Paul Jennings Bates, Jr

Captain
220TH AVN CO, 212TH AVN BN, 11TH AVN GRP, 1 AVN BDE
Army of the United States
20 February 1943 - 06 February 1974
Mesa, Arizona
Panel 03W Line 127

1 AVN BDE

220TH AVN CO
O-1 Birddog

Army Aviator

Purple Heart, Air Medal, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Paul Jennings Bates, Jr

13 Feb 2003

Paul Jennings Bates Jr. is my adopted POW/MIA. I never met him, but I know he was a brave man, who loved his country. Thank you Paul, and all Veterans who fought for our country, you are all true hereos. I Will Remember You Always With Respect And Admiration.

Carey Kilbourne
E-Mail may be forwarded via the
Webmaster@VirtualWall.org

30 Jan 2007

I did not know Paul, but I served with his brother, Richard, at Fort Huachua 1971-72. He took his brother's death really hard. I offer my prayers for Paul, Richard and the Bates family.

Zbigniew Andrew Stachow
651 Vanderbilt Street #2-O, Brooklyn, N Y 11218
usavietvet@yahoo.com

August 10, 2007 - it's been 36 years but some of us still remember.

From a friend in Vietnam,
Mike S.
smokeymike@aol.com

Notes from The Virtual Wall

On 10 Aug 1971 Captain Paul J Bates (220th Aviation Company) and SP5 Thomas A Dolan (101st MI Co) were conducting a visual recon flight in an O-1G tail number 51-2267 in western Quang Tri Province. While attempting to point out a target in the Cam Lo River valley to an accompanying aircraft, the O-1G impacted trees on a steep slope. The crew of the accompanying aircraft initiated search-and-rescue operations while overflying the crash site. No movement in or around the O-1G was noted before the aircraft caught fire and burned, leaving only the wingtips and tail section intact. The SAR forces were unsuccessful in locating either crewman. The terrain precluded landing nearby for a physical search, and the heavy enemy presence in the area precluded insertion of a ground team without prior evidence of survivors. Although the on-scene aircrews concluded that it was unlikely that either Bates or Dolan survived the crash both men were classed as Missing in Action.

Eventually the Secretary of the Army approved Presumptive Findings of Death for the two, Bates on 06 Feb 1974 and Dolan on 05 Sep 1978. Their remains have not been recovered.



The point-of-contact for this memorial is
one who remembers,
Carey Kilbourne
E-Mail may be forwarded via the
Webmaster@VirtualWall.org



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 13 Feb 2003
Last updated 03/16/2008