Bring Our Brothers Home !!!
Our Goverment Can't Ignore Them Forever !!!
(click on names for a bio of each Marine)
1st Battalion 4th Marines MIAs
Lcpl. Burke, Pfc. Lewandowski and Pfc. Mishuk were assigned to Delta 1/4 in Vietnam. On October 19, 1966 their Marine Corps unit was operating in northern Quang Nam Province about 15 miles northwest of Da Nang when the three Marines went missing. Oddly, USMC notations indicate that the three were swimming near the Cua Viet River when they were last seen, yet the incident is considered battle related. No one saw them drown or die if they were captured no one witnessed it. The men were classified MIA, and their families waited for word.
The Burke family spoke with a member of the 1st Marines who was part of a search party for the three. They were told that the unit tracked their son for three months as the Viet Cong moved him from village to village. The Mishuk family was told by Marine officals that it was unusual to find no bodies at all if all three drowned. When American prisoners were released 6 1/2 years later, the Burke, Lewandowski and Mishuk families were heartbroken that their sons were not among them. Military authorities at that time were shocked that hundreds of known or suspected POW were not released.
No information has ever surfaced on the fate of these three Marines. By 1980 the US declared them dead based on the fact there was no specific evidence that they were still alive. Disturbing testimony was given to Congress in 1980 that the Vietnamese stockpiled the remains of Americans to return at politically advantageous times. The same source indicated that he had alson seen five Americans in captivity after the war had ended. This source was considered highly credible.
Even more disturbing are the over 10,000 reports received by the US relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia. Many authorites who have examined this information (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 still alive.
Whether the three Marines lost near Dong Ha on October 19, 1966 could be among those thought to be still alive is not known. What is certain, however is that as long as even one American remains alive, held against his will, we must do everything possible to bring them home ALIVE !!!!