If you knew or served with this Soldier and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
On August 10, 1971, CAPT Paul J. Bates, pilot and SP5 Thomas A. Dolan, observer, were flying an O-1G (serial #51-2267) conducting a visual reconnaissance mission in Quang Tri, South Vietnam when their aircraft crashed and burned. At 1455 hours that day, CAPT Bates was trying to show the pilot of an accompanying aircraft a target in the area. A few minutes later, his aircraft appeared to fly into the trees and disappear. The accompanying aicraft flew to the crash site and observed the wreckage located on a slope. There were no signs of anyone moving about the area or any bodies near the wreckage. Shortly after the crash, the aircraft began to burn. Several aircraft conducted search operations for survivors with no success. Those witnessing the crash and those conducting the search operations believed that it was extremely unlikely that CAPT Bates or SP5 Dolan could have survived the crash or escaped the fire. The cabin section, half of the wings, and part of the tail were completely destroyed by the crash and fire. Because of the difficult terrain and lack of visual indication of survivors, no ground search was made. In spite of the grave outlook of the fates of Bates and Dolan, the Army did not declare them killed, but as Missing in Action. Reasons for this determination are not known. [Narrative taken from pownetwork.org; image from wikipedia.org]
POSTED BY: DAVID L AYERS, CPT USAR (RETIRED) MY ROOMMATE AND BEST FRIEND AT INFANTRY OCS: PJ and I first met when we reported for Infantry OCS at "Benning School For Boys" in October of 1968. We ended up sharing a room for six months, 24 hours a day. In that time we became very close friends and minor trouble-makers in our OCS Company. I last saw PJ at Ft Rucker (he in fixed-wing and me in helicopter flight shool) the day before I graduated from flight school. That would have been 15 June 1970. My wife and I both loved him as a brother. To this day I love, miss, and remember him fondly. Hopefully someday a full accounting will be made of PJ and so many others that our country abdandoned in South East Asia.
Other Comments:
My Son, (JAY) Paul Jr, Jay was an Air Force brat, and as such he went to schools in Phoenix, Alaska, Massachusetts, and graduated high school in Enid, Oklahoma. Later he attended ASU where he was the top student in the Air Force ROTC. Because he took two years off school to serve a mission for his church in Scotland, and made changes in his major, he was not able to graduate. He was dropped by ROTC and picked up by the draft board on the same day in 1968. Rather than be drafted, he joined the Army to secure flight training. He made Staff Sergeant in 7 months, then went to OCS, where he was Honor Grad. While waiting for assignment to flight school, he went to jump school and got his paratrooper wings. After completion of flight training, he was assigned to Viet Nam. From September, 1970 to August, 1971, he earned the Air Medal and the Purple Heart, in addition to the National Defense Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, and Viet Nam Campaign Ribbon he had already earned. He achieved the rank of Captain and the nickname, among others, of "Magnet Ass" because his plane was shot at so often. He was finally shot down on August 10, 1971. Jay was very well liked by all who knew him and will be remembered with love and respect as a man of integrity by all his friends and family.
Description This campaign was from 1 July to 30 November 1971. This period witnessed additional progress in the Vietnamization program which included turning over the ground war to South Vietnam, sustaining the withdrawal of U.S. troops, but also continuing, U.S. air strikes on enemy targets.
South Vietnam assumed full control of defense for the area immediately below the demilitarized zone on 11 July, a process begun in 1969. Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird announced completion of Phase I of Vietnamization on 11 August which meant that the U.S. relinquished all ground combat responsibilities to the Republic of Vietnam. The participation of U.S. forces in ground combat operations had not ceased, however, U.S. maneuver battalions were still conducting missions, and the 101st Airborne Division joined the 1st Army of Vietnam 1st Infantry Division in Operation JEFFERSON GLEN that took place in Thua Thien Province in October. This was the last major combat operation in Vietnam which involved U.S. ground forces. Following the close of Operation JEFFERSON GLEN on 8 October, the 101st began stand-down procedures and was the last U.S. division to leave Vietnam.
U.S. troop strengths decreased during Consolidation I. American battle deaths for July 1971 were 66, the lowest monthly figure since May 1967. By early November, U.S. troop totals dropped to 191,000, the lowest level since December 1965. In early November, President Nixon announced that American troops had reverted to a defensive role in Vietnam.
