[Vision2020] Where Are They Now? (ENS Hal T Hollingsworth)

[Tom Hansen]

A copy of the following email has been provided to the appropriate elected
officials at:

Governor Butch Otter
http://gov.idaho.gov/ourgov/contact.html

Senator Larry Craig
http://craig.senate.gov/webform.cfm

Senator Mike Crapo
http://crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Representative Mike Simpson
http://www.house.gov/simpson/emailme.shtml

Representative Bill Sali
http://sali.house.gov/

Emails concerning those unaccounted for veterans whose home of record is
within Idaho's 1st Congressional District will be provided to Representative
Sali if/when he becomes accessible to the citizens of Idaho.

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Subject:  Where Are They Now? (ENS Hal T Hollingsworth)
 
Dear - ,
 
As a retired veteran and citizen in the state of Idaho I would like to know
what is being done to determine the fate of the following veteran who
remains unaccounted for:

Ensign Hal "T" Hollingsworth (Grace, Idaho), U.S. Navy

Lt Cdr Charles Schoonover was a pilot and Ensign Hal Hollingsworth a
co-pilot of an RA5C Vigilante aircraft assigned to Reconnaissance/Attack
Squadron 9 onboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CVA-61). On January 16,
1966, the two were launched from the carrier on a routine mission.

While the aircraft was airborne, it had mechanical difficulties and crashed
at sea. The accident is listed as having been non-battle related. The USS
Ranger was stationed about 75-100 miles off the coast of South Vietnam ,
south southeast of Saigon in the South China Sea .

Hollingsworth and Schoonover are listed with honor among the missing because
no remains were found. Their cases seem quite clear. For others who are
listed missing, resolution is not as simple. Many were known to have
survived their loss incident. Quite a few were in radio contact with search
teams and describing an advancing enemy. Some were photographed or recorded
in captivity. Others simply vanished without a trace.

Reports continue to mount that we abandoned hundreds of Americans to the
enemy when we left Southeast Asia . While Hollingsworth and Schoonover may
not be among them, one can imagine their proud willingness to fly one more
mission to bring in the intelligence needed to secure their rescue and
flight to freedom.

Additional information and a detailed account of Ensign Hollingsworth's
activities on January 16, 1966, prior to his disappearance, are available
at:

http://www.IdahoCares.net/Hollingsworth.htm

Please advise me of any action that is being taken by you or any other
elected or appointed official to determine his fate.

In the event there is nothing being done, please explain why not, and tell
me how you, personally, plan to correct this and prevent it from ever
happening again.

Information related to other Idaho citizen-veterans who remain unaccounted
for may be accessed at:

http://www.IdahoCares.net

Yours most sincerely,

Thomas P. Hansen
SFC, US Army (Retired)
201 Taylor Avenue
Moscow, Idaho

Cc:
Lewiston Tribune
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Spokesman Review

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Pro patria,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.