WHITE, JAMES BLAIR

Name: James Blair White
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit: 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron
Date of Birth: 14 March 1942
Home City of Record: St. Petersburg FL
Date of Loss: 24 November 1969
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 193500N 1033100E (UG318745)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D
Refno: 1529
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 September 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 2000 with information from the National
Alliance of Families.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: The F105 Thunderchief ("Thud"), in its various versions, flew more
missions against North Vietnam than any other U.S. aircraft. It also
suffered more losses, partially due to its vulnerability, which was
constantly under revision.

Capt. James B. White was the pilot of an F105D assigned a mission north of
the Plain of Jars region of Xiangkhoang Province, Laos, on November 24,
1969. This area was long controlled by the communist Pathet Lao and a
continual effort had been made by the secret CIA-directed force of some
30,000 indigenous tribesmen to strengthen anti-communist strongholds there.
The U.S. committed hundreds of millions of dollars to the war effort in
Laos. Details of the "secret war" in Laos were not released until August
1971.

White was flying as the number two aircraft from his base at Takhli,
Thailand. According to the Air Force, White simply failed to return to base,
and no other details are given. White was classified Missing in Action, and
it is uncertain if the enemy could account for him.

Because Laos was "neutral", and because the U.S. continued to state they
were not at war with Laos (although we were regularly bombing North
Vietnamese traffic along the border and conducted assaults against communist
strongholds thoughout the country at the behest of the anti-communist
government of Laos), and did not recognize the Pathet Lao as a government
entity, the U. S. did not negotiate for Americans lost in Laos.

The Pathet Lao stated that they would release the "tens of tens" of American
prisoners they held only from Laos. At war's end, however, no American held
in Laos was released.

Mounting evidence indicates that hundreds of Americans are still alive in
captivity in Southeast Asia. One of them could be James B. White. He proudly
served his country. He deserves better than abandonment.

James Blair White graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in
1964. He was promoted to the rank of Major during the period he was missing.

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From - Sun Jan 23 08:18:39 2000
From: Lynn OShea

This really doesn't pertain to his POW/MIA status but does show the tragedy
suffered by one military family.

James White's brother was Astronaut Edward H. White. Edward White (an AF
Col.) was killed on January 27, 1967, along with Astronauts Gus Grissiom
and Roger Chaffee, when a fire swept through their Apollo spacecraft during
training session.

The father was a retired AF General, at the time. He lost both his
children.

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