News-Info-Alerts

Re: USN-USMC Offer POWs A Step Up

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: November 28, 2002

"Navy, Marine Corps offers POWs a step up

By Joseph Giordono, Stars and StripesPacific edition,
Tuesday, November 26, 2002


Until this month, only the Army granted all prisoners of war a one-grade promotion, retroactive to the day they were captured.

Now, the Navy and Marine Corps are falling into step, but with a catch: Former prisoners or their surviving spouses must apply to receive any back pay they are due.

The change came as part of the 2001 Defense Authorization Act, but Navy and Marine officials now are actively seeking eligible recipients. According to the guidelines, any former Marine or Navy POW from 1941-46, or their surviving spouses, can apply for the pay.

POW advocacy groups such as the American Ex-Prisoners of War estimate that up to 44,000 former World War II POWs are living in the United States and abroad.

About 40 percent of the Americans held prisoner in the past five conflicts still are alive, according to the group’s search of records.

More than 140,000 Americans were captured and interned during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Somalia and Kosovo conflicts. Of that number, an estimated 49,000 still are alive, including one from World War I, 44,000 from World War II, 2,600 from the Korean War, 600 from the Vietnam War, 23 from the Gulf War, one from Somalia and three from the Kosovo conflict.

Congress officially has defined a prisoner of war as “a person who, while serving on active duty, was forcibly detained by an enemy government or a hostile force, during a period of war or in situations comparable to war.”

• Applications from former Navy prisoners of war should be sent to:

Cmdr. John DeNicola
Bureau of Naval Personnel, Retired Activities Branch - PERS-62
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055

• Marine Corps applications should be sent to:

Maj. Jeff Sokoly
Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
2 Navy Annex, RFL-F7
Washington, DC 20380-1775

A number of other pending measures also seek retroactive compensation for former prisoners of war, advocacy officials said.

They include the POW Benefits Act of 2002 and the Former Prisoners of War Special Compensation Act of 2002, which are both stalled in Congress. Supporters say they both will be reintroduced when the new Congress convenes in January.

© 2002 Stars and Stripes. All Rights Reserved. "