FOWLER, DONALD RANDALL
Name: Donald Randall Fowler
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit: 240th Assault Helicopter Co.
214th Aviation Btn., 12th Aviation Group
Date of Birth: 03 August 1949
Home City of Record: Athens GA
Date of Loss: 01 August 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 114856N 1071107E
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1C
Other Personnel In Incident: Steven M. Hastings; Peter J. Russell, (both
missing) William Fernan, may be remains returned
Source: Updated by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews, Senate Select Committee Report.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: SP4 Donald Fowler, gunner; Sgt. Steven Hastings, crewchief; WO
Fernam, aircraft commander and 1Lt. Peter J. Russell, pilot, comprised the
crew of one UH1C helicopter in a flight of two on a combat mission.
Due to inclement weather and poor visibility, the mission was aborted.
During the return flight, the two aircraft became separated while attempting
to return to the Song Be airstrip. One aircraft crashed into the trees and
crewmembers were extracted the following morning. Radio contact was lost
with 1Lt. Russell's aircraft after the last contact at 2025 hours on August
1. At that time, the aircraft commander indicated that he was diverting to
Binh Hoa airbase rather than returning to Song Be.
When the aircraft failed to arrive at either Binh Hoa or Song Be, search
efforts were begun at daylight, and continued for 3 days. On August 6,
wreckage of the helicopter was discovered. On August 21, a recovery effort
was conducted in the area of the aircraft and it was determined that the
helicopter had crashed but not burned. During the recovery effort, portions
of remains were found that were associated with WO Fernam, along with some
personal effects that belonged to him. Only flight helmets were found for
the other 3 individuals. No trace was found of the other 3 in subsequent
searches.
In 1985, a private citizen obtained a previously classified document through
the Freedom of Information Act which described in great detail a prisoner of
war camp in South Vietnam. Together with the drawings and maps of the
compound were lists of guards and their backgrounds, and a list of Americans
the source had positively identified from photographs. On the list of
positive id's was the name of Steven Hastings. Returned POWs have verified
the accuracy of the drawings and much of the information. (Some on the
positive list were POWs who returned in 1973)
Although the Defense Department has stated that the source was a liar, there
appears to be some question as to whether Hastings, at least, perished in
the crash of his helicopter or survived to be captured. And if there is
question on Hastings, what of the other 2?
Nearly 2500 Americans are missing in Southeast Asia. Over 6000 reports have
been received indicating that there are hundreds of Americans still alive as
captives there. It's long past time we got to the bottom of the issue and
brought our men home - alive.
-------------------------------------------------
Senate Select Committee Report
South Vietnam Donald R. Fowler
Steven M. Hastings
Peter J. Russell
William Fernan
(1244)
On August 1, 1968, Warrant Officer Fernan, First Lieutenant Russell,
Specialist Fourth Class Fowler and Specialist Fifth Class Hastings
disappeared while on board a UH-1C helicopter during a flight through bad
weather in Song Be Province. A search for them was unsuccessful.
On August 6, 1971 local woodcutters discovered the helicopter wreckage.
Partial remains belonging to Warrant Officer Fernan were recovered, but none
were recovered of the other three crewmen. The possibility that the other
three crewmen might have survived arose due to the condition of the
wreckage.
The four crewmen were initially declared missing and, after the end of
hostilities, were declared dead/body not recovered. They were not reported
alive in the Vietnamese prison system.
In June 1989, U.S. field investigators in Vietnam located six individuals
who witnessed an American being captured after he was injured in an aircraft
crash in 1968. The American was taken first to Bu Dang District
Headquarters and then to the Phuoc Long Province POW camp. As a result of
malaria, the prisoner was taken to Hospital 370 where he died one week later
and was buried nearby. This report is viewed as possibly correlating to the
fate of one of the aircraft's survivors. Additionally, a doctor recently
interviewed in Vietnam identified the photograph of Lieutenant Russell as
the patient brought to his hospital from a nearby POW camp. He stated that
the American died at the hospital and was buried nearby. No reports
correlated to other survivors.
1997 -- William Fernan is NOT listed among those whose remains have been
returned, nor is he listed on the Defense Intelligence Agency's list of
POW/MIAs. His casualty file states body recovered.
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