News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: NLF Update Line

Date: July 19, 2001

"Update Line
Thank you for calling the National League of Families Update Line. This message is being recorded Thursday, July 19th. According to the Department of Defense, there are now 1,959 Americans missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

Today, the League learned that 5 Americans whose remains were jointly recovered in South Vietnam have now been identified. The remains of one, a KIA/BNR on October 6, 1969, were jointly recovered on November 20, 2000. The other four were lost on august 3, 1967, and their remains were jointly recovered on June 8, 1994. On July 16th, the League learned that two Americans whose remains were jointly recovered in Laos and repatriated on February 11, 2000 are now accounted for. All of these names will be announced as soon as released by DoD.

On July 6th, the League learned that seven Americans, initially listed as Missing in Action in Cambodia on March 24, 1970, have now been accounted for. The names of these seven US Army personnel are MAJ Michael D. O'Donnell, IL, CAPT Jerry L. Pool, IL, CW3 John C. Hosken, OH, SFC John A. Boronski, MA, SFC Garry A. Harned, PA, SSG Rudy M. Becerra, TX and SSG Berman Ganoe, Jr., FL. Remains were first recovered from local Vietnamese citizens living near the Cambodian border on February 7, 1994, and joint recovery teams later excavated the helicopter crash site in Cambodia. The accounting for these 14 US personnel brings the number now missing and unaccounted for in Vietnam to 1,476, with 415 in Laos, 60 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC. Over 90% of the 1,959 Americans still missing from the Vietnam War were lost in areas under Vietnam's wartime control.

Joint excavations and investigations in Laos were recently concluded, and a formal remains repatriation ceremony was held July 7th in Savannakhet Province. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian & Pacific Affairs Skip Boyce Lao Vice Foreign Minister Phonsavath, plus other Lao and US officials. On July 23rd, Air Force BG Steven Redmann will assume command of JTF-FA, replacing BG Harry Axson, the first time that the Air Force has commanded the organization. Technical talks were held in Hanoi June 14-15th in preparation for joint field activities that began this week in Vietnam.

At the League's 32nd Annual Meeting June 21-23rd, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz was the principal administration representative. His strongly supportive remarks at the annual dinner set the stage for a very positive meeting. He 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.

The well-attended sessions included briefings from all involved agencies and were viewed as 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. A positive year for the issue is anticipated with Bush Administration officials increasingly in place.

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on June 26th regarding the bilateral US-Vietnam trade agreement that is expected to sail through the Senate with little opposition. Senate passage of NTR, or normal trade relations status, will likely follow soon thereafter. Nevertheless, the League is looking forward, not backward, and has no interest in trying to restore leverage squandered during the Clinton Administration. The League will continue to focus on improving the accounting effort to increase answers for the families.

The Bush Administration has not yet formally announced the new Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs; however, the League was informed that Mr. Jerry Jennings will shortly be named. He is highly qualified and in our view will be the first person to hold the position who has the necessary background and experience. The League looks forward to working closely with Mr. Jennings and other Bush Administration officials as we seek to achieve shared goals. Career foreign service officer and US Ambassador-designate to Laos, Mr. Doug Hartwick, was confirmed by the Senate late last week. Mr. Ray Burghardt, also a career Foreign Service Officer, is the Ambassador-designate to Vietnam, and Mr. Matt Dailey has been named as the incoming Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian & Pacific Affairs.

POW/MIA car-window decals are available at a cost of $20 per 100 by sending a check to the League office at 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 919, Washington, DC 20036. POW/MIA lapel pins are also available at $3 each or 2/$5. For added information on any subject, please contact the League's web site at www.pow-miafamilies.org or call the national office at 202-223-6846. If no one is available to take your call, please leave a message. Again, thank you for calling.

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"