MIA/POW Case of Henry Serex.

Through my research in writing the story of Scotty Greiling, I’ve come across much convincing evidence that American POWs were left behind in Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War.  Perhaps the most disturbing case is that of Major Henry Serex.

Major Henry Muir Serex

Serex’s aircraft, “Bat 21,” was downed on April 2, 1972.  Some twenty years later, in 1992, satellite imagery taken over North Vietnam’s Dong Vai Prison, near Haiphong, revealed a message—“72TA88.”  The combination of letters and numbers matched Major Serex’s escape and evade authenticator code, unique as a human fingerprint.  In addition, the letters “S-E-R-E-X” appeared above the code.

To this point, I have yet to find a copy of the satellite imagery to judge for myself.  I assume it’s still classified.  In the end, government officials dismissed the display as an anomaly or natural phenomena.

Has anyone out there viewed the satellite imagery pertaining to the Serex case?  Do you believe Americans were left behind in Southeast Asia?  Perhaps most importantly, do you believe American POWs may still be alive in Vietnamese or Laotian prisons?

22 Responses to “MIA/POW Case of Henry Serex”

  1. chance says:

    The Review Journal had photos of gx2527 of
    Lt. Matthes…
    I know, I cut them out of the paper and glued
    them to a collage I made..
    I think “serex” was in the newspaper article…
    …Try to talk to John L. Smith of th RJ las vegas.
    I have talked to him when I was a PIT BOSS in a Las Vegas Casino…
    It seems 100% likely that Nixon and Kissinger and
    then President Ford, Carter and Reagon and Clinton
    all knew about leaving the POW’s in SE Asia…
    They could care less about Air Force and ARmy,
    Navy and Marine servicement…
    …Reagon was a Major in the film industry during
    WWII
    …Carter was a submariner..
    Clinton ran away after five deferments…
    Kerry was a phoney warrior…
    Bush jr ran away from pilot duty in Texas…He couldn’t
    even fly Phantoms at home in texas, let alone in
    combat…
    Randy”Duke” Cunningham the first ACE and Navy
    Cross winner in Vietnam is sitting in prison in Tuscon
    Arizona because he pissed off the establishment..
    …Goldman Sachs runs the Treasury and White House…
    Who cares about the pow’s?…We do, so let’s vote
    these bastards out of office…Including the Senate
    Majority Leader..
    “Chance”
    vietnam combat vet….101st airborne div l970-71

    • thomas says:

      Hey, Chance. Do you still have that collage of newspaper photos of the sat. imagery of “S E R E X and/or GX2527″? If so, would it be possible to get a scanned copy of your collage via email? I seem to remember those being shown in newspapers back in the 1990s. I can’t remember the exact year it was. I’m not sure how recent they were shown in news. Dang! I’d like to see those again. Thanks

    • Barbara cvm says:

      May I quote your comments? I am going to start with Nixon and Kissinger to the present proving every president turned his back on the POWS.

  2. "Chance says:

    To answer the question;
    Has anyone out there viewed the satellite imagery of the Serex case?
    Of course, many people have viewed the imagery..
    NRO, NSA, CIA have all seen the satellite photos…Also, the site may have been overflown by
    recon photo jets..
    I used to see the photos on the internet but now they have all disappeared…Some authority doesn’t want them being shown any longer…
    Try google and you get nothing…
    Yahoo is the same…I used to see them plus USA Today
    had photos I think…Try the FOIAct…Remember, noone
    in the White House, Senate and or Congress really want to bring up the fact that USG knowingly sold out the POW’s…
    …How can they sell the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to “newbie recruits” if they are caught
    knowingly abandoning Lt. Colonels and Captains and Warrant Officers to torture and imprisonment for life…Yeah, life in LAOS, VIETNAM, CAMBODIA, CHINA AND THE SOVIET UNION..
    Why did “FIVE DEFERMENT CLINTON establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam when Clinton knew
    that there were still live sightings of our Pow’s..
    Just finding proof of the GX2527 and TA72Serex
    authenticator codes won’t accomplish anything…
    Call your U.S. SENATOR 1-202-224-3121 and let them know that you will be voting soon and you want answers to the Serex and Lt. Matthes pow issue..
    “Chance” 101st combat vet…70-71

  3. Erica Cakir says:

    İ find this new info about Maj. Henry Serex interesting. I wore his MİA bracelet as a child until it broke. If there is a chance he is still alive this new info needs to be investigated!

  4. Mary Kathryn Berry says:

    I knew Col.Serex (Nickname “Mickey”) . This evidence is very convincing. Why, oh why, did our state dept. stop investigating it? I am tortured to think of him still imprisoned.

    • mikemccoy says:

      Hi Mary,

      I think rather than admit that we left POWs behind in Southeast Asia, the federal government just wants to sweep it under the rug. Like Chance pointed out, you can’t find these photos anymore. Very sad.

  5. Peter Jannitto says:

    As a retired USAF Officer and 20 year veteran, i am physically sickened by this policy and stance our government has taken toward this undying issue of MIAs in SEA. I worked with many combat aircrew veterans of that war and hold them with the highest regard. I am ashamed of my government. To abandon so many is heartless, gutless and unacceptable. My pride in service does not reflect upon this nation, but in the quality of men and women who have made the personal sacrifice to be part of a sum greater than themselves, past, present and future. I am captivated by learning more about this issue, but driven to tears to think of those abandoned. This only fuels my distrust and disdain for our so-called democracy.

  6. mikemccoy says:

    Peter,

    Well said, and thank you for your thoughts and for your service to our country. Tragic to realize that we would just leave these men behind. Makes you wonder, though an extremely uncomfortable thought, how many, or if any, are still alive today.

    Thanks again,
    Mike

  7. HA.A.R.P says:

    Why in the hell are the photos still classified? If there’s nothing to hide, release them. The only reason we have the “USA K” imagine is because it was leaked.

    McCain and Kerry are both traitors. Kerry that slime ball had business interests in Vietnam no wonder he was desperate to normalize relations and lift the embargo.

  8. Brennan says:

    Hi all,
    My name is Brennan Austin Helwig. I am the grandson of Henry Muir Serex. And the daughter of Henry M. Serex in most all reports you see is my mother. Her and along with my grandmother, his husband, were some of very few to see the satellite photos.
    I remember being very young, about 6 years old several news reporters coming to our house and filming my family, but having not much idea of what was going on.
    I have been to a POW/MIA convention a few years ago in D.C., as well as Hickam AFB in Hawaii meeting with my family and several members of recovery team leaders out there. My experience, although not as strong as with some other members of my small family, is that of what it seems… a somewhat conspiracy, yet at this point almost understandable why it may be so difficult to go and search for remains, with the addition of very very few people alive and around during that time to give first hand reports of the incident. I do not have much knowledge of the photograph myself, other than what my mother and grandmother have told me. They were only allowed to view it once, while they were invited to view it years back. The photograph to them along with most other members of the intelligence team dealing with recovery remains who have seen the photographs see it as convincing, and have driven them to see out the supposed crash site as well as GPS coordinates of the supposed site where my grandfather’s name was written in the field. The very few possible recovery attempts that were made resulted inconclusive, however one of the trips which was suspected to be the BAT 21 crash site resulted in finding the crash site of a different American crash, so in the insight of other fallen American men, some answers were found for other families.
    Again I can only know so much for myself on the incidents of the time. If there was a man known to be alive at the time, such as Hambelton, there would be no doubt our forces would have done the same for him. The fact that my grandfather was located at the very back of the plane, where it was struck by the SAM missile is disheartening to begin with, but knowing many years later and learning of such photographs, AND having federal government researchers calling my family across country to view classified photos is a sign enough that the photos have significance, although the Air Force denies the actual significance of the photos. It is as much a blessing of the hope of him being alive at the time as much as an added burden so far down the line. (he would be 82 at this point) it’s highly unlikely of a remains recovery, let alone an alive recovery.
    I appreciate all of your care and thoughts reading into this story. It is so much of a strong story that even a high end hollywood movie was made about the crash itself along with the extreme recovery case of Hambelton. We cannot know how much more information can come, but I as the grandson who never knew him or would have had ever had the chance to meet him, can only sympathise and not begin to understand what my mother and grandmother have and go through to this day about this incident, and everything he went through. I thank you all for commenting and the support.

  9. virginnia mann says:

    lost his bracelet in my last move (2001)
    heard on TV some persons in planes were believed to be our lost guys–PLEASE let someone identify and tell us about these me–esp. Henry Serex!

  10. Brenda says:

    I also have an MIA bracelet for Henry Serex. My sister and his daughter Kathy were good friends. Today I googled his name to see the latest developments on his case. I know Kathy would have wanted us to stay diligent in finding him or making sure that he was not forgotten.

  11. Brenda Lawson says:

    I wore a Henry Serex POW bracelet alll through school and misplaced it over the years but always wondered if he had been found. I still pray he is found but so happy to read all of these replies. Please let us know if any new developments. God bless.

  12. paul dondes says:

    the u.s. government can never be trusted after leaving our pow/miasbehind, ever!! for anything!!!!

  13. Rach says:

    or a sketch of it anyway

  14. Jan S says:

    I also wore his bracelet when I was in junior high until I lost it in a lake in Michigan. I will always remember his name.

  15. Jeff Colunga says:

    I just finished watching a PBS show “The Vietnam war”, and “They were our fathers”, the satellite imagery you speak of was shown on “They were our fathers” show.

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