First Lieutenant Dennis P. Neal
31 July 1969
Dennis Paul Neal, First Lieutenant (1LT, O-2)
Home of Record: Tarpin Springs, Florida
Michael Paul Burns, Specialist Fourth Class (SP4,
E-4)
Home of Record: El Paso, Texas
US Army Special Forces
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces
and
Two Special Commando Unit (SCU) Scouts (Names unknown)
Special Commando Unit (SCU)
This recon team was assigned to:
Command and Control North (CCN; Da Nang)
Operation 35 (Ground Studies Group)
After completion of their mission, as the team was
awaiting extraction they came under heavy attack by
an unknown size enemy force. Two Americans and two
SCU were severely wounded in the initial attack. The
surviving team members were split, but evaded the
enemy until extracted. The survivors stated they believed
that their seriously wounded team members had died.
The two wounded team members had to be left behind
due to the tactical situation. An immediate aerial
search was conducted, but nothing was found. Two days
later, another aerial search was conducted in this
area no other searches were conducted. The two Americans
were listed by the Department of Defense as missing
in action (MIA), "presumptive finding of death."
Orders of Appointment to determine
facts/circumstances