News-Info-Alerts

Re: NLF Update Line

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: February 24, 2003

"Update Line
STILL MISSING: According to the Department of Defense there are 1,889 Americans still missing from the Vietnam War, 1,444 in Vietnam, 381 in Laos, 56 in Cambodia and , 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC. The names of eleven Americans recently accounted for have not yet been released, but the remains of nine were recovered during several US-Lao joint operations, the latest in February of last year, and officially identified on December 11th. One, a civilian, was recovered in April of 1998 and the remains of a US Army Warrant Officer were recovered in 1995. The names will be announced when received from the Defense Department.

DASD IN CAMBODIA: Jerry Jennings, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs and Director of the DPMO, just concluded a quick visit to Cambodia where he met with senior officials in Phnom Penh. A DoD-hosted Personnel Accounting Conference, held from January 21-24th, brought together officials from all USG organizations involved in the issue to gain consensus on policy and approach to achieve accounting objectives. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and Director of DIA VADM Lowell Jacoby were guest speakers; both stated full support for priority US efforts to account for missing US personnel.

LEAGUE DELEGATION TO SOUTHEAST ASIA: League Chairman of the Board Jo Anne Shirley, former Reagan Administration Director for Asian Affairs, now League Adviser, Richard Childress and Executive Director Ann Mills Griffiths are now in SEA, departing on Feb. 10th for Cambodia, 14th to Laos and 19th to Vietnam. They will meet with senior officials in each country to try to expedite accounting efforts. The delegation will visit the new U.S. base camp in southern Laos and the incident site where two American journalists were last known alive in captivity in Cambodia.

JOINT FIELD OPERATIONS: Large-scale field operations in Laos and Cambodia began January 16th and are due to conclude February 18th. Initial reports from both countries indicate that successful recovery efforts are occurring. Cambodian officials are conducting interviews of sources with useful information to augment efforts of the DIA Stony Beach specialist, now assigned full-time in Phnom Penh. Vietnamese officials are reportedly conducting unilateral investigations over the last several weeks and month-long joint field operations will commence on February 18th.

LEAGUE OFFICIAL MEETS WITH RUSSIAN LEADERS: In December, League Executive Director Ann Mills Griffiths met in Moscow with senior officials of the US-Russia Commission on POW/MIA Affairs and former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov. The focus was to gain greater access by US specialists to archival records and sources of information. Minister Primakov, now head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated his view that Vietnam War records should be declassified and made available for research. On January 27th, Russian media reported that the State Duma’s Defense Committee, chaired by the Vietnam War Working Group Chairman, has asked the Chief of the Russian General Staff to allow most documents dealing with the Vietnam War to be declassified. The League welcomes this positive development and looks for implementation.

NOTES: Start planning now to attend the League’s 34th Annual Meeting, June 26-26-29th, again in Arlington, VA. POW/MIA car window decals are $20 per 100 and lapel pins are $3 each or 2/$5, by sending a check to the League office. 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"

and

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Update Line The League has a 24-hour, 7 day a week update line. Please call 703-465-8444 to find out the latest detailed information regarding the POW/MIA issue or click here to see the text online. The last update was 2/9/03.

New According to the Department of Defense, there are now 1,889 Americans still missing from the Vietnam War, 1,444 in Vietnam, 381 in Laos, 56 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC.
Office Moves! Our new office is located at 1005 North Glebe Road, Suite 170, Arlington, VA 22201. The office phone is 703-465-7432, with voice mail; fax is 703-465-7433; and the Update Line is 703-465-8444
Important Links http://www.pacom.mil/jtffa.htm - Joint Task Force-Full Accounting Public Affairs:

http://www.vvmf.org - THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL: As the founders of The Wall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund works to preserve the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and to educate current and future generations about the enduring lessons of the Vietnam War on American society.

http://www.virtualwall.org - THE VIRTUAL WALL: The Virtual Wall is a digital, interactive legacy memorializing the men and women who gave their lives in Vietnam. The Virtual Wall ofers a unique experience for each visitor. Individual profiles, remembrances, reunion postings, name rubbings, custom reports, your own Virtual Wall page, and more - create your personal journey.

http://www.cilhi.army.mil/ - The United States Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii. CILHI has a threefold mission:
1) Search for, recover, and identify remains of American military personnel, certain American civilian personnel, and certain allied personnel unaccounted for from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and other conflicts and contingencies.
2)Conduct humanitarian missions as directed by competent authority.
3)Provide technical assistance in these matters as requested by the appropriate geographic Commander-in-Chief (CINC).

Q: "Our state recently enacted legislation requiring the display of the POW-MIA flag at state and municipal buildings. Is there any official protocol as to where it should be displayed when on a pole along with the US and state flag."
A: "In circumstances where there is only one flag pole, it is recommended that the POW/MIA flag be placed under the U.S. flag and above the state flag, unless state law requires that no flag other than the U.S. flag is to be placed above the state flag. The reason is that the League's POW/MIA flag represents all POW/MIA and other Americans unaccounted for from our nation's wars and conflicts. Placing the POW/MIA under the state flag indicates that a given state is honoring only those of its sons still missing and unaccounted for from the given state. This is fine, so long as it ws the intention of those posting the POW/MIA flag to honor only the limited sphere of America's POW/MIA community. The League's intention from the beginning was to ensure the widest possible involvement in efforts to return all POWs, account as fully as possible for those still missing, and repatriate the remains of those who died serving our nation. "

Current Status There are 1,889 Americans still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
E-Mail The Official e-mail address for The National League of POW/MIA Families is info@pow-miafamilies.org

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"