LEESER, LEONARD CHARLES
Name: Leonard Charles Leeser
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit: 354 TFS
Date of Birth: 24 January 1935
Home City of Record: Floral Park NY
Date of Loss: 28 January 1970
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 180200N 1053300E (WF582048)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: HH53B
Refno: 1552
Other Personnel in Incident: Gregory L. Anderson; William D. Pruett; William
C. Shinn; William C. Sutton (missing); Holly G. Bell (remains returned). On
F105G aircraft: Richard J. Mallon; Robert J. Panek (remains returned)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1991 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 2020.
REMARKS: MIG HIT - EXPLODE - SHRT BEEPR - J
SYNOPSIS: On January 28, 1970, Capt. Richard J. Mallon, pilot; and Capt.
Robert J. Panek, electronics warfare officer, were sent as escort to a
reconnaissance aircraft on a mission in North Vietnam. Their F105 aircraft
was a G model, which was an adaptation of the F105F used in the Wild Weasel
program.
The F105F Wild Weasel featured radar homing and warning gear. Upon
pinpointing the radar at a missile site, the Wild Weasel attacked with
Shrike missiles that homed in on radar emissions. The F105F was a
stretch-limo F105, with a longer fusilage to allow for a second crewman. As
modified for the G, the F105 launched Standard ARM rather than the shorter
range Shrike. During the period of 1965-1972, the F105 performed on many
diversified missions in Southeast Asia, including SAM attack, bombing, and
as in the case of the mission of Mallon and Panek, armed escort/diversion.
Mallon and Panek's aircraft was shot down during the mission, and they both
successfully ejected and landed safely in an enemy controlled area about 20
miles northeast of the Mu Gia Pass on the mountainous border of North
Vietnam and Laos.
A helicopter was immediately dispatched to pick up the two downed airmen.
When the aircraft was about 50 miles northwest of the location of the F105
crash,it was hit by a MIG and exploded. The helicopter was flown by pilot
Major Holly G. Bell, and carried crewmen Capt. Leonard C. Leeser, SMSgt.
William D. Pruett; SSgt. William C. Shinn; MSgt. William C. Sutton; and
passenger Sgt. Gregory L. Anderson. A short beeper signal was heard from the
helicopter, indicating that at least one person aboard may have exited the
aircraft. All six aboard were listed as Killed/Body Not Recovered. It was
thought that in the cases of Bell and Anderson that the enemy would not
likely have knowledge of their fates, but that the Vietnamese could probably
account for the other four men. (A determination that was probably made from
the relative crew positions and their proximity to the area of the MIG hit
and the likelihood of their having escaped obliteration by the explosion.)
Mallon and Panek, meanwhile, were in an area heavily infiltrated with the
enemy, and it was known that there were enemy troops in the vicinity. It was
thought very probable that the two were captured or killed by the enemy, but
never known for certain, as they did not appear in the Hanoi prison system
to be held with those American POWs who were released. The Vietnamese denied
any knowledge of any of the eight men missing that day.
Some time later, family members were told by a squadron mate that his
information was that Panek and Mallon had both ejected safely. Mallon had
landed on a road near the Mu Gia Pass and was captured almost immediately.
Panek landed in nearby trees and his parachute was seen 30 minutes later,
being pulled from the trees. Both men were seen in a clearing within the
hour, being surrounded, stripped to their shorts, and holding their hands in
the air. Neither Mallon nor Panek were ever classified Prisoner of War,
however, but were maintained in Missing in Action Status.
In December 1988, the Vietnamese returned a number of remains they stated
were those of American servicemen to U.S. control. The remains of Mallon,
Panek, and the helicopter pilot, Holly G. Bell were subsequently positively
identified by the U.S. Casualty Identification Laboratory in Hawaii (CILHI).
For the Panek, Mallon and Bell families, the long wait is over. They are no
longer haunted by a never-ceasing flow of reports concerning Americans alive
in Southeast Asia. For the other families, however, life goes on in
agonizing suspense. And for the hundreds of Americans said to be alive in
Southeast Asia, the days pass in imprisonment and abandonment.
Richard J. Mallon was buried in Willamette National Cemetery.
| Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 11:59:41
-0700 From: "Larry Mayes" To: <info@pownetwork.org> Hi, I’ve been tracking the shoot down of Jolly
Green 71 28 Jan 70, REFNO 1552, and I was recently advised by JPAC CMD
(email 27 October 2009) that the crash site of JG 71 was surveyed in
summer of 2009 and is approved for full excavation. This site was
found by accident while a search was under way for crash site of JG
23, which was also found, in 2002. I had a small role in the aftermath
of JG 71 shoot down so have interest in outcome. Leonard C. Leeser is
one of the crew which remains MIA. LARRY
MAYES, Colonel, USAF (Retired) |
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01/2020
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000BTkGEAW
On January 28, 1970, an HH-53B Super Jolly Green Giant (tail number 14434, call sign Jolly Green 71) with a crew of six took off on a search and rescue mission in Laos. While in a holding pattern over the rescue area, the helicopter was struck by enemy fire, causing it to crash. Search and rescue efforts could not be conducted due to a strong enemy presence in the area. The remains of the helicopter’s pilot were returned to U.S. custody after the war; however, the rest of the crew is still unaccounted for.
Captain Leonard Charles Leeser, who joined the U.S. Air Force from New York, was a member of the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. He was the co-pilot of the HH-53B when it went down, and was lost with the aircraft. Attempts to recover or identify his remains following the incident have been unsuccessful. Today, Captain Leeser is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.
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