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In honor of E3 Joseph E. Fitzgerald
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POW/MIA
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JOSEPH E. FITZGERALD
E3 U.S ARMY D.O.B. 11/25/1948
LOSS DATE 5/31/67
COUNTRY OF LOSS SOUTH VIETNAM
HOME CITY NORTHBRIDGE,MA
STATUS: (1973) MIA
REMAINS RETURNED 2/97
UNIT: LLRP,3RD BRIGADE,25TH INFANTRY
LOSS COORDINATES: 145215N 1085242E (BS718450)
CATEGORY: 2 GROUND
OTHER PERSONEL IN INCIDENT: BRIAN K. McGAR; JOHN A. JAKOVAC BOTH MIA
SYNOPSIS: On May 31,1967, PFC Brian McGar, PFC JOSEPH E. FITZGERALD,RIFLEMAN, SGT. John A. Jakovac, ammo bearer; CPL. Charles G. Rogerson, & SP4 Carl D. Flowers were members of a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) deployed in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam.
The LLRP unit was inserted to move to the base of Hill 310 and to check out an area long a hedge row, where several Viet Con had been seen and fired upon by gunships earlier that day. Then at night, the patrol was to move to the top of Hill 310, to establish an observation point. Early thatafternoon,a report was received that the patrol had established a postion and reported everything was normal.
At 2030 hours, the patrol reported that they were going to proceed to the top of the hill, to establish the observation point as briefed. Radio contact with the patrol failed to make a scheduled report at 2145 hours.
On the morning of June 1, search elements began sweepinf the area, during the search, bodies of Rogerson & Flowers were discovered in freshgraves. The search element also found an extended NAK-47, 5.56 & 7.62 millimeter brass as well as hand grenade fragments. Blood trails were discovered leading from the area. Searches conducted from June 2 thru July 12 proved unsuccessful.
There is a very good reason to believe the communist government of Vietnam knows what happened to these youg men, but as yet, no word has surfaced on them. They are among 2500 Americans who did not come home from the war in Vietnam. As evidence continues to mount that hundreds of Americans are still captive in Southeast Asia, the Fitzgerald, McGar, & Jakovac families must wonder why they were abandoned by the country they loved.
NOTE: In April 1967 elements of the 196th Infantry Brigade, the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, and the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division were selected to form a provisional division-sized unit called Task Force OREGON and then moved to the I Corps Tactical Zone where it operated in Quang Ngai & the southern part of Quang Tin Providences. Wheb OREGON was replaced by 23rd Infantry Division (AMERICAL) 25 September 1967, only the 196th remained in it's descendant division, the other units were returned.
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POW/MIA's NEED OUR HELP
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In the Vietnamese conflict, a major concern in negotiations between the U.S. and N. Vietnam was the release of hundreds of American prisoners of war and the repatriation of both N. and S. Vietnamese prisoners. By 1971 the prospects of the U.S. withdrawl form Vietnam depended largely on a solution of the prisoner-of-war problem, which had been employes as a bargaining point by N. Vietnam. On Feruary 12, 1973, after the signing of the cease-fire in January, the first contingent of 143 American military and civilian prisoners of war arrived in the Phillippines. During the following weeks, 444 prisoners were released. Two decades later, more than 2,000 U.S. soldiers remain unaccounted for and are listed as missing in action.Even though a lot of Vietnam Veterans, did return home, a part of them will always remain in country. Please check with the POw/MIA ring or use your search engine to find out how you can help. IF IT WERE YOUR FATHER, SON, BROTHER, HUSBAND, OR EVEN YOU, WOULD YOU WANT TO BE GIVEN UP ON? WOULD YOU THINK YOU HAD BEEN FORGOTTEN? THEY SAY "THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS WRITTEN ON THE WALL". I hope to see you at the wall on Memorial Day or Veterans day, as my husband & I try to attend these 2 days, every year. Check into the scheduled Balloon Launch thru POW/MIA ring.
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IN COUNTRY 1966-1967
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HI,
IF YOU WERE IN COUNTRY DURING THE ABOVE TIME PERIOD, IN THE ARMY, 25TH INFANTRY,
AND REMEMBER JOHN STROTHER, PLEASE E-MAIL ME. HE WOULD ENJOY KNOWING YOU ARE HOME AND SAFE AND SOUND.
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