U.S. searches Vietnam copter crash site

HUE CITY, Vietnam, June 11 (UPI) -- A U.S. congressman confirmed that a military team has begun a new search for the remains of three men lost in a Vietnam War helicopter crash.

The Hartford (Conn.) Courant said Wednesday that, according to U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., the team had been deployed to a ridge near Hue City where the scout chopper went down in 1972.

The crash site was located about two years ago and the military expects it to take months to excavate and identify any remains that are found.

The Courant said there had been previous excavations at the site that turned up nothing. Vietnam's soil is particularly acidic, which causes human remains to disintegrate rapidly.

The sister of one of the missing aviators says she'll be satisfied if even the smallest trace of her brother, U.S. Army Capt. Arnold Holm, is discovered.

"It's the confirmation that they're actually dead," Margaret Brewster of New London told the Courant. "There's always that doubt. It never goes away."