L/CPL Bruce Wayne Staehli...India Co 3rd Bn 9th Marines 30 April 1968
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  1. #1

    Unhappy L/CPL Bruce Wayne Staehli...India Co 3rd Bn 9th Marines 30 April 1968

    STAEHLI, BRUCE WAYNE
    Name: Bruce Wayne Staehli
    Rank/Branch: Lance Corporal/USMC
    Unit: l/3/9 3 MAR DIV
    Date of Birth: 24 September 1948
    Home City of Record: Crow Point, IN
    Loss Date: 30 April 1968
    Country of Loss: South Vietnam
    Loss Coordinates: 164930N 1070200E
    Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
    Category: 2
    Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
    Others In Incident: none missing
    Refno: 1152
    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: Bruce Staehli was a Marine in Vietnam when the fighting was intense.
    His Marine brothers at Khe Sanh had fought the Vietnamese in one of the bloodiest battles of the war earlier in the year, while the Marines at Hue were fighting the enemy in the streets.
    By April, the Marines at Khe Sanh had finished operation Pegasus and had embarked on a series of missions called Scotland II to search and clear the area of enemy presence.
    It was perhaps on such a mission that Bruce Staehli disappeared on April 30, 1968, near the city of Dong Ha, South Vietnam.
    Dong Ha is only a few miles from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and less than 30 miles northeast of Khe Sanh.
    Staehli is the only missing man from the action that day,
    and there is good reason to believe the enemy knows his fate.
    He may have been captured.
    When American prisoners were released 5 years later, the Staehli family was shocked and disappointed that their son was not one of them.
    Experts say there were hundreds expected to be released who were not.
    Since the end of American involvement in Vietnam, thousands of reports of Americans still held captive in Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S. Government. Official policy states that there is not enough proof to act, but that presumably, one or more American is held.
    Critics of that policy, including individuals in government, say the proof is there, but that no one is willing to pay the price of freedom for these captive Americans.
    If one of them is Bruce Staehli.
    What must he be thinking of us?

    This is unacceptable;

    It was perhaps on such a mission that Bruce Staehli disappeared on April 30, 1968, near the city of Dong Ha, South Vietnam.

    There must be an after action report when he was first listed as Missing In Action.
    He just disappeared from the face of the earth.
    And there's no account of the how?

    From a graphic of POW/MIA's;
    "I was prepared to FIGHT,
    I was prepared to be WOUNDED,
    I was prepared to be CAPTURED,
    I was even prepared to DIE,
    But,
    I was NOT prepared to be ABANDONED!"

    As long as some of us remain alive,
    We will seek an accounting of all those listed as
    POW/MIA
    A Nation that sends it youth to fight in her name,
    Must also account for what happen to them.
    Some may never be accounted for.
    But we MUST NEVER GIVE UP HOPE!!!


  2. #2
    Registered User Free Member Barrio_rat's Avatar
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    Personally, I think we should not do any trade with a country that has or is suspected of having our MIA's and POW's. Nor should we do trade with any country that trades with a country that has our MIA's and POW's. That would put some pressure on 'em and bring our people home. Dead or alive, they deserve to be in America.

    Semper Fi!


  3. #3

    Bruce Waye Staehli

    Bruce Staehli was not a member of India 3/9. He was in Lima 3/9, and was lost, captured, really, at Cam Vu, a bit north and west of Dong Ha on 30 April or early morning on 1 May 1968.

    Contrary to most published reports, India Company [ Capt Gary Todd as CO] remained at the Rockpile while Lima was the lead company as 3/9 was helo lifted to a spot near Cam Lo and then moved out, headed east, north of route 9, towards Highway 1. We didn't get far before we ran into the zips.

    General Frank Breth, now deceased, but the S-3 for 3/9 on that day wrote an account of 3/9's participation.

    The Marine Historical Section, CD # 57 which gives the journals for 3/9 in VietNam will confirm the fact that India remained at the Rockpile, however once the history writer put something in print, even when it is wrong, they don't want to change it.

    How do I know---My name is Tom Scheib, I was the co of Lima 3/9 on that day. I was wounded at Cam Vu along with many, if not most, of the members of Lima 3/9. I'm just trying to set the record straight for the guys that died and were wounded in that battle for Dong Ha.

    Lima was there------India wasn't. Somebody made a typo and I wish they'd correct it.

    thank you


  4. #4
    Though in a different squad, I knew L/Cpl Staehli and the Scheib entry is correct. Staehi was in Lima 3/9. The entry should be corrected.


  5. #5
    I was with Bruce on April 30th, 1968. We were in the same squad with Lima 3/9 on the day we were ambushed. The stories I have read about the conflict are only partially true. If there are any members of Bruce's family that are still around I will gladly share the true story concerning Bruce.


  6. #6
    Welcome home, Wally.....


  7. #7
    Hopefully the records will be corrected. There are many historical mistakes in official publications about the Nam that are incorrect and need to be corrected, but probably never will be. Which is a shame!!!

    Semper Fi


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