Recon Team Asp
Recon Team Asp, 69. Left standing Mel Westerfield; Opposit Lo Van An (Sole survivor of Asp's last mission).
Note from the Virtual Wall:
On 3 May 1971 Reconnaissance Team ASP was inserted into the area south of the A Shau Valley about 9 miles east of the Lao/SVN border. The six-man team's mission was to observe and report on enemy activity along a tributary of the Ho Chi Minh Trail which entered SVN at this point. The team consisted of
- SSgt Klaus J. Bingham;
- SSgt James M. Luttrell;
- SSgt Lewis C. Walton; and
- five Montagnard troops, names unknown.
The insertion was successful and apparently went undetected by the North Vietnamese. After an initial radio report the team proceeded under radio silence - and disappeared. On 04 May, forward air controllers searched the area but were unable to locate the team or to establish radio contact. On 05 May, aerial observers noted signal mirror flashes near the insertion point and sighted two men in dark green fatigues placing signal panels. Although no radio contact was made with the team, helicopters with a rescue team were launched at 1500 hours but could not make the insertion because of bad weather. Fixed-wing FACs remained overhead until 1700 without contacting or sighting the team. On 06 May weather again prohibited search attempts, and on 07 May hostile fire in the area prevented the insertion of a rescue team. Poor weather then set in, preventing insertion of a search team until 14 May. The team was extracted the same day without having seen or heard from the missing patrol. Recon Team ASP was given up for lost and the three Americans were placed in Missing in Action status. They were carried as MIA until the Secretary of the Army finally approved Presumptive Findings of Death for the three men - Bingham on 27 May 77, Luttrell on 20 Oct 78, and Walton on 12 Oct 78. Their remains were never recovered.
Photo Courtesy Ken Conboy and James Morrison. VN Magazine-Aug 2001
Recon Team Asp
Recon Team Asp, 69. Left standing Mel Westerfield; Opposit Lo Van An (Sole survivor of Asp's last mission).
Note from the Virtual Wall:
On 3 May 1971 Reconnaissance Team ASP was inserted into the area south of the A Shau Valley about 9 miles east of the Lao/SVN border. The six-man team's mission was to observe and report on enemy activity along a tributary of the Ho Chi Minh Trail which entered SVN at this point. The team consisted of
- SSgt Klaus J. Bingham;
- SSgt James M. Luttrell;
- SSgt Lewis C. Walton; and
- five Montagnard troops, names unknown.
The insertion was successful and apparently went undetected by the North Vietnamese. After an initial radio report the team proceeded under radio silence - and disappeared. On 04 May, forward air controllers searched the area but were unable to locate the team or to establish radio contact. On 05 May, aerial observers noted signal mirror flashes near the insertion point and sighted two men in dark green fatigues placing signal panels. Although no radio contact was made with the team, helicopters with a rescue team were launched at 1500 hours but could not make the insertion because of bad weather. Fixed-wing FACs remained overhead until 1700 without contacting or sighting the team. On 06 May weather again prohibited search attempts, and on 07 May hostile fire in the area prevented the insertion of a rescue team. Poor weather then set in, preventing insertion of a search team until 14 May. The team was extracted the same day without having seen or heard from the missing patrol. Recon Team ASP was given up for lost and the three Americans were placed in Missing in Action status. They were carried as MIA until the Secretary of the Army finally approved Presumptive Findings of Death for the three men - Bingham on 27 May 77, Luttrell on 20 Oct 78, and Walton on 12 Oct 78. Their remains were never recovered.
Photo Courtesy Ken Conboy and James Morrison. VN Magazine-Aug 2001