Missing Vietnam Servicemen to Be Buried

On May 9, 1967, Sigmund and Agnes Tycz of Milwaukee received a letter from their 22-year-old son, Marine Sgt. James Neil Tycz, who marveled at his new "Sarge's growwwl."

"Would you believe (with) my squeak??!," he wrote, a reference to his high-pitched voice.

The next day, Tycz and three other U.S. servicemen were killed on Hill 665 near Khe Sanh, Vietnam, close to the Laos border, in a battle with North Vietnamese troops. It was too dangerous to recover their bodies, so for decades, they were listed as "killed in action-body not recovered."

But this year, the military informed the families that it had finally identified the remains. On Tuesday, the 38th anniversary of their deaths, three of the men will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A fourth man was buried last month, but will be honored at the ceremony.

Tycz, who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism, led a seven-man reconnaissance team into enemy territory, where members came under fire from a North Vietnamese Army unit of between 30 men and 50 men.

Tycz was just 5 feet 9 inches tall and 125 pounds when he joined the military, recalled his older brother, Phillip Dale Tycz.

"He had a high voice," said Tycz, who now lives in Plano, Texas. "It was hard for us at home to picture him as a sergeant. In movies, these are big guys. He wasn't a take-charge-type kid. He was very humble."

The Navy Cross citation says that when a hand grenade landed near one of the seriously wounded Marines, Tycz "courageously and with complete disregard for his own personal safety moved forward, picked up the grenade and attempted to throw it back at the enemy." But the grenade exploded after going just a short distance, critically wounding Tycz.

For several years after his family got word of his death, relatives held out hope he might still be alive because no body had been recovered.

"When the troops were coming back, and it was on TV all the time, there was a lump in your heart that maybe you'd see him," Tycz's brother said.

The family of another serviceman from that group, 20-year-old Navy corpsman Malcolm Miller of Tampa, Fla., went through a similar emotional journey.

"We held out hope for a long time," said Miller's older sister, Sandy Keheley of Madison, Ga. "My father kept writing letters trying to get confirmation. In the '80s, we finally decided it had really happened. We had to accept it."

In Miller's last letter to the family, he complained, "Don't y'all love me anymore? I haven't received any mail from any of you." The family had been writing, Keheley said, but Miller was in the backcountry, where mail had not gotten through.

The sister of another missing serviceman, Marine 2nd Lt. Heinz Ahlmeyer Jr., was stunned when the military informed her that it had identified his remains.

"I did not expect them ever at this point to find it," said Irene Healea, who lives in Watertown, Tenn. "If he had been killed, and the body hadn't been recovered, we're looking at a place where there are scavenger animals. Would you really expect them to find what was left?"

Ahlmeyer, who was 23 when he died, grew up in Pearl River, N.Y., about 30 miles north of New York City, and played soccer at the State University at New Paltz. An award in his name is given annually at the school.

The fourth serviceman, Marine Lance Cpl. Samuel Sharp Jr., of San Jose, Calif., was buried in his hometown last month.

"It's been hard, like there's still something missing," said a sister, Janet Caldera, of Spokane, Wash. "Until you have him come back, you still wonder if he was really killed. You have that question in the back of your head. We never thought we'd have the remains come back. It's kind of a miracle to us."

Caldera recalls getting a note during English class in 1967 telling her to report to the principal's office, and then being sent home. As she turned the corner, she saw a Marine vehicle in front of the house.

"My dad collapsed when he heard the remains weren't coming home," Caldera said. "I think that was the hardest part, that he wouldn't be coming home."

The President of the United States
takes pride in presenting the
NAVY CROSS
to
JAMES N. TYCZ
Sergeant
United States Marine Corps

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For extraordinary heroism while serving with the First Platoon, Company A, Third Reconnaissance Battalion, near Khe Sanh in the Republic of Vietnam on 9 May 1967. Sergeant Tycz was the patrol leader of a seven-man reconnaissance patrol deep in enemy-controlled territory. Shortly after midnight a North Vietnamese Army unit, estimated to be about 30-50 men, was heard moving toward the patrol's position. Sergeant Tycz cautioned his men to remain silent so as not to be detected; however, several of the enemy troops walked into the patrol's position and started to unsling their weapons after sighting the patrol. One of the Marines quickly took two of the enemy under fire, killing them instantly. Alerted to their location, the enemy immediately began delivering a heavy volume of small-arms fire into the patrol's perimeter. One patrol member was killed instantly and another was wounded. Sergeant Tycz quickly deployed the remainder of his patrol and fearlessly moved among his men directing their fire and shouting words of encouragement despite the heavy volume of enemy fire being poured into his perimeter. Within a few minutes the assistant patrol leader was seriously wounded, as was the corpsman attached to the patrol and the second radio operator. Sergeant Tycz moved to a radio and began calling in artillery fire on the enemy positions. When an armed enemy hand grenade landed near one of the seriously wounded Marines, Sergeant Tycz courageously and with complete disregard for his own personal safety moved forward, picked up the grenade and attempted to throw it back at the enemy. The grenade exploded after traveling only a short distance, and he fell, critically wounded. Throughout the encounter, Sergeant Tycz set an example of calmness and coolness under fire that was an inspiration to the remainder of his patrol. By his unselfish act of courage, he risked his life to save his comrades from injury and possible loss of life and thereby upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

James Neil Tycz

The letter Sgt. Tycz's parents received the day before he died

Dear Mom and Pop,

Hi! Its very close to black out (all lights off), but before that time, I just have to write an overdue letter to the best parents in the world, and anywhere else. After being with the 2nd platoon for very close to a year I have been transferred. I am now the platoon sergeant and second in command of an entire reconnaissance platoonThe change is a little strange, of course, but I know once my men and myself get used to each other, everything will be just great. Theyre a platoon of good marines and I plan on keeping them that way, with my newly acquired Sarges growwwl! (Would you believemy squeak??!)

Since my last patrol, Khe Sanh has kept me pretty busy. About a week ago a couple infantry platoons discovered enemy fortified positions in our front yard.

From our different recon patrols, we have known that there were many numerous enemy troops in our area; the two infantry platoons have been hit extremely hard, which has set off a large operation to our west and surrounding terrain.

The battle has been going on for, it seems, eternity.

Most of the contact has been with North Vietnamese Communists, very well armed, well trained and in positions that make the defensive fortifications of World War II look like sand castles.

Due to all available helicopters being used for resupply and med evacs (flying out the killed and wounded in action), my patrol is on standby, waiting for choppers to insert us into our area to be patrolled.

Weve been sand bagging our living quarters for quite some time and are not really minding this work. Our base is frequently hit by enemy mortars during the night.

The most unpleasant detail is acting as stretcher bearers at the airfield.

An afternoon participating in evacuating the dead and wounded has made me learn to hate: Demonstrators (gutless traitors is what they are); a minority who actually supply the enemy with blood and supplies, and those overprotecting parents who put boot camp drill instructors in jail because they try to turn their boys into men that can stand up to a hard core enemy.

Our company has been hit pretty hard, too, with casualties; 100% casualties in one of our eight man patrols hit by mortars while waiting for helicopters to pick them up.

Mom and Dad, I have had opportunities to write sooner than tonight but I hope you will understand that writing about an unpopular war like this one is not easy.

I want to say what I think and feel, but I do not want to cause worry at home.

None of us here like this war, especially after seeing a friend or a fellow Marine wounded or worse, but the majority (I hope for the sake of democracy) believe in fighting off Communist aggression in a weakened country.

I firmly believe in bombings in North Vietnam of supply plants and arsenals. Why fight a trooper as well supplied and armed as these North Vietnamese are?

Unless we prove to the Communists that we do mean business, I feel that this war can and will last a long time.

I had an interruption just now. Our lieutenant passed me the word that we go in at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. None of us want to go, but thats our job and I pray I will never fail to do it.

Your Marine Son,

Neil

(Below the signature there was a sketch of an American flag and the note: The U.S. is in. It is free!)

Sgt. Tycz was killed in battle near Khe Sanh on May 10, 1967, one day after his parents received the above letter. He died trying to save members of his platoon and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his extraordinary bravery. The medal is one notch below the Medal of Honor.

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