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Update!

Our efforts have worked!
In August 2004 a recovery mission was sent to Greenland and all crewmembers from the VP-5 LA-9 lost on 1/JAN/1962 have been brought home. For more information visit the VP-5 Memorial Page and Current Recovery Attempt Page at VP-Navy.org.

Dear LA-9 Friends and Crewmates,

We have prevailed. Today around 2:00PM EST, I received a telephone conference call from FOX NEWS commentator Heather Neuart, FOX contributor Chuck Nash (retired Captain, USN) in New York City, to Patty (Kozak) Masciantoni in Orlando, FL and me in Chattanooga, TN.

Ms. Neuart and Mr. Nash announced that the navy has decided make a full recovery of the LA-9 crash site this summer. This information was related to them by COMNAIRLANT (Commander of Naval Air Forces Atlantic) Vice Admiral Mark Fitzgerald. The navy has this day contacted the Icelandic Sea/Ground Rescue Service in Reykjavik, Iceland for their assistance in a combined recovery mission of their personnel with members of the JPAC U.S. Army arctic recovery team head quartered in Hawaii.

Ms. Neuart said the FOX NEWS would very likely make an announcement during a news segment as soon as the official announcement is received from the Navy Department, which she expects within the next few days.

We have won the battle. Thank all of you for your support, efforts, and prayers in this long struggle. I will keep you posted of future developments as they are received.

Best regards,

Bob Pettway

The VP-5 2004 Reunion was a wonderful success. It was great meeting and interviewing everyone. Please be sure to listen to audio clips from the interviews.

Today I obtained the domain name: ColdWarHeroes.com,
added a map to: Kronborg Gletscher, Ostgronland, Greenland, and
added a Poem (on main page) by: Lillian Carol Russell

I will be attending the VP-5 Reunion on April 23/24, 2004 in Jacksonville, FL. My Parents will be driving me from Sarasota. We plan to video tape testimonials from former Squadron Members of the Lost Crew. Hopefully we will also have help from a professional documentary production company. We plan to use the Documentary to advocate sending a second recovery mission for the remaining bodies of the 1962 crash in Greenland.

I was not a member of Patrol Squadron Five who lost the crew out of Keflavik, Iceland in 1962. However, I was in Patrol Squadron 16 and spent my 20th birthday while on deployment to Keflavik in 1977/78 winter six month deployment.

I am looking forward to this Reunion. Soon after the Reunion I plan to add some video footage of the Reunion to this website.