Memorial Day
26 May 2025
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Animated Flags by
The ships seal for the
USS Oriskany courtesy of
togetherweserved.com.
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My Adopted POW/MIA
Click HERE
to see Memorials left for this Hero
Click HERE
to have a Memorial placed for this Hero
Robin's POW/MIA braclet
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LTJG - 2 - Navy - Regular
Attack Squadron 152
25 year old Married, Caucasian, Male
Born on December 06, 1941
From FT HUACHUCA, ARIZONA
His tour began on July 15, 1967
Casualty was on Jul 15, 1967
NORTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, FIXED WING - PILOT
AIR LOSS, CRASH AT SEA
Body was not recovered
Religion
PROTESTANT
Panel 23E -- Line 74
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Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A1H
Refno: 0765
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 30 April 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK 1998.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: The USS ORISKANY was a World War II-era carrier on duty in Vietnam
as early as 1964. The ORISKANY at one time carried the RF8A (number 144608)
flown by Maj. John H. Glenn, the famous Marine astronaut (and later Senator)
flew in his 1957 transcontinental flight. In October, 1966 the ORISKANY
endured a tragic fire which killed 44 men onboard, but was soon back on
station. In 1972, the ORISKANY had an at-sea accident which resulted in the
loss of one of its aircraft elevators, and later lost a screw that put the
carrier into drydock in Yokosuka, Japan for major repairs, thus delaying its
involvement until the late months of the war.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Robin B. Cassell was a Navy pilot assigned to Attack
Squadron 152 onboard the aircraft carrier USS ORISKANY. On July 15, 1967 he
launched in his A1H Skyraider aircraft as the flight leader of a section of
A1H's on a daytime armed coastal reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam.
During the mission, Cassell's aircraft was seen to be hit by automatic
weapons fire during an attack on water craft near Cua Dai, North Vietnam.
(This is in the approximate region of the city of Thanh Hoa.) Cassell
radioed, "I'm hit" and shortly thereafter crashed into the sea and exploded
on impact. No parachute was seen, and search and rescue efforts turned up
negative results.
LTJG Robin B. Cassell was listed Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered. He is
listed with honor among the missing because his remains were never found to
be returned home.
Over 3000 Americans remained prisoner, missing, or otherwise unaccounted for
at the end of the Vietnam war. The numbers have been reduced since that time
with the release of prisoners, and the return of remain until it has reached
just over 2300 in early 1990.
Since the war ended nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing,
prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in Indochina have been received by
the U.S. Government. Many officials, having examined this largely classified
information, have reluctantly concluded that many Americans are still alive
today, held captive by our long-ago enemy.
Mounting evidence indicates that some Americans are still alive being held
prisoner of war in Southeast Asia. In the peace accords signed in 1973, the
Vietnamese pledged to return all prisoners of war and provide the fullest
possible accounting of the missing. They have not done either.
The United States government pledged that the POW/MIA issue is of "highest
national priority" but has not achieved results indicative of a priority.
The Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia deserve our best
efforts to bring them home, not our empty words.
Robin B. Cassell graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1964.
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12 April 2013
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Ltjg Cassell,
Honoring you this Veteran's Day...You may be MIA, but you are in the hearts of those that love you. Thank you for your sacrifice
to your country.
Gaylon Hemphill
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12 April 2013
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Here it is almost 4 years since my first message, and still wearing his bracelet and the printout of
this page is by my desk at work along with two other highschool friends who never came home. I won’t forget, ever.
Kent Zimmerman
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29 May 2012
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I am an enlisted US Navy vet; served on the aircraft carrier USS NIMITZ (CVN-68).
I have worn Lt jg. Cassell's bracelet for well over a decade now. He will always be remembered.
Fair winds, following seas and God Bless.
George Bulgin
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28 May 2012
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I still have a bracelet honoring this hero. He will never be forgotten. Especially on this Memorial Day
Lynn Dubinsky
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6 March 2011
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I wore this hero's bracelet for many years. It was given to me in Flagstaff, Arizona by a veteran who had worn
it himself for many years. I later became a Park Ranger with the National Park Service and spent almost two years
working at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington, DC. I left the bracelet at the base of the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, under the panel that bore LT(jg) Cassell's name in 1993. Today I am once again a
soldier myself, proud to be wearing my country's uniform again. I am now wearing the bracelet of a young hero killed
three months ago in Afghanistan. But I carry with me always the names of those heroes who went before... Thanks
for your service, Sir.. Fair winds and following seas...
Specialist Kimberly A. Heveron
223rd MI BN
California Army National Guard
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26 May 2010
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Robin B Cassell is my Father's older brother. He is the oldest son of Donald Bern (US Army Vet) and Josephine
Cassell. His strength and character are matters of legend around the dinner table. He is dearly
missed. Thank you for honoring his memory with your website.
Scott Cassell
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29 April 2009
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I still have my bracelet with Robin's name on it and will never forget.
Kent Zimmerman CMDR USNR (ret)
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14 December 2004
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I am still wearing your name on my wrist everyday of my life. I pray you are at peace.
Rusti
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