ROARK, ANUND CHARLES

Remains Recovered 31 May 1968
ID'D 11 November 1979

Name: Anund Charles Roark
Rank/Branch: E5/US Army
Unit:
Date of Birth: 17 February 1948
Home City of Record: San Diego CA
Date of Loss: 16 May 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 141913N 1080447E (YA962855)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 1176

Other Personnel in Incident: Albert W. Romine (remains returned)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 September 1990 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 2020.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: On May 16, 1968 Cpl. Albert W. Romine and Sgt. Anund C. Roark were
on an operation with their unit a few miles southeast of the city of Kontum
in Kontum Province, South Vietnam.

Although U.S. Army information is sketchy, apparently Roark and Romine were
in close proximity when Roark threw himself on an incoming grenade to shield
others in the unit. Both Roark and Romine were reported to be killed (and
possibly others), but no remains were recovered at that time. Romine, at
least, was held for an unspecified period in Missing in Action status before
a finding of death was made.

On May 31, 1968, remains were recovered which were given to the Than San
Nhut Mortuary on June 2. Eleven years later, on November 11, 1979, these
remains were identified as being those of Roark and Romine, and returned to
their families for burial. According to the Army's DD-1300 (death
certificate), however, the remains were identified on the same day they were
recovered - May 31, 1968.

Disturbing questions arise when remains are returned: "Is it really who they
say it is?" and "How -- and when -- did he die?" Since the war ended, there
have been several cases of erroneous identification of remains, and some
accurate identifications of men who died AFTER the war was long over.

Even more disturbing are the nearly 10,000 reports received by the U.S.
relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia. Many authorities who have
examined this information (largely classified), have reluctantly come to the
conclusion that many Americans are still alive in Southeast Asia.

As long as reports continue to be received which indicate Americans are
still alive in Indochina, we can only regard the return of remains as a
politically expedient way to show "progress" on accounting for American
POW/MIAs. As long as reports continue to be received, we must wonder how
many are alive. The only issue is that one living man. We must bring them
home before there are only remains to negotiate for.

Albert Wayne Romine was promoted to the rank of Sergeant during the period
prior to a finding of death.


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02/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000v2ujhEAA

SGT ANUND CHARLES ROARK

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On November 11, 1977, the Central Identification Laboratory-Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of Sergeant Anund Charles Roark, missing from the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Roark entered the U.S. Army from California and was a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. On May 16, 1968, he was the point squad leader on a mission to rescue a small group of men under heavy enemy atttack at a hilltop observation post in Kon Tum Province, central Vietnam. He led his squad in the face of intense enemy fire, covering the withdrawal from the outpost and the evacuation of its casualties. When an enemy grenade landed in the midst of his men, SGT Roark threw himself onto it and was killed by the blast, for which he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. His remains could not be evacuated from the hill at the time due to the ongoing firefight, but they were later recovered and eventually identified by U.S. analysts.

Sergeant Roark 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.