MOSBURG, HENRY LEE

Name: Henry Lee Mosburg
Rank/Branch: O3/US Army
Unit: 114th Assault Helicopter Company
Date of Birth: 03 December 1935 (Custer City OK)
Home City of Record: Putnam OK
Date of Loss: 26 September 1966
Country of Loss: South Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 094014N 1063454E (XR735693)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1B
Refno: 0474

Other Personnel in Incident: Marvin F. Phillips (missing) 2 unnamed crewmen:
1 rescued, one body recovered.

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 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 2020.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: Capt. Henry L. Mosburg was a pilot assigned to the 114th Assault
Helicopter Company. On September 26, 1966, he was assigned a combat assault
mission in the Delta region of South Vietnam over Vinh Binh Province. He
departed with a crew of four, including himself.

On the second pass on a target near the mouth of the Son Co Chien River,
Mosburg's aircraft was fired on by small arms. As the aircraft prepared for
a third pass, it was noticed that one of the helicopter's rockets was on
fire on the left side of the aircraft.

Observers watched the tail section of the aircraft fall away, causing the
helicopter to fall toward the water in a steep spin. The helicopter landed
on its right side in approximately nine feet of water. One person (unnamed)
was rescued, and one body was recovered. Mosburg was not found, nor was his
gunner, SP4 Marvin F. Phillips.

An exhaustive ocean search was made surrounding the crash area, but no trace
of Phillips or Mosburg was ever found. Because of the over-water area, it
was considered that the two were killed, and that it would be impossible to
recover their remains.

For Mosburg and Phillips, death seems a certainty. For hundreds of others,
however, simple answers are not possible. Adding to the torment of nearly
10,000 reports relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia is the
certain knowledge that some Americans who were known to be prisoners of war
were not released at the end of the war. Others were suspected to be
prisoners, and still others were in radio contact with would-be rescuers
when last seen alive. Many were known to have survived their loss incidents,
only to disappear without a trace.

The problem of Americans still missing torments not only the families of
those who are missing, but the men who fought by their sides, and those in
the general public who realize the full implication of leaving men
unaccounted for at the end of a war.

Tragically, many authorities believe there are hundreds of Americans still
alive in captivity in Southeast Asia today.  What must they be thinking of
us? What will our next generation say if called to fight if we are unable to
bring these men home from Southeast Asia?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

02/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000001UD2EAM

CPT HENRY LEE MOSBURG

Return to Service Member Profiles

On September 26, 1966, a UH-1B Iroquois (tail number 63-13935, call sign "Lancer Lead") with a crew of four flew a combat mission over the coast of South Vietnam. As the helicopter made a second pass over an enemy target, it was hit by small arms fire and caught fire. The pilot flew away from the coast to try to get over deeper water, but the tail section broke off and the helicopter plunged toward shallow water in a steep spin, landing on its side. One crew member escaped the wreck and was recovered by a search and rescue team. The body of a second crew member was found in the wreckage. The other two crew members could not be found.

Captain Henry Lee Mosburg, who joined the U.S. Army from Oklahoma, served with the 114th Assault Helicopter Company. He was the pilot of the UH-1B when it was forced down on September 26, 1966, and his remains were not recovered. Today, Captain Mosburg 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.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.

Service member profile discrepancy? Please help us ensure the accuracy of each profile by submitting documentation about a service member profile.