News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: mtDNA To Be Used on Korean War Remains

Date: September 16, 1999

The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, The Punchbowl, will give up teo setts of unidentified Korean War remains in the hope of answers for those who still wait.

For the first time since the Vietnam Tomb of the Unknown was open, remains will be disinterred, removed to CIL-HI and mtDNA taken in an attempt to match it to family members. Reports state that it is possible that one set may be that of Robert E. Mitchell, 19 years old at the time he went MIA. Another 10 familes have provided DoD with genetic samples as theymay also be related to remains in the Hawai'ian cemetery.

Although scientific advances have permitted more options and better chances at DNA testing, thus matching remains to surtviving family members. However, it is more than odd that every time a set of remains, interred as 'unidentified', comes into question, there is a name that can be associated.

Is it that science had to advance to such an extraordinary degree to permit identifications, or is it in reality a case of the USG making an incredible mess of remains returns and identifiactions?

Dr. Paul Cole who authored the Rand report on US POWs-MIAs, keenly observed that the near 1,000 Korean War unknowns buried in the Punchbowl should be identified thru mtDNA. That was years ago. Too many families have waited too long fo ranswers and finally the day has come that the USG will begin with 2. They say as many as 70 may eventually be removed for testing... if it resolves the fate of a Missing man, if it answers a family's questions and put them at ease, then disinter and test them all.

There's over 8,100 questions remaining from Korea alone, let's get some answers.