The
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Last Known Activity
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.
Comments/Citation
UPDATE
The Library of Congress recently has made available
documentation
regarding US POW/MIA personnel and
a search of the documentation
regarding RT ASP has produced
additional information. In 1993, a JTF-
FA team visited the locale and interviewed long-time
residents,
including several who were involved
in the fighting which destroyed
Recon Team ASP. In summary, a forty-man local militia (VC) force
tracked down the team, killing the
three Americans and one ARVN. On 04
May the remaining four ARVNs were
sighted trying to signal search
aircraft, were attacked, and were
killed. The militiamen said the
bodies were left where they fell -
none were buried. An initial
exploration of the battle sites
failed to locate anything of material
importance.
In 2003 a JTF-FA team returned to the village. Although
initial
searches and excavations recovered
only limited personal effects the
site was recommended for continued
investigation. In 2004 excavations
recovered additional personal
effects, including a distinctive Saint
Christopher's medal, and very
fragmented remains which were
repatriated to the
the remains were approved as being
those of Lewis C. Walton.
SFC Walton's son, SFC Lewis Clark Walton Jr., 115th MP
Company, Rhode
Island National Guard, traveled to
home. The younger SFC Walton, now a
veteran of two tours of duty in
in
A Mass of Christian Burial was held May 5th 2007 at Saint
Anthony's
Church,
the