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POW/MIAs - VIETNAM WAR: According to DoD announcements, there are still 1,855 Americans listed as missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, 1,416 in Vietnam, 377 in Laos, 55 in Cambodia and 7 in PRC territorial waters. There reportedly have been two additional personnel accounted for, but since no DPMO announcement has been made, their names have not been made public and the number still missing has not been changed. Over 90% of all Americans missing from the Vietnam War were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Laos and Cambodia under Hanoi's wartime control.
35th ANNUAL MEETING HELD: The League's 35th Annual Meeting, held June 24-26th at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, Virginia will be reported fully in the upcoming League Newsletter. The League was very pleased that the Honorable Robert C. "Bud" McFarlane, former National Security Adviser for President Ronald Reagan, was willing to reflect on President Reagan's unique and very special commitment to the POW/MIA families, the League and to our shared accounting objective of accounting for our missing men. It was a privilege and a reality check from one who, along with Richard "Dick" Childress, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, helped resurrect the POW/MIA issue from near-extinction in 1981.
DASD FOR POWMIA AGAIN TRAVELS TO SEA: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs Jerry Jennings, just in Vietnam in late June prior to the League's 35th Annual Meeting, with brief stops in Laos, Cambodia and Burma as well, was back in Vietnam in late July. Press coverage inaccurately portrayed DASD Jennings June visit by stating, "After two years of delicate negotiations, the United States in August will start using Vietnam's war records for the first time to pinpoint possible new locations of remains of servicemen missing in action (MIA)." (emphasis supplied) The late July visit appears to have been more positive, however, since the Vietnamese reportedly agreed to allow JPAC operations to resume, but agreed to no specific date for this to occur.
Note: Recognizing that statements are often misquoted or misunderstood by the media, reporting on the June trip was one of the most egregious. For over ten years, the US Government has repeatedly assured the families that Vietnamese records are proving to be useful and are being used to pursue answers. To now report an agreement to begin using such records contradicts all past assurances. Vietnamese commitments abound, and the League has experienced many years of broken promises. We are cautiously optimistic that this time, agreements will be implemented, but will be skeptical until concrete results are achieved. Funds being expended to pay retired Vietnamese officials must be spent wisely to motivate them to produce results.
FOUR-PARTY TALKS HELD IN CAMBODIA: The second round of Four-Party Talks were held in Siem Riep, Cambodia, July 28-30th, as a follow-on to the consultations held last year in Bangkok. Again hosted by DASD Jennings, the objectives were somewhat shallow, but the Cambodian Prime Minister opened the session, as promised to the League in 1999, and set the stage for positive dialogue. Unfortunately, Vietnam was again unwilling to make commitments for multi-lateral cooperation, other than in vague generalities, much to the dismay of Cambodian officials who had come prepared to move forward with specific agreements to seek more rapid solutions and results.
Note: Dialogue is always welcome, but these Four-Party Consultations could be much more productive with serious preparation and willingness on the part of all participants, including Vietnam, to provide constructive solutions.
COOPERATION WITH LAOS: Agreement has been reached to implement a five-ministry archival research initiative in Laos. Lao archivists will review their own records and documents for information relating to US POW/MIAs and provide their findings to US officials. Implementation is to begin in August. Earlier, DPMO and JPAC staff hammered out specifics needed to ensure the best possible results. DASD Jennings received verbal agreement during his visit to Laos in June, to be formalized later this month. The League looks forward to measurable results from this new initiative, but recognizes that nearly 85% of US personnel still missing in Laos were lost in areas under Vietnam's wartime control.
ACCOUNTING EFFORTS WITH CAMBODIA: In Cambodia, cooperation remains at a high level. US initiatives are routinely agreed to and adopted by the Cambodian government. The only limitation on accounting efforts in Cambodia is the lack of Vietnamese documents on 90% of the incidents involving missing Americans. DIA's Stony Beach has a permanent specialist working from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh who conducts investigations throughout the country. JPAC teams conduct recovery operations whenever sites are located and circumstances warrant; however, personnel and resources are increasingly stretched to meet expanding requirements.
POW/MIA TECHNICAL TALKS-VIETNAM: In mid-June, officials from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), Defense POW/MIA Office (DPMO) and DIA's Stony Beach Team met again in Vietnam to discuss operational matters, assess recently concluded activities and plan future joint field investigations and recoveries. DPMO personnel held follow-on talks on initiatives begun some time ago by DASD Jennings. These talks, led by a senior Research-Analysis official, included an archival research initiative and senior wartime leader interview program on which responses have thus far been meager. Earlier, there were DPMO-led discussions to lay the groundwork for higher-level decisions required to proceed on underwater survey and recovery operations. The Vietnamese postponed a visit to Hawaii to view the US Navy ship intended for these operations, and nothing further has yet been scheduled, though exchange visits are expected soon. Such talks will again be held August 18th in Hawaii.
JOINT FIELD OPERATIONS: JPAC/CIL's worldwide operations are fast-paced and varied. Teams deployed June 24th for Vietnam and Laos and operations have now concluded in both countries. In Vietnam, excavations were scheduled by a much smaller JPAC/CIL team at four incident sites, investigations were scheduled on 16 additional cases, plus further research conducted on 9 LKA cases. In Laos, a team of only 39 US personnel excavated three separate aircraft incidents, two in Savannakhet and one in Salavan, but all were suspended without completion and will resume when again scheduled. The League objects to the JPAC reductions in team size, especially when the backlog of excavations sites in Laos is enormous!
The very first successful Cold War recovery operation in the People's Republic of China (PRC) just concluded with repatriation of remains that may be those of two American pilots, Norman Schwartz and Richard Snoddy. Both were flying for the CIA-owned Civil Air Transport at the time of loss. A successful Korean War F-86 recovery also took place in the PRC during this same joint operation.
JPAC/CIL teams also have recently concluded recovery operations in North Korea, focused again on areas near the Chosin Reservoir and a second site in Unsan County, north of Pyongyang, and remains were repatriated from both sites, moved across the DMZ for the first time in many years. JPAC personnel and CIL scientists also recently conducted WWII recoveries in Burma, France, Palau and Australia.
POW/MIA decals for windows are $20 per 100, and POW/MIA lapel pins are $3 each or 2/$5, by sending a check to the League office. For added information on any subject, please log onto the League's web site, 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