WHAT I CAN DO - I WILL -

The low, slow and vulnerable Cessna O1F Bird Dog Forward Air Control (FAC) aircraft were inherited by the Air Force from the Army when the Army lost command of this fix-wing observation fleet during 1965. The aircraft itself usually only carried white phosphorous target marker rockets that were mounted beneath the wings. The aircrews, however, carried their own personal weapons, which added a limited degree of armament to this daring little aircraft. The Bird Dog was not only vulnerable to enemy ground fire, it was also at risk of being accidentally hit by friendly fire because its shape and speed helped it blend into its surroundings. Later in the war the Bird Dog's upper wing was painted white or orange to emphasize the slow-moving FAC's position to friendly strike aircraft.

On 9 June 1970, Air Force 1st Lt. John L. Ryder, pilot; and Special Forces Operations Officer Capt. Barry W. Hilbrich, observer; comprised the crew of an O1F (aircraft #57-2890), call sign "Mike 81." They departed Pleiku Airfield to conduct a visual reconnaissance mission to locate and identify an enemy ammo cache. The area of operation was south of Ben Het with a final destination of Dak Seang Special Forces Camp.

At 1255 hours, as Mike 81 flew low over the rugged mountains of the central highlands, 1st Lt. Ryder made his first standard radio check with Herb 50, the tactical air control center at Pleiku. At that time he reported they had not seen any enemy activity in the area and they had not yet located the ammo cache. Further, he did not report having any difficulty with their aircraft.

Mike 81 was scheduled to make another radio check at 1327 hours, but failed to do so. Herb 50 attempted to reach the Bird Dog, and when the ground controller was unsuccessful in establishing contact, he called all the airfields in the region where the aircrew might have diverted to in an emergency. After learning no one knew the whereabouts of Mike 81, the aircraft was declared missing.

The last known location of Mike 81 was approximately 1 mile northwest of a primary road, 4 miles southwest of Dak Seang, 10 miles west-southwest of Dak To and 50 miles north-northwest of Pleiku, Kontum Province, South Vietnam. It was also 7 miles southeast of the tri-border area where South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia meet. In this area the rugged mountains and surrounding valley are covered with heavy undergrowth. Weather conditions included 5,000-foot high scattered clouds and variable broken clouds. There was visibility of 15 miles and winds were from the west-southwest at 10 knots.

No visual search and rescue (SAR) operation was conducted on 9 June due to severe thunderstorms in the area. SAR operations were initiated at first light the next morning, but were hampered by poor weather conditions. An electronic search was also initiated at the same time. These efforts continued under deteriorating weather conditions until 19 June when they were terminated.

During these operations 46 sorties were flown with a total of 143 flying hours logged over an area extending from Pleiku north to the I Corps boundary and west of the Cambodian border. At no time did any of the personnel involved hear any emergency beepers or see any trace of the missing aircraft and its crew. At the time the formal search was terminated, John Ryder and Barry Hilbrich were listed Missing in Action.

John Ryder's mother went to see the Vietnamese in England in 1976. While they were very cordial to her, she says, "they repeated over and over again, they will give out no information on the missing men until the U.S.A. has rebuilt Vietnam."

Reconstruction aid promised by Nixon and Kissinger to Vietnam in 1973 has not been appropriated by Congress, and no aid has been given. Since 1973, the Vietnamese continue to link the issue of aid to that of the American POWs, although the U.S. continues to insist it is a separate, humanitarian issue.

In 1992, a National Security Agency (NSA) correlation study of all communist radio intercepts pertaining to missing Americans, which was presented to the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs in a classified format, was finally declassified and made public. According to this document, at least one North Vietnamese radio message was intercepted and correlated to this incident. The NSA synopsis states: "Lost on a visual reconnaissance mission. The NVA 95B Regiment associate; ...opened fire and shot down one aircraft. One aircraft shot down one kilometer from Dac Giang (unloc)."

Biographical and incident of loss information was obtained from either POW/NET and/or Task Force Omega, Inc (unless otherwise noted). Additional information may be found via remembrances at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund or The Virtual Wall Vietnam Veterans Memorial.