Baron 52: A Family’s Half-Century Fight for Truth Against Bureaucracy and Greed
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 EC-47Q spy plane scanning the Ho Chi Minh Trail, their mission turned into a desperate struggle. Under heavy anti-aircraft fire, the plane executed a controlled crash, striking treetops at a shallow angle, flipping over, and coming to rest before a post-crash fire ignited. Intercepted North Vietnamese communications 5 1/2 hours later hinted at “four pirates” captured alive by the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN). Yet, within weeks, the U.S. Air Force declared all eight Killed in Action (KIA), sealing their fates without remains or Vietnamese disclosure.
Half a world away on Long Island, New York, 15-year-old Mary Matejov, home sick from school, saw two uniformed Air Force officers approach her family’s door. Her heart sank—she knew something had happened to her brother, Sgt. Joseph Matejov, the 21-year-old Morse system operator in the plane’s rear cabin. As The Sheridan Press recounts [9], the officers’ news shattered the Matejov family of 10 children, steeped in over 100 years of military service, including their father’s heroic service in Korea. “I didn’t even know he was over in Vietnam,” Mary (now Salzinger) recalls, clutching mementos like Joseph’s photo, a lifeline to a brother whose fate remains unresolved.
For John Matejov, a retired Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer now living in Wyoming, and his sister Theresa Freeze, this wasn’t just a loss—it ignited a lifetime quest for truth. The War Horse’s investigation [10] reveals declassified evidence suggesting Joseph and three back-end crewmates—possibly Capt. Arthur Bollinger, SSgt. Todd Melton, Sgt Peter Cressman, and/or Sgt. Dale Brandenburg survived and were captured. The initial February 9, 1973 SAR mission confirmed only three cockpit bodies (Capt. George Spitz, 1st Lt. Severo Primm III, 1st Lt. Robert Bernhardt), with no trace of the rear five; claims of four bodies in the wreckage were disputed by members of the SAR team. Unbuckled belts, removed jump door, and two revolvers buried side-by-side uphill from the crash site pointed to escape, backed by PAVN intercepts from the 210th AAA Regiment.
Yet, the Air Force’s swift KIA ruling—despite no “conclusive evidence of death” required by regulations—crushed early hopes from Col. Francis Humphreys’ letter suggesting parachutes. A 1974 DIA report listed backenders as “died in captivity” (KK code), clashing with the Pentagon’s “body not recovered” (BB). A 1992 excavation yielded only Joseph’s dog tag (possibly not worn, as crews flew “sanitized”), a few dozen unidentifiable bone fragments (disputed as human by scientist Ellis Kerley), and a tooth from Sgt. Peter Cressman—no DNA matches. Over family objections, DPAA’s predecessor closed the case in 1995, leading to a contested 1996 Arlington group burial. Crash expert, USAF Col.(ret) Ralph Wetterhahn’s 2016 analysis of a “skip” landing bolstered survival theories, but a Pentagon hearing rejected reclassification to MIA.
Why the rush to close Baron 52? It’s about money, not mercy. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) declares cases “Resolved” based sometimes on the “totality of evidence,” often without identifiable remains or enemy disclosure, shutting down hundreds of Vietnam war cases. DPAA refuses to revisit Baron 52, citing Vietnam’s exorbitant fees—$10,000 per document, $15,000 per artifact—and policies against funding resolved cases. Vietnam’s greed, as warned in a 1989 DIA memorandum [8], exploits this, demanding $86.7 million (2016–2024) for scant results: 35 identifications since 2015 [3]. Requests to Hanoi and the Trump White House for PAVN veteran interviews or Vietnamese war archives go unanswered, leaving families like the Matejov’s in agony.
A Family’s Fight Amid Bureaucratic Walls
John Matejov, holding Joseph’s final letter in his Wyoming home, and Theresa, with family photos, carry a torch for their parents, who died without answers. The Sheridan Press [9] captures their resolve: John seeks to reclassify Joseph as MIA, citing intercepts and a DIA report of possible captivity. The War Horse [10] exposes a 1974 DIA finding of “died in captivity,” ignored by the Pentagon to avoid derailing POW releases post-Accords. Former Sen. Bob Smith, vice chair of the 1991–1993 Senate Select Committee, calls it a cover-up: “Fifty-two years later, we’re still screwing around with these families.”
The 1992 excavation was a farce—scant remains, no DNA, and forensic disputes dismissed by a less-experienced Army dentist. The Matejovs refused the government’s accounting, but attended the Arlington burial in support of closure for the front-end families. A 2016 hearing, backed by Wetterhahn and pro bono attorneys, presented survival evidence, but DPAA’s regurgitated DIA flawed 1987 analysis and the Air Force’s refusal—left John “back at the starting line.” DPAA’s Kelly McKeague admits “time doesn’t heal” [6], yet bureaucratic intransigence prevails, with no response from the Pentagon or White House.
Vietnam’s Exploitation: A Financial Racket
The 1989 DIA memorandum [8] warned Hanoi amassed MIA evidence for 25 years, using it for leverage with “total disregard for humanitarian considerations.” Over 4,000 “dog tag reports” peddle worthless fragments, demanding U.S. funds for sham probes—up to $250,000 per case for non-existent investigations. Joint efforts are staged, with coached witnesses and blocked records. Vietnam’s $86.7 million haul [3] and withheld artifacts (e.g., an MIA’s ID card in a Thanh Hoa museum [2]) echo this. For Baron 52, PAVN interviews are gated behind payments, and Hanoi ignores the family’s private requests, leveraging cases amid 2025 trade tensions [7].
A Call to Action: Reopen Baron 52 Before It’s Too Late
The Matejov’s pain mirrors over 1,560 families’ anguish. Mary Salzinger keeps Joseph’s mementos in Portland, Oregon, while John aligns with advocates like researchers Heather Atherton and John Bear. DPAA’s cost-driven closures and Vietnam’s profiteering betray the ethos of “no man left behind.” As more time slips by, the aging PAVN veterans who hold the answers to Baron 52 are taking their secrets to the grave, forever silencing the truth about what happened to Joseph and his crewmates. Vietnam must support these efforts on humanitarian grounds, not financial extortion—providing full archival access and PAVN veteran testimonies without demanding payment, to honor their fallen and and ours—to heal wounds that have festered for half a century on both sides!
Congress isn’t powerless—it’s time to act. Share this story, contact your lawmakers, and demand reform: Require verifiable remains or disclosure before closures, fund reinvestigations of potential survival cases like Baron 52, and compel Vietnam’s reciprocity without fees. The truth isn’t a cost—it’s a debt to Joseph Matejov and the missing servicemen and women from all wars! Join the fight: No American left behind.
Citations:
- CIA Memorandum, EA M 84-10129. https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP85T00287R001000650001-1.pdf
- Veith, J. (2025). Vietnam’s Knowledgeability https://www.pow-miafamilies.org/news
- Gertz, B. (2025, July 3). Vietnam charging millions. The Washington Times. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jul/3/vietnam-charging-millions-info-missing-american-soldiers-providing/
- Everette, S. (2025, July 16). Letter to the Editor. The Washington Times. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jul/16/letter-editor-us-still-committed-bringing-home-vietnam-war-servicemen/
- US appreciates Vietnam’s cooperation. (2025, July). Vietnam News Agency. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/us-appreciates-vietnams-cooperation-in-search-for-personnel-missing-during-wartime-post322863.vnp
- From adversaries to trusted friends. (2025, July). Vietnam News Agency. https://en.vietnamplus.vn/from-adversaries-to-trusted-friends-how-mia-recovery-became-the-building-block-of-vietnam-us-ties-post322651.vnp
- Desrochers, D., et al. (2025, July 10). Vietnam thought it had a deal. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/10/vietnam-trump-tariff-deal-00447715
- DIA. (1989, January 2). Memorandum. https://vva.vietnam.ttu.edu/images.php?img=/images/367/3671406008.pdf
- Lodewyk, G. (2025, June 12). Story man seeks truth. The Sheridan Press. https://www.thesheridanpress.com/news/local/story-man-seeks-truth-about-brother-s-vietnam-war-disappearance/article_844ea4f8-549d-4e27-8d8f-83eea5b84b42.html
- McLaughlin, K. (2025, February 2). LEFT BEHIND? The War Horse. https://thewarhorse.org/what-happened-to-crew-of-us-spy-plane-shot-down-by-north-vietnamese/
John Bear
Investigative Researcher & Host of Stories of Sacrifice Podcast
John Bear is an accomplished investigator and forensic genealogist with over 20 years of experience specializing in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam War POW/MIA cases. He has honed forensic-level skills in open-source intelligence (OSINT) and archival research, bolstered by coursework in Advanced Research Methods and Databases for Historians. Inspired by the loss of his uncle, a WWII POW/MIA identified posthumously in the Philippines, John volunteers directly with families of the missing to provide answers and closure. As a key member of the Asymmetric MIA Accounting Group (AMAG), he works directly with MIA families to support projects alongside Military Service Casualty Officers, DPAA Historians, and military intelligence experts. Through his contributions to the Cabanatuan POW Camp, Philippine Hellship Project, and Bataan Death March, John’s efforts have led to over 350 potential WWII identifications through Family Reference Sample (FRS) DNA collection. His investigation into the Vietnam War’s Baron 52 incident uncovered compelling OSINT-based evidence suggesting crew survival, and his work on WWII unrecovered MIAs on Mindanao has generated critical leads. Through his podcast, Stories of Sacrifice: American POW/MIAs, John amplifies families’ stories, ensuring the legacies of the missing are honored.
Baron 52 Docu series Podcast Link: https://www.storiesofsacrifice.org/category/baron-52/
Vietnam’s Exploitation of the MIA Issue: A Decades-Long Strategy for Financial and Political Gain
