NATIONAL LEAGUE OF FAMILIES UPDATE LINE 07/31/01
On July 16th, the League learned that two Americans whose remains were
jointly recovered in Laos and repatriated on February 11, 2000 are now
accounted for. One, Major Luther A. Lono, USMC, was from WA, and the NOK of
the other requested that the name of the other not be publicly announced.
UPDATE LINE: July 31, 2001
Thank you for calling the National League of Families Update Line. This
message is being recorded Monday, July 31st. According to the Department of
Defense, there are now 1,957 Americans missing and unaccounted for from the
Vietnam War.
On July 16th, the League learned that two Americans whose remains were
jointly recovered in Laos and repatriated on February 11, 2000 are now
accounted for. One, Major Luther A. Lono, USMC, was from WA, and the NOK of
the other requested that the name of the other not be publicly announced.
Patrick's mother, Mrs. Ann Curran, was killed in a traffic accident on May 20, 1997. She died with a heavy heart - looking for answers, and peace of mind.
On June 5, 1997 the Department of the Navy responded to an email message from an activist with the following:
"Major Curran's case has been classified by the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Persons Office as "further action planned." During a joint field activity meeting held in June 1996, a suspected crash site was investigated and some pieces of wreckage were recovered. The recommendation of the team was to excavate the site believed to be associated with Major Curran's case.
In February 1997, the Joint Task Force Full-Accounting (JTFFA) analysts reported that the wreckage recovered from the suspected site was sufficient to establish probable correlation to the aircraft involved in Major Curran's loss. The JTFFA has tentatively scheduled the site for excavation in May 1998.
Sincerely,
Bernanrd V. Shinal
Director, White House Liaison Office
Office of the Secretary of the Navy"
Nearly 600 Americans were lost in Laos, but because the U.S. did not recognize the communist government there, we did not negotiate for the "tens of tens" of American prisoners the Pathet Lao stated that they held. As a result, not one American prisoner held in Laos ever returned
These pages were created to remember:
MAJ. Luther A. Lono and 1st LT. Patrick R. Curran
Name: Luther Albert Lono
Rank/Branch: O4/US Marine Corps
Unit: VMA 242, MAG 11
Date of Birth: 12 June 1931
Home City of Record: Tacoma WA (family in HI)
Date of Loss: 29 September 1969
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 161500N 1065700E (XD678036)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A6A
Other Personnel In Incident: Patrick R. Curran (missing) Remains returned 02/11/2000 id announced 07/16/01
Name: Patrick Robert Curran
Rank/Branch: O2/US Marine Corps
Unit: VMA 242, 1st Marine Air Wing
Date of Birth: 05 November 1943
Home City of Record: Bensenville IL
Date of Loss: 29 September 1969
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 161500N 1065700E (XD678036)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A6A
Other Personnel In Incident: Luther A. Lono (missing) REMAINS RETURNED 02/11/2000 ID 06/27/01
SYNOPSIS : On 29 September, 1969, Maj. Luther A. Lono, pilot; and 1Lt. Patrick R. Curran, bombardier navigator were dispatched aboard an A6A to conduct an armed reconnaissance mission in support of Seventh U.S. Air Force operations over Laos. The mission was under the control of an Air Force Airborne Tactical Air
Control aircraft, and was to be conducted in a heavily defended enemy area.
The mission proceeded without incident until 8:50 p.m., at which time the Airborne Tactical Air Control aircraft lost contact with the Lono/Curran aircraft. Their last radio contact had been about 25 miles west of Khe Sanh. Attempts to contact the aircraft were unsuccessful, and at 10:30 p.m., the commanding officer of the 11th Aircraft Group 11 declared them "overdue."
At this declaration, electronic search efforts began for the crew members, and a signal was received by the Tactical Air Control aircraft at 0248 hours on September 30 which was believed to be a signal from an emergency transmitter. Subsequent attempts to contact the crew were unsuccessful. A visual search began
at dawn on September 30, but no sign of the crew or aircraft was found.
According to Curran's mother, Curran and Lono's aircraft quietly landed in heavily-guarded enemy territory that night, and was taken intact. Curran and Lono were either captured at that time, or executed. They were alive. Mrs. Curran believes her son is still alive, and has worked tirelessly to free him and others she believes also to be alive. Both Curran and Lono were declared Missing in Action.
All Biographical and loss information on POW's provided by Operation Just Cause have been supplied by Chuck and Mary Schantag of POWNET. Please check with http://www.pownetwork.org/ regularly for updates."
