PODELL,  RICHARD W.

Remains Identified, 2018. See below

Name: Richard W. Podell
Branch/Rank:  U.S. Air Force Reserve / O3 Captain
Unit:  29th Troop Carrier Squadron, 463rd Troop Carrier Wing, 7th Air Force
Date of Birth:  07/28/1938
Home City of Record:  Winimac, IN
Date of Loss:  09 Jun 67
Country of Loss:  South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 
Status (in 1973):  NOT noted on PMSEA
Category: 
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:  C-130B
Missions:

Other Personnel in Incident:   Pilot CAPT Rafael L. Rivera-Balaguer,
co-pilot CAPT Jerome F. Starkweather, navigator CAPT Richard W. Podell,
loadmaster SSGT Ricky L. Herndon, and flight engineers SSGT Ira E. Scott
and SSGT William E. Tyree. Its passengers (all U.S. Army) were
1LT Richard A. Gray, SP5 Frank R. Ragusa, SP4 Craig R. Schoenbaum,
and SP5 Andrew H. Shimp.
Refno: 

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following:
raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action
Combat Casualty File.  BIO ADDED 11/21/18

REMARKS:

 

Submitted by William M. Killian  October 2018

On June 9, 1967, a USAF C-130B Hercules (#58-0737) from the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, crashed approximately 12 miles east of Tan Son Nhut, RVN. The C-130B, with ten persons aboard, was conducting a series of scheduled logistics flights within South Vietnam. The last leg of the trip was from Nha Trang to Saigon. As the aircraft neared Saigon it was vectored around an artillery firing zone. The aircraft broke up in flight, with both wings separating from the fuselage, and crashed. It was assumed that the structural failure resulted from ground fire. There were no survivors. The lost crew included pilot CAPT Rafael L. Rivera-Balaguer, co-pilot CAPT Jerome F. Starkweather, navigator CAPT Richard W. Podell, loadmaster SSGT Ricky L. Herndon, and flight engineers SSGT Ira E. Scott and SSGT William E. Tyree. Its passengers (all U.S. Army) were 1LT Richard A. Gray, SP5 Frank R. Ragusa, SP4 Craig R. Schoenbaum, and SP5 Andrew H. Shimp. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and aviation-safety.net]

 
Podell was not on the POW/MIA lists.   

Nor are    "The lost crew included pilot CAPT Rafael L. Rivera-Balaguer, co-pilot CAPT Jerome F. Starkweather, navigator CAPT Richard W. Podell, loadmaster SSGT Ricky L. Herndon, and flight engineers SSGT Ira E. Scott and SSGT William E. Tyree. Its passengers (all U.S. Army) were 1LT Richard A. Gray, SP5 Frank R. Ragusa, SP4 Craig R. Schoenbaum, and SP5 Andrew H. Shimp. "

His name is NOT on the Indiana Accounted for nor Unaccounted for Indiana Lists.  

He IS noted as accounted for if you use DPAA search feature in their web page.    The others are not.


 

 

Capt RICHARD W. PODELL
Affiliation: USAF
Full Name: Capt RICHARD W. PODELL
Age: 28
City, State, Country: WINAMAC, IN - US
Incident Date: 09 Jun 67
Incident Country: SVN
Status: KILLED IN ACTION
Wall Number: P-21E / L-80
   


 
Field Title Value Meaning
Last Name PODELL PODELL
Given Names RICHARD W RICHARD W
Social Security or Service Number 3136820 3136820
Date of Birth 19380728 07/28/1938
Service F Air Force
Component V Reserve
Rank CPT Captain
Grade and posthumous promotion O3 O3
Service Occupation ----- Undefined Code
Actual Date of Casualty    
Actual Date of Death 19670609 06/09/1967
Tour Date 670602 06/02/1967
Posthumous decoration    
Casualty Type C3 Non-Hostile, Died While Missing
Reason B Air Loss, Crash - Land
Air no Air 2 Fixed Wing - Crew
Body Recovered --- Undefined Code
Date Body Recovered ----- Invalid Date
Country VS South Vietnam
Province 24 Gia Dinh
Casualty Location    
Major command, eg division or brigade 7th AF 7th AF
Company/battery/troop or similar level unit    
Battalion or similar level unit    
Regiment, ROAD    
Air Wing 463rd TCW 463rd TCW
Air Group    
Squadron 29th TCS 29th TCS
Task Force    
Task Group    
Ship    
Unparsed Unit    
Home of Record City WINAMAC WINAMAC
Home of Record State Code IN Indiana
Notes    
Panel 21E 21E
Line 080 80

 
 

Obituary for Captain Richard W. Podell

Funeral Announcement For U.S. Air Force Reserve Capt. Killed During Vietnam (Podell, R.)
Air Force Mortuary Affairs Public Affairs | Oct. 12, 2018

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. – U.S. Air Force Reserve Capt. Richard W. Podell, missing from the Vietnam War, has now been identified.

On June 9, 1967, Capt. Richard W. Podell, a navigator, along with two pilots, and three aircrew members assigned to 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, 463rd Troop Carrier Wing, 7th Air Force were flying a lead C-130B aircraft on routine shuttle flights from Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, Republic of Vietnam, to several airfields in southern Vietnam. At Nha Trang Air Base, they picked up classified cargo and the remains of two deceased individuals: one American Soldier and one member of the Republic of Korea Army, as well as four escorts. The aircraft returned to Tan Son Nhut Air Base and was on approach for landing when it had to vector around an artillery firing zone. Shortly after making normal radio contact, the aircraft crashed in a swampy area approximately 12 miles east of Tan Son Nhut Air Base.

On June 10, 1967, the Tan Son Nhut, or TSN, Mortuary sent a team to recover the remains of the missing crew members and passengers. Subsequently, the TSN Mortuary identified five individuals, but were unable to individually identify the remaining six Americans. 

In May 1992, Vietnamese villagers turned over identification media and possible human remains they recovered from a C-130 crash site in Vam Ba Dau Long Tan Village, Long Thanh District, Dong Nai Province. One of the items turned over was an ID tag belonging to Podell. In December 1992, the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii concluded the remains most likely belonged to Podell. In October 1994, Vietnamese villagers turned over additional human remains and material evidence associated with Podell's incident. In November 1994, the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii received the human remains and material evidence.

To identify Podell’s remains, scientists from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome (Y-STR) DNA analysis, anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. On Sept. 10, 2018 DPAA officially identified the remains of Podell. 

A visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 19, 2018 at the Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home, Thornton, Texas. The graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 20, 2018 at Thornton Cemetery, Thornton, Texas, with full military honors. 

Support from the government and people of Vietnam was vital to the success of this recovery. 

Captain Podell is survived by his son, Douglas Podell of Thornton; former spouse, Elaine Hairgrove of Thornton; step-daughter, Rebecca Waldrop; sisters, Arlene Luehrs and Phyllis Wall; brother-in-law, John Wall; nephew, Ronald Luehrs; nieces, Beverly Zaiko, Carolyn Neumann and Carolyn Gordon and husband, Howard.

 

  

 
http://www.kxxv.com/story/39317092/vietnam-veterans-remains-return-to-ctx

KXXV News Channel 25   10/18/18

It wasn't until 2013 when Cpt. Podell's sisters gave DNA samples to the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency that the family had a chance at closure...
 
 

11/20/18
 

...I believe that the crews of the C 130 and B 52 incidents must have been classified as nonhostile casualties. Their names would never have been entered in the KIA-BNR lists or MIA rolls. It is very strange, though, and hard for me to understand how the C 130 case, in such close proximity to Tan Son Nhut and ostensibly in territory under friendly control would not have been thoroughly gone over. How did our accident investigation teams and graves registration efforts miss remains that decades later were turned over by indigenous residents of the area?  It seems very strange to me, and without knowing any of the details of the case, it seems like a case of extreme carelessness and dereliction of duty.

 
Each incident of loss is unique, and the stories in many cases are stranger than fiction....

(name withheld)