News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci
(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: NLF Update Line

Date: October 02, 1998

UPDATE LINE: October 2, 1998

Thank you for calling the National League of Families Update Line. This message is being recorded on Friday, October 2nd The number of Americans missing from the Vietnam War is now 2,079.

On October 1st, the Defense Department announced that two Americans previously missing in north Vietnam have been identified. At the request of the family, the name of one of the two Air Force officers now accounted for was withheld; however, the officer's name is Major Woodrow W. Parker, II, missing since April 24, 1968, in a Phamtom F-4D. To both families, the League extends understanding and support in the knowledge that final answers have been achieved.

Also on October 1st, Secretary of Defense Cohen met with the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam at the Pentagon. Reportedly, Secretary Cohen raised the POW/MIA issue as a priority of the US in the bilateral relationship. The SRV Vice Minister of Defense is leading a senior Vietnamese Military delegation that will be hosted by the Defense Department as part of the expanding military dialogue between the two countries. The League encourages such exchanges, providing that the opportunity is used by US officials to press for renewed unilateral Vietnamese actions to account for missing Americans.

League Executive Director Ann Mills Griffiths met with the Lao Foreign Minister on September 25th during his private visit to Washington, DC. The opportunity for such discussions, initiated by the Lao Government, was appreciated and used for discussions to increase results from the joint US-Lao accounting effort. Field operations are schedule to resume October 1st and are expected to include some trilateral cases, involving Vietnamese witnesses to incidents in Laos, but to date, the Vietnamese have provided no case- specific documents. The Lao POW/MIA team is now visiting CILHI and JTF headquarters in Hawaii to obtain more detailed information on US capabilities to achieving the accounting.

On September 17th, the President joined the governors of 48 states by proclaiming September 18th as POW/MIA Recognition Day. The only states that failed to offer support were Hawaii and South Dakota. The national ceremony was held at the Pentagon, hosted by Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen. In his remarks, he noted the importance of US priority on accounting for our POW/MIAs as a matter of principal on which today's military depends. The League's POW/MIA flag again flew over the US Capitol, the White House, all relevant Washington, DC-based departments and agencies, and all US Post Offices, military installations and VA facilities nationwide. Forty-eight of the 50 states issued proclamations in support of the national effort. Ceremonies were held throughout the country to commemorate this occasion, including at countless military facilities. 1998 Recognition Day posters can be obtained by calling the League office. The League expresses appreciation to all of the veterans and others who helped make this year's effort to get the support of all 50 states a great success.

A POW/MIA oversight hearing is being held today before the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, House Committee on National Security, chaired by Representative Steve Buyer of Indiana. Government and private witnesses, including the League. The hearing is in room 2212 of the Rayburn Building.

Due to limited staff and funding, it is not possible to send large amounts of public awareness materials. Instead, single copies of current information are available for duplication. POW/MIA window decals are available for $20 per 100. There is current, factual information available on the League's web site at pow-miafamilies.org. For information regarding any matter in this recording, call the League office at 202/223-6846. If no one can take your call, please leave a message with the subject, your name, address, and telephone number. Again, thank you for calling.