TITLE: I WILL NEVER FORGET …. An Analysis of the
the POW/MIA Episode in the War in Southeast Asia
Author: Harold E. Johnson, Colonel, USAF
A synoptic, personal analysis of the situations
associated with those Americans lost in Southeast Asia
(SEA) from 1962 to 1979 and considered as Prisoners of War
(POW) or as missing in action (MIA). The geographic loss
points, prisoner treatment, indigenous population
attitudes, and political environment are discussed.
Probable reasons or trends were sought that could explain
why so many who were lost and listed as POW or MIA have not
been accounted for. The author discusses US attempts at
obtaining an accounting from the Communist governments .4
involved and addresses the claims of live sightings of
American prisoners in Vietnam and Laos. He concludes with
the belief that there are still some Amer
Stirring Up a Hornet’s Nest of MiGs: Maj. Leo Thorsness and Capt. Harold Johnson (Sterling, Madison)
On April 19, 1967, Maj. Leo Thorsness (pilot) and Capt. Harold Johnson (EWO) led a Wild Weasel formation on a mission against the Xuan Mai army barracks about 30 miles southwest of Hanoi. After they silenced one SAM site and destroyed another, enemy anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) shot down the accompanying
