US Air Force Capt Robin Frederick Gatwood, Vietnam Veteran, resident of Hickory, NC.
US Air force Captain Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Air Force Reserve, CPT Gatwood served our country until July 20th, 1978 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. He was 25 years old and was married. It was reported that Robin died when his plane was shot down. His body was not recovered. He was declared KIA in 1978. CPT Gatwood is on panel 02W, line 128 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.
Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr, Captain, Unit: 42nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Serial Number: 240824551, Date of Birth: 5-Dec-46, Date of Death: 2-Apr-72, City: Hickory, State: NC. Notes: Captain Gatwood was a member of the 42nd Tactical Fighter Squadron. On April 2, 1972, he was a crew member of a Douglas Destroyer Electronic Surveillance Aircraft (EB-66C) escorting a cell of B-52 bombers near the Demilitarized Zone, when his aircraft was hit by hostile fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Robin was my neighbor at Mather AFB. Without his help, I would have washed out of Navy School in a month. I have always been grateful to have known him. When we learned of the shootdown of Bat 21, from a mutual friend, a gap opened in my life that has never closed. I stop to talk with him every time I visit the wall. Kendall Wright.
Robin and his wife shared a duplex with my wife Ann and I at Reese AFB. He was a friend and brave man. We miss him still. We live in North Carolina now and have prayed for him at the North Carolina and Washington walls. May God bless and keep his family safe. Edward V. Albert III, LtCol, USAFR, Ret.
Robin and I were both members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC. I remember him as a nice young man, and although he was older than I, he always treated us younger guys with respect. I knew his family when I was growing up, though not very well, and know that he is missed. He will not be forgotten as long as there are those of us here to honor him and his fellow countrymen who "gave all" for their country. COL Troy(Gil)Gilleland, US Army.
I discovered Robin's name today as I looked over the site. Robin was a senior when I was a sophomore at Hickory High School. His brother was a classmate and friend. I know little about his military career. However, I was not surprised to see that he was a combat veteran. He was a very kind, intelligent person, a leader in his senior class, who had many friends. I am proud to have known him. David McDougall.
It has been a long time, almost forty years, since I first met Robin. I had just returned from Vietnam and he was getting ready to go; from one soldier to another I think he was ready to do his part. I was already out of the Marine Corps after spending 28 months in Vietnam (1st Force Recon) and was devastated to learn of his death. He was born and raised in Hickory, NC. The movie "BAT-21" is based on his last flight. If you have any pictures of him please have them put on the Virtuall Wall, with any other info you can provide. May you rest in peace my brother in arms, for you will never be forgotten. Thanks, Roger Fleming, 2951 Dave Ray Street SW, Supply, NC 28462,
I never knew my father, Captain Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr. USAF, I was only 13 weeks old when his EB-66 (BAT-21) went down on April 2, 1972. This was his first mission, and he wanted to be there. Everything I have learned of my father was that he was a kind and proud man. I wish I could have grown up with him around, but unfortunatly that was not God's will. I have a plaque that belonged to him hanging in my house, stating what he felt about War. In short it reads "War is a terrible thing, but to have nothing worth fighting for is far worse." I truly believe this. To all those that have lost a family member in any War, God Bless You and your family. To those who serve or have served in any branch of the military, THANK YOU! If it wasn't for all of you we would not enjoy the freedom we share today. Hopefully one day my father, and the rest of those missing, will be recovered. Then maybe we all may have some sort of closure. From his son, Robin F. Gatwood III
On 02 Apr 1972 two EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft departed Korat RTAFB in Thailand to provide EW support to B-52 bombers operating south of the DMZ. BAT 21 was lead with BAT 22 as number two. The "Easter Offensive" had just begun and very large North Vietnamese forces were moving south through the DMZ. Although numerous SA-2 missiles were fired at the B-52s, there were no hits, until BAT 21 was hit while turning south to vacate the target area. The stricken EB-66 broke up at about 18,000 feet, but only one crewman - navigator Lt Col Iceal Hambleton - was able to parachute to safety on the ground. The safety was illusory, though, since Hambleton landed in the midst of the south-bound NVA forces. SAR and strike aircraft supported Hambleton as he moved south toward a pick-up point, but it soon became apparent that the area was simply too "hot" for SAR helicopter operations. After 11 days of travel by night, Hambleton was able to join up with a South Vietnamese SEAL team led by US Navy Lieutenant Tom Norris and was successfully rescued. The downing of BAT 21 and the subsequent SAR efforts were costly in terms of aircraft and aircrews: All told, 26 US aircrewmen were on the ground. Four were rescued: Hambleton, Clark, and the two AH-1G crewmen. Two were repatriated when the POWs returned: Henderson and Astorga. Twenty died or disappeared. Of those men, nine have come home. Eleven have not. Robin Gatwood is among these eleven men. The point-of-contact for this memorial is his son, Robin F. Gatwood III
From elementary school to high school till his MIA status and still, Robin was my friend, as crossing guards at Viewmont Elementary School to class trips at Hickory High to NY city, I will always remember Robin. He is a Hero among men, a man who served because he felt it was his duty since many of his friends, such as I, went to Vietnam, many returned home, some died, some wounded, and Robin, MIA I will remember Robin as I always have, my friend in life. Philip (Rusty) Bracewell, Jr., SSgt, USAF, Retired Excerpt from the Hickory Record, Monday, May 26, 2003. A Hero did His duty, paid the ultimate price. On Memorial Day, our thanks go to those who have protected our shores as well as our Freedoms, our way of life, and for those who are currently doing so. I would like to tell a story of one hero – a story which happened a little over 30 years ago, a story of a young man from Hickory who gave his all. I first befriended this young man in elementary school, where he talked me into becoming a crossing walk guard in the 5th grade. Our post was the intersection of N.C. 127 and Thirteenth Ave, NW, across from the Viewmont Baptist Church. For that year and the next, we stood our post in the rain and the sunshine. We even slipped into the old pharmacy on the corner to read comic books together.
As we entered College Park Junior High school together, we stayed friends even though our interests were different. At Hickory High School, my friend talked me into joining the Hickory High School Log staff, and what a blast it was, selling ads and taking a picture together for the ads and the yearbook. In our trip to New York in 1964, he and I rode the subways for a day and a night. I still have photos that he took in the subways. There was even a World Series game that we attended as well as the World's Fair. After graduation from High School, we went our separate ways; he attended college as I did. I chose to leave school and enlist in the Air Force in 1967. For about 4 years I didn't see or hear much from him. One day, I was on leave after returning from Vietnam, I saw him in front of the Hickory Post Office, we stopped, talked, and caught up on past years. I learned from him that he was on his way to see Msgt Wofford C. Harris, the Air Force Recruiter, in the Federal Building. Being me, I asked what the hell for? He told me that he was enlisting in the Air Force. I began to tell him what a dummy he was, that he should stay home with his family and put that college degree to work for him. He jumped right in my stuff, and began telling me that if I could serve and others like "J.B." could, why couldn't he? He told me that it was not right for me and the kids – we went to school, were drafted or enlisted, go to Vietnam – and for him to stay home and do nothing. He told me in no uncertain terms that it was his right, as well as his honor, to do as we had done. I told him that he was stupid, and to stay home, that Vietnam was not a war but a horrible and deadly joke and it was beginning to wind down with troop withdrawals and base closings, but he insisted. A short time later, I heard from him, saying that he was rotated to Thailand working in Air Intel for the 30th Air Division. The next time I heard of my childhood friend, was on April 4, 1972. when in the Hickory Daily Record, a notice of Missing in Action was published. You couldn't have driven a railroad spike in me. A cold shiver, that to this day I still get, ran through me.
The friend of my youth was a crew member of an EB-66-E, flying from a base in Thailand, coder name Bat-21(like the movie) flying a Path Finder Escort, prior to a B52 Arc Light Mission near the DMZ. His flight was struck by a SAM (surface to Air Missile) on April 2, 1972, near 165000North/1070100East, Quang Tri Province, Republic of South Vietnam. An extensive search and rescue was carried out by the 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron but only one rescue beeper was heard. For the next 12 days an extensive recovery effort was carried out by Army and Air Force Personnel. Many lives were lost in that 12 days and more MIA/POWs resulted from recovery efforts of the downed Airman. My friend was listed as MIA/POW as a result of this shoot down. To this day, when I wish to visit with him; I do one of two things, I turn to my high school annual, where I keep his newspaper clipping and memories or I visit The Wall in Washington, DC, Panel 02 W, Line 128, a place of honor. This is where I find Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr, friend of my youth. To me, Robin is a hero because he gave the ultimate price for a conviction, for honor, and because he felt he had to because his friends did. Heroes are measured in deeds. Robin's deed will live with me for a lifetime.
We didn't want the damn war, but we went, many returned and many died. Heroic deeds were done, but to me, it will always be an honor and a privilege to have known a real hero, my friend Robin F Gatwood Jr, a man who dared to care, a man who didn't have to, but gave it all that he had. For more than 30 years, I have kept an MIA/POW bracelet with Robin's name inscribed, and for more than 30 years, I have wished to tell this story of my friend. Robin, wherever you are I know that you are in good and honored company. Rusty Bracewell, SSGT, USAF, Retired, Hickory, NC.
The Robin Gatwood Sr Family, of Hickory, lives vith anxiety, frustration and disgust. It was on Easter Sunday in 1972 when their son's plane was split in half over Vietnam and Robin Jr. has not been heard from since.
The senior Gatwood said his wife awakened from a dream at 5:30 a.m. that Easter Sunday and told him she thought tier son had returned dome. Later they learned the surface-to-air missile had cut his plane in half it exactly the same time the mother had awakened from the dream. Robin volunteered for the Air Force after graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne College.
When the plane was shot down, Robin was a Lieutenant. Since then he had been promoted to Captain "He received that promotion after he was shot down, along with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, and other trinkets," his Father said. His describing the medals as trinkets illustrates his disdain for he U.S. government and it's efforts at accounting or the Vietnam missing in action or prisoners of war. For the vast majority of Americans, the Vietnam conflict is over, dead, and an infamous thing of the past. It still rules the Gatwood's lives. Mr. and Mrs. Gatwood refuse to accept that Robin is dead. They live on with hope and frustration—frustrated and disgusted that more is not being done to account for the missing in Vietnam. "There are too many missing in action and presumed dead. I am more disgusted than ever. I have written President Reagan, reminding him that in January and again in March he promised to use every government resource to account for 113 known prisoners not released in Vietnam. I have asked him why something is not done, but I presume he gets thousands of crank letters each day and I will be presumed just another crank writer," the elder Gatwood said.
His tone turned angry when he talked of "wasted ink" for Reagan to sign a pardon for a Watergate burglar recently. "I resent that and I still resent the pardon of Nixon. All this has happened and not one of four presidents has turned a hand to get an accountability of those missing in Vietnam. I am more bitter than ever and I have sent letters to Sen. Helms and Congressman Broyhill expressing my bitterness. "Things have not changed. We don't know about Robin. His name has never surfaced among the men who have come home and they had a link with each other and shared the names of those who were there. We are concerned with all the others who have not been accounted for," Gatwood said. "The biggest, most powerful nation in the world is accepting lies from the communists and that I resent. I don't see how a civilized nation can be so two-faced and cowardly". "Four presidents have turned their backs on honorable American servicemen and have not made the slightest move to get accountability. "I don't know if Robin is alive or not. That's not the point. We are concerned about the John Does. If they are there, we should be making tracks to get them back. "We should pay Vietnam the $3.4 million Nixon promised and get our people back. They don't give a damn and I resent everyone of them who sit on their backsides in Washington, earning big money and not doing a damn thing," Gatwood said. "Our government has been a disgrace for 10 years.
I would love to go to Washington and take my files I have collected and place them on all the desks from the President on down. I would love for somebody in government to come to me and give me a chance to pin their ears back in public. "Robin was just a number, not a human being and they are saying to me, if you don't like it, lump it' and I resent every one of them and their whole Attitude. "We are paying taxpayer money to protect Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan and my son can't even get the protection of the constitution. "The war is never over for us. We live with it constantly and we will continue until every one of those missing in action have been accounted for," Gatwood said. The trauma has led to health problems for Gatwood, who recently retired as a Lenoir-Rhyne College professor, but he has something, perhaps too much, to occupy his mind.
The nagging cancer of doubt lingers. He still wonders if his son and more like him are still alive in Vietnam.
He served with the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 488th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force.
He was awarded The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal, The Good Conduct Medal and The Air Medal with Multiple Oak Leaf Clusters.
US Air force Captain Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Air Force Reserve, CPT Gatwood served our country until July 20th, 1978 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. He was 25 years old and was married. It was reported that Robin died when his plane was shot down. His body was not recovered. He was declared KIA in 1978. CPT Gatwood is on panel 02W, line 128 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.
Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr, Captain, Unit: 42nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Serial Number: 240824551, Date of Birth: 5-Dec-46, Date of Death: 2-Apr-72, City: Hickory, State: NC. Notes: Captain Gatwood was a member of the 42nd Tactical Fighter Squadron. On April 2, 1972, he was a crew member of a Douglas Destroyer Electronic Surveillance Aircraft (EB-66C) escorting a cell of B-52 bombers near the Demilitarized Zone, when his aircraft was hit by hostile fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Robin was my neighbor at Mather AFB. Without his help, I would have washed out of Navy School in a month. I have always been grateful to have known him. When we learned of the shootdown of Bat 21, from a mutual friend, a gap opened in my life that has never closed. I stop to talk with him every time I visit the wall. Kendall Wright.
Robin and his wife shared a duplex with my wife Ann and I at Reese AFB. He was a friend and brave man. We miss him still. We live in North Carolina now and have prayed for him at the North Carolina and Washington walls. May God bless and keep his family safe. Edward V. Albert III, LtCol, USAFR, Ret.
Robin and I were both members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC. I remember him as a nice young man, and although he was older than I, he always treated us younger guys with respect. I knew his family when I was growing up, though not very well, and know that he is missed. He will not be forgotten as long as there are those of us here to honor him and his fellow countrymen who "gave all" for their country. COL Troy(Gil)Gilleland, US Army.
I discovered Robin's name today as I looked over the site. Robin was a senior when I was a sophomore at Hickory High School. His brother was a classmate and friend. I know little about his military career. However, I was not surprised to see that he was a combat veteran. He was a very kind, intelligent person, a leader in his senior class, who had many friends. I am proud to have known him. David McDougall.
It has been a long time, almost forty years, since I first met Robin. I had just returned from Vietnam and he was getting ready to go; from one soldier to another I think he was ready to do his part. I was already out of the Marine Corps after spending 28 months in Vietnam (1st Force Recon) and was devastated to learn of his death. He was born and raised in Hickory, NC. The movie "BAT-21" is based on his last flight. If you have any pictures of him please have them put on the Virtuall Wall, with any other info you can provide. May you rest in peace my brother in arms, for you will never be forgotten. Thanks, Roger Fleming, 2951 Dave Ray Street SW, Supply, NC 28462,
I never knew my father, Captain Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr. USAF, I was only 13 weeks old when his EB-66 (BAT-21) went down on April 2, 1972. This was his first mission, and he wanted to be there. Everything I have learned of my father was that he was a kind and proud man. I wish I could have grown up with him around, but unfortunatly that was not God's will. I have a plaque that belonged to him hanging in my house, stating what he felt about War. In short it reads "War is a terrible thing, but to have nothing worth fighting for is far worse." I truly believe this. To all those that have lost a family member in any War, God Bless You and your family. To those who serve or have served in any branch of the military, THANK YOU! If it wasn't for all of you we would not enjoy the freedom we share today. Hopefully one day my father, and the rest of those missing, will be recovered. Then maybe we all may have some sort of closure. From his son, Robin F. Gatwood III
On 02 Apr 1972 two EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft departed Korat RTAFB in Thailand to provide EW support to B-52 bombers operating south of the DMZ. BAT 21 was lead with BAT 22 as number two. The "Easter Offensive" had just begun and very large North Vietnamese forces were moving south through the DMZ. Although numerous SA-2 missiles were fired at the B-52s, there were no hits, until BAT 21 was hit while turning south to vacate the target area. The stricken EB-66 broke up at about 18,000 feet, but only one crewman - navigator Lt Col Iceal Hambleton - was able to parachute to safety on the ground. The safety was illusory, though, since Hambleton landed in the midst of the south-bound NVA forces. SAR and strike aircraft supported Hambleton as he moved south toward a pick-up point, but it soon became apparent that the area was simply too "hot" for SAR helicopter operations. After 11 days of travel by night, Hambleton was able to join up with a South Vietnamese SEAL team led by US Navy Lieutenant Tom Norris and was successfully rescued. The downing of BAT 21 and the subsequent SAR efforts were costly in terms of aircraft and aircrews: All told, 26 US aircrewmen were on the ground. Four were rescued: Hambleton, Clark, and the two AH-1G crewmen. Two were repatriated when the POWs returned: Henderson and Astorga. Twenty died or disappeared. Of those men, nine have come home. Eleven have not. Robin Gatwood is among these eleven men. The point-of-contact for this memorial is his son, Robin F. Gatwood III
From elementary school to high school till his MIA status and still, Robin was my friend, as crossing guards at Viewmont Elementary School to class trips at Hickory High to NY city, I will always remember Robin. He is a Hero among men, a man who served because he felt it was his duty since many of his friends, such as I, went to Vietnam, many returned home, some died, some wounded, and Robin, MIA I will remember Robin as I always have, my friend in life. Philip (Rusty) Bracewell, Jr., SSgt, USAF, Retired Excerpt from the Hickory Record, Monday, May 26, 2003. A Hero did His duty, paid the ultimate price. On Memorial Day, our thanks go to those who have protected our shores as well as our Freedoms, our way of life, and for those who are currently doing so. I would like to tell a story of one hero – a story which happened a little over 30 years ago, a story of a young man from Hickory who gave his all. I first befriended this young man in elementary school, where he talked me into becoming a crossing walk guard in the 5th grade. Our post was the intersection of N.C. 127 and Thirteenth Ave, NW, across from the Viewmont Baptist Church. For that year and the next, we stood our post in the rain and the sunshine. We even slipped into the old pharmacy on the corner to read comic books together.
As we entered College Park Junior High school together, we stayed friends even though our interests were different. At Hickory High School, my friend talked me into joining the Hickory High School Log staff, and what a blast it was, selling ads and taking a picture together for the ads and the yearbook. In our trip to New York in 1964, he and I rode the subways for a day and a night. I still have photos that he took in the subways. There was even a World Series game that we attended as well as the World's Fair. After graduation from High School, we went our separate ways; he attended college as I did. I chose to leave school and enlist in the Air Force in 1967. For about 4 years I didn't see or hear much from him. One day, I was on leave after returning from Vietnam, I saw him in front of the Hickory Post Office, we stopped, talked, and caught up on past years. I learned from him that he was on his way to see Msgt Wofford C. Harris, the Air Force Recruiter, in the Federal Building. Being me, I asked what the hell for? He told me that he was enlisting in the Air Force. I began to tell him what a dummy he was, that he should stay home with his family and put that college degree to work for him. He jumped right in my stuff, and began telling me that if I could serve and others like "J.B." could, why couldn't he? He told me that it was not right for me and the kids – we went to school, were drafted or enlisted, go to Vietnam – and for him to stay home and do nothing. He told me in no uncertain terms that it was his right, as well as his honor, to do as we had done. I told him that he was stupid, and to stay home, that Vietnam was not a war but a horrible and deadly joke and it was beginning to wind down with troop withdrawals and base closings, but he insisted. A short time later, I heard from him, saying that he was rotated to Thailand working in Air Intel for the 30th Air Division. The next time I heard of my childhood friend, was on April 4, 1972. when in the Hickory Daily Record, a notice of Missing in Action was published. You couldn't have driven a railroad spike in me. A cold shiver, that to this day I still get, ran through me.
The friend of my youth was a crew member of an EB-66-E, flying from a base in Thailand, coder name Bat-21(like the movie) flying a Path Finder Escort, prior to a B52 Arc Light Mission near the DMZ. His flight was struck by a SAM (surface to Air Missile) on April 2, 1972, near 165000North/1070100East, Quang Tri Province, Republic of South Vietnam. An extensive search and rescue was carried out by the 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron but only one rescue beeper was heard. For the next 12 days an extensive recovery effort was carried out by Army and Air Force Personnel. Many lives were lost in that 12 days and more MIA/POWs resulted from recovery efforts of the downed Airman. My friend was listed as MIA/POW as a result of this shoot down. To this day, when I wish to visit with him; I do one of two things, I turn to my high school annual, where I keep his newspaper clipping and memories or I visit The Wall in Washington, DC, Panel 02 W, Line 128, a place of honor. This is where I find Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr, friend of my youth. To me, Robin is a hero because he gave the ultimate price for a conviction, for honor, and because he felt he had to because his friends did. Heroes are measured in deeds. Robin's deed will live with me for a lifetime.
We didn't want the damn war, but we went, many returned and many died. Heroic deeds were done, but to me, it will always be an honor and a privilege to have known a real hero, my friend Robin F Gatwood Jr, a man who dared to care, a man who didn't have to, but gave it all that he had. For more than 30 years, I have kept an MIA/POW bracelet with Robin's name inscribed, and for more than 30 years, I have wished to tell this story of my friend. Robin, wherever you are I know that you are in good and honored company. Rusty Bracewell, SSGT, USAF, Retired, Hickory, NC.
The Robin Gatwood Sr Family, of Hickory, lives vith anxiety, frustration and disgust. It was on Easter Sunday in 1972 when their son's plane was split in half over Vietnam and Robin Jr. has not been heard from since.
The senior Gatwood said his wife awakened from a dream at 5:30 a.m. that Easter Sunday and told him she thought tier son had returned dome. Later they learned the surface-to-air missile had cut his plane in half it exactly the same time the mother had awakened from the dream. Robin volunteered for the Air Force after graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne College.
When the plane was shot down, Robin was a Lieutenant. Since then he had been promoted to Captain "He received that promotion after he was shot down, along with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, and other trinkets," his Father said. His describing the medals as trinkets illustrates his disdain for he U.S. government and it's efforts at accounting or the Vietnam missing in action or prisoners of war. For the vast majority of Americans, the Vietnam conflict is over, dead, and an infamous thing of the past. It still rules the Gatwood's lives. Mr. and Mrs. Gatwood refuse to accept that Robin is dead. They live on with hope and frustration—frustrated and disgusted that more is not being done to account for the missing in Vietnam. "There are too many missing in action and presumed dead. I am more disgusted than ever. I have written President Reagan, reminding him that in January and again in March he promised to use every government resource to account for 113 known prisoners not released in Vietnam. I have asked him why something is not done, but I presume he gets thousands of crank letters each day and I will be presumed just another crank writer," the elder Gatwood said.
His tone turned angry when he talked of "wasted ink" for Reagan to sign a pardon for a Watergate burglar recently. "I resent that and I still resent the pardon of Nixon. All this has happened and not one of four presidents has turned a hand to get an accountability of those missing in Vietnam. I am more bitter than ever and I have sent letters to Sen. Helms and Congressman Broyhill expressing my bitterness. "Things have not changed. We don't know about Robin. His name has never surfaced among the men who have come home and they had a link with each other and shared the names of those who were there. We are concerned with all the others who have not been accounted for," Gatwood said. "The biggest, most powerful nation in the world is accepting lies from the communists and that I resent. I don't see how a civilized nation can be so two-faced and cowardly". "Four presidents have turned their backs on honorable American servicemen and have not made the slightest move to get accountability. "I don't know if Robin is alive or not. That's not the point. We are concerned about the John Does. If they are there, we should be making tracks to get them back. "We should pay Vietnam the $3.4 million Nixon promised and get our people back. They don't give a damn and I resent everyone of them who sit on their backsides in Washington, earning big money and not doing a damn thing," Gatwood said. "Our government has been a disgrace for 10 years.
I would love to go to Washington and take my files I have collected and place them on all the desks from the President on down. I would love for somebody in government to come to me and give me a chance to pin their ears back in public. "Robin was just a number, not a human being and they are saying to me, if you don't like it, lump it' and I resent every one of them and their whole Attitude. "We are paying taxpayer money to protect Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan and my son can't even get the protection of the constitution. "The war is never over for us. We live with it constantly and we will continue until every one of those missing in action have been accounted for," Gatwood said. The trauma has led to health problems for Gatwood, who recently retired as a Lenoir-Rhyne College professor, but he has something, perhaps too much, to occupy his mind.
The nagging cancer of doubt lingers. He still wonders if his son and more like him are still alive in Vietnam.
He served with the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 488th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force.
He was awarded The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal, The Good Conduct Medal and The Air Medal with Multiple Oak Leaf Clusters.
US Air Force Capt Robin Frederick Gatwood, Vietnam Veteran, resident of Hickory, NC.
US Air force Captain Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Air Force Reserve, CPT Gatwood served our country until July 20th, 1978 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. He was 25 years old and was married. It was reported that Robin died when his plane was shot down. His body was not recovered. He was declared KIA in 1978. CPT Gatwood is on panel 02W, line 128 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.
Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr, Captain, Unit: 42nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Serial Number: 240824551, Date of Birth: 5-Dec-46, Date of Death: 2-Apr-72, City: Hickory, State: NC. Notes: Captain Gatwood was a member of the 42nd Tactical Fighter Squadron. On April 2, 1972, he was a crew member of a Douglas Destroyer Electronic Surveillance Aircraft (EB-66C) escorting a cell of B-52 bombers near the Demilitarized Zone, when his aircraft was hit by hostile fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Robin was my neighbor at Mather AFB. Without his help, I would have washed out of Navy School in a month. I have always been grateful to have known him. When we learned of the shootdown of Bat 21, from a mutual friend, a gap opened in my life that has never closed. I stop to talk with him every time I visit the wall. Kendall Wright.
Robin and his wife shared a duplex with my wife Ann and I at Reese AFB. He was a friend and brave man. We miss him still. We live in North Carolina now and have prayed for him at the North Carolina and Washington walls. May God bless and keep his family safe. Edward V. Albert III, LtCol, USAFR, Ret.
Robin and I were both members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC. I remember him as a nice young man, and although he was older than I, he always treated us younger guys with respect. I knew his family when I was growing up, though not very well, and know that he is missed. He will not be forgotten as long as there are those of us here to honor him and his fellow countrymen who "gave all" for their country. COL Troy(Gil)Gilleland, US Army.
I discovered Robin's name today as I looked over the site. Robin was a senior when I was a sophomore at Hickory High School. His brother was a classmate and friend. I know little about his military career. However, I was not surprised to see that he was a combat veteran. He was a very kind, intelligent person, a leader in his senior class, who had many friends. I am proud to have known him. David McDougall.
It has been a long time, almost forty years, since I first met Robin. I had just returned from Vietnam and he was getting ready to go; from one soldier to another I think he was ready to do his part. I was already out of the Marine Corps after spending 28 months in Vietnam (1st Force Recon) and was devastated to learn of his death. He was born and raised in Hickory, NC. The movie "BAT-21" is based on his last flight. If you have any pictures of him please have them put on the Virtuall Wall, with any other info you can provide. May you rest in peace my brother in arms, for you will never be forgotten. Thanks, Roger Fleming, 2951 Dave Ray Street SW, Supply, NC 28462,
I never knew my father, Captain Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr. USAF, I was only 13 weeks old when his EB-66 (BAT-21) went down on April 2, 1972. This was his first mission, and he wanted to be there. Everything I have learned of my father was that he was a kind and proud man. I wish I could have grown up with him around, but unfortunatly that was not God's will. I have a plaque that belonged to him hanging in my house, stating what he felt about War. In short it reads "War is a terrible thing, but to have nothing worth fighting for is far worse." I truly believe this. To all those that have lost a family member in any War, God Bless You and your family. To those who serve or have served in any branch of the military, THANK YOU! If it wasn't for all of you we would not enjoy the freedom we share today. Hopefully one day my father, and the rest of those missing, will be recovered. Then maybe we all may have some sort of closure. From his son, Robin F. Gatwood III
On 02 Apr 1972 two EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft departed Korat RTAFB in Thailand to provide EW support to B-52 bombers operating south of the DMZ. BAT 21 was lead with BAT 22 as number two. The "Easter Offensive" had just begun and very large North Vietnamese forces were moving south through the DMZ. Although numerous SA-2 missiles were fired at the B-52s, there were no hits, until BAT 21 was hit while turning south to vacate the target area. The stricken EB-66 broke up at about 18,000 feet, but only one crewman - navigator Lt Col Iceal Hambleton - was able to parachute to safety on the ground. The safety was illusory, though, since Hambleton landed in the midst of the south-bound NVA forces. SAR and strike aircraft supported Hambleton as he moved south toward a pick-up point, but it soon became apparent that the area was simply too "hot" for SAR helicopter operations. After 11 days of travel by night, Hambleton was able to join up with a South Vietnamese SEAL team led by US Navy Lieutenant Tom Norris and was successfully rescued. The downing of BAT 21 and the subsequent SAR efforts were costly in terms of aircraft and aircrews: All told, 26 US aircrewmen were on the ground. Four were rescued: Hambleton, Clark, and the two AH-1G crewmen. Two were repatriated when the POWs returned: Henderson and Astorga. Twenty died or disappeared. Of those men, nine have come home. Eleven have not. Robin Gatwood is among these eleven men. The point-of-contact for this memorial is his son, Robin F. Gatwood III
From elementary school to high school till his MIA status and still, Robin was my friend, as crossing guards at Viewmont Elementary School to class trips at Hickory High to NY city, I will always remember Robin. He is a Hero among men, a man who served because he felt it was his duty since many of his friends, such as I, went to Vietnam, many returned home, some died, some wounded, and Robin, MIA I will remember Robin as I always have, my friend in life. Philip (Rusty) Bracewell, Jr., SSgt, USAF, Retired Excerpt from the Hickory Record, Monday, May 26, 2003. A Hero did His duty, paid the ultimate price. On Memorial Day, our thanks go to those who have protected our shores as well as our Freedoms, our way of life, and for those who are currently doing so. I would like to tell a story of one hero – a story which happened a little over 30 years ago, a story of a young man from Hickory who gave his all. I first befriended this young man in elementary school, where he talked me into becoming a crossing walk guard in the 5th grade. Our post was the intersection of N.C. 127 and Thirteenth Ave, NW, across from the Viewmont Baptist Church. For that year and the next, we stood our post in the rain and the sunshine. We even slipped into the old pharmacy on the corner to read comic books together.
As we entered College Park Junior High school together, we stayed friends even though our interests were different. At Hickory High School, my friend talked me into joining the Hickory High School Log staff, and what a blast it was, selling ads and taking a picture together for the ads and the yearbook. In our trip to New York in 1964, he and I rode the subways for a day and a night. I still have photos that he took in the subways. There was even a World Series game that we attended as well as the World's Fair. After graduation from High School, we went our separate ways; he attended college as I did. I chose to leave school and enlist in the Air Force in 1967. For about 4 years I didn't see or hear much from him. One day, I was on leave after returning from Vietnam, I saw him in front of the Hickory Post Office, we stopped, talked, and caught up on past years. I learned from him that he was on his way to see Msgt Wofford C. Harris, the Air Force Recruiter, in the Federal Building. Being me, I asked what the hell for? He told me that he was enlisting in the Air Force. I began to tell him what a dummy he was, that he should stay home with his family and put that college degree to work for him. He jumped right in my stuff, and began telling me that if I could serve and others like "J.B." could, why couldn't he? He told me that it was not right for me and the kids – we went to school, were drafted or enlisted, go to Vietnam – and for him to stay home and do nothing. He told me in no uncertain terms that it was his right, as well as his honor, to do as we had done. I told him that he was stupid, and to stay home, that Vietnam was not a war but a horrible and deadly joke and it was beginning to wind down with troop withdrawals and base closings, but he insisted. A short time later, I heard from him, saying that he was rotated to Thailand working in Air Intel for the 30th Air Division. The next time I heard of my childhood friend, was on April 4, 1972. when in the Hickory Daily Record, a notice of Missing in Action was published. You couldn't have driven a railroad spike in me. A cold shiver, that to this day I still get, ran through me.
The friend of my youth was a crew member of an EB-66-E, flying from a base in Thailand, coder name Bat-21(like the movie) flying a Path Finder Escort, prior to a B52 Arc Light Mission near the DMZ. His flight was struck by a SAM (surface to Air Missile) on April 2, 1972, near 165000North/1070100East, Quang Tri Province, Republic of South Vietnam. An extensive search and rescue was carried out by the 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron but only one rescue beeper was heard. For the next 12 days an extensive recovery effort was carried out by Army and Air Force Personnel. Many lives were lost in that 12 days and more MIA/POWs resulted from recovery efforts of the downed Airman. My friend was listed as MIA/POW as a result of this shoot down. To this day, when I wish to visit with him; I do one of two things, I turn to my high school annual, where I keep his newspaper clipping and memories or I visit The Wall in Washington, DC, Panel 02 W, Line 128, a place of honor. This is where I find Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr, friend of my youth. To me, Robin is a hero because he gave the ultimate price for a conviction, for honor, and because he felt he had to because his friends did. Heroes are measured in deeds. Robin's deed will live with me for a lifetime.
We didn't want the damn war, but we went, many returned and many died. Heroic deeds were done, but to me, it will always be an honor and a privilege to have known a real hero, my friend Robin F Gatwood Jr, a man who dared to care, a man who didn't have to, but gave it all that he had. For more than 30 years, I have kept an MIA/POW bracelet with Robin's name inscribed, and for more than 30 years, I have wished to tell this story of my friend. Robin, wherever you are I know that you are in good and honored company. Rusty Bracewell, SSGT, USAF, Retired, Hickory, NC.
The Robin Gatwood Sr Family, of Hickory, lives vith anxiety, frustration and disgust. It was on Easter Sunday in 1972 when their son's plane was split in half over Vietnam and Robin Jr. has not been heard from since.
The senior Gatwood said his wife awakened from a dream at 5:30 a.m. that Easter Sunday and told him she thought tier son had returned dome. Later they learned the surface-to-air missile had cut his plane in half it exactly the same time the mother had awakened from the dream. Robin volunteered for the Air Force after graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne College.
When the plane was shot down, Robin was a Lieutenant. Since then he had been promoted to Captain "He received that promotion after he was shot down, along with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, and other trinkets," his Father said. His describing the medals as trinkets illustrates his disdain for he U.S. government and it's efforts at accounting or the Vietnam missing in action or prisoners of war. For the vast majority of Americans, the Vietnam conflict is over, dead, and an infamous thing of the past. It still rules the Gatwood's lives. Mr. and Mrs. Gatwood refuse to accept that Robin is dead. They live on with hope and frustration—frustrated and disgusted that more is not being done to account for the missing in Vietnam. "There are too many missing in action and presumed dead. I am more disgusted than ever. I have written President Reagan, reminding him that in January and again in March he promised to use every government resource to account for 113 known prisoners not released in Vietnam. I have asked him why something is not done, but I presume he gets thousands of crank letters each day and I will be presumed just another crank writer," the elder Gatwood said.
His tone turned angry when he talked of "wasted ink" for Reagan to sign a pardon for a Watergate burglar recently. "I resent that and I still resent the pardon of Nixon. All this has happened and not one of four presidents has turned a hand to get an accountability of those missing in Vietnam. I am more bitter than ever and I have sent letters to Sen. Helms and Congressman Broyhill expressing my bitterness. "Things have not changed. We don't know about Robin. His name has never surfaced among the men who have come home and they had a link with each other and shared the names of those who were there. We are concerned with all the others who have not been accounted for," Gatwood said. "The biggest, most powerful nation in the world is accepting lies from the communists and that I resent. I don't see how a civilized nation can be so two-faced and cowardly". "Four presidents have turned their backs on honorable American servicemen and have not made the slightest move to get accountability. "I don't know if Robin is alive or not. That's not the point. We are concerned about the John Does. If they are there, we should be making tracks to get them back. "We should pay Vietnam the $3.4 million Nixon promised and get our people back. They don't give a damn and I resent everyone of them who sit on their backsides in Washington, earning big money and not doing a damn thing," Gatwood said. "Our government has been a disgrace for 10 years.
I would love to go to Washington and take my files I have collected and place them on all the desks from the President on down. I would love for somebody in government to come to me and give me a chance to pin their ears back in public. "Robin was just a number, not a human being and they are saying to me, if you don't like it, lump it' and I resent every one of them and their whole Attitude. "We are paying taxpayer money to protect Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan and my son can't even get the protection of the constitution. "The war is never over for us. We live with it constantly and we will continue until every one of those missing in action have been accounted for," Gatwood said. The trauma has led to health problems for Gatwood, who recently retired as a Lenoir-Rhyne College professor, but he has something, perhaps too much, to occupy his mind.
The nagging cancer of doubt lingers. He still wonders if his son and more like him are still alive in Vietnam.
He served with the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 488th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force.
He was awarded The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal, The Good Conduct Medal and The Air Medal with Multiple Oak Leaf Clusters.
US Air force Captain Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Air Force Reserve, CPT Gatwood served our country until July 20th, 1978 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. He was 25 years old and was married. It was reported that Robin died when his plane was shot down. His body was not recovered. He was declared KIA in 1978. CPT Gatwood is on panel 02W, line 128 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.
Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr, Captain, Unit: 42nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Serial Number: 240824551, Date of Birth: 5-Dec-46, Date of Death: 2-Apr-72, City: Hickory, State: NC. Notes: Captain Gatwood was a member of the 42nd Tactical Fighter Squadron. On April 2, 1972, he was a crew member of a Douglas Destroyer Electronic Surveillance Aircraft (EB-66C) escorting a cell of B-52 bombers near the Demilitarized Zone, when his aircraft was hit by hostile fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
Robin was my neighbor at Mather AFB. Without his help, I would have washed out of Navy School in a month. I have always been grateful to have known him. When we learned of the shootdown of Bat 21, from a mutual friend, a gap opened in my life that has never closed. I stop to talk with him every time I visit the wall. Kendall Wright.
Robin and his wife shared a duplex with my wife Ann and I at Reese AFB. He was a friend and brave man. We miss him still. We live in North Carolina now and have prayed for him at the North Carolina and Washington walls. May God bless and keep his family safe. Edward V. Albert III, LtCol, USAFR, Ret.
Robin and I were both members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC. I remember him as a nice young man, and although he was older than I, he always treated us younger guys with respect. I knew his family when I was growing up, though not very well, and know that he is missed. He will not be forgotten as long as there are those of us here to honor him and his fellow countrymen who "gave all" for their country. COL Troy(Gil)Gilleland, US Army.
I discovered Robin's name today as I looked over the site. Robin was a senior when I was a sophomore at Hickory High School. His brother was a classmate and friend. I know little about his military career. However, I was not surprised to see that he was a combat veteran. He was a very kind, intelligent person, a leader in his senior class, who had many friends. I am proud to have known him. David McDougall.
It has been a long time, almost forty years, since I first met Robin. I had just returned from Vietnam and he was getting ready to go; from one soldier to another I think he was ready to do his part. I was already out of the Marine Corps after spending 28 months in Vietnam (1st Force Recon) and was devastated to learn of his death. He was born and raised in Hickory, NC. The movie "BAT-21" is based on his last flight. If you have any pictures of him please have them put on the Virtuall Wall, with any other info you can provide. May you rest in peace my brother in arms, for you will never be forgotten. Thanks, Roger Fleming, 2951 Dave Ray Street SW, Supply, NC 28462,
I never knew my father, Captain Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr. USAF, I was only 13 weeks old when his EB-66 (BAT-21) went down on April 2, 1972. This was his first mission, and he wanted to be there. Everything I have learned of my father was that he was a kind and proud man. I wish I could have grown up with him around, but unfortunatly that was not God's will. I have a plaque that belonged to him hanging in my house, stating what he felt about War. In short it reads "War is a terrible thing, but to have nothing worth fighting for is far worse." I truly believe this. To all those that have lost a family member in any War, God Bless You and your family. To those who serve or have served in any branch of the military, THANK YOU! If it wasn't for all of you we would not enjoy the freedom we share today. Hopefully one day my father, and the rest of those missing, will be recovered. Then maybe we all may have some sort of closure. From his son, Robin F. Gatwood III
On 02 Apr 1972 two EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft departed Korat RTAFB in Thailand to provide EW support to B-52 bombers operating south of the DMZ. BAT 21 was lead with BAT 22 as number two. The "Easter Offensive" had just begun and very large North Vietnamese forces were moving south through the DMZ. Although numerous SA-2 missiles were fired at the B-52s, there were no hits, until BAT 21 was hit while turning south to vacate the target area. The stricken EB-66 broke up at about 18,000 feet, but only one crewman - navigator Lt Col Iceal Hambleton - was able to parachute to safety on the ground. The safety was illusory, though, since Hambleton landed in the midst of the south-bound NVA forces. SAR and strike aircraft supported Hambleton as he moved south toward a pick-up point, but it soon became apparent that the area was simply too "hot" for SAR helicopter operations. After 11 days of travel by night, Hambleton was able to join up with a South Vietnamese SEAL team led by US Navy Lieutenant Tom Norris and was successfully rescued. The downing of BAT 21 and the subsequent SAR efforts were costly in terms of aircraft and aircrews: All told, 26 US aircrewmen were on the ground. Four were rescued: Hambleton, Clark, and the two AH-1G crewmen. Two were repatriated when the POWs returned: Henderson and Astorga. Twenty died or disappeared. Of those men, nine have come home. Eleven have not. Robin Gatwood is among these eleven men. The point-of-contact for this memorial is his son, Robin F. Gatwood III
From elementary school to high school till his MIA status and still, Robin was my friend, as crossing guards at Viewmont Elementary School to class trips at Hickory High to NY city, I will always remember Robin. He is a Hero among men, a man who served because he felt it was his duty since many of his friends, such as I, went to Vietnam, many returned home, some died, some wounded, and Robin, MIA I will remember Robin as I always have, my friend in life. Philip (Rusty) Bracewell, Jr., SSgt, USAF, Retired Excerpt from the Hickory Record, Monday, May 26, 2003. A Hero did His duty, paid the ultimate price. On Memorial Day, our thanks go to those who have protected our shores as well as our Freedoms, our way of life, and for those who are currently doing so. I would like to tell a story of one hero – a story which happened a little over 30 years ago, a story of a young man from Hickory who gave his all. I first befriended this young man in elementary school, where he talked me into becoming a crossing walk guard in the 5th grade. Our post was the intersection of N.C. 127 and Thirteenth Ave, NW, across from the Viewmont Baptist Church. For that year and the next, we stood our post in the rain and the sunshine. We even slipped into the old pharmacy on the corner to read comic books together.
As we entered College Park Junior High school together, we stayed friends even though our interests were different. At Hickory High School, my friend talked me into joining the Hickory High School Log staff, and what a blast it was, selling ads and taking a picture together for the ads and the yearbook. In our trip to New York in 1964, he and I rode the subways for a day and a night. I still have photos that he took in the subways. There was even a World Series game that we attended as well as the World's Fair. After graduation from High School, we went our separate ways; he attended college as I did. I chose to leave school and enlist in the Air Force in 1967. For about 4 years I didn't see or hear much from him. One day, I was on leave after returning from Vietnam, I saw him in front of the Hickory Post Office, we stopped, talked, and caught up on past years. I learned from him that he was on his way to see Msgt Wofford C. Harris, the Air Force Recruiter, in the Federal Building. Being me, I asked what the hell for? He told me that he was enlisting in the Air Force. I began to tell him what a dummy he was, that he should stay home with his family and put that college degree to work for him. He jumped right in my stuff, and began telling me that if I could serve and others like "J.B." could, why couldn't he? He told me that it was not right for me and the kids – we went to school, were drafted or enlisted, go to Vietnam – and for him to stay home and do nothing. He told me in no uncertain terms that it was his right, as well as his honor, to do as we had done. I told him that he was stupid, and to stay home, that Vietnam was not a war but a horrible and deadly joke and it was beginning to wind down with troop withdrawals and base closings, but he insisted. A short time later, I heard from him, saying that he was rotated to Thailand working in Air Intel for the 30th Air Division. The next time I heard of my childhood friend, was on April 4, 1972. when in the Hickory Daily Record, a notice of Missing in Action was published. You couldn't have driven a railroad spike in me. A cold shiver, that to this day I still get, ran through me.
The friend of my youth was a crew member of an EB-66-E, flying from a base in Thailand, coder name Bat-21(like the movie) flying a Path Finder Escort, prior to a B52 Arc Light Mission near the DMZ. His flight was struck by a SAM (surface to Air Missile) on April 2, 1972, near 165000North/1070100East, Quang Tri Province, Republic of South Vietnam. An extensive search and rescue was carried out by the 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron but only one rescue beeper was heard. For the next 12 days an extensive recovery effort was carried out by Army and Air Force Personnel. Many lives were lost in that 12 days and more MIA/POWs resulted from recovery efforts of the downed Airman. My friend was listed as MIA/POW as a result of this shoot down. To this day, when I wish to visit with him; I do one of two things, I turn to my high school annual, where I keep his newspaper clipping and memories or I visit The Wall in Washington, DC, Panel 02 W, Line 128, a place of honor. This is where I find Robin Frederick Gatwood Jr, friend of my youth. To me, Robin is a hero because he gave the ultimate price for a conviction, for honor, and because he felt he had to because his friends did. Heroes are measured in deeds. Robin's deed will live with me for a lifetime.
We didn't want the damn war, but we went, many returned and many died. Heroic deeds were done, but to me, it will always be an honor and a privilege to have known a real hero, my friend Robin F Gatwood Jr, a man who dared to care, a man who didn't have to, but gave it all that he had. For more than 30 years, I have kept an MIA/POW bracelet with Robin's name inscribed, and for more than 30 years, I have wished to tell this story of my friend. Robin, wherever you are I know that you are in good and honored company. Rusty Bracewell, SSGT, USAF, Retired, Hickory, NC.
The Robin Gatwood Sr Family, of Hickory, lives vith anxiety, frustration and disgust. It was on Easter Sunday in 1972 when their son's plane was split in half over Vietnam and Robin Jr. has not been heard from since.
The senior Gatwood said his wife awakened from a dream at 5:30 a.m. that Easter Sunday and told him she thought tier son had returned dome. Later they learned the surface-to-air missile had cut his plane in half it exactly the same time the mother had awakened from the dream. Robin volunteered for the Air Force after graduating from Lenoir-Rhyne College.
When the plane was shot down, Robin was a Lieutenant. Since then he had been promoted to Captain "He received that promotion after he was shot down, along with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, and other trinkets," his Father said. His describing the medals as trinkets illustrates his disdain for he U.S. government and it's efforts at accounting or the Vietnam missing in action or prisoners of war. For the vast majority of Americans, the Vietnam conflict is over, dead, and an infamous thing of the past. It still rules the Gatwood's lives. Mr. and Mrs. Gatwood refuse to accept that Robin is dead. They live on with hope and frustration—frustrated and disgusted that more is not being done to account for the missing in Vietnam. "There are too many missing in action and presumed dead. I am more disgusted than ever. I have written President Reagan, reminding him that in January and again in March he promised to use every government resource to account for 113 known prisoners not released in Vietnam. I have asked him why something is not done, but I presume he gets thousands of crank letters each day and I will be presumed just another crank writer," the elder Gatwood said.
His tone turned angry when he talked of "wasted ink" for Reagan to sign a pardon for a Watergate burglar recently. "I resent that and I still resent the pardon of Nixon. All this has happened and not one of four presidents has turned a hand to get an accountability of those missing in Vietnam. I am more bitter than ever and I have sent letters to Sen. Helms and Congressman Broyhill expressing my bitterness. "Things have not changed. We don't know about Robin. His name has never surfaced among the men who have come home and they had a link with each other and shared the names of those who were there. We are concerned with all the others who have not been accounted for," Gatwood said. "The biggest, most powerful nation in the world is accepting lies from the communists and that I resent. I don't see how a civilized nation can be so two-faced and cowardly". "Four presidents have turned their backs on honorable American servicemen and have not made the slightest move to get accountability. "I don't know if Robin is alive or not. That's not the point. We are concerned about the John Does. If they are there, we should be making tracks to get them back. "We should pay Vietnam the $3.4 million Nixon promised and get our people back. They don't give a damn and I resent everyone of them who sit on their backsides in Washington, earning big money and not doing a damn thing," Gatwood said. "Our government has been a disgrace for 10 years.
I would love to go to Washington and take my files I have collected and place them on all the desks from the President on down. I would love for somebody in government to come to me and give me a chance to pin their ears back in public. "Robin was just a number, not a human being and they are saying to me, if you don't like it, lump it' and I resent every one of them and their whole Attitude. "We are paying taxpayer money to protect Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan and my son can't even get the protection of the constitution. "The war is never over for us. We live with it constantly and we will continue until every one of those missing in action have been accounted for," Gatwood said. The trauma has led to health problems for Gatwood, who recently retired as a Lenoir-Rhyne College professor, but he has something, perhaps too much, to occupy his mind.
The nagging cancer of doubt lingers. He still wonders if his son and more like him are still alive in Vietnam.
He served with the 42nd Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 488th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force.
He was awarded The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal, The Good Conduct Medal and The Air Medal with Multiple Oak Leaf Clusters.
