Joe Lynn Delong

David W. Sooter was the only man captured from a OH23 Helicopter downed at the southeastern edge of Kontum Province near the edge of Pleiku Province and near the Cambodian border.

PFC Joe Lynn DeLong was the machine gunner for his company, on a company-sized patrol in Rotanokiri Province, Cambodia. (NOTE: most records list this loss as in South Vietnam and coordinates place it in the IaDrang Valley, Pleiku Province, South Vietnam near the border of Cambodia, but U.S. Army casualty reports state the the loss was in Kotankiri Province, Cambodia.) While on patrol, his unit was hit by a Viet Cong force of unknown size and cut off from the rest of the company. They formed a defensive perimeter and attempted to hold their position. Later that day, at about 1800 hours their their position was overrun. The next morning, another unit reached their position, and was able to account for all platoon members except for Delong. It was later learned that DeLong had been captured.

Nearly two months later, SP4 Frank, PFC Henry, SGT McMurray, PFC Newell, PFC Perricone, SP4 Schiele and PFC Van Bendegom, all members of Company B, 12th Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, were conducting a search and destroy mission along the Cambodian border when their position was overrun by the Viet Cong. SP4 Schiele was seen by his platoon leader as his unit was forced to withdraw, leaving him behind. He had been hit a number of times in the legs and chest and was thought to be dead. Since there is no positive proof of death and SP4 Schiele's remains have not been returned, the U.S. Government placed him on a Missing in Action category.

PFC Van Bendegom was also wounded in the engagement, and was seen alive by other Americans captured in the same battle about one week after his capture at a communist field hospital in Cambodia, not far from his capture location. One of the released Americans was later told by the commanding North Vietnamese officer that SP4 Van Bendegom had died of his wounds. SP4 Van Bendegom was categorized as a Prisoner of War.

The other seven Americans were held in prison camps on the Vietmam/Cambodia border for several months. According to the debriefs of releasees Sooter and Perricone, they and DeLong had attempted to escape from a border camp in Cambodia on November 6, 1967 but were recaptured the same day. Two days later, they were shown what were said to be DeLongs bullet-ridden and blood-soaked trousers and told that DeLong had been killed resisting capture. The Vietnamese included DeLong's name on a list of prisoners who had died in captivity, did not return his remains, and did not offer any explaination.

Sooter, Frank, Henry, Perricone, McMurray and Newell were all released in 1973. An interesting note was that Frank was never known to be a prisoner. Henry was injured and maintains a permanent disability today. The U.S. is certain that the Vietnamese also know the fates of DeLong, Schiele and Van Bendegom, but the Vietnamese continue to remain silent.

Since the end of the war, only a few score of the remains the Vietnamese could provide have been returned to U.S. control. Each return of remains signals some political move by the Vietnamese. Strong moves towards normalization of relations began in the mid-80's, which most Americans would not oppose. As evidence mounts that hundreds of Americans are still held captive by these same governments the U.S. is rushing to befriend, many concerned Americans believe that in our rush to leave Indochina, we abandoned our best men. And that in our rush to return, we will sign their death warrants.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep pushing this issue inside the Beltway (Washington D.C.)

The need to get specific answers is more important now than ever before. If still alive, some MIA's are now in their 70's, (Joe would be 50 on his upcoming birthday, June 18th) and they don't have much time left.

We have to demand the answers from the bureaucrats and keep standing on their necks (figuratively speaking) until the get the message that we are serious about getting these long overdue responses.

Diplomatic considerations aside.....we can no longer allow questionable protocols established by pseudo-aristocratic armchair strategists, to determine or influence the fate of the men who were in trenches while the diplomats were sharing sherry and canapes and talking about "Their Plans" for the future of South East Asia.

What about Joe's plans. Or James Schiele's plans. Or James Van Bendegom's plans. Or the plans of the other 2500 American service men and women we have abandoned there?

This POW/MIA Ring site is owned by cindi. [ Prev | Skip It | Next 5 | Random | Next | List of All Members] Want to join the ring? Get the info.

Click the POWMIA Wristband to find out from Gunny what you can do to carry the torch.

And while you're there be sure to visit The Meadow

If you are a "Flower Child of the 60's" like me it will bring back fond memories and tears to your eyes remembering those days gone by.

Gunny, thanks for your dedication to our missing Americans. Because of you they will not be fogotten. Cindi.

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great patriotic graphics byRON

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"THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD" I don't know who to give credit to this quote but you can help carry the torch by writing to:

President Bill Clinton

Vice President Al Gore

Your Congressman

Your Senator

Be sure to include your "snail-mail" address or you will only receive a "canned" THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERNS" letter by return email.

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Click on this inspirational image and see what I have written to the President,Vice President, My Congressman and Senator

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Thanks Gunny

Thanks Steve

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We now have a place to talk to one another (Thanks Julie!)

Need to voice something? Need to talk to someone? Come Join us! To enter, type in Assembly POWMIA To Join discussion follow directions for password

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This page created May 6, 1997

Last updated July 20, 1997

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