Name: Gregg Hartness
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit:

Date of Birth: 18 April 1937
Home City of Record: Dallas TX
(born Detroit MI)
Date of Loss: 26 November 1968
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 160129N 1064201E
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: O2A
Other Personnel
In Incident: (co-pilot rescued)

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: Maj. Gregg Hartness and his co-pilot departed Da Nang airbase, South
Vietnam in their O2A aircraft for a night visual reconnaissance mission over
southern Laos at 0300 hours on November 26, 1968.

At 0413, as they flew over the rugged, jungle-covered mountainous area, the
aircraft suddenly received a hit from an unknown source in the aft section.
Hartness issued the order to bail out as the aircraft began to spin
uncontrollably. The co-pilot successfully bailed out at 6000 feet and was
rescued a few hours later. Although he saw no parachute, the co-pilot believes
that Hartness could have ejected without his seeing him in the darkness.

At 0700 hours, an emergency signal was picked up from a point 28 miles
northeast of Saravane, Laos. Search and rescue located the downed co-pilot and
rescued him. Recovery was difficult because of the heavy jungle growth on the
steep hill he was on. No attempt was made to approach the aircraft because it
was still smoldering and had unexploded ordnance aboard, and there were
hostile
forces in the area. No further emergency transmissions were detected, and the
search was terminated.

Hartness is among nearly 600 Americans who were lost in Laos. Many survived to
reach the ground and radio that they were being surrounded. A few were
photographed in captivity. Countless others have been described in rallier and
refugee reports.

The Pathet Lao stated on several occasions that they held "tens of tens" of
American prisoners, yet not a single man held in Laos was ever released - or
negotiated for. If Hartness is alive, what must he think of the country he
proudly served, and the careless manner in which he has been abandoned?

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