Leo Boston is only one of thirty-seven still unaccounted for POW/MIA's in the state of Colorado. Click Here To read about each one.
BOSTON, LEO SIDNEY
Name: Leo Sidney Boston Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force Unit: 602 Tactical Fighter Squadron Date of Birth: 12 May 1935 Home City of Record: Canon City CO Date of Loss: 29 April 1966 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 212000N 1041500E (VJ740404) Status (in 1973): Missing in Action Category: 4 Acft/Vehicle/Ground: A1E Refno: 0319 Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1991 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:
SYNOPSIS: The Douglas A1 Skyraider ("Spad") is a highly maneuverable,
propeller driven aircraft designed as a multipurpose attack bomber or
utility aircraft. The E model generally carried two crewmen. 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.
The venerable fighter aircraft was retired in the spring of 1968 and
had
flown in more than twenty model variations, probably more than any
other
U.S. combat aircraft.
The general procedure for a rescue escort entailed two A1 aircraft
flying
directly to the search area to look for sign of the downed crewmen
while two
other A1s escorted the rescue helicopter to the area. If it was
necessary,
the A1s would attack enemy in the area with bombs, rockets and cannon
fire
so that the helicopter could land.
Capt. Leo S. Boston was the pilot of an A1E aircraft which was on a
search
and rescue mission when he was reported missing. His aircraft, the
lead
plane in a flight of two, departed Ubon Airfield, Thailand, and
became
separated from the other aircraft during the mission. No visual
contact was
made and no radio transmissions were received from him. The last
known
location of the flight was about 5 miles west of the Black River in
Son La
Province, North Vietnam. The object of Boston's search is unknown.
There are
several pilots missing from this general vicinity on that day.
Leo Boston was continued in a missing status until 27 April 1978 when
his
status was changed to presumed dead. During the time he was
maintained
missing, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.
Nearly 2500 Americans remain missing or otherwise unaccounted for in
Vietnam. Since the war ended, over 10,000 reports concerning missing
Americans in Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S.
Government. Many
experts are completely convinced that hundreds of Americans are still
held
captive.
One set of critics say that the U.S. has done little to address the
issue of
live POWs, preferring the politically safer issue of remains return.
Others
place the blame on the Vietnamese, for using the issue of POW/MIA to
their
political advantage. Regardless of blame, no living American has
returned
through the efforts of negotiations between the countries, and the
reports
continue to pour in. Are we doing enough to bring these men home?
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