crash area about 2 hours later. The remains of one passenger, believed to be those of Lopez were found, but were charred beyond recognition, and it was decided not to attempt recovery. Other remains were apparently destroyed by fire and explosion. The other men reported missing were indigenous, names unknown.

Lopez and Seward are listed with honor among the missing because no remains were found. Their cases seem quite clear. For others who are listed missing, resolution is not as simple. Many were known to have survived their loss incident. Quite a few were in radio contact with search teams and describing an advancing enemy. Some were photographed or recorded in captivity. Others simply vanished without a trace.

When the war ended, refugees from the communist-overrun countries of Southeast Asia began to flood the world, bringing with them stories of live GI's still in captivity in their homelands. Since 1975, thousands of such stories have been received. Many authorities believe that hundreds of Americans are still held in the countries in Southeast Asia.

The U.S. Government operates on the "assumption" that one or more men are being held, but that it cannot "prove" that this is the case, allowing action to be taken. Meanwhile, low-level talks between the U.S. and Vietnam proceed,yielding a few sets of remains when it seems politically expedient to return them, but as yet, no living American has returned.

Maj. William H. Seward has not been so lucky. He is not home as yet. By all reports it appears that he will not be one of men to ever walk his beloved home soil again. However, he deserves to be here none-the-less. I for one will never forget.

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I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep pushing this issue of bring home our men and women who are classified as POW or MIA.The need to get specific answers is more important now than ever before.If still alive, some MIAs are now in their 70s...They don't have much time left. Others may be some where in their 50's, too young to be away from their home and forgotten. We have to demand the answers from the bureaucrats and keep questioning and pushing until they get the message that THEY work for US and that we are serious about getting these long overdue answers. We must never stop demanding answers. We must make our voices heard

All Biographical and loss information on POWs provided by Operation Just Cause have been supplied by Chuck and Mary Schantag of POWNET. Please check with POWNET regularly for updates.

Or better yet, Get Involved. Click on this bracelet to join us in our struggle to bring home every unaccounted for American Hero left on foreign soil. It is such a small price to pay..........

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This POW/MIA Ring site
is owned by Shekinah's Realms of Ravenwood
Site ID#278.

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