News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: NLF Update

Date: July 28, 2001

"Update Line
Thank you for calling the National League of Families Update Line. This message is being recorded Thursday, July 26th. According to the Department of Defense, there are 1,959 Americans missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

On July 19th, the League learned that five 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. Three days earlier, 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 names of seven Americans, listed as MIA 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.

Secretary of State Colin Powell is now in Vietnam attending the Assn. of SEA Nations conference where he will have bilateral discussions with senior officials of all attending countries. The Hanoi byline in Reuters coverage today is "Powell hails effort to find men lost in Vietnam." The report goes on to say that Secretary of State Colin Powell stated, "All of my buddies came home, even those who died. We got the remains. But for those we didn't find, there's still a longing in the hearts of their family members and their fellow veterans." He spoke to the press after placing flowers at a memorial to the seven US and 9 Vietnamese personnel killed during field operations in Vietnam and meeting with members of Joint Task Force Full Accounting.

The article goes on to state, "The MIAs are still Washington's top foreign policy priority with Hanoi. As previously noted, the League is confident that looking to the future includes addressing the POW/MIA accounting, a problem from the past that still requires future actions to reach the fullest possible accounting. Such actions include a focus on unilateral steps by Vietnam to locate and return remains, as well as continuing to improve the quality and effectiveness of joint field operations.

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 Boupha, plus other Lao and US officials. Last week, the Senate finally confirmed US Ambassador to Laos Doug Hartwick who is expected to arrive in Vientiane in early September.

On July 23rd, Air Force BG Steven Redmann assumed command of JTF-FA from BG Harry Axson, USA, during a ceremony over which Admiral Dennis Blair, US Commander of Pacific Forces, presided. This is 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 are ongoing in Vietnam.

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 soon be named. He is highly qualified and in our view will be the first person with the necessary background and experience to hold the position. The League looks forward to working closely with Mr. Jennings and other Bush Administration officials.

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"