ANDREW CRAVEN

Name: Andrew Johnson Craven

Rank/Branch: E3/US Army

Unit: Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, 23rd

Infantry Division (Americal)

Date of Birth: 13 April 1947

Home City of Record: Wilmington NC

Date of Loss: 12 May 1968

Country of Loss: South Vietnam

Loss Coordinates: 152630N 1074806E (ZC005090)

Status (in 1973): Missing in Action

Category: 2

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground

Refno: 1171

Personnel in Incident: Ngok Tavak: Horace H. Fleming; Thomas J. Blackman;

Joseph F. Cook; Paul S. Czerwonka; Thomas W. Fritsch; Barry L. Hempel;

Raymond T. Heyne; Gerald E. King; Robert C. Lopez; William D. McGonigle;

Donald W. Mitchell; James R. Sargent (members of USMC search team - all

missing); Glenn E. Miller; Thomas H. Perry (USSF teammembers - missing);

Kham Duc: Richard E. Sands (missing from CH47); Bernard L. Bucher; Frank M.

Hepler; George W. Long; John L. McElroy; Stephan C. Moreland (USAF crew of

C130 - all missing); Warren R. Orr (USSF on C130 - missing); Harry B. Coen;

Andrew J. Craven; Juan M. Jimenez; Frederick J. Ransbottom; Maurice H.

Moore; Joseph L. Simpson; William E. Skivington; John C. Stuller; Imlay S.

Widdison; Danny L. Widner; Roy C. Williams (all missing); Julius W. Long (released POW).

REMARKS:

Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.

SYNOPSIS: Kham Duc Special Forces camp (A-105), was located on the western fringes of Quang Tin ("Great Faith") Province, South Vietnam. In the spring of 1968, it was the only remaining border camp in Military Region I. Backup responsibility for the camp fell on the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal), based at Chu Lai on the far side of the province. The camp had originally been built for President Diem, who enjoyed hunting in the area. The 1st Special Forces detachment (A-727B) arrived in September 1963 and found the outpost to be an ideal border surveillance site with an existing airfield. The camp was located on a narrow grassy plain surrounded by rugged, virtually uninhabited jungle. The only village in the area, located across the airstrip, was occupied by post dependents, camp followers and merchants. The camp and airstrip were bordered by the Ngok Peng Bum ridge to the west and Ngok Pe Xar mountain, looming over Kham Duc to the east. Steep banked streams full of rapids and waterfalls cut through the tropical wilderness. The Dak Mi River flowed past the camp over a mile distant, under the shadow of the Ngok Pe Xar.

Five miles downriver was the small forward operating base of Ngok Tavak, defended by the 113-man 11th Mobile Strike Force Company with its 8 Special Forces and 3 Australian advisors. Since Ngok Tavak was outside friendly artillery range, 33 Marine artillerymen of Battery D, 2nd Battalion, 13th Marines, with two 105mm howitzers were located at the outpost.

Capt. Christopher J. Silva, commander of Detachment A-105 helicoptered into Ngok Tavak on May 9, 1968 in response to growing signs of NVA presence in the area. Foul weather prevented his scheduled evening departure. A Kham Duc CIDG platoon fleeing a local ambush also arrived and was posted to the outer perimeter. It was later learned that the CIDG force contained VC infiltrators.

Ngok Tavak was attacked by an NVA infantry battalion at 0315 hours on May 10. The base was pounded by mortars and direct rocket fire. As the frontal assault began, the Kham Duc CIDG soldiers moved toward the Marines in the fort yelling, "Don't shoot, don't shoot! Friendly, friendly!" Suddenly they....

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