By DAVID SHARP | Associated Press | Published: May 15, 2021 PORTLAND, Maine — Nearly 60 years ago, dozens of soldiers assembled for a top secret mission to Vietnam, three years before President Lyndon Johnson officially sent U.S. combat troops to the country. They never made it. Their airplane disappeared between Guam and the Philippines, leaving behind no trace. Ever since, their families have been fighting to get answers about the mission from the Pentagon. They also want their loved ones to be recognized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. For the families, it's been heart-wrenching that the soldiers were not properly memorialized like others who died in the war.