January 1998
Summary of news for the entire month.
For recent and daily news, please go to: InterNetwork
00 JAN 98: 2,099 Americans are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War: Vietnam - 1,566 (North, 572; South, 994); Laos - 450 Cambodia - 75; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters - 8. Persian Gulf War - unsatisfactory accounting. Korean War - 8,139 remain unaccounted-for, 42 possible remains returned, 4 identifications. World War II - Over 78,000 remain unaccounted-for.
02 JAN 98: The Department of Defense and the four Military Service Branches are seeking families of Korean War unaccounted-for. As a result of the negotiated agreements, new information and recovered remains are being identified. This information needs to be given to the families. Since 45 years has elapsed, the services have lost contact with many of the families. The families are asked to contact the appropriate agency: Air Force - (800)531-5501; Army (800)892-2490; Navy - (800)443- 9298; and, Marine Corps (800)847-1597.
04 JAN 98: Polish officials have reasserted their commitment to U.S. accounting and pledged specific actions to search for relevant information on American soldiers missing during World War II, the Korea Conflict, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. This is the result of U.S./Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs work. In return, DPMO will share information it holds on Polish citizens killed in the Katyn forest massacre.
DPMO has renewed a research contact at the Documentation Center of Cambodia in Phnom Penh. Records from the Lon Nol regime (circa 1970-75) will be researched for information concerning unaccounted-for American servicemen and for Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge Order Battle data that could possibly assist in the incident investigations. 13 Lon Nol dossiers have been identified as having potential POW/MIA related information.
07 JAN 98: JTF-FA announces that over the next several weeks, technical representatives from the Kingdom of Cambodia and the U.S., will conduct joint investigations and remains recovery operations pertaining to Americans unaccounted-for in Cambodia as a result of the war in Southeast Asia. This is the 16th operation and the team will consist of 28 specialists who will investigated up to six cases. There are 2,099 Americans still unaccounted-for as a result of the war in Southeast Asia. Of that total, 75 were lost in Cambodia.
JTF-FA announces that over the next several weeks, technical representatives from Laos and the U.S., will conduct joint investigations and remains recovery operations pertaining to Americans unaccounted-for in Laos as a result of the war in Southeast Asia. This is the 36th operation and the team will investigated 27 cases and excavate up to eight sites. There are 2,099 Americans still unaccounted-for as a result of the war in Southeast Asia. Of that total, 450 remain unaccounted-for in Laos.
08 JAN 98: DPMO announces that the remains of three Americans previously unaccounted for from Southeast Asia have been identified and were returned to their families for burial in the U.S. They are identified as Maj. Glenn A. Belcher, of Fessenden, ND; Ronald N. Sittner, of South Euclid, Ohio, both U.S. Air Force; and, Brent E. Davis, USMC, of Santa Clara, CA.
12 JAN 8: JTF-FA announced that remains believed to be those of five U.S. servicemen unaccounted-for from the conflict in Southeast Asia will be repatriated in a ceremony at Hickam AFB. The remains were recovered during joint field work conducted in the northern provinces of Vietnam in November 1997. The remains will be transferred to CILHI where they will under go analysis for individual biological identification. Joint Task Force-Full Accounting was created six years ago to expand U.S. government efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting for Americans who did not return from the war in Southeast Asia. Since its creation, the task force has repatriated more than 400 remains. Excavation sites relating to more than 200 additional unaccounted-for Americans have also been identified for future excavation work.
13 JAN 98: Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans Initiative Task Force Delegation was privileged and honored to participate in the U.S. Repatriation Ceremony held at Noi Bai Airport, Hanoi on January 13th to send these remains on their final journey home. The Veterans Initiative Task Force members escorted the return of 7 U.S. servicemen with Joint Service Honor Guard from Vietnamese soil to a United States C-141 Starlifter. Also in attendance were U.S. Ambassador Pete Peterson. U.S. Senator John Kerry, General Terry Tucker, Commander JTF-FA, Camp Smith, Hawaii and Lt. Col. John Kelly, Commander U.S. MIA Office, Hanoi and other U.S. dignitaries and officials.
14 JAN 98: Experts from CILHI will be hosted by DPMO over the next two weeks to develop specific surveys areas for the 1998 joint recovery operations scheduled in Korea. In addition, the CILHI team will conduct research on Korean War unaccounted-for servicemen in area repositories and other institutions, for information that could facilitate our recovery efforts in North Korea.
DPMO announces that the next Family Update will be held in San Diego, CA on January 24. DPMO Chief of Staff Joe Harvey and a team of specialists will discuss current policies and activities of the U.S. government in the accounting effort from the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the Korean War.
21 JAN 98: The Department of Defense is reviewing information relating to the interment of remains of a Vietnam War unknown at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. The review will determine if there is sufficient credible evidence to make a recommendation on two key questions: 1) does current science enable us, with confidence, to take steps that could help identify the remains in the Tomb; and 2) do the circumstances surrounding the loss incident of the individual possibly believed to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns warrant mitochondrial DNA testing? DPMO officials have stated that this review will be done in a measured, methodical manner, to ensure the decisions carefully weigh the competing interests of our commitment to the families of the missing, the sanctity of the Tomb as hallowed ground, and the ability of DNA testing to identify remains once considered unidentifiable.
30 JAN 98: Today, the Defense Department announced that the remains of two American servicemen previously unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War have been identified and will be returned to their families for honorable burial. The two Air Force officers were identified as Col. Paul G. Underwood, of Hornell, New York, and Capt. Donald B. Bloodworth of San Diego, California. The number of Americans listed as missing from the Vietnam War is now 2,097.
REMINDER - 02/28/98 - Proposed Family Update - Charlotte, NC
REMINDER - 02/07/98 - League Region I - Atlanta, GA
POW-MIA Issue Update February 1998