H.N. Ronald J. Manning
Vietnam soldier’s remains coming home
April 27, 2012
By MARK J. MILLER - Staff writer (mmiller@heraldstaronline.com)
, The Herald-Star
TORONTO - Additional remains of a city son
killed during the waning days of the Vietnam War will be coming home
Saturday after remains were recently identified by Navy officials.
City
native Ronald Manning was a 21-year-old Navy corpsman killed in 1975
during an attempt to rescue the crew of the SS Mayaguez, a merchant
ship hijacked by Khmer Rouge naval forces in the Gulf of Thailand.
Manning's fate at the time was unknown, and he was officially
listed as missing in action until remains were identified by the
Navy in 2000. His remains were returned to the Gem City to a hero's
welcome at the time and buried in the Toronto Union Cemetery. Ron
Manning was the son of Donna and James Manning Sr. of Toronto.
James "Bo" Manning Jr., said advancements in DNA technology enabled
the Navy to positively identify more of Ron Manning's remains, and
they will be returned to Toronto Saturday with ceremonies honoring
him set for Sunday.
"All the remains went to Hawaii to be
identified. The DNA (technology) has gotten better over the years,"
said James Manning Jr., adding the remains will be flown to the
Pittsburgh Airport Saturday morning. "A Navy corpsman will be with
the remains the entire time. The Navy will provide transportation to
the airport as well."
The City
Police and Mayor John Geddis will escort the family and remains into
the city as well, according to Geddis.
"The family will call
us as they (approach Toronto), and we will escort them into the
city," Geddis said.
A memorial gathering open to the public
will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at J.E. Foster's Funeral
Home, 701 Findley St. They then will proceed to Toronto Union
Cemetery for formal military services and burial performed by the
Navy, said James Jr.
"A lot of this is going to be spontaneous," he added.
According to Task Force Omega's website, an advocacy organization
that tracks American military personnel killed or missing in action,
Ronald Manning was killed during the attempt to rescue the civilian
crew of 39 captured by the Cambodians after so ordered by
then-President Gerald Ford.
"President Ford ordered a carrier
battle group, comprised of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Coral Sea
with guided missile destroyer escorts U.S.S. Harold E. Holt and the
U.S.S. Henry B. Wilson into the Gulf of Thailand," the website's
synopsis of the incident reads. "In addition, the 2nd Battalion, 9th
Marines deployed to Utapao, Thailand, as part of a 1,100-Marine
assault force. The Air Force also prepared aircraft for a possible
strike/rescue mission.
When three days of intense
negotiations between the two governments completely broke down,
President Ford ordered a military rescue operation. At the time the
rescue plan was initiated, U.S. intelligence personnel believed some
or all of the Mayaguez crew had been taken back to Koh Tang Island.
Intelligence personnel also estimated there were only 20 to 40
lightly armed Khmer troops on the island."
Instead of a light
resistance, the troops ran into a large, heavily armed Cambodian
force on the island, which also were dug into trenches and tunnels
at the beachhead, according to the report. The American forces were
hit hard and were unaware the crew already had been released by the
Cambodians on another island. According to the synopsis, 18 Marines
and Navy personnel were listed as missing in action during the
battle, and their bodies declared unrecoverable.
It wasn't
until 1995 the first of three teams from the Joint Task Force for
Full Accounting was allowed onto Koh Tang Island to search for the
remains of the 18 Americans who lost their lives during the battle.
During excavations near the battle, human remains of nine of those
Americans were found and subsequently identified, according to the
website.
James Manning Jr. said the family was aware although
some of the remains recovered were returned to Toronto in 2000, they
also believed the possibility more remains might one day be
positively identified as Ron Manning's.
"I always though
there would be more remains found," he said. "We're not surprised.
"The stress on mom and dad is tremendous," continued James. "Mom
is really under a lot of stress."
The parents have invited
the public to both the gathering at Foster's and Union Cemetery.
"Toronto's son, H.N. Ronald J. Manning, home to rest for good,"
read a statement released by Donna and James Manning Sr. "A
gathering of memories will be at the J.E. Foster's Funeral Home from
noon to 2 p.m. Sunday with committal service immediately following
at Toronto Union Cemetery accompanied by full military honors." Ron
Manning's name also appears on the Vietnam War Memorial wall in
Washington, D.C.
© Copyright 2012 The Herald-Star. All
rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten or redistributed.
Doc Manning article 27 April 2012
A Final Goodbye
April 30, 2012
By DAVE GOSSETT - Staff writer
(dgossett@heraldstaronline.com) , The Herald-Star
TORONTO -
The Little League teams, coaches and parents stopped their opening
day ceremonies on Saturday for several minutes.
Ron Manning was
coming home.
The remains of the Toronto native who had played
Little League baseball on the same field years before were returned
Saturday for a final memorial service.
Manning was 19 years old when he enlisted in the Navy.
He
was killed two years later during a military operation near Cambodia
in 1975.
"This has been very tough on my parents. First we
had a service when his remains were identified and returned in 2000.
"But I always though there would be more remains found," James "Bo"
Manning said as he waited to greet family and friends Sunday at the
J.E. Foster Funeral Home.
"Ron was my big brother. And he was
like all big brothers, looking after me and not letting me pick on
my older sister. He was a great brother," James said quietly.
"I remember the first time the Navy recruiter came to our house
and mom chased him out of the yard. She didn't want Ron enlisting.
He was taking classes at that time at Jefferson Community College
but didn't feel it was for him," remembered James.
"Ron
wanted to be a doctor some day. That's why he was interested in the
Navy corpsman position. Ironically, after he was killed, his
California paramedic license he had been working on came through.
His dream was to be a family doctor," said James.
"The Navy
came on a Thursday evening and told my mom Ron was missing in
action. I was a high school senior then and was helping at the
sixth-grade camp the school used to have. My aunt came and got me
and as soon as I came home I saw all the cars and I knew something
was wrong," James recalled.
Ron Manning was one of nine
children.
He was serving with a Marine unit on May 15, 1975,
that had been assigned to a rescue mission on a small Cambodian
island.
An unarmed crew of the Mayaguez ship had been
captured days earlier by the Cambodians and was believed to be held
captive on the Koh Tang island. But instead of finding the American
captives, the Marines ran into a regiment-sized unit of Khmer Rouge
troops and intense rocket fire.
The Sikorsky Super Jolly
Green Giant carrying a Marine unit along with Ron Manning was hit
near the shore of the island.
"The first time we waited for
25 years to be officially told Ron's remains had been identified. He
had been listed as missing in action, and so we always held out
hope. This time we waited another 12 years for the rest of his
remains to be brought home. I'm just thankful mom and dad are still
here. This will bring some final closure for us," noted James.
Among the mourners Sunday was Jefferson County Sheriff, Fred
Abdalla who remembered Ron "as a nice kid in Toronto."
"I was
in Vietnam and I heard he was going over. He was a super nice boy.
And he is one of the true American heroes. He gave his life trying
to help rescue other Americans. I'm glad the parents may finally
find some peace. The war may have ended years ago but not for them.
Now their son is finally home," said Abdalla.
"People like
Ron Manning made sure we still have our freedom," said Abdalla.
Marine veteran Allen Bailey and his wife Tina traveled seven
hours from their Maryland home to be at the memorial service.
"Ron Manning is one of my brothers. I was on the other side of
the island that day. And since Ron was assigned to a Marine unit, he
was a Marine. After going through what we went through that day I
will never forget any of my brothers," Allen Bailey remarked.
"Ron was our doctor. I received word about this service and I
knew I had to be here. All my brothers deserve respect. To come to
Toronto and to see how beautiful this community is and to know Ron
came from here is comforting. The people in Toronto have been so
respectful," Bailey said.
"We called that mission a 14-hour
war. It was something I couldn't talk about for 30 years. But I will
always try to be at any service for any of my brothers until I am
gone. My commander, Randy Austin, sent his deepest regrets and
condolences to the family," added Bailey.
"Ron was a senior
when I was a freshman at Toronto High School. I couldn't get away
with anything because he kept an eye on me. But he was a great older
brother. And I miss him every day," stated James.
©
Copyright 2012 The Herald-Star. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Doc Manning article 30 April 2012
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