03/20/99 1:04
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Cpt. Michael Wayne Marker
Killed in Action
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-- General / Personal ---

Last name: MARKER
First name: MICHAEL WAYNE
Home of Record (official): WICHITA FALLS
State (official): TX
Date of Birth: Sunday, September 10, 1944
Sex: Male
Race: Caucasian
Marital Status: Married

--- Military ---

Branch: Army
Rank: CPT
Serial Number: 450729399
Component: Reserve
Pay grade: O3
MOS (Military Occupational Specialty code): 1981

--- Action ---

Start of Tour: Thursday, March 4, 1971
Date of Casualty: Thursday, March 4, 1971
Age at time of loss: 26
Casualty type: (A3) Hostile, died while missing
Reason: Air loss - Crashed on land (Pilot - Fixed wing aircraft)
Country: North VietNam
Loss Coordinates: 165809N 1065407E (YD025770)
Province: Unknown/Not Reported The Wall: Panel 04W - Row 021

(1) LASTNAME: MARKER FIRSTNAME: MICHAEL WAYNE IDNO: 450729399 SVC: A COMP: V RANK: CPT GRADE: O3 MOS: 1981 AGE: 26 HOME: WICHITA FALLS ST: TX CASDATE: 19710304 CAS1: A3 CAS2: B CAS3: 1 BODY: BNR CTRY: VN PROV: NZ LSVC: ** BIRDATE: 19440910 RACE: C REL: BO MAR: M SEX: M CIT: 1 TOURD: 710304 PANL: 04W LINE: 021 REFNO: 3 PDATE: 7105
Details:
REMARKS: RAD CONT LOST-SAR NEG-J SYNOPSIS:
On March 4, 1971 Capt. Michael W. Marker, pilot of a JU21-A twin engine turbo prop (serial number 18065, call sign Vanguard 216) departed Phu Bai, Republic of Vietnam on an early morning combat support mission in the vicinity of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). His crew that morning consisted of WO1 Harold L. Algaard, co-pilot; SP5 Rodney D. Osborne, technical observer; SP5 Richard J. Hentz, crewman; and SP6 John T. Strawn, crewman. The pilot and crew were assigned to the 138th Aviation Company, 224th Aviation Battalion, 509th RR (Radio Research) Group, a cover designation for their real unit in USASA.

"Radio Research" was actually a secret cover designation for certain units operating under the direction of the U.S. Army Security Agency Group, Vietnam. All missions of this agency were highly classified. The 224th Aviation Battalion was referred to as an aviation battalion in Vietnam for security reasons only. The JU21A aircrew's actual unit designation was 138th ASA Company, 224th ASA Battalion (Aviation), U.S. Army Security Agency Group, Vietnam.

Two hours into the mission, at 0840 hours, radio and radar communication was lost. When the aircraft failed to return from the mission at the appointed time, search efforts were initiated and continued for 2 days over a 300 mile area, but proved negative. A reliable source indicated that an aerial detonation in the vicinity of the DMZ occurred on March 4, 1971 at the same flight altitude and pattern flown by Vanguard 216. Hostile threat in the area precluded any visits to the suspected area of the crash. No trace was ever found of the aircraft or the crew.

While the missing crew members were initially listed as Missing In Action, a change in status to Killed In Action, Body Not Recovered (KIA/BNR) occurred within 90 days of the incident. Regarding the status change, the families were told that all information pertinent to the incident was classified and would remain classified for ten years.
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