Operation Just Cause (OJC)
LAGRAND, WILLIAM JOHNName: William John LaGrand
Rank/Branch: W2/US Army
Unit: 197th Aviation Company, 145th Aviation BattalionV Date of Birth: 11 May 1941
Home City of Record: Portland OR
Date of Loss: 05 September 1965
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 110655N 1065516E (YT098293)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: A1G
Refno: 0137
Other Personnel In Incident: Richard C. Marshall (missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 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 1998.
REMARKS: CRASH EXPLODE - NO EJECT SEEN - J
SYNOPSIS: The Douglas A1 Skyraider ("Spad") is a highly maneuverable, propeller driven aircraft
designed as a multipurpose attack bomber orutility aircraft. The A1 was first used by the Air Force in its
Tactical Air Command to equip the first Air Commando Group engaged in counterinsurgency operations in
South Vietnam, and later used in a variety of roles, ranging from multi-seat electronic intelligence gathering
to Navy antisubmarine warfare and rescue missions.
Army Chief Warrant Officer William J. LaGrand was a passenger onboard an A1G aircraft which departed
Bien Hoa on September 5, 1965. The pilot of the plane was Air Force Capt. Richard C. Marshall.
The aircraft was seen to crash and no ejections were observed from the aircraft prior to impact. The
area in which the aircraft went down was under hostile control at the time, and recovery and excavation
attempts at the time were thwarted because of heavy enemy activity in the area and hostile presence. Both
LaGrand and Marshall were declared killed in action.
LaGrand and Marshall are among 2500 Americans still prisoner, missing, or otherwise unaccounted for
in Vietnam. Since the war ended, over 10,000 reports have been received relating to America's missing in
Southeast Asia. As reports have mounted, many authorities have concluded that hundreds of them are still
alive, one must wonder if LaGrand and Marshall died that day or their ejection escaped notice and they survived
to be captured.
Whatever the fate of William LaGrand, and Riahard Marshall, one can be certain that they would be proud
to fly one more mission to help bring those who are alive to freedom.
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...for as long as it takes
Operation Just Cause Yellow Ribbon Campaign
After you adopt your POW/MIA, if you wish to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Campaign,
please do the following.
1. Purchase a roll of wide yellow ribbon, a roll of 1/4" yellow ribbon and a card of straight pins.
(See item 6 below first!)
2. Dedicate a tree in your front yard to your adopted MIA and mark it with the wide yellow ribbon.
(If you live in an apartment, dedicate a window or get permission to dedicate a tree in a local park.) Then get
each of your neighbors (or as many of them as you can) to do likewise.
3. Contact the principal of the local middle or grammar schools (or nurseries or day cares) and see if
they will dedicate a tree on their grounds. Do the same with veteran organizations, local churches, businesses,
unions, scout troops, garden clubs...any where people get together.
4. Contact your local music radio station and request "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" be dedicated to your
MIA and give the date of loss.
5. Cut the 1/4" yellow ribbon into pieces 2 inches long, fold them into lapel ribbons (see attached)
and secure them with a straight pin.
Make as many as you can and carry them with you wherever you go. If you work at a desk or table, place
several in a dish and leave them in view. When people ask what they are for, tell them and offer them one to wear.
6. NEW! Additionally, it works extremely well to add a thinner black ribbon to the yellow one.
This gives true distinction to the OJC Ribbon Campaign as opposed to other causes that also use the yellow ribbon.
Make it as in 5 (above) but add a 1/8" black ribbon to it.
7. The ribbon sizes may be enlarged for display in trees or at distances. The original size works
very well for lapel pins, especially if you add a POW/MIA pin to the center of it.
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Pins can be found through many Veteran's organizations. Online they are available at:
*POWNetwork *
*MarineCorpsSpecialty *
*Egalspirit*
*Military-Insignia *
*Grunt *
*SoldierCity *
In order to track the effectiveness of this campaign, it is essential to keep a running record of
the level of participation. Please remember to report your stats, (i.e., the number and location of trees
dedicated, the number of lapel ribbons distributed, the number of businesses, organizations etc. recruited)
to the appropriate campaign coordinator:
Businesses, schools, organizations recruited go to Group
Stats on Trees dedicated to POWs go to Trees
Stats on Lapel Ribbons distributed go to Lapel Pins
The rationale here is simple. Sooner or later, the media and the "Inside the Beltway Crowd" are
going to start wondering what all the yellow ribbons are about.
And when they ask you, make sure you tell them!
(c)1997 - 2003 All Rights Reserved
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