|
|
 |
 |
|
| Name: | Otha Lee Perry |
| Rank/Branch: | W2/US Army |
| Unit: | Quartermaster School (QMC), Training Advance Detachment, Training Directorate, MACV |
| Date of Birth (DOB): | 11 May 1941 (Memphis, TN) |
| Home City of Record: | Detroit, MI |
| Loss Date: | 14 December 1971 |
| Country of Loss: | South Vietnam/Over Water |
| Loss Coordinates: | 151835N 1081635E (BU090050) |
| Status (in 1973): | Killed/Body Not Recovered |
| Category: | 5 |
| Acft/Vehicle/Ground: | U21A |
| Refno: | 1783 |
| Other Personnel in Incident: | Dwight A. Bremmer; Floyd D. Caldwell; Gregg N. Hollinger; Cecil C. Perkins Jr.; John G. Boyanowski (all missing) |
| Source: | Compiled 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 in 1998. |
| Remarks: | R/R CONT LOST - SEARCH NEG - J |
| Synopsis: | |
| On December 14, 1971, CW2 Otha L. Perry, pilot; Capt. Cecil C. Perkins, co-pilot; LtCol. John Boyanowski, Capt. Gregg N. Hollinger, SP4 Dwight A. Bremmer and SSgt. Floyd D. Caldwell, passengers; were aboard a U21A aircraft (tail #18041), call sign "Long Trip 041", which was lost while flying an administrative mission from Phu Bai to Da Nang, South Vietnam. During the flight, about 15 miles northeast of Da Nang, the aircraft experienced an inflight emergency. The pilot reported that he had lost his number 2 engine, and had a fire. Within minutes after the emergency, both radio and radar contact was lost. The aircraft was never seen or heard from again. Search aircraft proceeded to the last known location of Long Trip 041, but inclement weather and poor visibility curtailed the search. Extensive searches were conducted for the next three days, but no trace of the aircraft or personnel was ever found. The personnel aboard the aircraft were declared dead, bodies not recoverable. Sixty days of case study was conducted before declaring these men dead. Early along in the war, pilots and crew members had been declared dead because circumstances seemed to dictate that was the case. Later, however, some of these "dead" pilots turned up in POW camps in North Vietnam, causing a serious effort to commence NOT to declare a man dead if there was a reasonable chance (with or without evidence) that he survived. It is pretty clear that Long Trip ditched. What is not clear from public record, however, is that the crew died. With no proof of death, no proof of life, their families are suspended in tortured uncertainty. Jessie Edwards, mother of Otha Lee Perry says, "He told me if anything happened not to give up looking for him...no matter how long it's been, I cannot." Perry had been a former Green Beret who was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg. He had received 15 major decorations for Vietnam Service, and had served in both South Korea and the Dominican Republic. Like the families of all the crew of Long Trip 041, Jessie Edwards will never give up hope. Many authorities have examined the thousands of reports relating to Americans still missing in Southeast Asia, and have come away with the conviction that hundreds are still captive in communist prisons there. It would be kindest to hope that the crew of Long Trip 041 died on December 14, 1971. If they didn't, what must they be enduring? What must they think of their country? |
|
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. |
|
 |
| OTHA LEE PERRY CWO - W2 - Army - Reserve 1st AVN BDE 30 year old Married, Negro, Male Born on May 11, 1941 From DETROIT, MICHIGAN His tour of duty began on Dec 14, 1971 Casualty was on Dec 14, 1971 SOUTH VIETNAM Non-Hostile, died missing FIXED WING - CREW AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND Body was not recovered Religion - ROMAN CATHOLIC Panel 02W - - Line 88 |
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 |
