Responses to MIA Letters

"July 8, 1999

Mr. Robert A. Hicks III
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Mr. Hicks;

Thank you for advising me of your interest in the fate of Randolph Jefferson Ard, who has been listed as MIA for 26 years.

I have asked the Department of Defense for a report on this matter. I shall bring to your prompt attention any information that I receive.

In the meantime, if I may be of assistance on any matter of interest, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Karen L. Thurmond
Member of Congress

KLT/bd"

"July 16, 1999

Mr. Robert A. Hicks III
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dear Mr. Hicks:

Thank You for contacting me regarding your concerns about information on Randolph Jefferson. I appreciate your taking the time to bring your views to my attention, and I welcome the opportunity to respond.

On your behalf, I have forwarded your concerns to Department of the Army, and have asked for a report on this matter. Please be assured that I will forward to you any response that I may receive.

In the meantime, if I may be of assistance regarding other matters of concern, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
signed Karen
Karen L. Thurman
Member of Congress"

If you desire, you may appeal this partial denial within 60 days from the date of this letter. An appeal, if any, must be sent through the address below to the Secretary of the Army, Attention: Office of the General counsel:

Commander
U.S. Total Army Personnel Command
Attention: TAPC-PAO-(FOIA)
200 Stovall Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22332-0404

The enclosed documents reveal that WO3 Ard and three other men were aboard an OH-58A helicopter, which was hit by enemy fire and crashed as it approached a landing zone. Two individuals were able to escape the wreckage, evade the enemy, and return to friendly forces. WO3 Ard was left outside the helicopter, badly wounded with two broken legs. The other individual, also badly wounded, was trapped inside. After days of heavy resistance, friendly ground forces reached the area where the helicopter crashed. The front portion of the helicopter was missing and they found no signs of the missing men nor anything to indicate either one had died or was buried in the area.

The case was investigated in March 1993 and again in January 1996. The team found no evidence to directly correlate the site to this case. Despite our effort, WO3 Ard remains unaccounted for at this writing and we continue to investigate this case. If you would like, you can search for more information about WO3 Ard at the Library of Congress website.

The President of the United States has declared accounting for missing in action servicemen to be a matter of the highest national priority. The Department of Defense has assigned more than 500 men and women to work this issue around the world on a full-time basis. Since 1998, American teams have completed more that 2,000 investigations and excavations in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to account for Americans lost during the Vietnam War. Since 1973, the remains of 526 Americans have been recovered, identified, and returned from Southeast Asia with full military honors. At this writing, there are 2,057 Americans who remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

Thank you for your concern for WO3 Randolph Jefferson Ard. We are committed to the mission of accounting for all of our service men. If you have further questions regarding this case, please call 1-800-892-2490.

August 25,1999

Mr. Robert A. Hicks III
xxxx x xxxx xx
xxxxx xxxxx, xx xxxxx

Dear Mr. Hicks:

I am enclosing a copy of an interim reply that I have received from the Department of the Army regarding your request for information on Randolph Jefferson Ard.

I will forward any final information as soon as I receive it.

In the meantime, if I may be of assistance on any other matter of interest, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Karen L. Thurman

Member of Congress

enc.

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
U.S. TOTAL ARMY PERSONNEL COMMAND
Alexandria, VA 22332-0404
August 11, 1999

Honorable Karen L. Thurman
U.S. House of Representatives
440 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Ms. Thurman:

This is in response to your letter dated July 2, 1999, om behalf of your constituent, Mr. Robert Hicks of xxxx xxxx, xx regarding his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request dated June 2, 1999, for information regarding Randolph Jefferson Ard, list as MIA since 1973.

This command maintains Individual Deceased Personnel Files (IDPF's) on personnel who died while overseas in Southeast Asia. The IDPF's contain death and burial information. Action has been initiated to locate and retrieve and IDPF pertaining to Randolph Jefferson Ard. Department of Defense policies implementing the FOIA only allow us to provide basic information to non-familiy members on servicemen missing or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. Basic information will include information on the serviceman's home state, unit and a description of the loss incident.

Mr. Hicks should be advised that his request will be answered as expedituously as possible. He can expect a further response in the near future.

Sincerely,

William W. Taylor, III
Colonel, U.S. Army
Chief of Staff

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Updated 8-30-99