HERBERT EUGENE SMITH
Remains Returned March 1988
Rank/Branch: E6/US Air Force
Unit: 388th Combat Support Group, Udorn Airbase,
Date of Birth: 01 March 1936
Home City of Record: Appalachicola FL (family in
Date of Loss: 29 July 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 204300N 10454953E (VH998943)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: RC47D
Refno: 0407
Source: Compiled 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 in 1998.
Other Personnel in Incident: Robert Hoskinson;
Robert DiTommaso; Galileo F. Bossio (still
missing) Bernard Conklin; John Mamiya; Vincent
Chiarello; James S. Hall (remains returned)
REMARKS: DEAD/FIR 317-09130 74
SYNOPSIS: On July 19, 1966, an RC47D aircraft
departed Udorn Airfield in Thailand en route to
Sam Neua, Laos. The crew abord the aircraft
included Capt. Robert E. Hoskinson, pilot; Maj.
Galileo F. Bossio, 1Lt. Vincent A. Chiarello,
Capt. Bernard Conklin, 1Lt. Robert J. Di Tommaso,
SSgt. James S. Hall, TSgt. John M. Mamiya and
TSgt. Herbert E. Smith, crewmen. The aircraft
was an unarmed RC47D Command and Control airship
(Dogpatch 2). When the aircraft was 10-20 miles
south of Sam Neua, it was attacked by enemy
fighters. Radio contact was lost and the families
were initially told there was no further word of
the plane or crew - that they had all been lost
on an operational mission in North Vietnam. It
was later learned, however, that at least one,
possibly two parachutes were observed in the air
from persons on the ground, and the loss had
occurred not in North Vietnam, but at 201200N
1041700E, which is in Laos. Primary objective of
the C-47 in Laos at that point in the war was
visual reconnaissance. American forces worked
closely with CAS (CIA) primarily to weaken the
communist supply link to South Vietnam via the
"Ho Chi Minh Trail". This particular plane,
however, was working in support of the CIA's
secret indigenous army which was attempting to
prevent a communist takeover in Laos. The
crewmembers on these missions were normally
highly trained in electronic surveillance
techniques as well as versed in codes and
languages. Accordingly, and as "there was no war
in Laos", certain details of the mission, such as
the precise location of loss, were originally
distorted. Later reports indicate that some of
the crew survived the attack on July 29,1966.
According to a March, 1974 list published by the
National League of Families of POW/MIAs, Bossio
survived the incident and was missing in Laos.
One 1971 report states that as many as 5 of the
crew were captured. Chiarello and Di Tommaso were
identified as survivors by Capt. Adair of Project
Dogpatch. U.S. Air Force records still reflect
the loss as having occurred in North Vietnam. In
1988, the remains of Conklin, Chiarello, Hall,
Mamiya and Smith were returned to U.S. control.
They were positively identified and returned to
their families for burial. The Di Tommaso family
was also notified, and Mafalda Di Tommaso rushed
to Hawaii to sadly welcome her son home. She was
shocked to learn that no body had returned - only
information which added nothing to the mystery
surrounding her son's loss. The families of
Bossio, Hoskinson and Di Tommaso have the right
to know what happened on July 29, 1966. The
communist governments of Southeast Asia can
account for the large majority of the nearly 2500
Americans still missing there. The weight of the
evidence shows that some of them are still being
held captive. It's time the veil of secrecy was
lifted on these men and the others. It's time
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