NOPP, ROBERT GRAHAM
2018, Remains Identified
Name: Robert Graham Nopp |
|
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: Marshall F. Kipina (missing)
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: On July 14, 1966, PFC Marshall Kipina, observer/airborne sensor
operator; and Capt. Robert G. Nopp, pilot flew out of hu Bai Airbase at Hue
in an OV1C aircraft (serial #612675) on a classified surveillance mission
over Laos. The company flew under code names "Steel Tiger" and "Tiger
Hound". Their call sign was "Iron Spud" that night.
The Grumman OV1C maintained surveillance using infrared detection equipment
and a forward-aimed camera, making it a valuable night surveillance plane
able to detect enemy movement and designate and confirm targets. It was on
such a mission that Kipina's plane vanished with no trace.
Although the official data listing loss coordinates is located in Laos,
about 25 miles southwest of the city of Attopeu, there is considerable doubt
as to the exact location of the crash. The target area was in a region of
Laos code named "Golf", east of Attopue, Laos. Source data seems to indicate
that the crash may have occurred east of that point, in the mountains.
During the searches for the missing aircraft, a parachute was sighted,
hanging from a tree, containing a decapitated body. No attempts were made to
recover the body, because of the fear of booby traps, and the hostile
environment. JCRC later determined the body to be, in fact, a dummy, and not
one of the missing crew members.
In April 1969, CIA compiled a very detailed description of the Viet Cong
Huong Thuy District committee headquarters together with details of a prison
camp about 20 miles away. The document included maps of the facility as well
as information on many of the communist staff, including names, backgrounds
and jobs performed. Also in the document were lists of 22 American POWs who
were positively identified from pre-capture photographs and a list of 32
Americans tentatively identified. The source stated that following the Tet
offensive, prisoners were transferred either to North Vietnam or to an
agricultural camp at an unknown location near the border of Laos. On the
list of positive identification was the name of Marshall Kipina.
This report is among many received by the U.S. concerning American POWs.
Since the end of the war, the U.S. has received nearly 6000 of them. Defense
Intelligence Agency debunked this information, saying the source couldn't
know the information. The families of those listed were never told of the
report until it surfaced in the private sector, having been declassified, in
1985.
It is not known whether Nopp and Kipina may be among the hundreds who are
still alive as prisoners in Southeast Asia, or if they are dead. Their
families deserve to know every detail of their loss, and every detail that
surfaces that relates to them, however remote. And, as long as even one man
is alive, we must do everything possible to secure his freedom and bring him
home.
NOTE: The 20th Aviation Detachment existed until December 1966, at which
time it was reassigned as the 131st Aviation Company, 223rd Aviation
Battalion (Combat Support). The 131st Aviation Company had been assigned to
I Corps Aviation Battalion since June 1966, when it arrived in Vietnam. In
August 1967, the 131st Aviation Company was reassigned to the 212th Aviation
Battalion where it remained until July 1971, whereupon it transferred out of
Vietnam.
There were a large number of pilots lost from this unit, including Thaddeus
E. Williams and James P. Schimberg (January 9, 1966); John M. Nash and Glenn
D. McElroy (March 15, 1966); James W. Gates and John W. Lafayette (April 6,
1966); Robert G. Nopp and Marshall Kipina (July 14, 1966); Jimmy M. Brasher
and Robert E. Pittman (September 28, 1966); James M. Johnstone and James L.
Whited (November 19, 1966); Larry F. Lucas (December 20, 1966); and Jack W.
Brunson and Clinton A. Musil (May 31, 1971). Missing OV1 aircraft crew from
the 20th/131st represent well over half of those lost on OV1 aircraft during
the war.
U.S. Army records list both Nopp and Kipina as part of the "131st Aviation
Company, 14th Aviation Battalion", yet according to "Order of Battle" by
Shelby Stanton, a widely recognized military source, this company was never
assigned to the 14th Aviation Battalion. The 131st was known as
"Nighthawks", and was a surveillance aircraft company.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Duus, Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) [mailto:kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil]
Sent: 27 February, 2018 10:36
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Soldier Missing From Vietnam War Accounted For (Nopp, R.)
Dear Sir/Ma'am,
Army Lt. Col. Robert G. Nopp, missing from the Vietnam War, has now been
accounted for.
http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/1451686/
soldier-missing-from-vietnam-war-accounted-for-nopp-r/
On July 13, 1966 Nopp was assigned to the 131st Aviation Company, serving as
a pilot aboard an OV-1C aircraft, on a night surveillance mission from Phu
Bai Airfield over Attapu Province, Laos People's Democratic Republic
(L.P.D.R.). Visibility was poor due to heavy thunderstorms. Radar and
radio contact were lost with the aircraft, which was not uncommon due to the
mountainous terrain in that part of Laos. When the aircraft did not return
as scheduled, search efforts were initiated, but no crash site was found.
Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days
prior to scheduled funeral services.
DPAA is grateful to the government of Laos for their assistance in
accounting for Nopp.
Nopp's name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National
Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with others
unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. A rosette will be placed next to his
name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For more information about DPAA, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media
at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or call 703-699-1420.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vietnam veterans of Calumet
would like fallen comrade brought home
On April 6, 2018, the Defense POW/MIA
Accounting Agency (DPAA) in a public release announced
Kipina's and Nopps remains had been found and positively identified. Ultimately, the final decision of where Kipina will be laid to rest, resides with a cousin, who is the only surviving member of his family. |
Recovered: MIA Army pilot from Salem
who crashed during Vietnam War
The human remains were sent to the
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii, the
largest and most diverse skeletal ... |
From: Duus,
Kristen L SFC USARMY DPAA EC (US) <kristen.l.duus.mil@mail.mil>
Sent: 12 October, 2018 09:37
To: Undisclosed recipients:
Subject: Oregon Army Pilot Accounted For From Vietnam War To Be Buried With Full
Military Honors
Dear Editor,
Army Lt. Col. Robert G. Nopp, accounted for on Feb. 1, 2018, will be buried
October 18 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C.
Nopp, 31, of Salem, Oregon, was killed during the Vietnam War.
His wife, Patricia Nopp, also from Salem, is available for interviews at
(503) 393-4242.
The Department of Defense has the attached photos of Nopp on file.
Media interested in attending the funeral should contact Arlington National
Cemetery Public Affairs at 703-614-0024.
For more information, contact:
SFC Kristen Duus
Chief of External Communications
Public Affairs NCOIC- D.C. Directorate
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
2300 Defense Pentagon
Washington, D.C 20301-2300
(703) 699-1420
OR:
Chuck Prichard, APR
Director, Public Affairs
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
(703) 699-1169
charles.l.prichard.civ@mail.mil
/////
On July 13, 1966 Nopp was assigned to the 131st Aviation Company, serving as
a pilot aboard an OV-1C aircraft, on a night surveillance mission from Phu
Bai Airfield over Attapu Province, Laos People's Democratic Republic
(L.P.D.R.). Visibility was poor due to heavy thunderstorms. Radar and
radio contact were lost with the aircraft, which was not uncommon due to the
mountainous terrain in that part of Laos. When the aircraft did not return
as scheduled, search efforts were initiated, but no crash site was found.
Also lost in the crash was Army Staff Sgt. Marshall F. Kipina, 21, of
Calumet, Michigan, the aircraft's observer.
During the 1990s and 2000s, joint U.S./L.P.D.R. teams investigated the
incident and recommended a potential crash site in Attapu Province, L.P.D.R.
for excavation. The site, located in extremely difficult terrain, required
multiple missions to excavate. The teams recovered osseous material,
personal equipment and material evidence. Analysis of the aircraft
indicated the crash was of the same aircraft Nopp was flying, and an
ejection seat component indicated at least one person was in the aircraft
when it crashed. Kipina was identified corrently with Nopp.
To identify Nopp's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces
Medical Examiner System mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), as well as
anthropological analysis and circumstantial evidence.
DPAA is grateful to the government of Laos for their assistance in
accounting for Nopp.
Today there are 1,594 American servicemen and civilians that are still
unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Nopp's name is recorded on the Courts
of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu,
along with others unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. A rosette will be
placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account
for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA
website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa
or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remains of Vietnam-era pilot, plane's observer to be buried
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
02/2020
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000BTgnEAG
On February 2, 2018, the Defense POW/MIA Agency (DPAA) announced
that the remains of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Graham Nopp,
missing from the Vietnam War, had been identified.
Lieutenant Colonel Nopp, who joined the U.S. Army from North
Dakota, served with the 131st Aviation Company. On July 13,
1966, he was the pilot of an
OV-1C Mohawk that took off from Phu Bai Airfield for a night
surveillance mission over Attapu Province, Laos. The aircraft
encountered heavy thunderstorms and lost radar and radio contact
with base before crashing in very difficult terrain, killing the
crew members. Searches launched after it failed to return to
base were unsuccessful, and the crash site was not located until
the 1990s. A series of excavations finally located human remains
at the site, and DPAA scientists used DNA analysis to identify
LTC Nopp's remains.
Lieutenant Colonel Nopp is memorialized on 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.