Seeking Answers for Baron 52 – Time for DPAA to Act

The Untold Story of Baron 52

For those unfamiliar with the saga of Baron 52, it’s a haunting chapter of the Vietnam War that continues to echo with unanswered questions. On the night of February 4-5, 1973, an EC-47Q electronic warfare aircraft, call sign Baron 52, took off from a Thai air base on a covert mission to intercept communications along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in southern Laos, between Ban Bac and Chavane along PAVN Route 128. Carrying eight American crew members, the plane was tasked with eavesdropping on North Vietnamese operations, just days after the Paris Peace Accords were signed, promising the release of U.S. POWs. At 1:25 a.m., the crew reported taking anti-aircraft fire, but that was the last anyone heard from them. The aircraft crashed in the Laotian jungle a few kilometers from the Ho Chi Minh Trail, sparking a mystery that has lingered for over five decades.

Two days later, a U.S. search-and-rescue team found the wreckage, discovering three crew members still strapped in their seats in the cockpit, burned beyond recognition. Yet, there was no trace of the remaining four “back-end” crew members—navigator Capt. Arthur R. Bollinger, and Morse operators Sgt. Dale Brandenburg, Staff Sgt. Todd Melton, Sgt. Peter Cressman, and Sgt. Joseph “Kiwi” Matejov—who operated the plane’s sophisticated listening equipment. The SAR team, hampered by time and fear of booby traps, retrieved only one partial body, 1st Lt. Robert Bernhardt, leaving the fate of the others uncertain. 

Adding to the intrigue, a U.S. reconnaissance plane intercepted a North Vietnamese radio transmission just 5.5 hours after the crash, stating, “Group 210 has four pirates, they are going to the control of Mr. Van… from 44 to 93, with difficulties moving along the road.” This suggested that four survivors might have been captured, a possibility bolstered by the missing cargo door and open lap belt buckles found during a 1993 excavation. Despite this, the Air Force quickly declared all eight crew members killed in action (KIA), a decision that families like the Matejovs have contested for 52 years. In 1996, a group burial at Arlington National Cemetery was held for remains recovered from the site—approximately 23 bone fragments, a single tooth, and various personal effects. However, these remains were insufficient to account for eight crew members, with scientists unable to confirm they were even human, let alone identifiable. Many relatives, including Joe’s family, opposed the burial, arguing it prematurely closed the case despite lingering doubts about survivors.

The story gained renewed attention through a recent investigation by Investigative Journalist, Ken McLaughlin for The War Horse (published February 2, 2025), which unearthed declassified documents, oral histories, and personal accounts. It highlights the efforts of families like the Matejovs, who have fought for accountability, and experts like retired Col. Ralph Wetterhahn, who argue the plane’s shallow crash landing likely allowed back-end survivors to escape. The article also reveals a 2016 hearing where new evidence suggested some crew members might have been captured alive and died in captivity, yet the Air Force upheld the KIA ruling.

A Call to Action for the DPAA

As a POW/MIA researcher and representative for Sgt. Joseph Matejov, I’ve dedicated years to uncovering the truth about Baron 52. Recently, we delivered a comprehensive document to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) representative in Laos during a meeting with Mike Henshaw, director of the Asymmetric POW/MIA Accounting Group (AMAG). This document, comprising memoranda, crash site analyses, declassified PAVN intercepts, and detailed rebuttals to prior Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) conclusions, includes my own analysis, Wetterhahn’s crash survivability study, and critical evidence tying the “four pirates” intercept to the Baron 52 crew via Lt. Col. Luong Khanh Van, a political officer of the 377th Air Defense Division. It also identifies other PAVN units, such as the 210th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment under Major Hoang Dinh Cuu and the 471st Regional Command, potentially involved in the incident. Submitted in hard copy and electronically over a week ago, the DPAA representative acknowledged receipt and promised to pass it to the DPAA HQ Leadership Team and Key Staff, but we’ve heard nothing since.

This silence is unacceptable. The DPAA’s mission is to provide the “fullest possible accounting” for our missing servicemen, yet like in many other cases they seem to be dragging their feet on a case with compelling new evidence that challenges the crew’s “resolved” status. The families of Baron 52—especially the Matejovs, who lost a beloved son and brother—deserve answers. The intercepted communication, the crash survivability data, the open lap belts, and the identification of “Mr. Van” as a political officer tasked with high-value POWs strongly suggest that four crew members may have survived and been captured. The 1996 burial, based on scant and inconclusive remains, does not resolve this case—it underscores the need for further investigation. This is not a cold case to be ignored; it’s a living wound for the families and a stain on our commitment to “no man left behind.”

I urge the DPAA to act swiftly. Review the document we submitted, initiate a formal investigation in collaboration with the Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP), and interview surviving PAVN officers from the 471st Regional Division, 377th Air Defense Division, and 210th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment, including Luong Khanh Van, Major Hoang Dinh Cuu, or their associates. The precedent for such interviews exists, as seen in DPAA and DIA’s Stony Beach program for other “resolved” cases like REFNO 1600. The time for DPAA to act is NOW before these now elderly men take what they might know to their grave, robbing the families of closure and the chance to bring their brothers home! The public deserves transparency, and the families deserve this closure. Over 52 years has passed since the capture of the Baron 52 crew—how much longer must they wait? I call on the DPAA to honor its mandate and respond to our request with the urgency and respect this case demands. The eyes of the nation, and the families of the 1,600 still unaccounted for, are watching. 

Join the Fight

If you’re moved by this story, share it, talk about it, and request the DPAA to act. Visit The War Horse to read the full investigation and learn more about the Matejov family’s decades-long struggle. You can also listen to our podcast, Stories of Sacrifice: American POW/MIAs, where we dive deeper into cases like Baron 52 and honor the unaccounted-for heroes. Together, we can ensure no hero like Sgt. Joseph Matejov is left behind—neither in life nor in memory.

Stay tuned for updates as we refine this post and continue our push for justice. Comments and support are welcome—let’s keep the pressure on! 

Link to full April 2025 DPAA Request For Investigation:

Summary for DPAA and DIA: Request for Investigation into Baron 52 Incident and Engagement with VNOSMP