Photo Credits: US Army Staff Sgt. Keion Jackson Today, December 16, 2025, marks a moment of profound reverence and renewed hope in the long, heart-wrenching quest to bring home the heroes of World War II. At Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Defense …
Imagine a young man, full of life and adventure, vanishing into the shadows of history—his laughter silenced, his dreams shattered amid the horrors of war. For over 80 years, Technician 5th Class Julius St. John Knudsen has been one of those l…
This article builds upon our previous in-depth analysis, “Reassessing the Baron 52 Incident: Evidence for Survival, Capture, and the Imperative for Renewed Investigation” (available here: https://www.storiesofsacrifice.org/blog/reassessi…
Executive Summary The Baron 52 incident, involving the shootdown of a U.S. Air Force EC-47Q electronic reconnaissance aircraft over southern Laos on February 5, 1973, stands as one of the most contentious unresolved casualty resolution (UCR) cases …
In the sultry haze of Mindanao’s jungles, where ancient Moro traditions clashed with the thunder of modern warfare, a young American captain’s story unfolded like a tragic romance from a bygone era. Captain Albert Holt Price, engaged to …
In the annals of American military history, few stories capture the essence of unwavering duty, cultural empathy, and ultimate sacrifice quite like that of Brigadier General Guy O. Fort. Born in the late 19th century, Fort’s life spanned pivot…
For years, I’ve been diving deep into the untold stories of our missing service members from World War II, piecing together clues from archives, eyewitness accounts, and forgotten battlefields. Today, I’m thrilled to tease an upcoming ar…
Picture a moonless night over the jungles of Laos, February 5, 1973. The Paris Peace Accords a week prior had just promised an end to America’s grueling Vietnam War, with POW releases days away. But for the eight-man crew of Baron 52—an …
For over fifty years, the unresolved issue of American personnel listed as Missing in Action (MIA) from the Vietnam War has been a cornerstone of U.S.-Vietnam relations, intertwining humanitarian efforts with diplomatic and financial negotiations. R…
For over half a century, the families of the Baron 52 crew—Capt. George R. Spitz, Capt. Arthur R. Bollinger, 1st Lt. Robert E. Bernhardt, 1st Lt. Severo J. Primm III, Sgt. Dale Brandenburg, Sgt. Peter R. Cressman, Sgt. Joseph A. Matejov, and S…
The jungle night was a void, swallowing all but the low growl of Baron 52’s engines, a U.S. Air Force EC-47Q slicing through the black skies over southern Laos on February 4, 1973. The mission was a secret carved in shadow, a Signals Intellige…
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, 1…
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 aircraf…
For years, the fate of the Baron 52 crew—an EC-47Q electronic warfare aircraft shot down over southern Laos on February 4-5, 1973—has haunted those of us seeking answers about America’s missing servicemen. Four of the eight crew me…
Crash site expert and former fighter pilot Col. Ralph Wetterhahn noted that the recent "Delta crash in Ontario shows how you can hit flat, burn, lose both wings and come to a halt upside down with everyone surviving.” Based on his investigati…
Help support our POW/MIA families by writing to President Donald J. Trump and ask that all POW/MIA documents still classified by our government intelligence agencies be released to the families and the public for full transparency! Feel free to use …
In the annals of history, certain events remain shrouded in mystery, leaving behind unanswered questions and a thirst for truth. One such incident is the tragic downing of the U.S. spy plane EC-47Q, call sign Baron 52, over Laos on February 5, 1973.…
Our Baron 52 research team has been hard at work behind the scenes, uncovering new leads! We've teamed up with an investigative reporter, and will be dropping an in-depth news article that's set to be published very soon! The moment it's out, we'l…
I am going off on a rant here, so please bear with me… The DPAA fiscal year 2023 has come to a close. Every year I look at the DPAA identification stats to see how many actual identifications were made for the fiscal year to determine if they…
Sgt Joseph A. Matejov - joined the U.S. Air Force from New York and was a member of the 6994th Security Squadron. On 5 February 1973, he was a crew member aboard an EC-47Q (serial number 43-48636) call sign "Baron 52" on a night reconnaissance …
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