Dan Heller 
Name: Perry Henry Jefferson
Memorials: Find a Grave 1 2 3 Vietnam Wall Wall of Faces
Rank/Branch: Major/USAF
Unit: 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron 35th Tactical Fighter Wing Phan Rang Airbase South Vietnam
Date of Birth: 18 August 1931
Home of Record: Denver, CO
Date of Loss: 3 April 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 114300N 1091200E (BP750005)
Status in 1973: Missing in Action
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: O-1G “Bird Dog” Serial No. 51-12078
Other Personnel In Incident: Arthur G. Ecklund (missing)
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: The Cessna 0-1 was one of the most versatile and exceedingly useful fixed-wing aircraft in Southeast Asia. From 1962 on, the US Army and Marine Corps, as well as the South Vietnamese Army and Marine Corps, were among the early operators of the two-seat Bird Dog. Because it was built to take a great deal of punishment, and was suited to a wide variety of tasks, it was used virtually throughout the entire war.
On 3 April 1969, US Army 1Lt. Arthur Ecklund, pilot; and Air Force intelligence officer then Capt. Perry Jefferson, observer; comprised the crew of an 0-1G, call sign “Seahorse 78,” on a visual reconnaissance mission. This was no ordinary aircrew. Artie Ecklund was an experienced pilot in both helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft and Perry Jefferson was a highly skilled intelligence officer who was wrapping up his tour of duty in Vietnam. This flight was to be his final local air reconnaissance mission before rotating back to the United States.
They departed Phan Rang Airbase at 0655 hours in their Bird Dog and the last radio contact with the crew was at 0738 hours. At that time, 1Lt. Ecklund reported they were flying over the populated and forested mountains approximately 30 miles southwest of Cam Ranh Bay Airbase, 8 miles north of Phan Rang Airbase, and 19 miles west of the coastline, Ninh Thuan Province, South Vietnam. Further, he reported information pertaining to an enemy convoy they spotted along with their intent to investigate it more thoroughly. No undue concern was felt when the crew of Seahorse 78 failed to make their scheduled radio check at 0808 hours. However, a few minutes later the command center attempted to make contact without success.
By 0950 hours, an extensive search and rescue (SAR) effort was initiated utilizing all available aircraft. These air operations continued for nine days over the area of loss. Because it was heavily occupied by Viet Cong (VC) forces, no ground search was possible. During this time, one faint emergency beeper signal was heard for several seconds, but because it was heard for such a short time, it could not be homed in on. Likewise, because of the low speed and excellent gliding capability of the Bird Dog, both the US Army and Air Force believed its crew had a very good chance of survival. At the time formal SAR efforts were terminated, both Artie Ecklund and Perry Jefferson were listed Missing in Action.
Within two weeks of loss, on 15 April 1969, agent intelligence reports stating that the VC shot down an aircraft with two Americans in it between Phan Rang and Cam Ranh City. The reports also provided information indicating both men had been wounded, but were alive and being held captive by the VC at a secret base near the area of loss.
A later report indicated that two men fitting the descriptions of Artie Ecklund and Perry Jefferson were seen on a trail where VC soldiers were guarding them. It went on to state that the Americans appeared to be in good health. This report was of great interest to both men’s units since no other Americans were lost in that region during this time frame. Based this timely and detailed intelligence, the commander of the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing requested the US Army and Republic of Korea combat troops stationed in this region to attempt to rescue the American POWs. Two separate rescue attempts were initiated by ground units, one on 17 April and the second on 18 April, but both were unsuccessful. In spite of the overwhelming weight of the evidence that both crewmen of Seahorse 78 were actually captured by VC forces, Lt. Ecklund and Capt. Perry’s status was never upgraded by their respective branch of service.
In 1984 a Vietnamese American turned over remains to US officials purported to be those of American serviceman shot down over South Vietnam. In 2000, those remains were identified as that of Arthur Ecklund. In 2001, a different Vietnamese American turned over to US officials human remains, also purported to be those of an American serviceman shot down over South Vietnam. These remains were identified in 2007 as those of Perry Jefferson. The remains were identified using forensic identification tools, such as mitochondrial DNA, along with circumstantial evidence. Major Jefferson was buried at Arlington National Cemetery exactly 39 years after he disappeared. His remains were buried in the same grave as Major Ecklund’s.
Since the end of the Vietnam War well over 21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for have been received by our government. Many of these reports document LIVE American Prisoners of War remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.
Aircrews in Vietnam were called upon to fly in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
