WONG, EDWARD PUCK KOW, JR.

Name: Edward Puck Kow Wong, Jr.
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit: 57th Assault Helicopter Company, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation
Brigade
Date of Birth: 25 February 1953 (Guam)
Home City of Record: Oakland CA
Date of Loss: 27 March 1972
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 162127N 1074739E

Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H
Refno: 1806

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: SP4 Edward Wong was a door gunner on a UH1H assigned to the 57th
Assault Helicopter Company. On March 27, 1972, he was in his position on a
mission to rescue the crew of a downed Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF)
helicopter which had crashed at a landing zone in Kontum Province, South
Vietnam. The other members of the crew were CW2 Larry J. Woods, pilot; 2Lt.
Ngo Binh Quan, VNAF co-pilot; and SP4 Dennis A. Hannon, crew chief. Also on
board as passengers were Capt. Lyle R. Rhoads, Jr, a U.S. Army advisor; and
Capt. Nguyen Duc Phuc, ground commander of the ARVN 3rd Battalion, 47th
Regiment. Wong's UH1H was identified as tail #67-17841.

Accompanying gunships made an attack pass to suppress enemy fire in the
area, and Wong's helicopter descended to make the rescue attempt. As the
aircraft was landing, it received heavy automatic weapons fire, crashed and
rolled down a hill, coming to rest upside down.

The two passengers exited the helicopter. Capt. Rhoads stated that he saw
both pilots and the crew chief get out of the helicopter, but did not see
SP4 Wong leave the aircraft. SP4 Hannon said that after exiting the
helicopter, he had seen SP4 Wong heading uphill and that he had a cut on his
head and both legs were bleeding. Capt. Rhoads asked the ARVN ground
commander about the other Americans. He indicated the location of the crew
chief, and said that the other crewman was down the hill, and the American
pilot was still in the area of the aircraft.

Later, when the ARVN unit on the LZ was preparing to walk to Fire Support
Base Charlie, an estimated 2 kilometers to the east, Capt. Rhoads talked to
the crew chief and saw the poncho liner/stretcher on which SP4 Wong
allegedly was lying. Capt. Rhoads did not see him, but saw his right hand
holding the litter pole. On his right hand was what appeared to be a class
ring.

The ARVN unit and surviving Americans were joined by a relief company from
Fire Support Base Charlie, and proceeded to walk out at about 1600 hours on
March 27. At some unspecified point along the trail, the litter bearers and
the litter supposedly carrying SP4 Wong were seen by SP4 Hannon to be
resting along the trail. This is the last time that this litter was seen by
the surviving Americans.

At about 1830 hours, back at the LZ, an orbiting gunship saw one individual
wearing black clothing standing on the landing zone waving a piece of white
cloth. Fifteen feet away from this man were four or five individuals wearing
black or dark clothing, and hidden in a bush hedge. The gunship questioned
Capt. Rhoads by radio about the location of friendly forces, and after
having been assured twice that all friendlies were off the landing zone,
opened fire with rockets. The gunship pilot reported that he hit the group.

Upon reaching Fire Support Base Charlie, casualties were loaded into two
VNAF and one U.S. Army medivac helicopters. At that time, it was reported
that SP4 Wong had been loaded on one of the VNAF helicopters by mistake.
Searches were made in the ARVN hospital that had received the wounded and
dead from this incident, but Wong was not found. Efforts were made on March
28 and 29 to search the LZ and the trail taken by the survivors, but enemy
action prevented this. Wong was never seen again.

There is no doubt that Wong survived the crash of his helicopter, although
injured. Apparently, he become considerably worse, as it was necessary to
transport him by litter to the fire support base. The story clouds from
here, leaving open several possibilities as to the fate of Edward Wong,
including those of death, accidental loss of a living person, capture by the
enemy, and even death from friendly fire on the LZ.

Thousands of reports of Americans still held prisoner in Southeast Asia have
poured in since the war ended. Wong's family cannot be sure if he lived or
died. They must wonder if he is one of the hundreds of Americans thought to
be still alive. They wait.

 
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02/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KYYiEAO

• Conflict
• Service
• Status

• VIETNAM WAR
• UNITED STATES ARMY
• Unaccounted For

On March 27, 1972, a UH-1H Iroquois (tail number 67-17841) carrying four crew and two passengers attempted to rescue the crew of a downed Vietnamese helicopter at a landing zone in the vicinity of (GC) YB 985 104. While descending to the crash site, the Iroquois was hit by enemy ground fire and crashed. South Vietnamese soldiers at the landing zone recovered four survivors from the aircraft, as well as the remains of one dead crew member, and took them to a nearby base. One member of the crew went missing following the crash.

Specialist 4 Edward Puck Kow Wong Jr., who joined the U.S. Army from California, was a member of the 57th Aviation Company. He was the door gunner aboard the Iroquois when it crashed, and was found to be missing once the rest of the crew regrouped. A survivor from the crew reported last seeing SP4 Wong with possible head and leg wounds climbing a hill near the crash site. He was not seen again and remains unaccounted for. After the incident, the Army posthumously promoted SP4 Wong to the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSG). Today, Staff Sergeant Wong 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 Active Pursuit.

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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SSG EDWARD PUCK KOW WONG Jr.

• Unit 57 AV CO
• Historical Country of Loss
  South Vietnam
• Current Country of Loss
  VIETNAM
• Home of Record CA