U.S. PLANS TO LIST CASUALTIES IN LAOS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000300370004-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 21, 2004
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: March 10, 1970
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2004J.18aft3 c; RD ,88-01315RO100900160A4-$1 3 , , yL
7L I 1k k L)
a. 'Tile 1'1r:~idvnt has r,rdaafr' ,,overrrlcrt made no ihet any ensual(ics that result ?o fur as 1 know, to 14r-.(;
; : :r l Jts erd c
from hostile Clionly !hello,: of that hO hs
V.S. IxCrsonntl ataiioncd in Lan;; Zic;;lc sal t::e :.1 ar.
will be repo; led. This refers :.o this 7eiir_y which advisers, personnel involved in is statin;; today clear:;/ v: ows
c.;.sec.
i,UL t113 ICit:l iUtlaticn still William J. Gibbs, AirAmeri-
IJ.i: un ; ill naos due to "hostile helicopter over the Plain of
Ile any brourcl action."
C`l1''?"e "' n r Jai's
1 Atmny of.icUL decd and 2:,1SI e: - '
O:l Ilol/ i 1 ~ Eno Unit- America pilot, killed Feb. 18,
cti ; Is sr lldtag in Laos can civilirrs were killed or when a sniper bullet struck his
flat C] el', , tt as :r. cia clear tale administration Il
a sclf over helm: Chandler Edwards, of
+ lc A[01 se Seers- the weekend wheil tll3 IVs, killed in an enemy ambush
tL+1 `' r ' I L, Zic-lCr once. Ilouso aClii 1cu LP.at ono IJ,, on April 2'i, 19G9, at Lan SOUL{-
s "-"4, ;le could ?wo no do'- honma; J.. C. Merkel Air
I:CCp,
1 took office - there ll'Cro six in Laos snd ilisintention to
sr , y c wi;;~; Civilians stationed in Laos in a the people informed of U.S. ac-I,
r eta 5111)!)0 lillg role who were killed I tivitics in Laos."
tile c 2'.laricS of s,., ..L is a result Of hostile action, lie It was d'isclose'' ovi:r tfC
fh it ~1l a \) 11C1.~( of 1 C^ ' 1 ? 1 ,C.1 :
as l'i s 3 tL .ll Jl.y all t,l;iC 1Ccln said the names of the six would weekend by C udrllrLSt:atiG:l
!LS al C1'^ft 1 S it L.,( be released by the State Depart. that aircraft Ioasc i^_ L s, !!~
lilt` 11 a 1011 (' C 'IG 2 announced 1'St lti'T11t - pCl'.i.ill eluding 1 c Icon'Crs, :lave be#?ill
ill \t+: U r , Y c y l] le nt.
I ) C_ t C~ C) 11f. ,).is ..1i1'0,Id~:d y u.S, opci?atiGI1S der of 400. It iS. 8:F,0
Two hours 1.,Aer, the State Dc- on the or
, , ' i~ l L71r t < .---- partment disclosed the names of kno n that the rain ye: of Ain; r-
Fro",
' the six men, Liu ee of whom were =car. persorrel "a sing or dead
'.3 1 ]iI 1~'`, l 1) -111 01 C tS- 27 Lis(ect mac; i.oGt
1W)';C, and .t no 1o in Laos i identified as Air America pilots in Laos since 1CG2 is about 6G0,
it , ZiC?Ier uladc known the i;cv, and three asmembers of Inter- IIalti:ough t hese casualties have,
In ti .lc ,~ y ihcli.' I~1 in 1 been included In the Southeast
rill100 1 ;1C istd Ell 111w, Vi^t- pokey after all unusual dolly o, ^arlOll,ll Voluntary Services, Asia casual. reports. 7heso
nni 1 war, nearly 21, lours in talc re''uigr, They were Arthur Stillman ty
t?:ie "11c:11 zc. el,r.i and Dennis Mummert ~~were air casualties.
to Clio ll.ril. Vi'lh!te 1IOLise nell't;;1 killed on 93DOf 1V S,
Pres:c4.'a's ilc:v, pe?icy on Lacs Aug. 5, IN, in an
as e?ts " i.r,l, ? i1. i- _ihe lid was partially Ii tCCl by enemy anibusil near Ban Nong
I y15C: uro. IS
r
] l- l~ 101111 , ec~.orl
u center was struck by hostile
t d -
1=l day of Se e and A lmeric, n ccinbat ,cGon. ground fire and crashed; and
bah' C U.S. 1lltviV 21C'lt ill u
The 11hit., House still "Isis', Ralph Laos , :,a is j ? `~ ill 1a1 1.1J11`TiiL Ralph S. Davis, Air America pi-
,A1;i:C1?ie 'n has ever CCCil
t ., chat ril n of ti :0.I l l q lot, killed oil Aug. 19, 3909, hO
,... 1 killed in Laos c.urin~, -.-curd :c- the small fixed-wing plane he
o: CoLc. l ~~ acct s d ;.,.,
FF t,, and t',:-'t no rroi;nd co:llb Itw'as flying was strucl: by hostile
7pil4 34i?1 +Isaratlo1 o. "tall ivI'.lri fo1rces care stationed in Laos. ground r
t4} Yf C 1..c.,_,.v ailed Cod J.i1`% i'1~~11wa said i in a r uthfire lie part and of crashed the in Plain the of,
lot s ? v ) L statement c-i southw
?,i iia,L L.:~:1 15 EL t.::.C:l'312C::: is-,',- oil May 13, 1969, when his hell-
mJ.i, .1 J':.~
t
Jr tC-.-?a w. >.?t?1, 'r. ,. I)
S+ n. Sc 't SyniiJ ,ion, VO^ never been killed in ground corr.-f al arm of the Central Intelli-
operatOns. Bence Agency. IVs is a Pe
bat ace \/ -
l?G.iJ ?,t.uc :at.t_iil_c;u lil i?aS 11 11' Air America is a contract
'of ,~'- '1 1'i:. Sul.: i/,,.Y/OCr.at5 ,10:,C01;1bat ro.0. 1'T,^, said 110'
arc company which often has been,
av: a aJI1tical issel A I1UC:1ea'. S St ti012e tl'acre had deseiibad as a covert operatioa-
C,:,,, :,;L cver Laos
1CuSi3us p' C Ofi fOri Ziegler said., last night, the Corps-type organization. general-
' ,
I
1t ono Laos wl 1 n do nct~ purpose of the administration isl l ly thought to have no connection
Laos :1'Ortl *1fda V.Ttlarn LVltiill~ u11e.wC utte uVC immeulatcly'dccrmcd as a military attache
for 1-;L to r ,-,Y they 1 ^d gotten to inform the American public at the embassy in Laos, was
' 1 c cap: about all aircraft losses and mil- killed in February, 1969 ill an
ia~ . Je.~, L;lt's d.:cisioa to re- !:Lary air personnel casualties in exchange of fire with North Viet-
Laos once the search and rescue namesc commandos. His death
le ."c lc info 'i ,.ion ap-Ilmissiolls are colrr>Ieto. In thelhad boon publicly confirmed by
1."1 `o
i
.
h
S -.ite picture Of the
~,1r Crans i ,, J Calif ,
sale e i- of Aai ricans l zd
to){- t..~v SVC. Chit Into
.
1
..1 < ,c at. to a` pas, t
ese losses have I)ccn part
cr:- the White blouse on Sunday.
.eeiad0 of press
of the S
II
th
_
ie;; ~.r.d Sens` atcaeks on 'the
U.S, invoiV rac-t in Laos.
Is '1, pass, hformatijon abou
t' L'.~: rol i t Laos has Ize:;n
h rdi .q 1 . d the tightest possi-
scrairay, and casual-
t:c.: ,,ave bcc;l lumped
with lcsc i n Southeast Asia as a
role in Laos aid told reporterstions, t,,Q, u"TUbeuce opero
the President is ordering the fol-I Ziegler said that in addition tl
lowing procedures: i these six men, one military offi-
ou
east Asia report.
0 "Casualties resulting from
protective r e a c t i o n missions
along the South Vietnam and
Laotian border and involving
U.S. personnel conducting opera-,
Lions in South Vietnam will con-I
tinuc to be reported as a part oflJ
the South Vietnam casualties.
and parents of Bush said the
government never tried to keep
secret the location of the
25-year-old captain's death, the
Associated Press reported.
Carol Bush, 24, said she bad
knowp "all along where Joe
was. ,And when he was killed the
Approved For Release 2004/1Q/13: CIA-RQP8~-01_ h},5ROO0300'070004-8