MIA Sgt. Alan Lee Boyer, Green Beret, coming home

By Margaret Downing

Reporter

ROCKFORD – The local VietNow Rockford Charter Chapter recently received some long awaited news. The Chapter, some years past, “adopted” MIA mom, Dorothy Boyer and named their Chapter after her son, Alan Lee Boyer, who was listed as Missing in Action in Laos in 1968.

Alan’s father, Charles died in 1995, and Dorothy passed away in 2013 at the age of 92. She had spent her whole life, along with daughter Judy, after Alan went missing, by supporting the search for our country’s MIAs and POWs.

Dorothy and Judy became active members in the National League of POW-MIA Families

Alan’s remains were recently located earlier this year.

Local Rockford Charter Chapter of VietNow members Bruce Jacobsen and Darrell Gilgan provided the following information:

“On 28 March 1968, a mixed US/Vietnamese reconnaissance patrol was operating about 15 miles inside Laos northeast of Tchepone. The patrol consisted of seven Vietnamese soldiers (Tigers) and three U.S. Special Forces troops: Sgt. Alan L. Boyer, Sgt. Charles G. Huston, and SFC George R. Brown. The three Americans were assigned to the MACV Studies and Observation Group, Command and Control North, Forward Operating Base 4.

“When the patrol made contact with an unknown enemy force, they requested ex-filtration by helicopter. The terrain in the area precluded a landing and instead the helicopter hovered and lowered a rope ladder for the team to climb up to board the aircraft.

“Six of the Vietnamese had already climbed to the aircraft, the seventh was climbing aboard, and Sergeant Boyer was on the ladder when the helicopter began receiving heavy automatic weapons fire which forced the crew to break hover and leave the area.

“As the helicopter moved off the rope ladder broke away, dropping Sergeant Boyer to the ground. When last seen by the helicopter crew Sergeants Huston and Brown were on the ground alive and apparently unwounded.

“On 01 April 1968 a search team was inserted into the area and searched for 6 hours but failed to locate any evidence of the three men.

As time passed without any information on the three men, their survival became increasingly unlikely. After a decade, the Secretary of the Army approved presumptive Findings of Death for Huston (26 Jan 1977), Brown (12 May 1977), and Boyer (8 Jan 1979). Their remains have not been repatriated (at the time of this writing).”

In a communication from Alan’s sister, Judy, who lives in Leesburg, Fla., comes the following information, which was also provided by Bruce Jacobsen and Darrell Gilgan of VietNow:

“On March 7 (2016), the eve of what would have been Alan’s 70th birthday, the Army (Mr. Michael Mee) called with news: Remains were identified by DNA as Alan’s.

“The DNA match to the samples mom and I gave many years ago were truly amazing. The lab said it is the strongest match they have seen yet! I received a thick report with many more details. I was also presented with Alan’s medals -including the Silver Star (3rd highest military decoration awarded) and Purple Heart.

“Thank you for your many years of support and prayers for Alan and my beloved mom and dad. Now we all know (what happened to Alan).

“I will continue to do all I can to support the League of Families in their priority of achieving their longstanding objective –the fullest possible accounting – 1) the missing man is returned alive; or 2) his remains recovered and identified; or 3) convincing evidence as to why neither is possible, in which case he will remain forever as unrecovered and all information that relates or may relate will be provided to the next-of-kin, who will then have the certainty of knowing the U.S. Government did its very best to bring him home to his family & our Nation. Please remember all the POW/MIAs who still remain unaccounted for. Their families still wait.”

Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors at 1 p.m. on June 22, 2016.

The 101st Congress designated Sept. 21, 1990 as POW-MIA Day. The 102nd Congress designated Sept. 20, 1991 and Sept. 18, 1992 as POW-MIA Day. The 103rd Congress designated Sept. 10, 1993 and Sept. 16, 1994 as “National POW-MIA Day,” and authorized display of the National League of Families POW/MIA flag. Rep. G. V. Montgomery introduced H.J. Res. 376, an amendment to the Constitution, designating the third Friday of September of each year as “National POW/MIA Recognition Day” and it didn’t pass, but the President annually honors `National POW/MIA Recognition Day’ on the third Friday of each September through Presidential proclamation.

Courtesy photo
Dorothy Boyer and daughter Judy Boyer Bouchard are pictured with a photo of son and brother, Sgt. Alan L. Boyer.