VIETNAM POW/MIA BIO: BYRD, Hugh McNeil, Jr. - Kentucky

From: Margaret Bates <mrbates@swbell.net>
Date: Mon 12 Mar 2001


CASE SYNOPSIS: BYRD, HUGH MCNEIL, JR.

Name: Hugh McNeil Byrd, Jr.
Rank/Branch: O3/US Army
Unit: 220th Aviation Company, 212th Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 22 October 1943 (Pueblo CO)
Home City of Record: Berea KY
Date of Loss: 09 January 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 162816N 1070200E (YD170220)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: O1G
Other Personnel In Incident: Kevin O'Brien (missing)

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: On January 9, 1969, Capt. Hugh Byrd, pilot, and 1Lt. Kevin O'Brien,
observer, were on a visual reconnaissance mission over the Khe Sanh area of
South Vietnam in an O1G Bird Dog aircraft, tail #51-5059. Byrd's aircraft flew
from the 200th Aviation Company, 212th Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation
Brigade. O'Brian's job as observer from HHC, 2nd Battalion, 94th Artillery, was
to identify artillery targets. The plane diverted to assist a reconnaissance
team that was in enemy contact in the Khe Sanh area.

After aiding the team and being relieved by another aircraft, Byrd headed his
plane back to Phu Bai. The weather was bad and the pilot reported at 1940 hours
that that he was lost and the weather was worsening. The aircraft was not
equipped to fly instrument in meterological conditions. Dong Ha and other radar
controllers tried to get a fix on the Bird Dog, and were able to maintain
constant radio contact, but were able only to get an imprecise location. Based
on the direction the aircraft told them it was flying, the radar station
advised it to climb because of mountains in the area. No further transmissions
were heard.

Numerous searches were initiated following the disappearance of the aircraft,
but were broken off after a few days due to weather conditions. When searches
were resumed when the weather cleared, they failed to locate any wreckage. Byrd
and O'Brien were declared Missing In Action.

In August 1975, in the presumed crash area, a refugee reported seeing 2 downed
U.S. aircraft which he described as one F5 jet and one L19. He was told that 2
Americans on the L19 were killed and buried 1 kilometer from the crash. The
Army feels this report could possibly relate to Byrd and O'Brien. (The O1 was
formerly known as L19.)

Many authorities believe, based on thousands of refugee reports, that hundreds
of Americans are still alive, held captive in Southeast Asia. If Byrd and
O'Brien are among them is unknown. Dead or alive, they are in enemy hands. It's
time to bring these men home.


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