SHINE, ANTHONY CAMERON
Remains Returned 09/96

Name: Anthony Cameron Shine
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 20 May 1939
Home City of Record: Pleasant NY
Date of Loss: 02 December 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 193000N 1041000E (VG157405)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: A7D
Refno: 1677
Other Personnel In Incident: none missing

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 1998.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: George and Helen Shine raised their children to love their
country. George retired from the Air Force as a Colonel, and all their four
children entered the military. Their daughter was an officer in the Army
Nurse Corps. Their three sons served in Vietnam.

While Tony Shine was serving his first term in Vietnam in 1970, his younger
brother Jonathan was killed. Tony escorted his brother's body home for
burial at West Point. His other brother was wounded during his Vietnam
service. George and Helen kept the faith with their country.

In 1972, Tony was flying an A7D fighter/bomber on a mission near the
Barthelemy Pass in North Vietnam when his plane disappeared through the
clouds. The passes through the mountains that border the Lao/Vietnamese
borders were heavily concentrated with enemy missile and AAA sites and NVA
logistics facilities and were frequent bombing targets. Of the many
Americans lost near these passes, few returned. Search was difficult not
only because the enemy was present, but also because the terrain is
incredibly rugged.

A three-day search proved futile, and Tony was listed Missing In Action.
George and Helen Shine continued to look for answers. Their early daydreams
of going "into the jungle to look for him" have been replaced by the sad
realization that they "think we'll just never know" what happened to their
son.

Shine's daughter, Colleen, joined the fight when she was old enough to
understand what had happened to her father. Although her grandfather, George
Shine has since died, she continues to look for answers.

Whether Tony Shine survived that mission in December 1972 is not known. What
is clear, however, is that many who are missing did survive. Where are they
now? Why haven't we been able to bring them home?

Anthony C. Shine was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during the
period he was maintained Missing in Action.