SITTNER, RONALD NICHALIS
Remains returned 12/30/97
Name: Ronald Nichalis Sittner
Rank/Branch: O3/United States Air Force
Unit: 555th TFS
Date of Birth: 20 November 1937
Home City of Record: South Euclid OH
Date of Loss: 23 August 67
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 215000 North 1052000 East
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4D
Incident No: 0804
Other Personnel in Incident: Charles Tyler, returnee
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK April 1997 from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
REMARKS: Ronald Sittner was the "GIB" of an F4D piloted by Charles Tyler
that crashed 5 miles North east of Tuyen Quang.
The following was in the final report of the Senate Select Committee's
POW/MIA investigation in 1993:
North Vietnam Ronald N. Sittner
(0804)
Charles Lane, Jr.
(0805)
On August 23, 1967, First Lieutenant Lane and his aircraft commander,
Captain Larry E. Corrigan (Case 0805), were the crewmen of an F-4 aircraft
on a strike mission against the Yen Vien railroad yard. Their aircraft was
hit by an air-to-air missile fired by a MIG-21 making it one of two aircraft
in their flight downed by MIG-21 missiles. Their aircraft was believed to
have crashed in Thai Nguyen Province, North Vietnam. Captain Corrigan was
captured alive and was repatriated during Operation Homecoming. Other
members of their flight reported seeing three parachutes from the crewmen of
the two downed aircraft. Three clear beepers were heard as well as one weak
beeper which was believed to be associated with Lieutenant Lane. Captain
Corrigan was the only individual shot down who was able to establish voice
contact with those overhead.
Upon his release, Captain Corrigan reported seeing another individual moving
around in his parachute, and he believed that individual to be Lieutenant
Lane. Ha Noi press reported the aircraft downing but did not specify the
number of crewmen captured. In August 1968, U.S. intelligence believed
Lieutenant Lane had been captured alive and that he was in enemy custody,
although his casualty status remained as missing in action.
The other aircraft's crew included Major Charles R. Tyler and Captain Ronald
N. Sittner (0804). Major Tyler landed and was taken prisoner. He, too, was
released alive during Operation Homecoming.
In October 1973, Lieutenant Lane's case was reviewed by the Department of
Defense at the request of his next of kin, and his casualty status was
changed to dead/body not recovered. Captain Sittner's case was reviewed at
a later date, and he was also determined to be dead/body not recovered.
Returning U.S. POWs were unable to confirm either individual alive in
captivity in the northern Vietnamese prison system.
In November 1991, the Joint Task Force interviewed witnesses to the downing
of the two F-4 aircraft and the reported sighting of either 3 or 4
parachutes. The location of their downing was determined to be in Tuyen
Quang Province, not in Thai Nguyen Province. Witnesses reported the capture
of two airmen and stated that they were unable to locate the other two
crewmen until 1970 when the partial remains of one of the two was located.
Local witnesses also stated that a nearby People's Republic of China
military unit arrived at one of the crash sites and recovered the wreckage
of one of the downed aircraft. They provided no other details about the
incident. The Joint Task Force concluded that the reported partial remains
may have correlated to the remains of Lieutenant Lane, who was not confirmed
to have ejected from his aircraft but could have done so. In April 1992, a
U.S. team interviewed additional witnesses and recovered personal artifacts
from both grave sites that did not correlate to the two airmen.
----------------------------------------------
Other information shows
" 138. Sittner, Ronald N. T036 reported him 1st hand at Cu Loc & Zoo
prison 8/23/67." T036 is returnee William Tschudy.
And the Egress report reads:
"Sittner, Ronald N. USAF Two good chutes seen. One of two
crewmembers (unidentified) was
known to have been alive on the
ground according to Carrigan
debrief C078."
C078 is returnee Larry Carrigan.
[bits0103.98 01/03/98]
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FAMILIES
FOR THE RETURN OF AMERICA'S MISSING SERVICEMEN
WORLD WAR II - KOREA - COLD WAR - VIETNAM
DOLORES ALFOND - VOICE/FAX 425-881-1499
LYNN O'SHEA ------- VOICE/FAX 718-846-4350
E-MAIL---------------- PGGK94A@PRODIGY.COM
WEB SITE ------------- http://www.nationalalliance.org
BITS 'N' PIECES JANUARY 3, 1998
Even we had trouble believing this one! -- Recently, a Vietnam POW/MIA
family member submitted blood for mt-DNA testing, should remains
associated with her brother be recovered. On December 2nd, 1997, she
received a letter from the Dept. of Defense Armed Forces Institute of
Pathology. The letter was signed by the Supervisory DNA Technologist
DoD DNA Registry. The letter acknowledged receipt of the blood sample
"to be used as a reference specimen when compared to a case presumed to
be associated with yo ur brother Jesse J. Traughber."
Don't go running for your list of Vietnam era POW/MIAs. Don't even
bother looking for the list of Vietnam era KIA's. You won't find his
name. Cpl. Jesse J. Traughber went missing during the Korean War
#############
We have told you mt-DNA testing is inaccurate and can not be trusted.
Now we know they can't even get the paperwork correct. Was this a
clerical error or was the blood sample really mis-associated? How many
more errors have been made. You'd be surprised!
#############
On December 30th, 1997, the Penagon announced that three servicemen
missing from the Vietnam War had been accounted for. They are Air Force
Maj. Glenn A. Belcher of Fessendon, N.D.; Air Force Maj. Ronald N.
Sittner of South Euclid, Ohio; and Marine 1st Lt. Brent E. Davis of
Santa Clara, Calif.
Glen Belcher was shot down over Laos on Dec. 31, 1967. U.S.-Laotian
teams recovered bone fragments and other items from the crash site in
1994 and 1995, and the remains were later identified as those of
Belcher.
Ronald Sittner was shot down on Aug. 23, 1967. JTF-FA recovered remains
that had been buried by villagers. They were "identified" as Ronald
Sittner.
Brent Davis was lost over North Vietnam on March 18, 1966. Tests showed
bone fragments recovered from the crash area belonged to Davis.
###############
To the families involved we hold you in our hearts and prayers during
this difficult time. It is our hope that you truly have the answers you
have waited so long for.
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