WHITE, ROBERT THOMAS

Name: Robert Thomas White
Rank/Branch: O3/US Army
Unit:
Date of Birth: 17 August 1940
Home City of Record: St. Charles IL
Date of Loss: 15 November 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 094036N 1063437E (XR730700)
Status (in 1973): Released POW
Category:
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: OV1C
Refno: 1523

Other Personnel in Incident: John G. Graf (captured)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project with the assistance of one or more
of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews: 15 March 1990. Updated
by the P.O.W. NETWORK 2023.

REMARKS: 730401 RELEASED BY PRG

SYNOPSIS: John G. Graf was a Tactical Observer attached to Chief of Naval AD
Group, U.S. MACV, South Vietnam. On November 15, 1969, Graf was a crewmember
aboard an OV1C aircraft flown by U.S. Army Capt. Robert T. White on a visual
reconnaissance mission. The U.S. Army aircraft was hit by hostile ground fire
and crashed some 20 miles southeast of Tra Vinh City, Vinh Binh Province,
South Vietnam. Both the pilot and observer were observed by an American Coast
Guard unit to eject safely. A local villager reported that National Liberation
Front Forces captured both crewmen.

On March 29, 1973, the Viet Cong announced that White was to be released on
April 1. He was the last American in the repatriation program dubbed
"Operation Homecoming". In his debrief, Capt. White reported that he was held
with Graf in various prison camps until late January 1970, when Graf escaped
with another POW. Before his release, the National Liberation Front area
commander told White to inform the U.S. authorities that Graf had drowned
during an escape attempt in February 1970. Former residents of this area also
reported this story to officials and that his remains were buried in the Long
Toan area.

Viet Cong papers were found in a Viet Cong camp which contained the
interrogation reports of both LCdr. Graf and Capt. White. Other captured
documents stated that Graf had died in February 1970, and listed the location
of his grave in Vinh Binh Province.

Although information concerning LCdr. Graf is still classified, it was given
to the Vietnamese in hopes that they would be forthcoming with further
information about his fate. The Vietnamese continue to deny any knowledge of
LCdr. Graf.

Tom White was the "Last" POW on the list. His name was added after the list
was released to the USG.

Nearly 2500 Americans remain missing or otherwise unaccounted for in Vietnam.
Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports concerning these missing Americans
have been received by the U.S. Government. Many experts are completely
convinced that hundreds of Americans are now held captive.

One set of critics say that the U.S. has done little to address the issue of
live POWs, preferring the politically safer issue of remains return. Others
place the blame on the Vietnamese, for using the issue of POW/MIA to their
political advantage. Regardless of blame, no living American has returned
through the efforts of negotiations between the countries, and the reports
continue to pour in. Are we doing enough to bring these men home?

Robert White retired from the United States Army as a Major. He and his wife
Doreen reside in Colorado.

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http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1993-05-02/news/9305020430_1_vietnam-war-vung-tau-fort-eustis

Maj Robert T. White, USA - Tribute