SYNOPSIS: The F105 Thunderchief (or "Thud") performed yoeman service on many 
diversified missions in Southeast Asia. F105s flew more combat missions over 
North Vietnam than any other USAF aircraft and consequently suffered the 
heaviest losses in action. They dropped bombs by day and occasionally by night 
from high or low altitude and some later versions (F105D in Wild Weasel guise) 
attacked SAM sites with their radar tracking air-to-ground missiles. This 
versatile aircraft was also credited with downing 25 Russian MiGs. 

LtCol. Donald H. Asire was the pilot of an F105D which departed Takhli Airfield, 
Thailand on an operational mission over North Vietnam on December 8, 1966. 
Asire's aircraft was number three in a flight of four. 

Over Hos Binh Province, about 30 miles northwest of Hanoi, the flight engaged 
enemy aircraft. Asire was last seen as he dove into a cloud layer with an enemy 
aircraft in pursuit. Thereafter, no radio contact was made with him. 

Donald Asire was continued in a missing status until 19 September 1973 when his 
status was changed to presumed killed in action. During the period he was 
maintained missing, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel. 

For years, the Vietnamese denied any knowledge of Donald Asire, but on 21 June, 
1989, they discovered his remains and returned them to U.S. control. This return 
was not publicly announced at the time. 

A Vietnamese defector stated in Congressional testimony that Vietnam stockpiles 
hundreds of sets of American remains. Congress believed him. He also testified 
that he had personally seen live American prisoners, held long after the war was 
over and all Americans had supposedly been released. Congress ignores this 
testimony, although over 10,000 reports relating to Americans prisoner, missing 
or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia seem to substantiate what he was saying. 

The U.S. and Vietnamese "progress" at a snail's pace, while seemingly ignoring 
the tremendous weight of evidence that their priority should be those Americans 
still alive as captives. Meanwhile, thousands of lives are spent in the most 
tortured state imaginable - unable to grieve, unable to rejoice. They wait.