sunset in Thailand as seen from the Mekong River in Laos
I’ll begin with a short introduction of myself, Susan Crosby.
I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where life is at a slower pace.
In 2010, I escaped the fast paced lifestyle in Florida and moved to these peaceful mountains.
Photographing small weddings on occasion, and the daily operation of my real estate firm kept me occupied.
However, I have also been pre-occupied with thoughts that began decades ago. These thoughts led me to contemplate traveling to Southeast Asia. To travel with the special purpose to honor someone and begin to seek information about an event over 50 years ago. I never thought it would be possible to make such a trip, much less travel to Laos three times since 2017!
Why would a woman in the mature years of her life travel to remote areas of Laos which is 10,000 miles away from home?
It is my connection and attachment to a bracelet…
a P.O.W./M.I.A. bracelet inscribed with the name “Lt. Col. Carter Luna”. Colonel Luna, U.S.A.F. pilot, flew missions in Laos during 1969. On 10 MAR 69, the F-4D Phantom aircraft he was piloting was hit by enemy fire. He ejected and landed safely on the ground, and was in radio communication with search and rescue forces. Captain Aldis Rutyna, weapon systems officer, was rescued a few hours later. Radio communication ceased with Colonel Luna that afternoon,
and to date he has not been repatriated.
I’ve had the bracelet for over 50 years, and although I never knew Colonel Luna, I have had a strong and continual interest to know more about him and his fate. Several years of research has provided me with some answers, but also generated more questions, and so I returned to Laos in March 2023 to continue my quest for information.
UPDATE: I returned to Laos where I had experiences of a lifetime… which is probably an understatement. CLICK HERE for details about my time in a remote Laos ethnic village and visiting crash sites & MORE!
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WHY DID I CREATE THIS WEBSITE?
There are 1,578 (as on August 2023) servicemen unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. 285 of those servicemen are unaccounted-for in Laos. There are U.S. government agencies working in cooperation with the governments of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia actively engaged in recovery missions. There are family members, and researchers such as myself who also seek more conclusive information on missing servicemen. The goal of my website is to enlighten and remind the reader that there are many fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, and friends that have not been repatriated, and to pay tribute to Colonel Carter Luna.
Here’s what you’ll find within this website:
Discover what’s involved in independent research of the servicemen who are still unaccounted for specifically Colonel Luna,
by clicking on this page:
________________INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCH OF M.I.A.s______________
Learn what is involved in planning trips to remote areas of Laos. See photos and
read about some of my experiences by clicking on this page:
_________________MY TRAVEL IN LAOS (2017 & 2019)_____________
FOLLOW MY JOURNEY in Laos during March 2023, by clicking on this page:
__________________MY TRAVEL IN LAOS 2023__________________
For in-depth information about the story of my P.O.W./M.I.A. bracelet,
and to learn what my research of Colonel Luna has uncovered so far, click on this page:
__________Honoring a Vietnam War M.I.A. pilot___________
in a remote area outside Vilabouly Laos
! NEW INFORMATION !
In June 2023 I had one of the most special moments of my life when I met Colonel Carter Luna’s wife Pat. We have been acquainted through social media and phone calls for five years. But, nothing compares to meeting her and her two sons in person! She is a remarkable lady who spent many years participating in efforts related to the POW-MIA issues.
! NEW WEBSITE !
I have designed a new website to share information about a collaboration I have formed with a tour company in Laos. Also, the site details other interests I have related to American M.I.A.s in Laos, and the people in villages. Lao Adv Tours and I would like to provide tours to M.I.A. family members, veterans, and other interested partied in Laos. I also am very conscious of efforts by the U.S. government with cooperation of governments in Southeast Asia with their continuing recovery efforts of our men still unaccounted-for from the “Secret War” in Laos. Last but not least I am working on ways to offer humanitarian assistance to people in remote villages in Laos. Historically, villages were impacted during the war and the current presence of UXOs (unexploded ordnances) more than 50 years later is still has a major effect on their safety and lifestyle.
PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO VISIT THIS INFORMATIVE WEBSITE:
If you would like to contact me, click here for the contact form to submit by e-mail.
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 828.808.1609
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Website design & photography by: Susan K. Crosby (unless otherwise credited)