A group of members from various North Carolina chapters of Rolling Thunder traveled to Lucama, NC to join the Lucama High School Class of 1964 pay tribute to Jimmy Lee Watson. He remains listed as MIA from Vietnam. The following is from the recognition ceremony program...
Over forty years ago, one of our most popular classmates of the Class of 1964 became a victim of America’s most unpopular war. On 13 March 1968, United States Army Chief Warrant Officer Jimmy Lee Watson was piloting a huey helicopter when it was struck by small arms fire, causing him to make an emergency landing in Thua Thien Provence of South Vietnam. Of the ten soldiers onboard, five returned safely to Camp Evans. Search teams were unable to find the other five or any evidence of the helicopter. Two weeks later, on March 28, a unit of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division found two of the five missing soldiers buried in shallow graves. Until recently that was all his classmates and family ever knew about Jimmy Lee’s MIA status.
In conjunction with our 2008 Class Reunion, a Recognition Service was planned for Jimmy Lee. With renewed interest, we began a more diligent search for answers. Jimmy Lee’s family, reportedly, was never officially notified by the U. S. Government of the following information.
Extensive research of declassified U.S. Government files revealed details of a report based on analysis of witness statements. The report, dated 11 November 1974, and sent to Mr. John G. Rogers, Joint Casualty Resolution Center, stated, “There is strong, confirming testimony that in fact, all five Americans were killed and buried …”
A letter to the sister of one of the missing five crewmembers from Mr. James W. Wold, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs, dated 11 December 1995, stated, “ Five of the crewmen walked to the camp while Sergeant Heitman and four others remained behind to secure the helicopter. These men were subsequently attacked and killed by a large enemy force.”
In 1974, a “data plate” from the missing helicopter was found near the emergency landing site. Other declassified reports gave names and statements of both participants and witnesses of the battle that allegedly resulted in their deaths. The reports also detailed possible burial site locations for Jimmy Lee and the other two missing soldiers. The validity of these reports generated several archeological digs by United States Government teams during the mid 1990s. Extensive excavations of those areas failed to reveal any evidence of the three missing soldiers.
Jimmy Lee is special to his class members, and it is to him that this Recognition Service is dedicated. Our vow is that he will be remembered, and that we will work towards his return home.
Jeremiah 31: 16-17 16 Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. 17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border. KJV
