Name:	Albert Mark Fransen, Jr.
Rank/Branch:	Engineman 3rd Class/US Navy
Unit:	Coastal Squadron 1  Coastal Division 15 Swift Boat
Date of Birth:	09 October 1944
Home of Record:	Las Vegas, NV
Date of Loss:	02 July 1969
Country of Loss:	South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates:	125029N 1092706E (CQ320200)  Click coordinates to view maps
Status in 1973:	Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category:	5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:	Boat
Other Personnel In Incident:	(none missing)

REMARKS:
 

SYNOPSIS:  For close-in work Patrol Craft, coastal (Fast) - PCFs - nicknamed "Swift Boats" or simply known as "Swifts," with their 5-man crew and shallow draft were ideal for operating in the myriad of Asian waterways. These boats, modified from crew boats used to serve commercial civilian oil rigs, were well armed with a twin machine gun turret atop the cabin and a mortar/machine gun combination aft. The Swifts successfully patrolled various sized rivers and tributaries throughout South Vietnam, usually in 2 or more boat sections, to interdict Communist lines of communications, open the trans-delta waterways, pacify the areas adjacent to these waterways and to harass enemy personnel while keeping him off balance.

Sometimes these well-armed little boats were pressed into duty as troop carriers while other times they carried special operations teams on classified missions deep in enemy held territory. The gunners frequently wore over-sized helmets containing communication gear that connected them to the bridge via a cord running across the deck allowing the boat commander to direct gunfire.

On 2 July 1969, EN3 Albert M. Fransen, Jr., was a crewman assigned to Swift Boat PCF-87 conducting harassment and interdiction fire along the Song Da Rang River approximately 50 miles south of Qui Nhon and 7 miles southwest of Tuy Hoa, Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam. Rice fields reached across miles of fertile land on both sides of the winding river. Trees and bushes grew near the water's edge. As PCF-87 passed through the area, it came under fire from a Viet Cong (VC) force of unknown size. During the ensuing firefight, the Swift Boat was struck by small arms and 81mm mortar fire as it pressed its attack on unseen enemy positions. According to survivors, a mortar round exploded on the boat's deck where EN3 Fransen was stationed throwing him overboard.

After the fighting subsided, a thorough search of the water and riverbanks both upstream and downstream was conducted by aerial and ground troops, but no trace of the missing crewman was found. At the time the search effort was terminated, Albert Fransen was listed Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered.

While the fate of Albert Fransen is not in doubt, he has a right to have his remains returned to his family, friends and country. For other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, their fate could be quite different.

Since the end of the Vietnam War well over 21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for have been received by our government. Many of these reports document LIVE American Prisoners of War remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.

American servicemen in Vietnam were called upon to operate in many dangerous circumstances both on and off duty, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.