John Arthur Boronski, Ganoe Berman Jr, John Charles Hosken, Rudy Morales Becerra,
Michael Davis O'Donnell, Gary Allen Harned, & Jerry Lynn Pool all MIA
Compiled by: Joshua Keatts a.k.a. sm00th1
With the help of: Will Stambaugh (lonefox) 
Name: John Arthur Boronski
Rank/Branch: E6/US Army Special Forces
Unit: SOA (MACV-SOG) CCC, 5th Special Forces Group
Date of Birth: 24 July 1944 (North Hampton MA)
Home City of Record: Ware MA
Date of Loss: 24 March 1970
Country of Loss: Cambodia
Loss Coordinates: 142750N 1071816E (YB484003)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Acft/Venicle/Ground: UH1H
Refno: 1578
Name: Berman Ganoe, Jr.
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit:170th Aviation Company, 17th
Aviation Group, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 25 November 1948 (Jacksonville FL)
Home City of Record: Belleview FL
Date of Loss: 24 March 1970
Country of Loss: Cambodia
Loss Coordinates: 142750N 1071816E (YB484003)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Acft/Venicle/Ground: UH1HName: John Charles Hosken
Rank/Branch: W1/US Army
Unit: 170th Aviation Company, 17th
Aviation Group, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 23 August 1947 (Cleveland OH)
Home City of Record: Chagrin Falls OH
Date of Loss: 24 March 1970
Country of Loss: Cambodia
Loss Coordinates: 142750N 1071816E (YB484003)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Acft/Venicle/Ground: UH1H Name: Rudy Morales Becerra
Rank/Branch: E4/US Army
Unit: 170th Aviation Company, 17th
Aviation Group, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 29 October 1950
Home City of Record: Richmond TX
Date of Loss: 24 March 1970
Country of Loss: Cambodia
Loss Coordinates: 142750N 1071816E (YB484003)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Acft/Venicle/Ground: UH1H Name: Michael Davis O'Donnell
Rank/Branch: O3/US Army
Unit: 170th Aviation Company, 17th Aviation Group, 52nd Aviation Battalion,
1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 13 August 1945 (Columbus OH)
Home City of Record: Springfield IL
Date of Loss: 24 March 1970
Country of Loss: Cambodia
Loss Coordinates: 142750N 1071816E (YB484003)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Acft/Venicle/Ground: UH1H Name: Gary Alan Harned
Rank/Branch: E5/US Army Special Forces
Unit: SOA (MACV-SOG), CCN, 5th
Special Forces Group
Date of Birth: 05 July 1950 (Meadsville PA)
Home City of Record: Springboro PA
Date of Loss: 24 March 1970
Country of Loss: Cambodia
Loss Coordinates: 142750N 1071816E (YB484003)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Acft/Venicle/Ground: UH1H Name: Jerry Lynn Pool
Rank/Branch: O2/US Army Special Forces
Unit: SOA (MACV-SOG), CCN, 5th Special Forces
Date of Birth: 02 April 1944 (Sinton TX)
Home City of Record: Freeport IL
Date of Loss: 24 March 1970
Country of Loss: Cambodia
Loss Coordinates: 142750N 1071816E (YB484003)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Acft/Venicle/Ground: UH1H A picture of the UH1H helicopter that crashed March 24, 1970. Picture taken in 1997. Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 July 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, including James E. Lake's account
found in "Life on the Line" by Philip D. Chinnery, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998.REMARKS: SURVIVAL UNLIKELY - PER SAR SYNOPSIS:
Kontum, South Vietnam was in the heart of "Charlie country" --hostile enemy territory. The little town is along the Ia
Drang River, some forty miles north of the city of Pleiku. U.S. forces never had much control over the area. In fact, the area
to the north and east of Kontum was freefire zone where anything and anyone was free game. The Kontum area was home
base to what was known as FOB2 (Forward Observation Base 2), a classified, long-term operations of the Special
Operations Group (SOG) that involved daily operations into Laos and Cambodia. SOG teams operated out of Kontum, but
staged out of Dak To. The mission of the 170th Assault Helicopter Company ("Bikinis") was to perform the insertion,
support, and extraction of these SOG teams deep in the forest on "the other side of the fence" (a term meaning Laos or
Cambodia, where U.S. forces were not allowed to be based). Normally, the teams consisted of two "slicks" (UH1 general
purpose helicopters), two Cobras (AH1 assault helicopters) and other fighter aircraft which served as standby support.
On March 24, 1970, helicopters from the 170th were sent to extract a MACV-SOG long-range reconnaissance patrol
(LRRP) team which was in contact with the enemy about fourteen miles inside Cambodia in Ratanokiri Province. The flight
leader, RED LEAD, serving as one of two extraction helicopters was commanded by James E. Lake. Capt. Michael D.
O'Donnell was the aircraft commander of one of the two cover aircraft (serial #68-15262, RED THREE). His crew
consisted of WO John C. Hoskins, pilot; SP4 Rudy M. Beccera, crew chief; and SP4 Berman Ganoe, gunner.
The MACV-SOG team included 1LT Jerry L. Pool, team leader and team members SSGT John A. Boronsky and SGT
Gary A. Harned as well as five indigenous team members. The team had been in contact with the enemy all night and had
been running and ambusing, but the hunter team pursuing them was relentless and they were exhausted and couldn't continue
to run much longer. when Lake and O'Donnell arrived at the team's location, there was no landing zone (LZ) nearby and they
were unable to extract them immeidately. The two helicopters waited in a high orbit over the area until the team could move to a more suitable extraction point.
While the helicopters were waiting, they were in radio contact with the team. After about 45 minutes in orbit, Lake
received word from LT Pool that the NVA hunter team was right behind them. RED LEAD and RED THREE made a quick trip to Dak To for refueling. RED THREE was left on station in case of an emergency.
When Lake returned to the site, Pool came over the radio and said that if the team wasn't extracted then, it would be too
late. Capt. O'Donnell evaluated the situation and decided to pick them up. He landed on the LZ and was on the ground for
about 4 minutes, and then transmitted that he had the entire team of eight on board. The aircraft was beginning its ascent when
it was hit by enemy fire, and an explosion in the aircraft was seen. The helicopter continued in flight for about 300 meters, then
another explosion occurred, causing the aircraft to crash in the jungle. According to Lake, bodies were blown out the doors
and fell into the jungle. [NOTE: According to the U.S. Army account of the incident, no one was observed to have been thrown from the aircraft during either explosion.]
The other helicopter crewmen were stunned. One of the Cobras, Panther 13, radioed "I don't think a piece bigger than my
head hit the ground." The second explosion was followed by a yellow flash and a cloud of black smoke billowing from the
jungle. Panther 13 made a second high-speed pass over the site and came under fire, but made it away unscathed.
Lake decided to go down and see if there was a way to get to the crash site. As he neared the ground, he was met with
intense ground fire from the entire area. He could not see the crash site since it was under heavy tree cover. There was no
place to land, and the ground fire was withering. He elected to return the extract team to Dak To before more aircraft was
lost. Lake has carried the burden of guilt with him for all these years, and has never forgiven himself for leaving his good friend
O'Donnell and his crew behind. The Army account concludes stating that O'Donnell's aircraft began to burn immediately
upon impact. Aerial search and rescue efforts began immediately; however, no signs of life could be seen around the crash
site. Because of the enemy situation, attempts to insert search teams into the area were futile. SAR efforts were discontinued
on April 18. Search and rescue teams who surveyed the site reported that they did not hold much hope for survival for the men aboard, but lacking proof that they were dead, the Army declared all 7 missing in action.
For every patrol like that of the MACV-SOG LRRP team that was detected and stopped, dozens of other commando
teams safely slipped past NVA lines to strike a wide range of targets and collect vital information. The number of
MACV-SOG missions conducted with Special Forces reconnaissance teams into Laos and Cambodia was 452 in 1969. It
was the most sustained American campaign of raiding, sabotage and intelligence gathering waged on foreign soil in U.S.
military history. MACV-SOG's teams earned a global reputation as one of the most combat effective deep penetration forces
ever raised. By 1990 over 10,000 reports have been received by the U.S. Government concerning men missing in Southeast
Asia. The government of Cambodia has stated that it would like to return a number of American remains to the U.S. (in fact,
the number of remains mentioned is more than are officially listed missing in that country), but the U.S., having no diplomatic relations with Cambodia, refuses to respond officially to that offer.
Most authorities believe there are hundreds of Americans still alive in Southeast Asia today, waiting for their country to
come for them. Whether the LRRP team and helicopter crew is among them doesn't seem likely, but if there is even one American alive, he deserves our ultimate efforts to bring him home.
Michael O'Donnell was recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on March 24, 1970. He was
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart as well as promoted to the rank
of Major following his loss incident. O'Donnell was highly regarded by his friends in the "Bikinis." They knew him as a talented
singer, guitar player and poet. One of his poems has been widely distributed, but few understand that the author remains missing.
If you are able, save them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not
have always. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to
embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.
Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
1 January 1970
Dak To, Vietnam
The most current information available about these men:
On November 16, 1993, during JFA 94-2C, a joint team investigated the location of crash site. The team landed by
helicopter on the top of the small hill about 500 meters south of the valley. The team moved to the reported location of the
crash site, but the one kilometer movement took two and one half hours. The team searched the area, but no evidence of a crash site was found.
On January 18, 1994, a joint team interviewed Le Thanh Minh, of Kontum. Minh reported that in April 1993, while
looking for aluminum, he found the crash site in Cambodia. He said he found human remains, three dog tags, a first aid kit and
a rucksack. He heard that people from Laos had discovered a watch, a gold ring, and an AR15 gun. He said that the crash
site was spread over a 100 meter area. He said that the tail section was visible and was engraved with the number "262". He
gave the dog tags to the team, two were Ganoe's and one belonged to Hoskins. The remains consisted of 15 bones.
In January of 1998, the joint search teams again entered the area of the crash site, and this time were successful in locating
the aircraft. The remains of all of the crew and team members inside were recovered, along with dog tags, weapons, and
other personal effects. These remains are at the Hawaii Veterans Remains Identification Station now awaiting final verification,
and transport to their respective home of record for proper burial. After 29 years, the brave men of the 170th and RT Pennsylvania are coming home in honor.
Although the memory of these men has been put to rest after 29 years, please, remember that there are hundereds of others
who are still listed as POW/MIA. These men made the ultimate sacrifice giving their lives so that our freedom may be preserved. Remember them! Please email your state Representatives and Senators.
Important Email Addresses:
If you would like to take part in returning America's hero's where they belong visit Operation Just Cause or click on the
picture below.
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