This Page is for Roger Eugene Wilson who was an O3 in the US Marine Corps. His Unit was VMA 224, Date of Birth 30 June 1947 Home City of Record Norfolk VA,Date of Loss 11 June 1972 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 202543N 1061055E Status (in 1973) Missing in action. The Grumman A6 Intruder is a two-man all weather,low-altitude, carrier-based attack plane, with versions adapted as aerial tanker and electronic warfare platform. The A6A primarily flew close-air-support, all-weather and night attacks on enemy troop concentrations, and night interdiction missions. Its advanced navigation and attack system, known as DIANE (Digital Integrated Attack navigation Equipment) allowed small precision targets, such as bridges, barracks and fuel depots to be located and attacked in all weather conditions, day or night. The planes were credited with some of the most difficult single-plane strikes in the war, including the destruction of the Hai Duong bridge between Hanoi and Haiphong by a single A6. Their missions were tough, but their crews among the most talented and most courageous to serve the United States. In Vietnam, Capt. Roger E. Wilson was an A6A pilot from Detachment C,VMA 224. On June 11, 1972, he was sent on a combat mission over Nam Ha Province,North Vietnam. His aircraft was hit by ground fire, and crashed in a lake on the north edge of the city of Nam Dinh. Wilson was listed as Missing in Action. Reports received through intelligence sources indicate that Wilson was probably dead, and U.S. analysts concluded that, alive or dead, the Vietnamese definitely knew his fate. Inexplicably, however, Capt. Wilson was maintained in a Missing in Action status, rather than that of Prisoner of War. Wilson's name was not on the 1973 list compiled by Henry Kissinger of "discrepancy"cases on which it was felt the Vietnamese had ready information. Since the war ended, several score remains have returned from Vietnam through negotiations, but not those of Capt. Wilson. Progress on the remainsissue has been tediously slow, even though reliable information indicates that the Vietnamese "stockpiled" hundreds of American bodies. Even more frustrating is the issue of the men whom most authorities believe to be alive. U.S. Government has conducted "over 250,000 interviews" and analyzed "several million" documents since the war ended related to Americans still missing, prisoner or unaccounted for from the Vietnam war, but has been unable to make the conclusive official statement that Americans are still held prisoner. Critics say that the U.S. Government is unwilling to pay the price of freedom for the men who were left behind and who are still alive. Capt. Roger E Wilson was willing to pay the price for freedom. How would he judge our actions in securing the freedom of those we left behind.