ROWLEY, CHARLES STODDARD

Remains returned and identified September 1995. ID Disputed

Name: Charles Stoddard Rowley
Rank/Branch: O5/US Air Force
Unit: 16th Special Operations Squadron, Ubon Airbase, Thailand
Date of Birth: 14 May 1931
Home City of Record: Riverton CT
Date of Loss: 22 April 1970
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 154400N 1065100E (XC990410)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: AC130A

Other Personnel in Incident: Ronnie Hensley; Robert Ireland; Stephen Harris;
Donald Lint; William Brooks; Charles B. Davis; Donald G. Fisher; John C.
Towle; Thomas Adachi (all missing); Eugene L. Fields (rescued).

REMARKS:

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.

SYNOPSIS: In the early hours of April 22, 1970, an AC130 gunship flown by
veteran pilot Major William Brooks departed Ubon Airbase with a crew of ten
for a Commando Hunt mission over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in southern Laos. The
aircraft, code named "Ad Lib", was joined near its destination by two jet
escort fighter bombers, code named "Killer 1" and "Killer 2", and
immediately began air strikes against enemy traffic below. The crew of the
aircraft included Brooks, the pilot; SSgt. Thomas Y. Adachi, the aerial
gunner; LtCol. Charlie B. Davis, a navigator; Maj. Donald G. Fisher, a
navigator; SSgt. Stephen W. Harris; SSgt. Ronnie L. Hensley; Master Sgt.
Robert N. Ireland; Airman Donald M. Lint; LtCol. Charles S. Rowley; and 1Lt.
John C. Towle.

During its fourth strike, the gunship was hit by anti-aircraft fire and
began burning. Brooks radioed, "I've been hit, babe". Fisher, the navigator,
reported that his position was OK. Fields and Hensley, battling the blaze in
the rear of the aircraft, lost contact with each other in the smoke. Fields
inched his way to Adachi's position, and found Adachi gone and the left
scanner window open. Fields used an auxiliary parachute to abandon the
aircraft.

Killer 1 reported seeing no parachutes, although Killer 2 reported the crew
was bailing out. Just before Killer 1 departed the area for refueling, it
received one emergency beeper signal from the ground. Killer 2 established
voice contact with a member of the crew identifying himself as Ad-Lib 12
(Fisher), who reported that he had burns on his face and hands. Killer 2
also left for refueling, while other aircraft monitored the downed craft and
waited for morning to attempt rescue of the survivors.

The following morning, Ad-Lib 11 (Fields) was rescued, but due to hostile
ground forces, no ground search or photographs were made at the time. The
Air Force assumed at the time that Fields had incorrectly identified
himself, and announced that 6 of the crew had been killed and four were
missing.

The rest of the story is confusing. The family of one of the crew was told
that a ground crew had been inserted and that partial remains of one crew
member had been recovered. Another family was advised that photographs of
the crashsite existed. A photograph of a captive airman having burn bandages
on his hands was identified as being Fisher by his family. Rowley's family
was informed of a secret intelligence report indicating that 8 of the crew
had been captured, and that a controlled American source had witnessed them
being tortured to death for their "crimes".

A returned POW reported seeing Rowley in a propaganda film. Another returned
POW stated that Fisher had been a POW. Although the Air Force would not
allow family members to contact the only survivor, Fields, Fisher's son
located him after 18 years. Fisher denied ever being in contact with any of
the Killer jet escorts. It was not he who identified himself by radio to
rescue forces.

Apparently, at least some of the crew of Ad Lib survived to be captured in
Laos, often called the "Black Hole" of the POW issue because of nearly 600
lost there, not a SINGLE man was released that had been held in Laos. The
Pathet Lao stated on several occasions that they held prisoners, yet we
never negotiated their freedom, and reports continue to be received that
some of these men are still alive. The surviving crew members lost that day
were abandoned by the country for which they bravely fought.

                                                [up1003b.95 10/09/95] UPn
10/03 1995
Vet finds solace in MIA return
By WILLIAM D. MURRAY

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- For the last 25 years, Gene Fields has
pondered the fate of his crew mates aboard a AC-130A that plummeted from the
skies in flames over Laos in 1970.

He remembers the fresh faces of 19-year-olds assigned to him in his role as
a gunnery instructor. He remembers their laughter, their thoughts and their
dreams.

Those visions danced in his head Sept. 27 as he stood on the Tarmac at
California's Travis Air Force Base, watching the remains of the crew being
loaded off a military jet and returned to U.S. soil.

"Once they were loaded off the jet I said 'they are back home' and now I can
put this behind me," he told United Press International Tuesday. "There is
nothing else that can be done. I say it's over, but there hasn't been a week
I haven't thought about them."

Fields was on an AC-130A assigned to strike at the Viet Cong on the Ho Chi
Minh Trail on the Laotian-Vietnam border on the night of April 22, 1970.

As was his routine, he made sure his handgun was loaded and both personal
transmitters were functioning before the heavily armed aircraft took off for
its mission.

For Fields, it was his 105th mission, a feat he was proud of. But he said
his experience would save his life later that night.

"We flew with the back of the plane open," he said. "Somewhere over the Ho
Chi Minh Trail we were hit by a phosphorus rocket....There was smoke and
fire everywhere....I was trying to put the fire out but saw it was hopeless
and told the crew they had to get out.

"But the way out was blocked by the fire. I had often thought you might be
able to crawl out a window near the wing and escape....That's where I
crawled to....Somehow I got outside, missed the propeller and my chute
opened."

As he glanced back, Fields said he saw the plane head into the ground nose
first.

"The explosion lit up the jungle," he said. "I kept hoping someone else got
out."

Fields' troubles were far from over. His hands were severely burned and his
chute came down and hung up in a tree.

"Somehow I got myself down and I got away from the chute as quickly as I
could," he said. "My transmitter was activated and luckily there were a lot
of aircraft in the sky. They located me and I was rescued the next day.
Everyone had transmitters, but the planes could not pick anyone else up."

Fields later returned for a second tour of duty in Vietnam, aiding in the
final evacuation of Saigon. But he always wondered about the other crewmen.

"I always hoped someone else survived," he said. "I would read through the
list of POWs and hoped that one of their names would appear. But there was
nothing."

The remains of Col. Charlie Davis, Col. Charles Rowley, Capt. John Towle,
Chief Master Sgt. Ronnie Hensley, Chief Master Sgt. Robert Ireland, Senior
Master Sgt. Donald Lint, Sgt. Stephen Harris and three others whose
identities were not released at their families wishes were recovered Nov.
15, 1993.

The remains were later identified in Hawaii and returned to the mainland
Sept. 27.

Fields said he had been prevented from talking about the crash because it
was "classified" until the remains were returned.

"That was the hardest part," he said. "The families would contact me, and I
wanted to tell them everything but I couldn't."

Fields, who currently works for Pacific Gas & Electric, said a day doesn't
go by "when I wonder why I survived. Why was I one to get out? Hopefully,
now that they are back home, I can stop asking that question. "

                                                [bits1104.95 11/04/95]
NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FAMILIES
FOR THE RETURN OF AMERICA'S MISSING SERVICEMEN
WORLD WAR II - KOREA - COLD WAR - VIETNAM

DOLORES ALFOND - VOICE/FAX (206) 881 1499
LYNN O'SHEA ---- VOICE/FAX (718) 846-4350

BITS 'N' PIECES           NOVEMBER 4,  1995 

THANKS TO SENATOR BOB SMITH - FROM THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE, BOB SMITH
SPOKE FOR TWO HOURS ON BEHALF OF OUR KOREAN AND VIETNAM ERA POW/MIAS.
SENATOR SMITH OUTLINED THE FAILURES OF THE DPMO AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN
DEALING WITH THE POW ISSUE.   ONCE AGAIN, SENATOR SMITH PROVIDED A
POWERFUL VOICE FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.   IT IS
REFRESHING TO SEE A UNITED STATES SENATOR WHO PUTS MORALITY AHEAD OF
PROFIT.  WE ARE DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF SENATOR SMITH AND HIS STAFF'S
EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF OUR PO W/MIAS.

###################

IN OUR BITS 'N' PIECES, DATED OCTOBER 28TH, WE LISTED THE NAMES OF
MISSING AMERICAN SERVICEMEN RECENTLY IDENTIFIED BY THE PENTAGON.  WE
ALSO DISCUSSED INTELLIGENCE REPORTS THAT PUT INTO QUESTION THOSE
IDENTIFICATIONS.   WE CLOSED BY SAYING THAT WE HOPED EACH OF THE
FAMILIES INVOLVED HAD GOTTEN THEIR TRUTH, BUT WE WONDERED.

THE FAX MACHINES HAD NOT COOLED DOWN, WHEN WE LEARNED HOW DISPLEASED THE
FAMILIES OF 5 CREWMEN LOST APRIL 22, 1970 ARE.    PATRICIA ROWLEY
HALLMAN, DAUGHTER OF COL. CHARLES ROWLEY NOTIFIED THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE
OF FAMILIES THAT THERE WERE NO INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFIABLE REMAINS
RECOVERED DURING THE EXCAVATION.  THE FAMILIES' REQUEST FOR DNA TESTING
WAS REFUSED.  ALSO, REFUSED WAS A REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT EXAMINATION
OF THE REMAINS.    

A PRESS RELEASE, ISSUED OCT. 31ST, BY THE FAMILIES OF COL. CHARLES
ROWLEY, COL. CHARLIE DAVIS, COL. WILLIAM BROOKS AND SGT. RONNIE HENSLEY
(SEE PAGE 4) CALLED FOR A HALT TO THE PLANNED "BURIAL" SCHEDULED FOR
NOVEMBER 8TH AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY.   A FIFTH FAMILY REFUSES TO
ALLOW THEIR LOVED ONES' NAME TO BE PLACED ON THE STONE AND WILL NOT
ATTEND THE "BURIAL."

DOCUMENTS PROVIDED TO THE ALLIANCE, BY MS. ROWLEY-HALLMAN,  PROVE BEYOND
DOUBT THAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAS NO EVIDENCE THAT TEN MEN
DIED IN THIS INCIDENT.   FORENSIC EVIDENCE PROVIDED TO THE FAMILIES
INDICATES THE POSSIBILITY THAT ONLY ONE MAN WAS ON THAT PLANE WHEN IT
CRASHED.

MESSAGE TRAFFIC,  DATED 10 NOV. 93,  REFERS TO THIS CASE AND THE A-130
CRASH INVOLVING MAJOR PETER MATTHES, (AIR FORCE AUTHENTICATOR CODE
(GX2527 - LAST SEEN IN THE EARLY 1990'S OUTSIDE A VIETNAMESE PRISON.)
THE MESSAGE STATES "WE ANTICIPATE SOME INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFICATIONS MAY BE
POSSIBLE.  HOWEVER, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT WE CAN BIOLOGICALLY ESTABLISH
THAT ALL AIRMEN FOR EACH INCIDENT ARE REPRESENTED IN THE REMAINS
RECOVERED FROM THE RESPECTIVE SITES."      OF THE 18 MEN INVOLVED IN THE
TWO INCIDENTS, ONLY ON E WAS IDENTIFIED INDIVIDUALLY.

PICKING UP ON THE STORY REUTERS REPORTED, ON OCTOBER 31ST - "A PENTAGON
OFFICIAL SAID....GROUP BURIALS WERE COMMONLY RESORTED TO WHEN
"HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND INTELLIGENCE"  DATA SUGGESTED AN ENTIRE
CREW MAY HAVE DIED IN A CRASH, EVEN THOUGH NO ONE COULD BE IDENTIFIED."

==============

Goldf Star awarded daughter of aviator lost in Laos
by Mathew Paust
Daily Press

November 12, 2002

SALUDA -- Patti Rowley Sayles would love to be able to return the Gold Star
lapel button she received Monday in a Veterans Day ceremony at Saluda.

It would mean that her father, Air Force Lt. Col. Charles Stoddard Rowley
Sr., whose airplane was shot down over Laos on April 22, 1970, and who is
officially presumed dead, is actually still alive.

Sayles and relatives of three others of the downed reconnaissance plane's 11
lost crew members disputed the Pentagon's claim that it had found the crash
site and recovered bones and other human remains. They futilely petitioned
Congress to halt the mass burial of the remains in a single casket.

"It was a closed casket. We didn't know what was in there," Sayles said
after Monday's ceremony. She said the government refused to do DNA testing,
claiming the bone fragments had been exposed too long to the elements.

So where does she believe her dad might be right now?

"We have evidence that a lot of them are living in villages in a
slave-mentality situation." The evidence, she said, is anecdotal, coming
from veterans of the Vietnam War who live in Thailand.

Sayles said she believes it's too late for the U.S. government to do
anything to bring captured servicemen home from a war so long ago. "It would
be an embarrassment now for our government to acknowledge that it left men
behind," she said.

Accepting the Gold Star is not an admission of defeat, or of acceptance that
her dad is buried with his fellow crewmen at Arlington National Cemetery.

"I will accept anything that honors my father. Even though I don't agree
with the date of his death, with when the Air Force says he died, my father
is going to die some day, and he will have died for his country.

"He needs to be honored, no matter when that day is," she said.

She accepted the medal without speaking, a moment of silence wedged into a
typical Veterans Day ceremony of speeches and music and flags.

Sayles promotes the cause of lost servicemen, lobbying Congress to
strengthen the Missing Service Persons Act and working with Rolling Thunder,
a Hampton Roads support group for the armed services. She also works with
the Vietnam Veterans of America.

John Mallon, who is active with the Vietnam Veterans of America in Omaha,
Neb., met Sayles during a visit to the Peninsula, and arranged to have the
Gold Star awarded to her.

Reached in Omaha by telephone Monday, Mallon said he knew of other Virginia
residents who are eligible for the recognition. "It's quite an honor, and
the star is 10-carat gold. It isn't often that the government gives away any
of its gold," he said.

Mathew Paust can be reached at 804-642-1738 or by e-mail at
mpaust@dailypress.com

Copyright c 2002, Daily Press