My POW/MIA's

Colonel Patrick M. Fallon
Missing: 7/4/69
Vice Commander,
56th Special Operations Wing
Nakhon Phanom, RAFB, Thailand
Pittsburgh, PA

Colonel Fallon served in WWII and also in Korea where he flew in 125 combat missions. He was a highly decorated soldier. In 1968 he elected to go to Vietnam to assume the position of Vice Commander of the 56th Special Operations Wing. Colonel Fallon and another A1 pilot were ordered to check out enemy activity in Northern Laos.

The flight was led by Colonel Fallon, whose call sign was Firefly 26. His wingman's call sign was Firefly 27. The plane was hit by enemy fire at 200 feet, and the Colonel bailed out. He reached the groung safely between two 4500 foot ridges. Enemy troops were on both ridges. Fallon's wingman called for rescue teams immediately. The wingman was hit but continued to lay protective fire until he was forced to leave the area. Fallon maintained radio contact with the planes above, but they could not rescue him because of enemy presence. His last transmission was "Put it all around me, I'm hit."

When news reached Mrs. Fallon that the Colonel had been shot down and not rescued, she was packed and ready to meet him on leave in Hawaii. When his personal items were shipped home, she discovered that he had flown over 100 combat missions from NKP, received a Purple Heart and a Distinguished Flying Cross, all of which he never told her about. There have been many reports of Colonel Fallon being a POW in Laos. When the U.S. signed peace agreements, Laos was not included and any American POW's held by Laos were not released. Colonel Fallon is one of 600 Americans lost in the "Secret War" in Laos. He lost his freedom on the day that we celebrate ours. Mrs. Fallon has never given up her search for information about her husband's fate and neither should our country!!! Please help BRING HIM HOME!!!

SP5 Richard J. Lacey-Missing: 1/31/68
Long Lines Detachment South
Regional Communications Group
1st Signal Brigade
Pittsburgh, PA

SP5 Lacey was only 19 when he volunteered for the Army. He was selected for Officer Training, but elected to stay in the technical field. He was sent to Vietnam in the summer of 1967.

In the early morning hours SP5 Lacey and SP4 William C. Behrens left the Phu Lam Long Lines Detachment, in a jeep, to reach the Regional Communication Group in Saigon, to relay the many calls for help. They were never heard from again. On 2/23/68 SP4 Behrens' body was identified at the Than San Nhut Mortuary by members of his unit. SP5 Lacey was never found and there are no known records of where Behrens' remains were recovered or who brought them to the mortuary. Their jeep was recovered at an unkown location.

When the POW's were released in 1973, SP5 Lacey was not among them. At nineteen years old he should have been at Forbes Field watching the Pittsburgh Pirates, not a statistic on a MIA list. Richard's family has many questions about what happend to him, unfortunately they have never received any answers. To this day, our government cannot explain what happened to SP5 Richard J. Lacey. Please help BRING HIM HOME!!!!!!

Use the White House link to send President George W. Bush an email telling him that he must keep his promises that he made in a letter, dated October 5, 2000
to Rolling Thunder National.
His exact words were "If I am fortunate enough to be elected President, I will insist on reforms that say to America's veterans: The nation you fought so hard to protect will now fight to protect you. This includes our POW's and MIA's. I will make the fullest possible accounting of our missing soldiers and civilians a top priority in focus and in funding. I will place this matter on America's agenda and I will make it clear to all relevant countries, including Vietnam, North Korea, Russia, China, Laos and Cambodia that this is a test of good faith in their dealings with the United States."

Let President Bush know that we expect him to keep his word and that if he doesn't the next election will be even harder to win!!! Write, email or phone your Senators and Representatives to let your voice be heard until every last POW/MIA is HOME.