When we came across Just Cause, we knew we had to adopt a POW/MIA. Lee is an Army veteran, and his father was a World War II veteran. We both have many friends and family who were or are veterans. Some are still alive, and some are not. We were both teenagers during the Viet Nam war, and we can both remember wearing POW/MIA bracelets back then. My father was a Korean War Veteran, and my grandfathers were both in World War II. In America, I believe many people don't even realize there are still MIA's and POW's still missing and not accounted for. Those WARS are no longer news, so many people just don't pay attention any more. Other day-to-day things take precedence over things it doesn't seem that one can do much about. We can do something about it. We are proud to have adopted a POW/MIA from the Just Cause site.
Now, having had a son in Iraq for almost a year, this page seems more important
than it was before.
"All biographical and loss information on the POW's provided by Operation Just Cause have been supplied by Chuck and Mary Schantag of POWNET. Please check with POWNET regularly for updates."
OUR ADOPTED HERO
Rank/Branch: W2/US ARMY
Unit: C Troop, 2nd Squadron, 17th Calvary, 101st Airborne Division
Date of Birth: January 12, 1946 (Columbus, Ohio)
Home City of Record: St. Louis, Missouri
Date of Loss: January 5, 1971
Country of Loss: South Vietnam/over water.
Loss Coordinates: 161657N 1073102E (ZD060160)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: AH1G
Other Personnel in Incident: SP4 Ronnie Vago Rogers (killed, body recovered)
SYNOPSIS: At 02:10 hours on January 5, 1971, CW2 Donald M Cramer, pilot of an AH1G (tail #67-16083), departed the Hue/Phu Bai Airfield on a training flight mission with SP4 Ronnie V. Rogers aboard. No contact was established after takeoff. When the aircraft failed to return within a reasonable time, efforts were made to establish radio contact. After checking all airfields and contact bases in the area, an aerial search was initiated at 16:40 hours and lasted until dark.
On January 8, 1971, SP4 Roger's body was found on the beach. The search shifted primarily into the coastline areas until about January 20, with no sightings of the aircraft or of CW2 Cramer. Because it was determined that Rogers had drowned, it was assumed that the aircraft departed its destination (a fire base), and crashed into the South China Sea. CW2 Cramer was never found. He was listed Missing in Action.
Whether Cramer drowned as Rogers did on January 5, 1971, may never be learned. The U.S. Army, believing there was a chance he survived, did not declare him officially dead for over four years, and then only in general administrative "presumptive findings of death" which were sought for all missing personnel.
As the years pass, and more and more reports are received indicating that many Americans are still alive in Southeast Asia, one must wonder if CW2 Cramer is one of those said to be alive. If he is, what must he be thinking of us?
Another good link -- Don't miss this one!:
This Operation Just Cause Web Ring site is owned by Lee and Ruth Jobe |