Vietnam War era, Laos · Photographed in captivity · Never returned
The man
David Hrdlicka, of Littleton, Colo., left his wife, Carol, and three children, who spent decades searching for him. In a 1966 recording released by his captors he said he wanted to come home to them. That August, Pravda ran a photograph of him in his flight suit, head bowed, an armed guard behind him. (POW Network, pownetwork.org; Unconfirmed by PIP.)
What is known
Col. David L. Hrdlicka, a United States Air Force officer who was a captain at the time and was promoted while missing, was shot down in Sam Neua, Laos, on 18 May 1965. A photograph was taken documenting his capture. He was reported alive and in the custody of the Pathet Lao at that time.
He was not returned home with other American prisoners of war in 1973.
What remains unresolved
What happened to Col. Hrdlicka after 1965 is unresolved. Nine Americans captured in Laos were released in Hanoi in 1973, and a tenth, civilian pilot Emmet Kay, in 1974; U.S. officials believe more had been captured.
His family has received several reports concerning his alleged survival after Operation Homecoming. One is set out in a separate lead on this site: a U.S. government report that an American federal agent received information that Hrdlicka was suspected to be under the control of Col. Chaeng, commander of the Laos 11th Regiment at Kham Keut, Kham Moname province, in 1989. See The POW reportedly held by Col. Chaeng.
Those reports have not been corroborated.
Why the case matters
Hrdlicka is one of the few Americans lost in Laos whose captivity was photographed. The photograph removes the usual first argument — that the loss was not survivable — and leaves only the question of what the Pathet Lao did with a prisoner whose survival was publicly documented.
Evidence and sources
- U.S. records of the 18 May 1965 shoot-down at Sam Neua.
- The photograph taken at the time of his capture showing him alive in Pathet Lao custody.
- U.S. government reporting from 1989 concerning his suspected control by Col. Chaeng.
- Related leads: Find the NLHS bulletin and The POW reportedly held by Col. Chaeng
- Further material is published by his family at powhrdlicka.com.
Request for information
“I only seek information on my husband and hold no ill will towards anyone; the war is long over so it is time for healing.” — Carol Hrdlicka, wife
She has noted that their grandchildren never met their grandfather, and she has asked for any leads regarding his whereabouts, or contact with anyone holding relevant information.
Please contact us if you can help with any of the following.
- Accounts of American prisoners held in Sam Neua (Houaphanh) after 1965, including from anyone who guarded, moved or saw Hrdlicka.
- Information on the 1989 report that he was held by Col. Chaeng of the Laos 11th Regiment at Kham Keut.
- Copies of the Neo Lao Hak Sat weekly bulletin that carried photographs and biographies of American prisoners.
His captivity was photographed and published in Pravda, and only nine prisoners came home from Laos. Did Hrdlicka die in captivity in Sam Neua? Was he kept after 1973? Was he the prisoner reported held by Col. Chaeng in 1989?
ພາສາລາວ
ພັນເອກ ເດວິດ ແອວ. ເຮີດລິກກາ, ກອງທັບອາກາດສະຫະລັດ — ຖືກຈັບໃນປະເທດລາວ ປີ 1965
ພັນເອກ ເດວິດ ແອວ. ເຮີດລິກກາ ນາຍທະຫານກອງທັບອາກາດສະຫະລັດ ຖືກຍິງຕົກທີ່ຊຳເໜືອ ປະເທດລາວ ໃນວັນທີ 18 ພຶດສະພາ 1965. ມີຮູບຖ່າຍທ່ານໃນເວລາຖືກຈັບ, ແລະ ມີລາຍງານວ່າໃນເວລານັ້ນທ່ານຍັງມີຊີວິດຢູ່ ແລະ ຢູ່ໃນມືຂອງກອງກຳລັງປະເທດລາວ (Pathet Lao).
ທ່ານບໍ່ໄດ້ຖືກສົ່ງກັບບ້ານພ້ອມກັບນັກໂທດສົງຄາມອາເມລິກັນຄົນອື່ນໆ ໃນປີ 1973. ມີພຽງເກົ້າຄົນເທົ່ານັ້ນທີ່ຖືກສົ່ງກັບຈາກປະເທດລາວ ແຕ່ເຈົ້າໜ້າທີ່ສະຫະລັດເຊື່ອວ່າມີຫຼາຍກວ່ານັ້ນທີ່ຖືກຈັບ.
ພວກເຮົາຊອກຫາ: ຄວາມຊົງຈຳຂອງຜູ້ທີ່ເຄີຍເຝົ້າຍາມ, ຂົນສົ່ງ ຫຼື ເຫັນນັກໂທດອາເມລິກັນຢູ່ຊຳເໜືອ ຫຼື ແຂວງຫົວພັນ; ຂໍ້ມູນກ່ຽວກັບລາຍງານປີ 1989 ເລື່ອງ ພັນເອກ ແຈ້ງ ຜູ້ບັນຊາການກົມທະຫານທີ 11; ສຳເນົາໃບແຈ້ງຂ່າວແນວລາວຮັກຊາດ ທີ່ມີຮູບພາບຂອງນັກໂທດອາເມລິກັນ.
“ຂ້ອຍພຽງແຕ່ຕ້ອງການຂໍ້ມູນກ່ຽວກັບສາມີຂອງຂ້ອຍ ແລະ ບໍ່ມີຄວາມແຄ້ນເຄືອງຕໍ່ຜູ້ໃດ; ສົງຄາມໄດ້ຈົບໄປດົນແລ້ວ ຈຶ່ງເຖິງເວລາທີ່ຈະປິ່ນປົວບາດແຜ.” — ແຄໂຣລ ເຮີດລິກກາ, ພັນລະຍາ
ຈຸດປະສົງຂອງພວກເຮົາແມ່ນຮູ້ຊະຕາກຳຂອງຄົນເຫຼົ່ານີ້ ບໍ່ແມ່ນການກ່າວໂທດຜູ້ໃດ. ພວກເຮົາຈະບໍ່ເປີດເຜີຍຊື່ຂອງແຫຼ່ງຂ່າວໂດຍບໍ່ໄດ້ຮັບອະນຸຍາດ.
ທ່ານຍັງສາມາດສົ່ງຂໍ້ຄວາມເຂົ້າລະຫັດຜ່ານແອັບ Signal ຊື່ຜູ້ໃຊ້ PIP.21. ພວກເຮົາຂໍພຽງຄວາມຊົງຈຳສ່ວນຕົວ; ກະລຸນາຢ່າສົ່ງເອກະສານລັບຂອງລັດ. ຕິດຕໍ່ພວກເຮົາທາງອີເມວ: contact@powinvestigativeproject.org