Bio, Bobe, Raymond E.

Name: Raymond Edward Bobe
Rank/Branch: E3/US Army
Unit: Headquarters Company, USARV
Date of Birth: 30 August 1948
Home City of Record: Tarrant AL
Date of Loss: 16 March 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 161357N 1074448E (YC936965)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: U21A
Refno: 1407

Other Personnel In Incident: Charles R. Barnes; Marvin L. Foster; David R.
Smith; Michael L. Batt (all missing)

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 2001 with
material from the Library of Congress and Lew Schmidt. Updated 2020.

SYNOPSIS: On 16 March 1969, Captain Charles Barnes, co-pilot and Captain
David R. Smith, aircraft commander were aboard a U21A aircraft which
departed Long Trahn, North Army Airfield, South Vietnam. The aircraft made
two stops, one at Long Binh and the other at Qui Nhon. At Qui Nohn the plane
picked up the following passengers: SP4 Michael Batt, Major Marvin L.
Foster and PFC Raymond Bobe. The aircraft resumed its journey north
toward Hue/Phu Bai where it was scheduled to land. During this portion of
the mission, the aircraft was required to revert from visual to instrument
flight rules because of the low cloud ceilings, poor visability and rain
showers in the area. The aircraft was picked up by radio and radar; however
contact was lost during the approach pattern. After loss of contact, all
standard emergency radio frequencies were utilized, but radio contact with
the aircraft could not be regained. Da Nang Air/Sea rescue was also
notified, but initial efforts were limited to a communications search
because of the bad weather. The aircraft was never located. Based on a
replotted flight plan, the indicated last known location for this aircraft
was approximately one kilometer west of Truoi Mountain, Quang Nam Da Nang
(formerly Tuan Thien Province) Province, South Vietnam.

The U21 is a medium-sized aircraft, built to hold 8 or 10 passengers and
crew. The U-21A was a fixed-wing, twin-reciprocating-engined Beech Aircraft
airplane, the military version of the civilian Beech Queen Air aircraft. It
was used mainly by the Army, to a lesser extent by the Air Force, generally
used for VIP or commutes rather than surveillance or combat support
missions.

Batt's photograph was selected as a known prisoner from the JCRC photo album
of those missing, but the U.S. Government states that it is unknown why the
source selected Batt's photo. Returning POWs did not indicate that any of
the crew or passengers had been held with them in their prison system.

When 591 Americans were released from Vietnamese prisons in 1973,
high-ranking military officials were shocked that "hundreds" who were
expected to be released were not.

Examination of intelligence reports suggest that there was more than one
prison "system" in Vietnam. Those prisoners who were released were
maintained in the same systems. If the missing men aboard the U21A were
captured and kept in another system, the POWs who returned would not know
it.

Now, nearly 20 years later, men like these are all but forgotten except by
friends, family and fellow veterans. The U.S. "priority" placed on
determining their fates pales in comparison to the results it has achieved.

Since the U21 A was lost, nearly 10,000 reports have been received by the
U.S. relating to Americans still missing in Southeast Asia. Many authorities
believe that hundreds remain alive, waiting for their country to come for
them. Whether the men aboard the U21A are among them is not known. What is
certain, however, is that we, as a nation, are guilty of the abandonment of
nearly 2500 of our best and most courageous men. We cannot forget, and must
do everything in our power to bring these men home.

In 1988, "material" was provided the United States Government that
correlated with Captain Barnes. Additionally, the area where this "material"
was reportedly found (Hue) generally correlates with the last known location
of Captain Barnes' aircraft. Some reports label this a "dog tag" report,
while others mention remains. As of 1999, the crew and all the passengers
remain unaccounted for, listed as presumed dead/body not recovered.

Subject: Re: MIA Vietnam
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 09:22:07 EST
From: LewSchmidt@aol.com

Thought you might enjoy this preliminary edit of the hundreds of pages
of information I've gathered. The next most important step is to try and
find a detailed topographical map of the Da Nang and Hue area and plot the
flight's route from the radio transmissions and try to find the mountain
where it probably crashed.

On 16 March 1969 an "olive drab" (military color) 1966 U21A aircraft,
engine type PT6A-20, Serial Number 66-18007 (tail), USARVFLT, departed Long
Thanh North Army Airfield at approximately 0705 hours, or, according to
another source {E10}, 2305Z hours, on a priority passenger aircraft mission
USARV number 21-2 with pilot Capt. Richard R. Smith and co-pilot Charles R.
Barnes. They were enroute to Hue/Phu Bai, with stops at Long Binh and Qui
Nhon.{E10} "Both aviators were qualified in U-21A type aircraft and are
instrument rated."{E44}

The U21 had an airspeed of 190 knots per hour and a passenger capacity of
ten persons, plus the pilot and co-pilot.

They picked up five passengers at Sanford AAP at Long Binh, GS-16 Balser
(code 6), LTC Mitchell, Maj. Marvin L. Foster, SP4 Michael L. Batt and Pfc
Raymond E. Bobe, along with Batt's dufffel bag, listed on passenger list as
A, B, C, D, E, and F. SSG Nolan C. Lockwood testified to seeing SP4 Batt
"seated out front of the operations shack...[with] his personal belongings"
at Sanford Airfield waiting for transportation. SP5 Scott M. Sutton
testified "I drove the detachment vehicle to Stanford [sic] Airfield, Long
Binh Post" with Maj. Foster and PFC Bobe as passengers, and observed them
both board the airplane with personal baggage.{E47-48}

Listed on the flight plan and schedule with times of arrival and
departure were Long Thanh, Vung Tah 0705-0720, Long Binh 0740-0900, Qui Nhon
0915-1015, Hue Phu Bai 1015 (loss occured), Qui Nhon CXL 1300-1335, Nha
Trang 1350-1420, Phan Thiet 1435-1505, Long Binh, DnLat Camlu 1615-1700,
Long Binh 1710-1725, Vung Tah, Long Thanh. During the projected trip to Hue
Phu Bai and return thirteen passengers were to be transported to various
stops, including "DUFFLE BAG" and "VEGS."

The scheduled start and stops were: Long Thanh, Vung Tau (0705), Long
Binh (0720-0740), Qui Nhon (0900-0915), Hue Phu Bai (1015), Qui Nhon (CXL
1380), Nha Trang (1335-1350), Phan Thiet (1420-1435), Long Binh (1505),
DnLat Camly (1615), Long Binh (1700-1710), Vung Tau (1725), Long Thanh.

During this flight, "mission USARV 21-2", the plane would be identified
in radio transmissions with traffic controllers as "Long Trip double 0
seven" (Long Trip 007), and the incident of loss would be known as "REFNO
1407". During this flight toward Hue/Phu Bai they would make too stops, one
at Long Binh and the other at Qui Nhon.

The aircraft proceeded to Sanford AAP at Long Binh where it picked up
five persons, SP4 Michael L. Batt, GS 16 Balser (code 6), LTC Mitchell and
two others not identified by this source (excluded data, but probably Maj.
Foster and PFC. Bobe) at 0730 hours. The plane left Sanford at 0740 hours.

It proceeded to Qui Nhon where Balser and Mitchell disembarked at
approximately 0900 hours. It was reported that the aircraft departed Qui
Nhon with Smith, Barnes, Foster, Batt and Bobe, and continued north towards
Hue Phu Bai where it was scheduled to land at approximately 1015 hours.

Because of weather conditions, they were required to revert from visual
to instrument flight rules because of the low cloud ceilings, poor
visibility and rain showers in the Da Nang/Hue area. Although in radio
contact with controllers, contact was lost during the approach pattern to
Phu Bai airfield and contact was not regained. The aircraft was lost at 1041
hours (10:41 AM), also reported as "1015 hrs" and position of last radio
contact was "16-17N 107-40E at which Long Trip 007 was told to turn left to
090 degrees and climb to 3000 feet. This transmission was not acknowledged
and subject aircraft was not identified on radar. Therefore it is not known
if Long Trip 007 executed the turn. Later information stated the aircraft
was handed off from the GCA to Hue Approach Control at 1036 hours, and
"after 5 minutes of radio contact, no further transmissions were received".
"Long Trip 007 allegedly failed to respond to radar corrections" and was
ordered to return to Phu Bai Approach Control for assistance.

Long Trip 007's last radio transmission was to Phu Bai Approach Control
giving its position as SE of Phu Bai heading south at 2000 feet, in the
vicinity of some high mountains where they could have crashed on a mountain
side. The forward visibility at 2000 feet was zero in the Phu Bai area.

007     Hue Departure, Long Trip double O seven, double O seven
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, this is Da Nang Departure, go ahead
007     Ah roger, references showing the zero six zero, approximately two
        zero on the Sierra Foxtrot, reading point zero, would like a handoff
        to Hue Approach Control.
Dept    Double O seven, squawk one zero zero zero, ident; and understand you
        are at flight level eight zero.

007     Roger, at eight zero, ident.
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, say your radial and DME again, please.
007     Negative radial and DME, we're on the zero three zero now of the
        Sierra Foxtrot, approximately zero five miles.

Dept Roger Long Trip double O seven, have radar contact seven miles
northeast of airport, remain V?R conditions.

007     We're popeye at the present time
007     Departure, Long Trip double O seven, did you copy, we're popeye.
        Dept Long Trip double O seven, roger, maintain flight level eight
        zero.

007     Roger
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, you're cleared to the Hue Airport via
        point Alpha, report intercepting [word was difficult to read] the
        three four three radial from DaNang, over.

007     Report the three four three, roger.
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, report your Point Alpha estimate.
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, DeNang Departure, say your Point Alpha
        estimate.
007     Estimating Point Alpha at two three
Dept    Ah, roger, two three
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, squawk low please
007     Double O seven, low
007     Long Trip double O seven is three four three, eight thousand
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, roger
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, squawk zero one zero zero, ident, for Hue
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, ident again, please
007     Ident
Dept    Long Trip double O seven, contact Hue Approach Control on three
        seven four point one, over.
007    Three seven four point one

Radio Transmission Transcript Hue GCA
GCA-Controller, GCA-Approach, APP-Coordinator, Coord-Tower

GCA     Go ahead approach
APP     Ten and a half mile east, heading two two zero, he's a Long Trip
        double O seven....level at two thousand.
GCA     You say double O seven?
APP     Right
GCA     OK James Bond
GCA     OK, two forty six eight, November Lima
APP     OK, you got 'em?
GCA     Right, radar contact
APP     Juliet, Juliet
007     Hue GCA, Long Trip double O seven
GCA     Long Trip zero zero seven, this is Marine Hue GCA. I hear you loud
        and clear, how me, over.
007     Loud and clear
GCA     Radar position, nine miles east of airport
GCA     Zero zero seven, say your present altitude
007     Two thousand
Coord   Wow!
GCA     (not keying) say again
Coord   Two thousand! He's that high?
GCA     How long, how high did you say he was, I didn't hear you.
        Coord Two thousand
007     Hue GCA Long Trip zero zero seven, I'm showing at one zero sero of
        the Echo Victor Beacon
GCA     Zero zero seven, roger, this will be a no gyro approach, turn left,
        make turns standard rate.
GCA     Zero zero seven, preclude minima; two hundred forty nine feet, one
        half mile, acknowledge.
007     Roger
GCA     Zero zero seven, if runway not in sight at precision minima, turn
        right heading three six zero....
Tower   Go ahead
Coord   Long Trip zero zero seven, a U-twenty one, six miles
Tower   OK, check three
Coord   OK
GCA     Zero zero seven, stop turn
GCA     Zero zero seven, say your BME
007     Zero zero seven, negative BME
GCA     Zero zero seven, say your approximate position from the airport
007     Zero zero seven, I have no idea
GCA     Contact Approach Central, three seven four decimal one, GCA standing
        by.
007     Roger
GCA     Tell Approach Control that.
Coord   OK
Tower   Continue
Coord   Hey, uh, tower
Tower   Yeh
Coord   OK, we don't have him yet, we run him back to approach, we lost him,
Tower   OK, thank you

Coord Hot line....Hot line
GCA     We're going to need another qualified controller
Coord   OK
GCA     Go ahead
APP     GCA
GCA     OK, go ahead
APP     OK, zero zero seven, I don't know where the hell he is now
        OK, your next one is Spare 862
End of transcript

APP     Ten and a half east, heading two two zero is Long Trip double O
        seven, level at two thousand.
GCA     Did you say double O seven?
APP     Right
GCA     OK, James Bond, OK, two forty six point eight, November Lima
APP     OK, you got em?
GCA     Right, radar contact
APP     Juliet Juliet

Transcript continued after the aircraft returned to approach frequency
(elapsed time 2 minutes 37 seconds)

APP     Go ahead GCA
GCA     Yes, we lost Long Trip zero sero seven, he's coming back to you
APP     They got him, Charlie Echo
GCA     OK
APP     Go ahead GCA
GCA     OK. This ah is Lieutenant Goodale, what's going on out there? What,
        what's the scoop with zero zero seven? What do you know? Do you have
        him on radar?
APP     Yes sir, we do.
GCA     OK, well, I was the one who just took that handoff and, ah, I
        understand he was about seven miles when I took the handoff, is that
        the one?
APP     He was about nine and a half, ten miles, when he was switched to
        you, yes sir.
GCA     Well, right now he's about four or five miles in there, OK? Well, I
        got the handoff, he was about two thousand, he was high, he did not
        take my turns. Now you have more than one aircraft east of the
        airport right now you're working.
APP     That we're working, yes sir.
GCA     You do?
APP     Uh huh.
GCA     I think this is a possible mess, I did, or anyway, bring him around
        again for another handoff and, ah, back to you, cause I wasn't sure
        of the, ah, target and I am sure you had him.
APP     Did you give him a missed approach?
GCA     Yes, I have him, ah, three sixty at thirty five hundred.
APP     All right sir, thank you.
GCA     OK
End of this transcript

007     Hue Approach, Long Trip double O seven
Cont    Double O seven, roger, I have radar contact one four miles east of
        the airport. Verify level at eight thousand.
007     Eight thousand
Cont    Roger, turn right heading three six zero, descend and maintain two
        thousand for victors to precision final approach course to runway
        seven. Hue weather; estimated seven hundred broken, fifteen hundred
        overcast, seven miles, winds; two eight zero at one zero, altimeter
        estimated three zero zero nine.
007    Roger, copy
Cont    Nine five four, Hue

This aircraft transmitted to controller three times and the controller
transmitted four.
Square six nine eight transmitted to approach five times.
Nine five four and the controller transmitted one each again.
Cont    Roger double O seven, say your passing altitude
007     Through six five
Cont    Roger six position one four miles northeast
007     OK
Cont    Long Trip double O seven, if you hear no transmissions received one
        minute this victor, or five second on final, you are cleared for
        approach.
007     Double O seven
007     Approach, double O seven
Cont    Double O seven, Hue, go
007     Can we put on request a clearance for immediate takeoff after we land
        for VPR on top.
Cap two zero eight called approach

Cont    Long Trip double O seven roger, ah, double O seven, on departure
        contact Hue departure on two seven three decimal one.
007     Roger
Cont    Talked to Cap two zero eight
Cont    Long Trip zero zero seven turn right heading zero nine zero.
007     Right to zero nine zero
Cont    Long Trip zero zero seven say passing altitude
007     Zero zero seven passing five thousand
Cont    Zero zero seven continue right turn to heading one four zero.
007     Right to one four zero

Approach three transmissions to nine five four, nine five four two
transmissions to approach.

Cont Long Trip double O seven report passing three thousand five hundred.
007 Double O seven, roger

Cont    Long Trip double O seven, your position one seven miles northeast.
007     Double O seven through three five, say altimeter
Cont    Ah, roger, altimeter three zero zero niner
007     Roger

Controller transmitted to nine five four twice, nine five four
acknowledged twice. Five transmissions to eight six two. Eight six two to
controller four times.

007     Zero zero seven level at two thousand
Cont    Roger Long Trip zero two seven, ah zero zero seven, turn right
        heading two two zero.
007     Right to two two zero
Cont    Long Trip zero seven, position ah fourteen and a half miles east.
007     Roger

Cont Long Trip double O seven contact GCA, two four six decimal eight.
007 Two four six eight

Transcript continued after the aircraft returned to Approach frequency
(elapsed time two minutes three seven seconds)

007     Hue Approach, Long Trip double O seven
Cont    Long Trip double O seven, Hue
007     Can you give us a position fix please
Cont    Ah roger, sir, I believe you are one zero miles east of the airport;
        squawk zero one zero zero, ident.
007     Ident.
Cont    Double O seven ah say heading
007     Present heading one eight five and we are squawking low at present
        time.
Cont    Roger squawk normal
007     Normal and ident.

Cont    Double O seven negative contact at this time, say your position off
        sixty nine.
007     Alright, I am showing the one three zero off of victor ah, echo
        victor. Could you turn us out to sea again, I think we are heading
        pretty close to these mountains over here.
Cont    Roger, make a left turn to heading zero nine zero
007     Left to zero nine zero
Cont    Double O seven say your altitude
007     Two thousand
Cont    Roger, climb and maintain three
007     Climbing to three

The controller attempted contact with 007 seven times after the aircraft
reported level at 3000.

At some point, the controller seemed to be getting overloaded with
involvement and possibly not providing the needed or correct guidance to
U21.

"The aircraft was required to revert from visual to instrument flight
rules because of the low cloud ceilings, poor visibility and rain showers in
the Da Nang/Hue area.{E10} Weather conditions at 1000 hours were broken
clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1500 feet, visibility six miles in fog,
temperature 71F degrees, dew point 69F degrees, winds 280 degrees at 10
knots, altimeter 30.09 inches. By 1100 hours, conditions had slightly
improved to 800 feet broken clouds, five miles visibility in light rain and
fog, dewpoint 66F, wind at 8 knots, and altimeter 30.11 inches.

When the status of Capt. Smith was changed from missing to presumed dead
on 15 Oct. 1973, it was stated that the mountains in the Phu Bai area are
5,000 feet, and with the plane at 3,000 feet "there is a good probabilty
that the aircraft crashed into the mountains killing all personnel aboard."
The location is "thick foilage and jungle canopy". Elevations confirmed by
{E60-61}

a communications search because of the bad weather. When the search was
initiated, weather conditions were described as "Estimated 700 broken, 1500
overcast, 7 miles visibility in light rain showers. Scattered clouds with an

Search missions were conducted by 101st Airborne Division (AM) and also
aircraft from the 220th Aviation Company.{E56}

The all day search by aircraft was conducted on 19 Mar. 1969 and was
limited by weather conditions and jungle terrain. The area searched was
bounded by 16-06N 107-35E to 16-07N 107-26E to 16-22N 107-30E to 16-20N
107-38E to start. DaNang SAR (Search and Rescue) was alerted and assigned at
"161900M Mar 69", and their serach would be discontinued on 20 Mar. 1969, no
sighting having been made, and XXIV Corps would take over the search on 21
Mar. 1969, "condensed to patterns with terrain elevations of 600 meters or
more...Callsign and frequency was established as `Coachman Search Control'
on 64.95 mc". The second search effort was terminated at sundown 24 Mar.
1969 (search coordinates provided). All sightings were prior known crash
sites.

Intelligence was unable to identify any enemy activity in the immediate area
that may have involved 007.

Based on a replotted flight path, the indicated last known location of
the plane was in the vicinity of grid coordinates YC 936965{E10},
approximately 30 km southeast of Hue. One source reported that the remains
and dog tags relative 007 were found at a crash site within 20 kilometers of
the last known location of the plane.

Another location was given as 15 kilometers west-southwest of Phu Loc
and eight kilometers north-northeast of Nong Truong Hai Dong, Thua Thien-Hue
Province {E5}; or one kilometer west of Tuoi Mountain, Quang Nam-Da Nang
(formerly Thua Thien) Province, Vietnam. On 24 Jul. 1975 coordinates were
changed from YD760241 to YC936965 based on a plotted map attached to report
of proceedings by investigating officer 14 Apr. 1969.{12} Also "southeast of
Phu Bai, heading south at an altitude of 3,000 feet."{E62-63}

"The aircraft executed a missed approach", later changed to "During
radar vector". The area where the aircraft was lost was also reported as
"CAC Long Thanh North RVN". One document included "LYD 760 241 Thua Thien
[coordinates & province] (02) I CTZ RVN. Unknown if status is the result of
hostile action".

"The hostile threat in the area precluded any visits to or ground
inspections of the sites involved."{E10} Intelligence sources provided no
additional information.{E55}

"A former resident [possibly Nguyen Van Mai] of Vinh Hien Village, Phu
Loc District (also reported as Binh Tri Thien Province), reported that while
searching for incense wood on Loc Thuy Mountain (ZC 1694) he and his uncle
found the wreckage of an aircraft that had hit the side of the mountain. He
reported they recovered remains (assortment of small human bones) and two
identification tags with the inscribed names of [Bobe] and David Smith...Ho
Chi Minh City Public Security officials confiscated" the material in May
1986 and the source was given a receipt, and the remains and tags were
repatriated 6 Apr. 1988. The remains could not be proven to be any of the
men on 007. {E5-6 & E85-86}

The resident stated they "came upon the wreckage of an aircraft that had
hit the side of the mountain (source was unable to provide an exact location
of the crash site). The aircraft was totally burned, and pieces of the
aircraft were widely scattered from the point of impact down the side of the
mountain. He could not identify the type of aircraft and saw no identifying
numbers or symbols, but found the bones and dog tags of Smith and Bobe. He
placed the bones in two small nylon bags about the size of a
cantaloupe{E85}, which were later confiscated by authorities and turned over
to the US.

Another source reported discovering in late 1980 or early 1981 "a number
of items, including two dog tags" near the forest edge of the Son Thanh
National Collective Farms in Tuy Hoa, Phu Khanh. See sketch in file under
maps. The items included a small camera, gold colored watch, black plastic
portfolio (plastic zip-lock and no handle), and two dog tags on a long chain
and short chain and connected together. The briefcase contained
approximately 20 pages of type written material, yellowed with age, which
were later destroyed when used to start fires at the camp. No skeletal
remains or clothing fragments were found at the discovery site. After his
arrival at Palawan VRC, he attempted to contact his friend "Duong" in regard
to the items but was unsuccessful. The area was an unpopulated forest prior
to 1975.{E73} This was an area possibly correlated to the 007 crash
site.{E76}

Later reports by a female source related heresay information on 5 or 6
US graves in the Nam Dong area (VIC YC 8786),{E10} possibly related to 007,
and wreckage of a C0123 (possibly U21) 30 km southeast of Hue, and two dog
tags and personal articles near the Nong Truong Nez (approx. YC 8785),
possibly related to 007, and removed from a crashsite on a mountain near a
fresh water lake, possibly related to an "intermittent lake located vicinity
of ZC 132 984". Also reported was information related to (data) and David
Smith in the vicinity of G.C. ZC1694. The source's father claimed to have
the remains of three US servicemen. She also provided information from a dog
tag rubbing and "social security number", name, service number, blood type
and religion.{E10}

Dog tags for Capt. Smith and PFC Bobe were aquired from remains dealers
and turned over to the US at the repatriation in Hanoi on 06 Apr. 1988.{E12}

Original source has the remains of four individuals "on whom he provided
ID media data. A tooth was forwarded as proof."{E10} (originally reported in
T88-144)

After the war, near Jan. 1992, and again on 3 and 12 Jan. 1993, a team
visited the site in Quang Nam-Danang and Thua Thien-Hue Provinces, at grid
coordinates ZC199949, where the source reported the remains and dog tag were
found, but technical experts claimed the wreckage found at the scene related
to another case, case 1055, which was a resolved incident, although the dog
tag matched 007 personnel. "It appears the witness has confused the remains,
the material evidence and the crash sites.

In 1997, family members of at least Capt. Charles R. Barnes were
contacted for blood samples of females of the family and Charles' sister
Mary provided samples of her blood. After providing the samples and not
hearing anything, she persued the matter with her Representative but never
heard anything, and was told they needed samples for every man on the plane
before they could do the tests.

Subject: Re: MIA, Long Trip 007
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 16:36:19 EST
From: LewSchmidt@aol.com

MIA, aboard Long Trip 007: Capt. David R. Smith, Capt. Charles R.
Barnes, Maj. Marvin L. Foster, SP4 Michael L. Batt and PFC Raymond E. Bobe.

I've finally assembled the maps and plotted the course of Long Trip 007
from the radio transmissions. After being circled by the air traffic
controllers at Hue/Phu Bai airfield, in an area ENE of the airfield,
apparently when they were handling too many aircraft and did a poor job of
control, the pilot and co-pilot realized the mess they were in and asked to
be turned out to sea.

They were then traveling south and made the turn east and proceeded
toward the Gulf of Tonkin, unfortunately directly in line with Loc Thuy
Mountain, the only high elevation in that area along the coast. Thinking
they were over water and safe to decrease altitude to get under the cloud
cover and relocate their position, they crashed into the mountain which was
592 meters or 1942 feet high.

This was corroborated by a couple of Vietnamese who found some bones
and the dogtags of two of the men aboard the plane on Loc Thuy Mountain
while searching for incense wood. The area contains the wreckage of several
crashes.

Sad! A turn to sea slightly north or south of the position, and they
would have cleared to the Gulf. Most unfortunate!!

LOUISVILLE, Ky. The remains of a soldier who was listed as missing in action
36 years ago while serving in Vietnam have been identified. His parents, in
Russell Springs, Kentucky, say he'll be buried with full military honors.....

SFC Raymond E. Bode (posthumasly promoted) age 22 was killed in Vietnam 16
March 1969. He was listed Missing In Action for 36 years. His remains were
recently found and identified. He is finally coming home to find peace in
the country he loved and died for.

His home of record was in Ohio, however his family is having him buried in
Russell Springs , Kentucky on Saturday 16 July, 2005. Funeral services are
being conducted by the Bernard Funeral Home in Russell Springs.

He will be buried at the Lucinda Cemetery in Russell Springs. There will be
only graveside services. The services are scheduled for Saturday 16 July,
2005, at 10 AM-CENTRAL STANDARD TIME.

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced
today that the remains of four U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the
Vietnam War, have been identified and are being returned to their families
for burial.

They are Lt. Col. Marvin L. Foster, Hubbard, Tex.; Capt. David R. Smith,
Dayton, Ohio; Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Batt, Defiance, Ohio; and Sgt. 1st
Class Raymond E. Bobe, Tarrant, Ala., all U.S. Army.

On March 16, 1969, Capt. Smith was piloting an Army U-21A "Ute" aircraft
with Foster, Batt, Bobe and one other passenger aboard whose remains have
not been identified. The aircraft left Qui Nhon airfield in South Vietnam,
headed for Phu Bai airport near Hue. The Da Nang control tower briefly
established radar and radio contact, but was unable to maintain it. The
aircraft never landed at the Phu Bai airport.

Combat search and rescue units scoured the area, both land and sea, for the
next eight days, but did not find the missing aircraft.

In 1988 and 1989, the Vietnamese government turned over to U.S. specialists
several boxes of human remains, including identification tags for Bobe and
Smith. The technology at the time failed to yield an identification of the
remains. Also in 1989, a Vietnamese refugee in the Philippines was
interviewed, and turned over human remains as well as a rubbing of an
identification tag for Bobe.

U.S. specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) conducted
seven investigations between 1993 and 1999, to include interviews with
Vietnamese nationals who claimed to have knowledge of the crash. Then in
April and May of 2000, a JPAC team excavated an area about 25 miles
northwest of Da Nang, where they found aircraft debris and human remains.

JPAC scientists and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory specialists
used mitochondrial DNA as one of the forensic tools to help identify the
remains.

Of those Americans unaccounted for from all conflicts, 1,827 are from the
Vietnam War, with 1,393 of those within the country of Vietnam. Another 756
Americans have been accounted for in Southeast Asia since the end of the
Vietnam War. Of the Americans identified, 528 are from within Vietnam.

SFC RAYMOND EDWARD BOBE

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Conflict
Service
Status
Date of Accounting

VIETNAM WAR
UNITED STATES ARMY
Accounted For
04/05/2005

On April 5, 2005, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Sergeant First Class Raymond Edward Bobe, missing from the Vietnam War.

Sergeant First Class Bobe entered the U.S. Army from Alabama and was a member of Headquarters Company, Liaison Detachment, Combat Developments Command (ARVN). On March 16, 1969, he was a passenger aboard a U-21A King Air (tail number 66-18007, call sign "Long Trip 007") that took off from Qui Nhon Airfield, Vietnam, en route to Da Nang and Phu Bai. As the aircraft approached Da Nang, it encountered low clouds and poor visibility and crashed. SFC Bobe was killed in the incident, and inclement weather prevented searchers from locating the crash site and recovering his remains at the time. In 2000, a joint U.S./Vietnamese search team recovered human remains associated with this U-21A loss, and modern forensic techniques were eventually able to identify SFC Bobe among the remains recovered.

Sergeant First Class Bobe is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.

SFC RAYMOND EDWARD BOBE

Unit
Historical Country of Loss
South Vietnam
Current Country of Loss
VIETNAM
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