|
|
 |
 |
|
Remains Recovered 10 July 2001.
| Name: | John Benedict Nahan III |
| Rank/Branch: | E3/US Marine Corps |
| Unit: | A Company, 3rd Recon Battalion, 3rd Marine Division |
| Date of Birth (DOB): | 20 June 1945 |
| Home City of Record: | Allegan, MI |
| Loss Date: | 03 August 1967 |
| Country of Loss: | South Vietnam |
| Loss Coordinates: | 160622N 1072247E (YC545820) |
| Status (in 1973): | Killed/Body Not Recovered |
| Category: | 3 |
| Acft/Vehicle/Ground: | CH46A |
| Refno: | 0784 |
| Other Personnel in Incident: | Thomas A. Gopp; Jack Wolpe; James P. McGrath (all missing) |
| Source: | Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 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: | |
| Synopsis: | |
| In early August, 1967, a nine-man team from A Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division began a night reconnaissance patrol in the A Shau Valley that was spotted by a Montagnard tribal woman and child, who alerted a nearby North Vietnamese unit. North Vietnamese troops slowly surrounded the Marine patrol and another that had joined it, trapping them for two days in hopes of luring a helicopter rescue. The following day (August 3), the first of two helicopters arrived and loaded some men from the patrols, but was hit by a bazooka shell and crashed during takeoff. The pilot was killed by small-arms fire. The nine passengers were believed to have perished, but all of their bodies could not be recovered because of hostile fire. John Nahan and Jack Wolpe were passengers aboard the aircraft. They were two of the A Company Reconnaissance patrol. Thomas Gopp was crewchief of the helicopter. James McGrath was a U.S. Navy hospital corpsman attached to H & S Company accompanying the Recon team. These four were listed as Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered (KIA/BNR). The men of the CH46A shot down on August 3, 1967 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. Reports continue to mount that we abandoned hundreds of Americans to the enemy when we left Southeast Asia. While the men aboard the CH46 may not be among them, one can imagine their proud willingness to fly one more mission to help bring them to freedom. ----------------------------- UPDATE LINE: July 31, 2001 Thank you for calling the National League of Families Update Line. This message is being recorded Monday, July 31st. According to the Department of Defense, there are now 1,957 Americans missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. This morning, the League was informed that two Americans, initially listed as MIA on January 21, 1968, are now accounted for. The remains of US Army Reserve Warrant Officer 2nd Class William Kimsey and his co-pilot, a US Marine, were jointly recovered in North Vietnam on January 1, 1998. On July 19th, the League learned that five Americans whose remains were jointly recovered in South Vietnam were also identified. The remains of one, a KIA/BNR on October 6, 1969, were jointly recovered on November 20, 2000, but his family requested that his name not be publicly announced. The other four were lost on August 3, 1967, and their remains were jointly recovered on June 8, 1994. Their names are Corporal Thomas A. Gopp, USMC, of OH, Seaman James P. McGrath, USN, of IL, Lance Corporal John B. Benedict, III, USMC, of MI and Corporal Jack Wolpe, USMC, of NY. John B. Benedict should read John Benedict Nahan III. |
|
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. |
|
 |
| JOHN BENEDICT NAHAN III LCPL - E3 - Marine Corps - Reserve 22 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Born on Jun 20, 1945 From ALLEGAN, MICHIGAN Length of service 1 year. His tour of duty began on Aug 03, 1967 Casualty was on Aug 03, 1967 in THUA THIEN, SOUTH VIETNAM HOSTILE, HELICOPTER - NONCREW AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND Body was not recovered Religion - ROMAN CATHOLIC Panel 24E - - Line 73 |
Source: The VietNam Veterans' Memorial Wall Page. |
Next POW/MIA biography |
|
 Home |
 Back |
My TOC |
 E-mail me |
||
 Sign My POW/MIA Guestbook and/or Read My POW/MIA Guestbook |
||
Click here to adopt your own POW/MIA from Operation Just Cause (OpJC or OJC). Click here to go to the OpJC Comm Center for more information. 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. |
Anyone without Internet access may adopt a POW/MIA
by sending a SASE along with their state and branch preference to:
Operation Just Cause
P.O. Box 264
Stockholm, NJ 07460
I will participate in POW/MIA Internet Blackout Day on February 1, 2003.......What about you? 
Please click on the banner above to learn more about POW/MIA Internet Blackout Day.
| Home | Back | Top | My TOC |
