VANISHED

On July 15, 1966. HM3 Mark V. Dennis was one of 18 Marines on a Sea Knight helicopter, code name ‘Rose 6’ on approach to Landing Zone Crow when it was hit by enemy fire. On fire and filled with smoke, the helicopter overshot the landing zone. It landed on a hill and rolled to its right. Fifteen Marines lost their lives that day.

A photograph in a national publication caused Mark’s family to question the identification of the remains and raised hopes that he might not have died on that hot July afternoon. For more than three decades, the family fought government bureaucracy to find answers.

In 2014, the family funded DNA testing. According to their lab’s results, no one in the Dennis family could have contributed to the deceased gene pool. The Navy ran additional tests and concluded the opposite.

This short story answers many, but not all, of the questions about what happened to Mark Dennis.

This book is a great story of youth, friendship, and determination in getting to the truth behind a missing Vietnam soldier.  Set in the 60s, the book outlines the difficulties of going up against the United States military in the years-long quest to get answers to the whereabouts of Mark Dennis. Friendship, love, war, mystery, and finally resolution sum up this page-turner!

David McMichael, USA Veteran, Operation Iraqi Freedom.