Missing Vietnam Soldier To Be Returned To Ga. Family - (Patriot Guard Riders Alert)

[Ghost in the Machine]

Missing Vietnam Soldier To Be Returned To Ga. Family
Posted: 5:05 pm EDT October 16, 2010
Updated: 5:38 pm EDT October 16, 2010

ATLANTA -- After four decades of uncertainty, a Hapeville family will be able to lay its fallen soldier to rest.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert S. Griffith was killed during a mission to extract a reconnaissance patrol in the Vietnam War, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. He and two other servicemen were aboard a UH-1H helicopter when it was shot down by enemy fire in Laos on Feb. 19, 1968, Defense Dept. officials said in a Friday press release.

Several hours after the crash, a recovery team reported seeing remains of at least five people, but enemy activity thwarted the recovery, Defense officials said. The next month, when another team went to finish the job, the bodies were gone, officials said.

In 1995, a joint U.S./Laos Peoples Democratic Republic team traveled to the recorded grid coordinates for the crash site, but found no evidence of a helicopter crash, Defense officials said. They said the team then surveyed a nearby area and found helicopter wreckage and human remains.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/25414548/detail.html

PGR Statewide - GA/AL/FL/TN/NC/SC - SSG Robert S. Griffith, KIA Vietnam, Hapeville, GA, 23 OCT 10

SSG Robert S. Griffith
KIA/MIA Vietnam
Hapeville, GA
23 Oct 10

SSG Griffith will return home to his family after being listed as MIA for more than 42 years. Services will take place Saturday Oct 23. Please post your condolences in the thread below.

http://www.patriotguard.org/Forums/tabid/61/postid/1454893/view/topic/Default.aspx

Vietnam KIA/MIA SSG. Robert S. Griffith Coming Home after 42years.

Here are the staging details for our mission to honor and welcome home SSG Robert S. Griffith

Saturday Oct 23, 2010

Staging Time:

9:45 am

Staging Location:

Parrott Funeral Home & Crematory

8355 Senoia Rd
Fairburn, GA


SSG Griffith will be escorted after the service to his final resting place in Fairburn by the Vietnam Veterans from the PGR who are there. All non Vietnam Veteran PGR Members will depart shortly before the beginning of the service and head for the cemetery. This will allow us to have a flag line in place when SSG Griffith arrives being escorted by his Vietnam brothers.
We would like as many Vietnam Veterans as possible to be there to escort this hero!

Please be advised that, due the the schedule of events, we will be standing in the flag line for an extended period of time. Please make sure that you take a break when needed.


--
Wordsmith
Todd Moyer
Assistant State Captain
Southwest Region
Georgia Ride Captain
706-957-5400

Welcome home, Soldier... you gave all. May you Rest in Peace

[JohnnyLib2]

1. RIP and comforting thoughts for the family.

And thanks for the information.

[Historic NY]

2. Welcome home Sgt Griffith.

[Ghost in the Machine]

3. Shameless kick

:kick:

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Isn't it sadly incredible that, 42 years hence, thos could STILL be going on?

Welcome Home, Sergeant. Our country owes you a debt.

[Dappleganger]

6. For some, it is like yesterday.

Never understood that until we watched our friend go through what he did looking for his father. The father he never knew and it was too painful for his family to talk about it.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. It surely is

Your friend's story is such a circumstance. It never goes away.

I was very fortunate. I never knew personally an MIA. KIAs, yes, but no MIAs.

[Dappleganger]

5. Welcome home, soldier. A very similar thing happened to friends of ours.

HIs father was shot down in VN and they didn't find the body for years. About three years ago our friend was notified by a clearinghouse in Hawaii that they'd identified his father's remains and he could be scheduled for burial in Arlington. Lots of shit had happened when his father went missing--his mom and sister vowed to never talk about it, and our friend had grown up with so many questions about his father which went unanswered (he was only 6 at the time of his MIA). Somehow our friend found his father's wingman who had suffered severe PTSD because of what happened and always felt guilty. Needless to say that even tough it was rough having to deal with skeletons in the closet in the end it turned out well for everyone. HIs mom and sister went into counseling, too. His three kids were able to attend and be a part of the burial which was quite special.

IMO the best thing which happens is that old wounds which never healed right can be given a 2nd chance to do it over. These lost bones can bring families back together which makes it worth it to keep on searching until every last one is HOME.

RIP, Soldier!

[laughingliberal]

7. ...

so sad :cry:

hope this brings some sense of peace and closure to his family.