Custom Search
| |
 |
 |
|
.
| Name: | Richard Dean "Dick" Roberts |
| Rank/Branch: | E3/US Army |
| Unit: | Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division |
| Date of Birth (DOB): | 30 April 1948 |
| Home City of Record: | Lansing, MI |
| Loss Date: | 25 March 1969 |
| Country of Loss: | South Vietnam |
| Loss Coordinates: | 144018N 1073621E (YB805235) |
| Status (in 1973): | Missing In Action |
| Category: | 2 |
| Acft/Vehicle/Ground: | Ground |
| Refno: | 1415 |
| Other Personnel in Incident: | Prentice Hicks; Frederick Herrera (both 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: | |
| Synopsis: | |
| On March 25, 1969, PFC Prentice W. Hicks, PFC Frederick D. Herrera and PFC Richard D. Roberts were riflemen on a road interdiction mission northwest of the city of Kontum, South Vietnam. On March 24, their unit had been in contact with an unknown sized enemy force, and at that time, PFC Hicks had been wounded several times. The unit was ordered to pull back, and PFC Hicks was placed on a litter and carried out of the area for evacuation. As the unit was moving toward high ground, they again came in contact with the enemy. At that time, PFC Roberts was the point man. During the contact, the unit began to move in a disorderly fashion back down the hill, and during that period, PFC Hicks, Herrera and Roberts were separated from the main element. It is believed that PFC Herrera and Roberts had stayed behind with PFC Hicks. This was the last time they were seen. At that time, neither Herrera or Roberts were injured. During a search of the area on April 5, a reconnaissance team found some letters belonging to PFC Hicks, along with the cover from a Bible belonging to PFC Herrera, but there was no sign of the three missing men. The three men had disappeared, and, given the enemy situation in the area, it is entirely possible that they were captured. They were declared Missing In Action. Later hearings were held to declare them dead, although no evidence was ever received that the three died. Americans captured by the Viet Cong had a terrible and grueling ordeal ahead. The Viet Cong themselves were often deprived of adequate food, and the need to be constantly moving only made life more difficult to sustain. Americans were ill-equipped to cope with jungle diseases and drastic change in diet. Torture was commonplace and cruel. Many were mentally and physically depleted to the point of starvation and death. Towards the end of the war, prisoners captured in the south were routinely taken north for detention by the North Vietnamese, and although torture was a daily threat, few died of starvation during those late years. Whether Herrera and the others were captured is not known. The chances of their having survived the second attack are good. Alive or dead, however, the Vietnamese certainly know their fate. Someone knows where they were taken that day. Tragically, reports of Americans still held captive in Indochina continue to be received, creating a large body of evidence difficult to ignore. It seems clear that some of our military are still held prisoner in Southeast Asia. Herrera, Hicks and Roberts could be among them. Isn't it time we brought our men home? |
|
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. |
|
 |
| RICHARD DEAN ROBERTS
SFC - E7 - Army - Selective Service 4th Infantry Division 30 year old Married, Caucasian, Male Born on Apr 30, 1948 From LANSING, MICHIGAN His tour of duty began on Mar 25, 1969 Casualty was on Jul 31, 1978 in KONTUM, SOUTH VIETNAM Hostile, died while missing GROUND CASUALTY Body was not recovered Religion - PROTESTANT Panel 28W - - Line 40 |
Source: The VietNam Veterans' Memorial Wall Page. |
 Next POW/MIA biography |
|
POW/MIA Links and Miscellaneous Information.
 Home |
 Back |
My TOC |
 E-mail me |
||
 Sign My POW/MIA Guestbook and/or Read My POW/MIA Guestbook |
||
The VietNam Veterans' Memorial Wall Page
How to add this link to your homepage
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 |
Background and some graphics copyright and courtesy of Papagei Studios.
Some graphics through the courtesy of OJC and POW/MIA Freedom Fighters.
Other graphics copyright and courtesy of Ron's Free Patriotic Web Graphics
and Doc's Military and Patriotic Graphics.
MIA/POW Flag Email Stamp Icon graphic courtesy of The American War Library.
Animated guestbook courtesy of Badger's Animated GIF Gallery.
Guestbook courtesy of TheGuestBook.com.