Congress Must Act to Ensure DPAA Addresses Baron 52 Request

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is entrusted with providing the fullest possible accounting for U.S. service members missing from past conflicts. For the families of Baron 52—an EC-47Q aircraft shot down over Laos on February 5, 1973, with eight crew members aboard—this mission is a promise of closure. Yet, despite compelling evidence suggesting some crew members survived the crash, the DPAA has ignored our requests for a renewed investigation, assigning a Public Affairs Officer (PAO) as the sole point of contact. This inadequate response demands congressional action to ensure the DPAA acts with urgency and transparency.

The Baron 52 Mystery

Baron 52 was on a covert radio intercept mission along the Ho Chi Minh Trail when it was struck by anti-aircraft fire. A U.S. search-and-rescue team found the wreckage days later, recovering remains of one crew members but finding no trace of the “back-end” crew: Capt. Arthur R. Bollinger, Sgt. Dale Brandenburg, Sgt. Peter R. Cressman, Sgt. Joseph A. Matejov, and SSgt Todd Melton. A North Vietnamese radio intercept, captured 5.5 hours post-crash, reported “Group 210 has four pirates,” suggesting survivors were taken captive. Open lap belts and a missing cargo door, noted in a 1993 excavation, support this theory.

Despite this evidence, the Air Force declared all eight crew members killed in action (KIA). A 1996 group burial at Arlington, based on 23 bone fragments and a tooth, was deemed conclusive by the DPAA, though families, including the Matejovs, contested it, citing insufficient remains and unaddressed survivor leads. A 2016 review, prompted by family advocacy and new evidence, upheld the KIA status, ignoring declassified documents and expert analyses suggesting captivity.

DPAA’s Inaction and Systemic Issues

Our recent submission to the DPAA—a comprehensive dossier including crash survivability studies, declassified intercepts, and rebuttals to prior Defense Intelligence Agency conclusions—has met with silence. Delivered to a DPAA representative in Laos, it identifies North Vietnamese units and officers potentially involved, urging collaboration with the Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP). Yet, DPAA’s senior leadership has delegated communication to a PAO, who lacks the authority to advance the investigation.

This reflects broader DPAA challenges. With over 80,000 service members still unaccounted for, the agency struggles with resource constraints and prioritization. Congressional hearings in 2019 highlighted inefficiencies, yet cases like Baron 52, with viable leads, remain sidelined. Assigning a PAO to families seeking answers signals a lack of accountability and punting the families down the road! 

Why Congress Must Act

Congress has the power to ensure the DPAA fulfills its mission. We call for:

1. Mandated Investigation: Direct the DPAA to review Baron 52, engaging VNOSMP to interview surviving North Vietnamese officers.
2. Family Engagement Protocols: Require direct access to case officers, not PAOs, with clear response timelines.
3. Enhanced Oversight: Hold hearings to assess DPAA’s handling of high-priority cases, including family testimony.
4. Resource Allocation: Fund targeted investigations for cases with credible survivor evidence.

Call to Action

For 52 years, the families of Baron 52 have fought for truth. The DPAA’s inaction dishonors their sacrifice and the nation’s “no one left behind” ethos. Congress must compel the agency to act before living witnesses pass away, robbing families of closure and the opportunity to bring their loved one home who sacrificed his life for this Nation! Urge your representatives to demand accountability. Share this story, exploreThe War Horse’s investigation, and listen to Stories of Sacrifice for more on Baron 52. Together, we can honor Sgt. Joseph Matejov and his crew. It’s time for Congress to ACT! 

Learn more at https://www.storiesofsacrifice.org/blog/baron-52--time-for-dpaa-to-act-1/