News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: NLF Update News

Date: July 05, 2001

"Update Line The League has a 24-hour, 7 day a week update line. Please call 202-659-0133 to find out the latest detailed information regarding the POW/MIA issue or click here to see the text online. The last update was 7/2/01.

Annual Meeting At the League's 32nd Annual Meeting June 21-23rd, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz was the principal administration representative. Secretary Wolfowitz's strongly supportive remarks at the annual dinner cited President Bush's many commitments and pledged to strengthen POW/MIA efforts through policy-level negotiations and improvements in all organizations that work the issue. His remarks set the stage for a very positive meeting. The well-attended sessions included briefings from all agencies most directly involved and were considered by most in attendance to be the most informative briefings yet given. Many families present received positive news concerning their individual cases, some learning that DNA identification of loved ones had been concluded. All in all, the 32nd Annual meeting was deemed a real success, and a positive year for the issue is anticipated with Bush Administration officials increasingly in place.

June 20 On June 20th, the League was informed that six Americans were recently accounted for. David W. Morrill and Maxim C. Parker, both USMC, were jointly recovered in South Vietnam June 9, 1993. The remains of Victor J. Apodaca, Jr., USAF, were repatriated April 27, 1989. The November 14, 1991 joint recovery of the remains of Harry A. Amesbury, Jr., USAF, brought an accepted identification. And, the remains of Harley B. Pyles, USAF, and Winfield Wade Sisson, USMC, were jointly recovered in South Vietnam on April 8, 1993. The accounting for these six US personnel brings the number now missing and unaccounted for in Vietnam to 1,481, with 417 in Laos, 67 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC. Over 90% of the 1,973 Americans still missing from the Vietnam War were lost in areas under Vietnam's wartime control.

Virginia Residents Effective July 1, a bill was passed to allow production of special license plates with the POW/MIA logo . Before production can begin, DMV must receive 350 PREPAID applications. Click here for more information.
Important Link http://www.cilhi.army.mil/ - The United States Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii. CILHI has a threefold mission:
1) Search for, recover, and identify remains of American military personnel, certain American civilian personnel, and certain allied personnel unaccounted for from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and other conflicts and contingencies.
2)Conduct humanitarian missions as directed by competent authority.
3)Provide technical assistance in these matters as requested by the appropriate geographic Commander-in-Chief (CINC).

Q: "Our state recently enacted legislation requiring the display of the POW-MIA flag at state and municipal buildings. Is there any official protocol as to where it should be displayed when on a pole along with the US and state flag."
A: "The flag, since it pertains to missing Americans from across the country, flies beneath the US flag and, if on the same pole with the state flag, beneath the US flag and above the state flag. Of course, it is preferable that there be more than one flag pole if three flags are to be flown, but it isn't always possible. If there are two or three separate flag poles, the POW/MIA flag just flies a bit lower than the US flag, as all other do."

Current Status There are 1,973 Americans still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
E-Mail The Official e-mail address for The National League of POW/MIA Families is info@pow-miafamilies.org

The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia
1001 Connecticut Avenue
Northwest, Suite 919
Washington, D.C. 20036-5504
(TEL) 202-223-6846
Federal Tax ID #23-7071242"