Robert Lee Luster was born on December 30,
1949 and joined the Armed Forces while in Tiffin, Ohio.
He served in the United States Army, and attained
the rank of Staff Sergeant.
Robert Lee Luster is listed as Missing in Action.
Subsequently returned home and buried in Section
46 of Arlington National Cemeery with Frank David
Moorman.
LUSTER, ROBERT LEE
Remains Returned 27 January 1969, ID'd 23
February 1976
(Family does not accept ID)
Name: Robert Lee Luster
Rank/Branch: E3/US Army
Unit:
Date of Birth: 30 December 1949
Home City of Record: Tiffin Ohio
Date of Loss: 23 January 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 141911N 1074330E (YA940681)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 3
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1H
Refno: 1365
Other Personnel in Incident: William R. Henderson,
Frank D. Moorman (both
missing); Robert F. Scherdin (missing - see
text)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01
April 1991 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 1998.
REMARKS: REMS REC 690127, IDD 760222
SYNOPSIS: MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command,
Vietnam Studies and
Observation Group) was a joint-service unconventional
warfare task force
engaged in highly classified operations throughout
Southeast Asia. The 5th
Special Forces channeled personnel into MACV-SOG
(although it was not a
Special Forces group) through Special Operations
Augmentation (SOA), which
provided their "cover" while under secret
orders to MACV-SOG. The teams
performed deep penetration missions of strategic
reconnaissance and interdiction into Laos and Cambodia which were called,
depending on the time frame, "Shining Brass" or "Prairie Fire" missions.
On December 19, 1968, PFC Robert F. Scherdin
was the assistant team leader
of a MACV-SOG reconnaissance patrol in Rotanokiri
Province, Cambodia, near
the border of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The team leader, suspecting enemy
activity, had taken four members of the team
to check out the area. The rear element, with Scherdin in charge, came
under heavy automatic weapon fire as
they were moving up to the leader's position.
Montagnard soldier Nguang in
this element, saw Scherdin fall on his right
side and tried to help him stand up, but Scherdin only groaned and would
not get up. Nguang was then wounded himself and realized that he had been
left by the other three Vietnamese of the rear element, whereupon he left
Scherdin and joined the rest of the unit.
The team leader and his element were extracted
a short time later, then the rear element was extracted, except for Scherdin.
The team leader had been informed that Scherdin had been wounded and because
of the tactical situation, had to be left behind. Scherdin was not seen
again.
On December 30, a platoon was inserted into
the area to search for Scherdin, but had to be extracted because of heavy
enemy activity. In January, 1969, the rear element of the original team
was also reinserted and remained four days. They died in a helicopter crash
shortly after their extraction. They had not been questioned by the investigation
board, and it is not known if they located information concerning Scherdin.
There are only three Americans missing who
are associated with the loss of a
helicopter in January 1969. Lost January 23,
1969, in the general vicinity of the Scherdin loss, they are SGT. William
R. Henderson, SP4 Frank D. Moorman and PFC Robert L. Luster. These three
were lost in the Tri-border area in South Vietnam. Their remains were recovered
on January 27, 1969 and positive identifications confirmed February 23,
1976.
According to Luster's wife, the remains were
subsequently buried in a mass grave. She does not accept the identification
of her husband. Further, Mrs. Luster states that one of the team "walked
off the plane in 1973" (was a released POW). According to all available
public records, only Luster, Moorman and Henderson were classified missing
from this incident, and no released POW went missing that day.
Posted: 23 August 2003
Updated: 23 August 2005