CW2 Lester Alan Hansen - MIA

[MIA 170th AHC Bikini pilot]

This Email Information Request Received 01/20/2005
for details of MIA 170th Assault Helicopter Pilot
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 19:22:52 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
From: "CaptREChappell" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: CW2 Lester Alan Hansen, MIA

I am a classmate of Hansen and am trying to develop as much information on him as I can. Ultimately, I would like to try to make a trip to Vietnam and see if we can bring him home. I have no concrete plans for a trip at this time but am going to make a project out of this and see how much progress I can make on it.

Any information you might have, any contacts with other 170th guys that know anything, anything at all would be appreciated.

I have no real recollection of Hansen....being in the start of the alphabet....we were not close in the ranks or anything.....but being a classmate.....I felt this was a project worth taking on.

What I am really looking for are witness accounts that can describe with some accuracy where the event took place....what happened....how he came to fall from the skids of the aircraft...which direction they were headed....how far they might have made it from the downed aircraft......all that kind of information.

The incident took place on 13Aug69.....near where the Sang Sung River makes a very sharp bend to the east. As I understand it, Hansen was in the lead aircraft...took some hits and went down as they were inserting a recon team. The second aircraft landed....loaded survivors....was forced to depart in a hurry...Hansen grabbed onto the skids and fell off within a very short time.

If you can help, I would appreciate it. Pass this message to anyone or anyplace you think it would help.

I talked today to the co-pilot of the aircraft that picked Hansen up and was able to get a lot of information. Ronnie Cotton, who lives in Thomaston, GA. talked at length with me about the day in question and seemed very interested in assisting me in the project. I have told everyone that I will keep them posted on my progress and hopefully , in time we will have enough data to convince the Army to go back and look again for Hansen.

Regards,

Ralph Chappell
Geronimo 33

360-701-1790

information request posted for Ralph,
by 170th member (Henry)

[Update CW2 Lester Alan Hansen]

Updated Status Received:

From: CaptREChappell
To: [e-mail]
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 8:55 PM
Subject: Lester Hansen, MIA

George,

I talked to Ronnie Cotton,
612 Jefferson Davis Road,
Thomaston, GA., 30286
(telephone: [phone] or 770-467-4210),
who was the co-pilot of the aircraft that rescued
the downed crew of which Hansen was part.

His recollections are as follows:

Hansen was lead of a pair of gunships, groundfire caused
and engine failure, the aircraft rolled over onto a side during
the landing. All four crew were able to exit the aircraft.
The C&C aircraft of which Cotton was the co-pilot, hovered
over the downed aircraft and the downed crew climbed aboard.
Two guys made it inside the aircraft and the other two were on
the skids when the AC of the aircraft made a decision to depart
due to the hostile groundfire. The third crewmember was pulled
into the aircraft but Hansen fell from the skid at an altitude of
approximately 250-300 feet and at a location about 300
meters east of the downed aircraft. Cotton's recollection is the
downed aircraft was facing a westerly direction.

Cotton said an air and ground search was unsuccessful in finding Hansen,
and the downed aircraft was destroyed where it set.

I admire Ronnie for speaking so freely and answering all of my
questions. He was a great help and I hope to speak with him
again after I develop some more information.

It is important that we identify and locate the other three
crewmembers of the aircraft that attempted the rescue and
any other crews that were involved so as to try to pinpoint
the location that a search should concentrate upon.

Please pass this message along to anyone that could be in a
position to contact anyone else that might be willing to offer up
additional accounts of that day. It would help also to identify
the ground troops that were involved either as the LRRP guys
being inserted that day or that were involved in the ground search.

Any assistance, any information no matter how fragmentary is of value,
so please urge everyone to contribute if they know anything at all.

Regards,

Ralph Chappell
Geronimo 33
336-659-9093

posted for Ralph,
by 170th member (Henry)
FYI: George Crawford - Bikini 6 '70-'71

[August 13 1969]

HANSEN, LESTER ALAN

Name: Lester Alan Hansen
Rank/Branch: W2/US Army
Unit: 170th Aviation Company, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 01 July 1942 (Durango CO)
Home City of Record: Pueblo CO
Date of Loss: 13 August 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 141512N 1074200E (YA912773)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1C
Refno: 1481
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: CW2 Hansen was the pilot of a UH1C on a reconnaissance team
insertion mission on August 13 1969. The team was to be inserted at a LZ in
southern Kontum Province, South Vietnam at a point where the Sang Sung River
turns sharply to the east.

As the helicopter approached the landing zone in the lead position, it was
struck with small arms fire and crashed. Another helicopter in the flight
immediately responded and began extracting the crew. Small arms fire caused
the rescue helicopter to take off early, and CW2 Hansen was not able to get
aboard. However, he did grab the skid, but as the aircraft gained altitude,
CW2 Hanson was unable to maintain his grip and fell about 100-500 feet.

Extensive air and ground searches were conducted for the next 4 days without
revealing any trace of CW2 Hansen. He was listed Missing In Action. Hansen's
family knew there was a possibility that he had survived to be captured, and
waited for the war to end.

When the war ended, and 591 Americans were released from communist prison
camps, Lester A. Hansen was not among them. He was one of roughly 3000
Americans who were not accounted for.

Twenty years after he fell from the helicopter skids, the number of missing
has decreased due to the return of remains and resolution of cases, to under
2500. Hansen has never been found.

While the "number" of men missing has decreased, an alarming increase in
reports has escaped Vietnam of Americans still alive and captive there. Many
authorities believe that there are hundreds of Americans still prisoner.
Whether Lester A. Hansen is among them is unknown. What is certain, however,
is that as long as there is even one American being held against his will,
we owe him our best efforts to bring him home.

www.pownetwork.org/bios/h/h106.htm

=======================================

Name: CW2 Lester Alan Hansen
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 08/13/69 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Declared dead on 03/16/77.
Age at death: 27.1
Date of Birth: 07/01/42
Home City: Pueblo, CO
Service: reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 170 AHC
Flight class: 68-9
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 19W-032
Short Summary: Fell about 100 feet from rescue aircraft skid. Only crew member lost.
Aircraft: UH-1C tail number 66-15136
Call sign: Buccaneers
SSN: 521521268
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: SVN-BNR
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: *
Location: Kontum Province II Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant - no denominational preference
This record was last updated on 07/14/91

170th.org/GoldBook/66-15136.html

MIA Information posted
by 170th member (Henry)

[1Lt USAF Terry Leve]

I began wearing a MIA bracelet for W2 Lester Alan Hansen while in AF ROTC in the 80s. I'm sorry to say that the bracelet broke today. Lester, your name is no longer on my wrist but you and our brothers and sisters are not forgotten.

[paulghorton]

Feb 26, 2005 23:09:38 GMT -6 August 13 1969 said:

HANSEN, LESTER ALAN

Name: Lester Alan Hansen
Rank/Branch: W2/US Army
Unit: 170th Aviation Company, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade
Date of Birth: 01 July 1942 (Durango CO)
Home City of Record: Pueblo CO
Date of Loss: 13 August 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 141512N 1074200E (YA912773)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1C
Refno: 1481
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: CW2 Hansen was the pilot of a UH1C on a reconnaissance team
insertion mission on August 13 1969. The team was to be inserted at a LZ in
southern Kontum Province, South Vietnam at a point where the Sang Sung River
turns sharply to the east.

As the helicopter approached the landing zone in the lead position, it was
struck with small arms fire and crashed. Another helicopter in the flight
immediately responded and began extracting the crew. Small arms fire caused
the rescue helicopter to take off early, and CW2 Hansen was not able to get
aboard. However, he did grab the skid, but as the aircraft gained altitude,
CW2 Hanson was unable to maintain his grip and fell about 100-500 feet.

Extensive air and ground searches were conducted for the next 4 days without
revealing any trace of CW2 Hansen. He was listed Missing In Action. Hansen's
family knew there was a possibility that he had survived to be captured, and
waited for the war to end.

When the war ended, and 591 Americans were released from communist prison
camps, Lester A. Hansen was not among them. He was one of roughly 3000
Americans who were not accounted for.

Twenty years after he fell from the helicopter skids, the number of missing
has decreased due to the return of remains and resolution of cases, to under
2500. Hansen has never been found.

While the "number" of men missing has decreased, an alarming increase in
reports has escaped Vietnam of Americans still alive and captive there. Many
authorities believe that there are hundreds of Americans still prisoner.
Whether Lester A. Hansen is among them is unknown. What is certain, however,
is that as long as there is even one American being held against his will,
we owe him our best efforts to bring him home.

www.pownetwork.org/bios/h/h106.htm

=======================================

Name: CW2 Lester Alan Hansen
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 08/13/69 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Declared dead on 03/16/77.
Age at death: 27.1
Date of Birth: 07/01/42
Home City: Pueblo, CO
Service: reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 170 AHC
Flight class: 68-9
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 19W-032
Short Summary: Fell about 100 feet from rescue aircraft skid. Only crew member lost.
Aircraft: UH-1C tail number 66-15136
Call sign: Buccaneers
SSN: 521521268
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: SVN-BNR
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: *
Location: Kontum Province II Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant - no denominational preference
This record was last updated on 07/14/91

170th.org/GoldBook/66-15136.html

MIA Information posted
by 170th member (Henry)

[John Foulks]

Sept 21, 2013 18:31:26 GMT -6 1Lt USAF Terry Leve said:

I began wearing a MIA bracelet for W2 Lester Alan Hansen while in AF ROTC in the 80s. I'm sorry to say that the bracelet broke today. Lester, your name is no longer on my wrist but you and our brothers and sisters are not forgotten.I found an MIA bracelet for CWO2 Lester Hansen in my step-fathers belongings. I would be honored to give it to you. Contact me via email at [e-mail] Put Hansen's name in the header in case it directs to my spam folder.

John Foulks

[John Foulks]

I found an MIA bracelet for CWO2 Lester Hansen in my step-fathers belongings. I would be honored to give it to you. Contact me via email at [e-mail] Put Hansen's name in the header in case it directs to my spam folder.