|
|
 |
 |
|
Remains Returned 18 March 1977
| Name: | Elwyn Rex Capling |
| Rank/Branch: | O4/US Air Force |
| Unit: | |
| Date of Birth (DOB): | 15 July 1930 |
| Home City of Record: | Detroit, MI |
| Loss Date: | 19 September 1968 |
| Country of Loss: | North Vietnam |
| Loss Coordinates: | 170300NN 1065500E (YD120920) |
| Status (in 1973): | Prisoner of War |
| Category: | 2 |
| Acft/Vehicle/Ground: | F105F |
| Refno: | |
| Other Personnel in Incident: | (none missing) |
| Source: | Compiled by Homecoming II Project 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. |
| Remarks: | SRV RET REMS TO PCOM 770318 |
| Synopsis: | |
| The F105 Thunderchief (or "Thud") performed yoeman service on many diversified missions in Southeast Asia. F105s flew more combat missions over North Vietnam than any other USAF aircraft and consequently suffered the heaviest losses in action.
Maj. Elwyn R. Capling was the pilot of an F105F aircraft sent on a mission in North Vietnam on September 19, 1968. During the mission, Capling's aircraft was shot down over Quang Binh Province. Other pilots in the flight observed Maj. Capling's successful ejection and landing on the ground. By radio, Capling reported his leg was broken and requested help. Because of the heavy concentration of North Vietnamese forces in the immediate area, rescue attempts were impossible. Records on American military personnel were maintained in various government agencies. Raw intelligence data from Southeast Asia frequently first found its way into the files of the organization which came to be known as Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC). Many analysts believed JCRC records were the most complete and authoritative, since they contained largely raw data without benefit of much analytical "muddling." In November 1973, JCRC received a cable from Defense Intelligence Agency which was copied to various high stations, including CIA, the Secretary of State and the White House. The cable stated JCRC should "take necessary action to delete any references pertaining to PW [Prisoner of War] status and place members in a new MIA code" the files of Capling and several others. Whether JCRC had positive intelligence that indicated Capling had been captured is unknown. Since American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing, prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in Indochina have been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials, having examined this largely classified information, have reluctantly concluded that many Americans are still alive today, held captive by our long-ago enemy. Whether Capling was actually captured by the enemy is not known. However, it is clear that someone knows what happened to him between September 19, 1968 and the time his remains were returned nearly 11 years later. It is also certain that as long as even one American remains alive, held against his will, we owe him our very best efforts to bring him to freedom. |
|
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. |
|
 |
| ELWYN REX CAPLING
COL - O6 - Air Force - Reserve 37 year old Married, Caucasian, Male Date of Birth - Jul 15, 1930 From DETROIT, MICHIGAN His tour of duty began on Jan 19, 1968 Casualty was on Jan 19, 1968 (*) NORTH VIETNAM Hostile, died while missing FIXED WING - PILOT AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND Body was recovered Panel 43W - - Line 33 |
Source: The VietNam Veterans' Memorial Wall Page. |
| (*) - Casualty date should be Sept. 19 and not Jan. 19, 1968.
Robert Krogseng submitted this to the The VietNam Veterans' Memorial Wall Page on 25 October 1999 in reference to the casualty date. He was stationed with Col. Capling in the 62 nd FIS, K.I. SawyerAFB and was also flying in the area when Col. Capling was shot down: "Kathy was right about the dates. I was flying in a flight of F-4's attacking a nearby target when Rex's F 105 was shot down. When I heard on "guard" that he was bailing out , we kept our remaining ordance and went over and flew 'cap' over where he landed. I am probably the last person who talked to him. He landed in a large cabbage field, his legs were broken and he couldn't move. (broken arms and legs were common in high speed ejections from F 105's) I did not know that it was Rex until after I got back to Danang and read the classified 'shoot down' report. If his family did not get a copy of my report, I would be happy to talk to them." |
|
Next POW/MIA biography |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
| Home | Back | E-mail me | Library | My TOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Sign My POW/MIA Guestbook
Read My POW/MIA Guestbook |
||||
Click here to adopt your own POW/MIA from Operation Just Cause (OpJC or OJC). Click here to go to the OpJC Comm Center for more information. 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. |
Anyone without Internet access may adopt a POW/MIA
by sending a SASE along with their state and branch preference to:
Operation Just Cause
P.O. Box 264
Stockholm, NJ 07460
I will participate in POW/MIA Internet Blackout Day on February 1, 2000.......What about you?
Please click on the banner above to learn more about POW/MIA Internet Blackout Day.
| Home | Back | Top | Library | My TOC |
Other graphics through the courtesy of OJC and POW/MIA Freedom Fighters.
Other graphics copyright and courtesy of Ron's Free Patriotic Web Graphics.
MIA/POW Flag Email Stamp Icon graphic courtesy of The American War Library.
Animated guestbook courtesy of Mike Shaikun's Animated Gif Collection.
Web page space courtesy of 50megs.com.
Guestbook courtesy of TheGuestBook.com