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DoD Remains Returned List Dec. 1996 - Family Rejects ID.
| Name: | Robert Curtis Borton, Jr. |
| Rank/Branch: | E2/US Marines |
| Unit: | 1st Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division |
| Date of Birth (DOB): | 24 June 1946 |
| Home City of Record: | Benton Harbor, MI |
| Loss Date: | 28 August 1966 |
| Country of Loss: | South Vietnam |
| Loss Coordinates: | 155800N 1081500E (BT061673) |
| Status (in 1973): | Missing in Action |
| Category: | 2 |
| Acft/Vehicle/Ground: | ground |
| Refno: | 0439 |
| Other Personnel in Incident: | John E. Bodenschatz Jr.; Robert L. Babula; Dennis R. Carter (all missing) |
| Source: | Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1991 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998. |
| Remarks: | FAMILY REJECTS ID OF 29 MAR 95 |
| Synopsis: | |
| PFC Robert L. Babula, PFC Robert C. Borton Jr., PFC John E. Bodenschatz Jr., and PFC Dennis R. Carter were members of 1st Platoon, Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. On 28 August 1966, the four were assigned as a fire team ambush with instructions to establish an ambush site approximately 500 meters to the south of their platoon patrol base. This specific location is in Hoa Hai village within grid square BT 0667.
The fire team departed at 3:00 a.m. on August 28, and were given instructions for use of the pyrotechnics they were carrying as signaling devices. They were further instructed to relocate in the same general area or return to their platoon patrol base in the event their ambush site was compromised, and finally to return no later than 9:00 a.m. that morning. When the fire team failed to return as scheduled, an immediate search of the area was conducted by Company K with negative results. During the period of August 29-31, the Battalion made a dovetailed search of the entire area covering all possible routes of egress in the event the team members had been captured. Indigenous personnel in the area were questioned, but no evidence was uncovered which gave any clues. Villagers were questioned and a search of the area continued. On September 4, Company K discovered part of an American wrist watch and PFC Bodenschatz' two identification tags in the vicinity of BT 061673. The search was intensified in that area, including the use of heavy engineer equipment in an effort to locate graves, but no further trace was found. On September 13, the Battalion cordoned off grid squares BT 0567, 0667, 0566, 0666 and all inhabitants were assembled, screened, and interrogated by an ARVN interrogation team from Hoa Vang District Headquarters. Three Viet Cong suspects were retained for further questioning, however, no additional information was obtained concerning the four Marines. The Battalion commander's final determination was that the four Marines were probably captured. In 1975, information was declassified that indicated that since the fire team's disappearance, Marine headquarters had received two reports sighting three to four Americans being displayed in villages south of the area in which the fire team disappeared. A Christmas card received by Company K/3/1 1st Marine Division, sent by Babula's mother and sister, stated that they had recently received news that Babula was a prisoner of war. None of the four, however, returned in the general prisoner release in 1973. Since the war ended, the Defense Department has received over 10,000 reports relating to the men still unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, yet concludes that no actionable evidence has been received that would indicate Americans are still alive in Southeast Asia. A recent Senate investigation indicates that most of these reports were dismissed without just cause, and that there is every indication that Americans remained in captivity far after the war ended, and may be alive today. The fate of the four Marines on the fire team on 28 August 1966 remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that it's time we learned the truth about our missing and brought them home. From - Wed Sep 16 19:32:36 1998 Please feel free to email me with any questions about Robert C. Borton USMC still MIA until proven otherwise. Diane Borton/Hoeft martha.d.hoeft@boeing.com Subject: RE: Re: Robert Curtis Borton Jr, We absolutely did not accept his remains. They went to my sisters and brother and even my nieces and nephews trying to get them to accept the so called remains which by the way was only a handful of teeth. But no one in our family would accept this as proof. We were all definately united on this. As far as I know the teeth are still sitting in a warehouse at Edwards Air Force base. They told us that all that was in the gravesite were these teeth. When I asked them where the rest of the remains were they tried to tell us that grave robbers stole the rest. I said now wait a minute let me get this straight... These grave robbers took the rest of the remains after taking time to pull the teeth from the jawbone and place them back in the grave. Some how I don't quite buy this story. Call me cynical or dim if you will but this story doesn't hold water much less proof of Curt's demise. They are in such a rush to close all cases of anyone who would dare to contradict them. Curt is still MIA and will be until there is more conclusive evidence to the contrary. I am sorry if the tone of this is angry or negative but their audacity of trying to get people to accept a handful of teeth as evidence makes me so angry that they think that the American people are that stupid or niave. |
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All Biographical and loss information on POWs provided by OpJC have been supplied by Chuck and Mary Schantag of POWNET. Please check with POWNET regularly for updates. |
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| ROBERT CURTIS BORTON JR
GSGT - E7 - Marine Corps - Regular 31 year old Single, Caucasian, Male Date of Birth - Jun 24, 1946 From - WINFIELD LINCOLN, MICHIGAN His tour of duty began on Aug 28, 1966 Casualty was on Aug 24, 1977 in QUANG NAM, SOUTH VIETNAM Hostile, died while missing GROUND CASUALTY Body was recovered Panel 10E - - Line 53 |
Source: The VietNam Veterans' Memorial Wall Page. |
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