Bio, Perry, Randolph A. Jr.

Name: Randolph Allen Perry, Jr.
Rank/Branch: Lt.Colonel/United States Air Force, RAD/NAV
Date of Birth: 17 June 1937
Unit: 307th Strat Wing Utepao Thailand
Home City of Record: Troy MT
Loss Date: 20 December 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 210500N 1055900E
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: B52
Refno: 1955

Other Personnel In Incident: William U. Acuri; Terry M. Geloneck; Paul L.
Granger; Thomas J. Klomann (all returned POWs from B52, coordinates 210500N
1055900E); Roy Madden Jr.; Michael R. Martini (returned POWs from B52,
coordinates 211000N 1054500E); Craig A. Paul; Warren R. Spencer (remains
returned from B52, coordinates 210459N 1053958E); Arthur McLaughlin; Irwin
S. Lerner; John F. Stuart (all missing from B52, coordinates 210500N
1055900E)

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.

SYNOPSIS: Randolph A. Perry, Jr. was aboard a B52 shot down by a Surface to
Air (SAM) missile over Hanoi on December 20, 1972. His B52 was one of many
involved in the successful "Christmas Bombings" of Hanoi that finally
convinced the Vietnamese to sit at the peace table.

There were a total of 12 men missing in close proximity to each other from
B52 aircraft on December 20. It is unclear which men were together on any
given plane, although it seems clear that the four missing were on the same
plane as Madden and Martini, as Defense Department notes that two men were
released from Lerner and Perry's plane. The total number listed exceeds a
normal B52 crew capacity, which is six. Perry was in a flight of three B52s
over Hanoi that day. The fate of all three planes is uncertain.

[2002 update]
The number three aircraft in the flight, a B52D, contained the following
crew members:
Major John F. Stewart, pilot;
Major Randolph A. Perry, R/Nav;
Capt. Thomas J. Klomann, Nav;
Capt. Irwin S. Lerner, EWO;
1Lt. Paul L. Granger, Co-Pilot; and
Chief Master Sgt. Arthur V. McLaughlin, Jr., Gunner.

One thing that amazed analysts about the B52 bombers that were shot down
over Hanoi during this period was the high survival rate of the crewmembers.
Many more were returned as POWs than was expected. The B52s that were shot
down were downed in extremely hostile territory with little or no chance of
rescue.

Unfortunately, it does not appear that all the prisoners were returned in
1973 at the end of the war. Since 1975, thousands of reports have been
received by the U.S. Government relating to Americans still alive in
captivity. Experts in the U.S. Government have stated they believe they are
being held. The question then, is no longer whether or not they are alive,
but who are they, and how can we bring them home? And is one of them
Randolph Perry?

PERRY, RANDOLPH ALLEN JR
SERVICE: US AIR FORCE
RANK: O4
STATUS: NR - REMAINS RETURNED/RECOVERED
DATE OF INCIDENT: 1972/12/20
DATE RETURNED: 1985/12/04
REMAINS ID DATE: 2004/01/13
HOME OF RECORD: TROY, MT
COUNTRY OF LOSS: NORTH VIETNAM
VEHICLE TYPE: B52D

POW/MIAs - VIETNAM WAR: According to the Department of Defense, there are
now 1,870 Americans missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, 1,425
in Vietnam, 382 in Laos, 55 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of
the PRC. Remains of Captain Clinton A. Musil, Sr., USA, listed as KIA/BNR in
Laos on May 31, 1971, were recovered in Laos on February 14, 1995 and
identified in May of 2003, but only recently announced by DPMO. In
addition, Major Randolph A. Perry, Jr., missing in North Vietnam since
December 20, 1972, is now accounted for. His remains were recovered April
10, 1986, identified September 10, of last year and announced today. Over
90% of all Americans missing from the Vietnam War were lost in Vietnam or in
areas of Laos and Cambodia under Hanoi's wartime control.

TRIBUNE PHOTO BY ROBIN LOZNAK
Ambrose Goudy holds the MIA/POW bracelet of his high school friend Randolph
"Larry" Perry while looking over their 1955 Troy High School yearbook. Perry
was lost in a bombing mission over North Vietnam in 1972. His remains were
recently ID'd, and Goudy will attend a memorial service for his friend today
in Troy......

Originally published Saturday, August 7, 2004

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LT COL RANDOLPH ALLEN PERRY JR.

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Conflict
Service
Status
Date of Accounting

VIETNAM WAR
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Accounted For
09/29/2003

On September 29, 2003, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Allen Perry Jr., missing from the Vietnam War.

Lieutenant Colonel Perry joined the U.S. Air Force from Montana and was a member of the 346th Bombardment Squadron. On December 20, 1972, he was a crew member aboard a B-52D Stratofortress on a bombing mission against enemy targets in Hanoi, Vietnam. The B-52D was shot down by a surface-to-air missile during the mission, and Lt Col Perry was killed in the resulting crash. Enemy control of the are prevented search efforts for those lost in the incident. In 1985, a joint U.S. and Vietnamese search team recovered a set of remains from the B-52D's crash site outside of Hanoi. Advances in forensic techniques eventually allowed the remains to be identified as those of Lt Col Perry.

Lieutenant Colonel Perry 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.

Lt Col RANDOLPH ALLEN PERRY Jr.

Unit
Historical Country of Loss
North Vietnam
Current Country of Loss
VIETNAM
Home of Record MT