News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: NLF Update Line

Date: October 30, 2001

"Update Line
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The League learned today (10/30/01) that the remains of seven US personnel previously unaccounted for from the Vietnam War had been identified. The remains of Navy CDR John A. Feldhaus of TN were jointly recovered in North Vietnam on April 26, 2000. The remains of Air Force Reservists Capt Fred C. Cutrer, Jr, of MS and 1LT Leonard L. Kaster of MA were jointly recovered in South Vietnam and repatriated on May 22, 1997. The February 11, 2000, joint recovery in Laos of the remains of four Americans brought identification of WO1 Barry F. Fivelson of IL, Specialists 4th Class Willis C. Crear of AL, Donald E. Crone of CA and John L. Powers of Idaho.

Comment: The League offers support to each family, recognizing the end to many years of uncertainty for all. This brings the number accounted for since the end of the war to 636: 455 from Vietnam, 156 from Laos, 23 from Cambodia and 2 from the PRC. Of the 1949 still missing and unaccounted for, 1470 are in Vietnam, 411 in Laos, 60 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC. Of the total number, roughly 90% were lost in areas under Vietnam's wartime control.

POW/MIA SEMINAR HELD IN LAOS: In early October, US and Lao officials held a two-day seminar in Savannakhet, Laos, for provincial and district level Lao officials. It was preceded by POW/MIA consultations on September 27-28th. The Lao Deputy Prime Minister proposed this seminar over two years ago during discussions with the League. Only since the first of the year was it moved forward by the US. Newly appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs Jerry Jennings led the US delegation, joined by recently confirmed US Ambassador to Laos Doug Hartwick and BG Steve Redmann, USAF, Commander of the JTF-FA. Lao host for the seminar was the Vice Foreign Minister. For the first time, briefings were presented in the Lao language, and a ceremony was held at the conclusion of the seminar to turn over remains recovered jointly over the last several weeks.

ON TO CAMBODIA & VIETNAM: Mr. Jennings also made a brief stop in Phnom Penh and met with Prime Minister Hun Sen and General Pol Saroeun, the senior Cambodian official directly responsible for POW/MIA matters. Introductory calls were also made in Vietnam. Meetings were held with Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Huong, Deputy Minister of Defense for International Affairs MG Nguyen Huy Hieu, and former Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Le Van Bang, now with the Foreign Ministry in Hanoi. On October 5th, a ceremony was held in Hanoi to turn over remains, recently recovered in Vietnam, that could be those of 5 US personnel.

Due to security concerns related to the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, the US Ambassador postponed a joint field operation in Cambodia, scheduled for mid-October. The site involved last known alive cases and had been planned for some time. The League is hopeful that this activity can be rescheduled as soon as possible, assuming that small teams in remote areas under Cambodian military guard are unlikely to be of interest to radical terrorist organizations.

DIA FORMS POW/MIA OFFICE: The Defense Intelligence Agency has formed a special office for analysis of POW/MIA-related intelligence, as stipulated by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton. This office was established to provide independent intelligence analysis to augment the work of the Defense POW/MIA Office. Though underway long before the September 11th terrorist attacks, formation of this office was expedited in preparation for ongoing military operations. The League welcomes formation of this office as a means of augmenting DPMO's analytical capability and reducing the prospect of intelligence manipulation to support political objectives, such as occurred in the Clinton Administration in relation to Vietnam.

NOTES: The next date on which the League's POW/MIA flag will fly is November 11th, Veterans Day.

Posters marking National POW/MIA Recognition Day can still be obtained by calling Mr. John Brown, Defense POW/MIA Office, 703-602-2102, Ext. 185. If he is not available, leave your full name and address, and the number of posters requested.

POW/MIA car-window decals are available at a cost of $20 per 100 by sending a check to the new League office at 1005 North Glebe Road, Suite 170, Arlington, VA 22201. 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 703-465-7432.

The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia
1005 North Glebe Road
Suite 170
Arlington, Virginia 22201
(TEL) 703-465-7432
Federal Tax ID #23-7071242"