COMER, HOWARD BRISBANE JR.

Name: Howard Brisbane Comer, Jr.
Rank/Branch: W2/US Army
Unit: 187th Aviation Company, 269th Aviation Battalion, 12th Aviation Group,
1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 04 August 1945
Home City of Record: Jacksonville FL
Date of Loss: 24 November 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 111445N 1060714E (XT223433)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H
Refno: 1531
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled 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 in 1998.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: On November 24, 1969, WO Howard B. Comer was the pilot of a UH1H
helicopter (serial #68-15564) on a general support mission when the
helicopter crashed in the Van Co Dung River in South Vietnam. The helicopter
and its passengers were recovered, but in spite of an extensive search, no
trace was found of the pilot.

Further search efforts were thwarted by the chief of the ARVN delegation to
the 2-party military commission. The Tay Ninh Province chief was concerned
about pressure on his province by hostile forces should he agree to assist
in further searches for missing Americans.

Several source reports were received regarding Comer's loss. One source
reported that his father had possession of the remains of one U.S. GI and
the father had the source memorize the information on the ID tag on Comer.
The source provided information on the discovery of alleged remains and
Comer's ID tag, which were alleged to be found near Cam Giang.

Source provided information on the alleged discovery of the remains of
Comer. A photocopy of the ID tag was provided. All information matched
information given earlier by the source.

In March 1985, a source relayed hearsay information regarding the recovery7
of U.S. remains from a helicopter crash in Vam Co Dung river near Tay Ninh
city. This report was thought to possibly correlate to Comer. The same
hearsay information was provided again in February 1986.

Comer apparently did not survive the crash of his aircraft on November 24,
1969. Because his remains have never been located, he is listed with honor
among the missing.

For others missing, clear-cut answers are not as possible as in the case of
Howard B. Comer, Jr. Many were alive and well the last time they were seen.
Some were in radio contact with would-be rescuers before their voices
vanished from the airways. Others were photographed in captivity or known
captives who simply disappeared from the prison systems and were not
released.

There are nearly 2400 Americans still missing, prisoner or unaccounted for
from the Vietnam War. Unlike "MIA's" from other wars, most of these men can
be accounted for. Since 1975, nearly 10,000 reports relating to these men
have been received by the U.S. Government. A shocking 80% of them are
accurate, and some of them have been correlated to individuals who have
returned. Over 100 of these reports (which may include more than one
individual) are as yet unresolved, being put through a process one U.S.
Government official terms "the closest scrutiny possible".

Most authorities believe there are Americans still alive in captivity in
Southeast Asia. Their opinions differ only in the numbers held.
Unfortunately, none of them have formulated the solution for bringing them
home.

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