TUBBS, GLENN ERNEST

Name: Glenn Ernest Tubbs
Rank/Branch: E5/US Army Special Forces
Unit: CCS/MACV-SOG, 5th Special Forces Group
Date of Birth: 24 January 1940 (Sulphur Springs TX)
Home City of Record: Amarillo TX
Date of Loss: 13 January 1970
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 135119N 1972833E (YA675330)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 1550

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: (none missing)

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: On January 13, 1970, Sgt. Glenn Tubbs was a rifleman on a Long
Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) along the Cambodian/South Vietnam border.
His patrol was attempting to cross a stream by means of a safety line. Sgt.
Tubbs was at the time wearing shorts, jungle boots, and had a CAR 15 rifle
slung over his shoulder. (The CAR15 is a version of the M16 rifle, only with
a flexible wire stock that can be moved into different configurations.)

When Tubbs was in the middle of the stream, it appeared that he was having
problems keeping his shorts up. He lost his grip on the safety line and was
swept away by the current. He was seen to go under water 5 times, and each
time he reappeared. He seemed to be attempting to swim against the strong
current instead of with it.

Witnesses watched helplessly, indecisive about getting close enough to Tubbs
to rescue him. His difficulty downstream was that he was being attacked by
alligators. The team members located hundreds of the creatures downstream as
they searched for anything left of Glenn Tubbs.

To further complicate search efforts, helicopters received enemy fire as
they searched the stream and adjoining area.

Tubbs experienced a grisly demise - one that we would prefer not to think
about. It is an accident that could have happened in many parts of the U.S.,
but Tubbs was involved in a war in a foreign country. The fact that he died
an accidental death in the midst of war is tragically ironic. He is listed
among the missing with honor, because his body was never found to be
returned to the country he served.

Others who are missing do not have such clear cut cases. Some were known
captives; some were photographed as they were led by their guards. Some were
in radio contact with search teams, while others simply disappeared.

Since the war ended, over 250,000 interviews have been conducted with those
who claim to know about Americans still alive in Southeast Asia, and several
million documents have been studied. U.S. Government experts cannot seem to
agree whether Americans are there alive or not. Distractors say it would be
far too politically difficult to bring the men they believe to be alive
home, and the U.S. is content to negotiate for remains.

Over 1000 eye-witness reports of living American prisoners were received by
1989. Most of them are still classified. If, as the U.S. seems to believe,
the men are all dead, why the secrecy after so many years? If the men are
alive, why are they not home?

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                                               [bit1207.96  12/08/96]

DOLORES ALFOND - VOICE/FAX 206-881-1499
LYNN O'SHEA ---- VOICE/FAX 718-846-4350
E-MAIL --------- PGGK94A@PRODIGY.COM
WEB SITE -------http://www.nationalalliance.org

BITS 'N' PIECES DECEMBER 7, 1996


LOOKING FOR - The National Alliance of Families is looking for the
family of Sgt. Glen E. Tubbs.  Sgt. Tubbs was lost January 13, 1970.
His home city of record is Amrillio, Texas.  If you know the whereabouts
of the Tubbs family, please contact the National Alliance of Families at
718-846-4350.  It is very important that we contact the Tubbs family.

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

02/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000001UMdEAM

SSG GLENN ERNEST TUBBS

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Sergeant (SGT) Glenn Ernest Tubbs entered the U.S. Army from Texas and served with Special Forces Operations Augmentation-Command and Control South, 5th Special Forces Group. On January 13, 1970, he was a member of a long-range reconnaissance patrol along the border of Cambodia and South Vietnam. His patrol was performing a stream crossing when SGT Tubbs lost his grip on the safety line and was swept away by the current. He went under the water and reappeared several times but eventually did not resurface. Two patrol members attempted to rescue him but were unsuccessful. Searches downstream and an aerial search were both driven off by enemy small arms fire without finding any sign of SGT Tubbs. His remains were not recovered. Following the incident, the Army promoted SGT Tubbs to the rank of staff sergeant. Today, Staff Sergeant Tubbs 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 Non-recoverable.

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.

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