KUSTIGIAN, MICHAEL JOHN

Name: Michael John Kustigian
Rank/Branch: E7/US Navy
Unit: USS Long Beach (CGN-9)
Date of Birth: 09 March 1949
Home City of Record: Worchester MA
Date of Loss: 05 May 1968
Country of Loss: North Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: (none)
Status (in 1973): Unauthorized Absentee
Category: (none)
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ship
Refno: 2054

Other Personnel In Incident: Harry E. Mitchell (missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 1990 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:

SYNOPSIS: Seaman Apprentice Michael J. Kustigian and Torpedoman's Mate Chief
Petty Officer Harry "E" Mitchell were crewmen assigned to the Guided Missile
Cruiser USS Long Beach (CGN-9) on station in the Gulf of Tonkin. On May 6,
1968, the two were observed to be absent from their assigned work details. A
complete inspection of every compartment in the ship was completed and it
was found that Kustigian and Mitchell were missing. An in-depth
investigation established that Kustigian and Mitchell were last seen aboard
ship at about 9 p.m. on the night of May 5th on the after part of the ship's
main deck.

The exact circumstances of their disappearance are not known. None of the
lookouts saw any indication of a man overboard situation during the night. A
search of the entire area was conducted by the USS Long Beach, USS Truxton
and aircraft from the USS Yorktown, but was terminated with negative
results.

The ship's course tracked 20-25 miles off the coast of North Vietnam
(although some USG reports state that the LONG BEACH was forty miles
offshore). The weather was fair, seas calm and visibility good. Inspection
of personal effects of both men disclosed one set of swim fins, face mask
and snorkel tube missing from Mitchell's personal locker. Kustigian and
Mitchell were known to be good friends. One strong possibility is that both
individuals disappeared over the side in some fashion to avoid "Man
Overboard" reports from lookouts. However, official records do not place the
two in the same incident file because it is not clear that the two
disappeared together. Due to the insufficient evidence to substantiate a
determination of death after leaving the ship, the casualty status was
changed from Missing to Unauthorized Absentee (UA). On September 13, 1979, a
Status Review Board pronounced a finding of Death on Kustigian and Mitchell,
based on no specific information that they were alive.

It seems incredible that Kustigian and Mitchell would decide to jump ship,
swim from twenty to forty miles to take their chances in North Vietnam.
Mitchell's and Kustigian's names have gone on and off the official lists of
men missing for years. They are among a handful of those listed missing whom
the U.S. cannot seem to decide whether they are missing or they deserted.
Regardless, their families agonize over them and their fates.

In 1986, Harry Mitchell's name made international news in an article stating
that he had been sighted several times in captivity, and that one report
stated he had been seen in the United States in 1979.

There over 2300 Americans prisoner, missing or otherwise unaccounted for
from the Vietnam war. Until serious negotiations are conducted to free those
alive, and return those who are dead, there can be no end to the war in
Vietnam, and certainly not Peace With Honor.

The facts are not in on Harry Mitchell and Michael Kustigian. If Kustigian
and Mitchell jumped ship, perhaps one day their families will hear from
them. It would be good to know that they are in Vietnam because they want to
be. If they met with misadventure, or were captured, their names should be
cleared of any wrongdoing and they should be brought home.


Michael J. Kustigian was promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer during
the years he was maintained missing.

-------------------------------------
[ssrep7.txt 02/09/93]

SMITH 324 COMPELLING CASES

Over water Harry E. Mitchell
Michael J. Kustigian
(2053)

On the morning of May 6, 1968, Seamen Mitchell and Kustigian did
not report for an assigned worked detail on board the U.S.S. Long
Beach. The Long Beach was at the time an estimated 40 miles off
the coast of Central Vietnam in the South China Sea and heading
into the Gulf of Tonkin. An on-board investigation failed to
disclose any cogent reason for the disappearance of the two seamen
and they were reported missing. Both had been confirmed on board
the ship the previous evening when the ship was well at to sea.
However, a later U.S. Navy review board classified the two men as
deserters and they were not listed as Southeast Asia casualties due
to the Defense Department's policy of excluding deserters from
casualty reports.

In 1979 the U.S. Navy reviewed its previous findings in the case of
Mitchell and Kustigian. Upon review, both seamen were declared
missing non-hostile and then declared dead/body not recovered,
based on a presumptive finding of death.

After their initial disappearance, a Stars and Stripes article
erroneously reported them as having been located. Another report
offered information that Harry Mitchell was seen later in the
United States but this was never confirmed and neither seaman has
ever been confirmed alive since the night of May 5th/6th, 1968 and
the precise circumstances of their disappearance and fate have
never been definitely established.

---

Use your Browser's BACK function to return to the PREVIOUS page

---