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Unaccounted For:

Captain David Leverett Leet, Somers, Wisconsin

Accounted For:

The following text comes from a Tom Socha Facebook post on the KAVV Facebook page. That post included 85 photos. This is the text from that post, I need to request permission if we are to post those photos on this site.

SSG James VanBendegom, Kenohsa, WI – Final Homecoming.
November 9, 2014

Today, in Kenosha, WI we welcomed home one of our own. A fallen soldier of the Vietnam War, who has remained missing for 47 years. Today, the remains of Sgt. James Lee Van Bendegom return home to be buried and to be honored as a true American Hero.

On July 12, 1967, SP4 Martin S. Frank, PFC Nathan B. Henry, Sgt. Cordine McMurray, PFC Stanley A. Newell, PFC Richard R. Perricone, SP4 James F. Schiele and PFC James L. Van Bendegom, all members of Company B, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, were conducting a search and destroy mission along the Cambodian border when their position was overrun by the Viet Cong. With the exception of Schiele, all the men were captured. The U.S. Army notes that Schiele and Van Bendegom were captured by the North Vietnamese, while the others, apparently, were captured by Viet Cong

PFC Van Bendegom was also wounded in the engagement, and was seen alive by other Americans captured in the same battle about one week after his capture at a communist field hospital in Cambodia, not far from his capture location. One of the released Americans was later told by the commanding North Vietnamese officer at his prison camp in Cambodia that SP4 Van Bendegom had died of his wounds. Van Bendegom was categorized as a Prisoner of War. His remains were identified by DNA testing in 2014, 47 years after he was listed at MIA.
He was posthumously promoted to Sergeant while missing in action.
Above paragraph by Randolph Stricland VFW Post 7308

  • Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
  • Vietnam (PMSEA)
  • Report for WISCONSIN
  • (Accounted For – Identified Since 1973)
Remains ID DateNameRank/RateMilitary ServiceService NumberUnitDate of LossConflict Era StatusCountry of ReturnCountry of CasualtyCase Profile
6/6/00ALLARD, MICHAEL JOHNO3NAVY657393VA 153 USS CORAL SEA CVA 438/30/67RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGVIETNAMNorth Vietnamhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000sPLzUEAW
8/23/12ALLEN, MERLIN RAYELCplMARINE CORPS21632276/30/67RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGVIETNAMSouth Vietnamhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000oW60cEAC
11/1/96BILLIPP, NORMAN KARLO3MARINE CORPS94392VMO-6 MAG39 1MAW5/6/69RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGLAOSLaoshttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000qQS4MEAW
3/30/05BLACKMAN, THOMAS JOSEPHE2MARINE CORPS2398632D BTRY 2 BN 13 RGT 1 MARDIV5/10/68RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGVIETNAMSouth Vietnamhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000tokraEAA
10/25/77DAWSON, CLYDE DUANEMajAIR FORCE455853/23/66RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGVIETNAMNorth Vietnamhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000sxxItEAI
10/2/95FELLENZ, CHARLES RICHARDCMSgtAIR FORCE16631045RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGLAOShttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000sjb0BEAQ
9/4/07FISCHER, RICHARD WILLIAME3MARINE CORPS2319998M CO 3BN 5MAR 1DIV1/8/68RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGVIETNAMSouth Vietnamhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000oyVFEEA2
2/19/99HARTZHEIM, JOHN FRANCISPO2NAVY91778562/27/68RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGLAOSLaoshttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000tnW7qEAE
3/30/05HEYNE, RAYMOND THOMASE3MARINE CORPS2260312D BTRY 2 BN 13 RGT 1 MARDIV5/10/68RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGVIETNAMSouth Vietnamhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000toktHEAQ
10/27/95MELTON, TODD MICHAELSSgtAIR FORCE68068656RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGLAOShttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000vCGroEAG
1/27/15RICHARDSON, DALE WAYNEMAJARMY5419897CO D 2BN 34 AR 25 INF DIV5/2/70RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGCAMBODIAhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000oCQuuEAG
11/22/04TYCZ, JAMES NEILSgtMARINE CORPS20827675/10/67RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGVIETNAMSouth Vietnamhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000w1LKhEAM
8/26/14VAN BENDEGOM, JAMES LEESSGARMY56456268CO B 1BN 12 INF 4 INF DIV7/12/67ACCOUNTED FOR – PREVIOUSLY
MISSING, KILLED or CAPTIVE
CAMBODIAhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000vZtqJEAS
3/23/76VOLLMER, VALENTINE BERNARDSP4ARMY RA169655442/16/68RESOLVED, PREVIOUSLY MISSINGVIETNAMSouth Vietnamhttps://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000tdLhBEAU
This list was prepared by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). 
Please visit our web site at https://www.dpaa.mil/Our-Missing/Vietnam-War/Vietnam-War-POW-MIA-List/ for updates to this list and otherofficial missing personnel data lists.

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