HARRISON, LARRY GENE
Remains Recovered - see below
Name: Larry Gene Harrison
Rank/Branch: E6/US Army
Unit: Troop B, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division
Date of Birth: 03 January 1948
Home City of Record: Williamston NC
Date of Loss: 26 February 1971
Country of Loss: Cambodia
Loss Coordinates: 115938N 1055053E (WU923259)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: OH6A
Refno: 1709
Source: Compiled 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 in 2020.
Other Personnel in Incident: Jon E. Swanson (missing)
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: Jon Swanson was the pilot of an OH6A with Larry Harrison as
observer on a visual reconnaissance mission, while providing close air
support to an ambushed ARVN convoy in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia.
When the aircraft was flying at a low altitude marking enemy positions, it
came under fire from two machine guns and was seen to burst into flames and
crash. Another helicopter landed near the site, but was forced to take off
when it came under heavy enemy fire. Repeated attempts by both ARVN ground
troops and U.S. helicopters to reach the downed helicopter were thwarted by
enemy fire.
On February 27, U.S. helicopters returned to the area and saw what they
believed to be two remains near the crash site. As late as March 7, the
remains were observed near the crash site, but could not be recovered due to
enemy fire.
It was a common practice for communist troops to leave "bait" to lure other
aircraft hoping to rescue downed aircrews into a hostile area. Because of
the enemy presence in the area of the downed aircraft, it is possible that
the bodies of Swanson and Harrison were used in this manner. Regardless, the
U.S. Government believes that the enemy knows the fate of the two.
Fifteen years after the war ended, the Cambodian government let it be known
that they had the remains of nearly 100 Americans. Unfortunately, the U.S.
has no diplomatic relations with Cambodia and would not officially respond.
Although several U.S. Congressmen have attempted to recover the remains of
these Americans, the government of Cambodia clearly wishes an official
request from the U.S. Government, which it is unwilling to give.
It is not thought that Americans captured by the Cambodian communists were
allowed to survive, but were instead executed. As Vietnamese troops also
coursed through Cambodia, as in Laos, however, a significant number of these
downed pilots and crew might have been captured by the Vietnamese, thus
escaping the post-war holocost caused by the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia.
The governments of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam have been less than
forthcoming in response to reports that they still hold American prisoners.
The U.S. has been unwilling or unable to obtain the freedom of any living
prisoners since the war ended.
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National League of Families
02/20/2002
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: According to the Department of Defense, there are
now 1,942 Americans still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
The remains of air Force COL William C. Coltman of PA, missing in Laos
since September 29, 1972, were jointly recovered and repatriated on August
28, 2000. The remains of LtCol Lawrence G. Evert, USAF, from WY, missing
since November 8, 1967, were jointly recovered during successive field
operations beginning February 9, 2000. The remains of Navy LT Gene R.
Gollahon of OH, missing in Vietnam since August 13, 1965, were jointly
recovered April 26, 2000. The remains of Army Jon E. Swanson of CO and
S/SGT Larry G. Harrison of NC, both Killed-in-Action/Body-Not Recovered
February 26, 1971, were jointly recovered in Cambodia on July 1, 1992. In
addition, one Air Force officer, previously missing in North Vietnam, was
accounted for through identification of remains recovered during several
field operations beginning in January, 1997. No public announcement has yet
been made, though it is hoped that will soon occur. Of the total
unaccounted for, 1,464 are in Vietnam, 410 in Laos, 60 in Cambodia and 8 in
the territorial waters of the PRC. Over 90% of all Vietnam War missing were
lost in Vietnam or areas under its wartime control
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01/2020
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000qaMobEAE
On April 26, 2001, Joint Task Force–Full Accounting (JTF-FA)
identified the remains of Staff Sergeant Larry G. Harrison,
missing from the Vietnam War.
Staff Sergeant Harrison entered the U.S. Army from North
Carolina and was a member of Troop B, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry
Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On February 26, 1971, he was the
observer aboard an OH-6A Cayuse (tail number 69-16067, call sign
"Sabre White") on a combat mission supporting South Vietnamese
ground troops in Kampong Province, Cambodia. During the mission,
the helicopter was hit by enemy machine-gun fire and crashed,
killing SSG Harrison. Repeated rescue attempts were unsuccessful
due to a heavy enemy presence in the area, and SSG Harrison's
remains were not recovered at the time. In 1992, a joint
U.S./Cambodian investigation team excavated the crash site and
recovered human remains and personal artifacts, and were able to
later identify SSG Harrison from these remains.
Staff Sergeant Harrison is memorialized in the Courts of the
Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
If you are a family member of this serviceman, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.