News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: Laos Returns Remains - SEA

Date: July 12, 2001

"Laos Returns MIA Remains
Updated: Tue, Jul 10 8:33 AM EDT


BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Laos Has handed over remains believed to be those of three U.S. servicemen missing in action from the Vietnam War, the Lao state news agency reported Tuesday.

Phongsavath Boupha, the deputy foreign minister, made the presentation to Karen Stewart, the U.S. charge d'affaires in Laos, at an airport in the central province of Savannakhet on Saturday, the Khao San Pathet Lao agency reported.

The remains were found during the latest joint Lao-American searches of five sites in central provinces of Savannakhet, Bolikamsay and Khammouane, the report said.

A statement issued by the U.S. Joint Task Force-Full Accounting said the remains would undergo forensic identification at the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii.

Since 1973, the remains of 619 American servicemen from the war in Southeast Asia have been identified and returned to their families. There are 1,966 Americans still unaccounted for, including 417 in Laos and others in Vietnam, Cambodia and China."