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| Name: | Michael Frederic May |
| Rank/Branch: | E5/US Army Special Forces |
| Unit: | MACV-SOG, B-56 Project Sigma on loan to B-50 Project Omega, Recon Team #1 |
| Date of Birth (DOB): | 07 June 1947 (Saginaw, MI) |
| Home City of Record: | Vassar, MI |
| Loss Date: | 02 March 1969 |
| Country of Loss: | Cambodia |
| Loss Coordinates: | 114157N 1061755E (XT415935) |
| Status (in 1973): | Killed/Body Not Recovered |
| Category: | 2 |
| Acft/Vehicle/Ground: | Ground |
| Refno: | 1398 |
| Other Personnel in Incident: | William A. Evans (missing) |
| 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: 01 January 1990. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998 with information from Cindi Atwood. |
| Remarks: Government records indicate Michael May was an E4 - missing his promotion to SP5 prior to his loss. | |
| Synopsis: Special Forces personnel Sgt. William Evans (the team leader) and
SP5 Michael May were part of an eleven man team conducting a secret mission
inside Cambodia. They were operating as an element of MACV-SOG, B-50 Project
Omega. MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observation Group) was a joint service high command unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified operations throughout Southeast Asia. The 5th Special Forces channelled personnel into MACV-SOG (although it was not a Special Forces group) through Special Operations Augmentation (SOA), which provided their "cover" while under secret orders to MACV-SOG. The teams performed deep penetration missions of strategic reconnaissance and interdiction which were called, depending on the time frame, "Shining Brass" or "Prairie Fire" missions. Evans and May's team operated under Command and Control South, which was located at Ban Me Thuot, but operated from FOB's (Forward Operations Bases) along the Cambodian border. Working with the 11-man American team was an unspecified number of ARVN troops. After being inserted at a landing zone, the team moved toward its objective. As the team approached the wood line, several members of the team heard the sound of rifle safeties being clicked, followed by a blast of weapons fire from the front and left flank. It was later judged that the team had been hit by a battalion-size NVA force from its base camp. The team fell back 60 meters to a mound located in the area. A perimeter was formed, and the enemy closed in on the position. Gunships were called in to repel the enemy advance, and after they departed the area, at about 1700 hours, the enemy attacked again. Later that day, a projectile thought to be a B-40 rocket exploded directly over the team's position resulting in wounds to 8 of 11 men. Evans at that time sustained a lethal head wound and died shortly thereafter. May received multiple wounds to the head and chest and died 30 minutes later. The surviving members of the team moved about 60 meters from the area, leaving the remains of Evans, May and three ARVN team members behind. One account of the action states that medical evacuation teams conducted an aerial search during which aerial photos revealed the Americans on the team had all been killed. Another account reports that the nine American members of the team survived. Both Evans and May were classified Killed/Body Not Recovered. Evans and May never returned. These highly trained soldiers knew that there was the possibility they would be killed or captured. Their missions were highly secret and dangerous, and in some cases, their existence had to be denied. They also were told the possibility existed that the U.S. Government would not come after them. Whether they truly believed that would be abandoned is a matter for argument. This is America, after all, where even a single human life is of paramount importance. |
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All Biographical and loss information on POWs provided by OpJC have been supplied by Chuck and Mary Schantag of POWNET. Please check with POWNET regularly for updates. |
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| MICHAEL FREDRICK MAY SP5 - E5 - Army - Selective Service Special Forces 21 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on Jun 07, 1947 From VASSAR, MICHIGAN His tour of duty began on Mar 02, 1969 Casualty was on Mar 02, 1969 CAMBODIA Hostile, died while missing GROUND CASUALTY MULTIPLE FRAGMENTATION WOUNDS Body was not recovered Religion - PROTESTANT Panel 30W - - Line 14 |
Source: The VietNam Veterans' Memorial Wall Page. |
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