National League of POW/MIA Families - Update

[boardman]

National League of POW/MIA Families

POW/MIA Update: February 1, 2007

U.S. PERSONNEL MISSING FROM THE VIETNAM WAR: There are now 1,788 US personnel listed as missing and unaccounted for by the Department of Defense. Recently, the identifications of two Americans previously missing/unaccounted for from the Vietnam War were announced:

Lt Colonel Paul E. Getchell, USAF, ME, MIA 1/13/69, Laos, RR 12-16-05, ID 11/20/06

Major Benjamin F. Danielson, USAF, USA, MN, MIA 12/5/69, Laos, RR 11/12/03, ID 8/6/046

Sergeant First Class Lewis C. Walton, RI, MIA 5/10/71, SVN, RR 10/19/04, ID 10/23/06

The League extends best wishes to the families and friends of these men and hopes that these final answers bring long-awaited peace of mind. The accounting for these Americans brings to 795 the number of US personnel accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Over 90% of the 1,788 still listed as missing were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Laos and Cambodia under Vietnamese wartime control.

VIETNAM APPROVES USE OF U.S. NAVY SHIP FOR UNDERWATER RECOVERIES: After more than a decade of consistent League efforts, reinforced in more recent years by the current and former Commanders of the US Pacific Command, ADM Tom Fargo (now retired) and ADM William J. Fallon, the Vietnamese leadership approved using US Navy vessels. The detailed approval process utilized for recent official USN port calls will be necessary, as will details of the specific mission proposed for such a recovery. Utilizing this US Navy asset won't be required for most shallow-water recoveries, but commitment from both governments to support the process if needed is a significant policy change by Vietnam and deeply appreciated by the League. We were pleased that ADM Gary Roughead, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, raised this issue during his just-concluded visit to Vietnam as part of the evolving military-to-military bilateral relationship, as did Ambassador Charles Ray, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs.

DASD AMBASSADOR CHARLES RAY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: Ambassador Ray has now completed his first visits to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam since being appointed DASD late last year. Southeast Asian government officials, US Ambassadors and JPAC were known to be eagerly anticipating his involvement and leadership on the issue. Ambassador Ray plans to hold a briefing on his trip in mid-February for family and veterans group representatives. Earlier last year, he visited Moscow to reinforce to the Russian Government the importance of naming a Russian Chairman as counterpart to US Chairman General Robert H. Foglesong, USAF (Ret).

PRESIDENT BUSH’S VISIT TO VIETNAM: The President visited Vietnam November 17-20th for the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC). During his visit, he held bilateral talks with the leadership of Vietnam during which he raised the need for increased POW/MIA cooperation. An important joint statement was issued at the end of the meeting between the US and SRV Presidents, stating in part: “The two leaders expressed satisfaction with progress on resolving outstanding issues from the war and agreed that the two sides would continue co-operation in this respect. President Triet reaffirmed his Government’s continued efforts to assist the United States to ensure the fullest possible accounting for Americans who remain missing in action, through both joint and enhanced unilateral actions. President Bush reaffirmed US contributions to help obtain information on Vietnamese MIA cases.” (emphasis added). This focus on unilateral Vietnamese actions has been called for consistently by President Bush and two successive Secretaries of State, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.

LEAGUE TRIP TO SOUTHEAST ASIA: Prior to the President’s visit to Vietnam, a League Delegation met with senior Vietnamese officials. Meetings were to define accounting expectations in the hope of increased cooperation and results. The timing of this visit was critical, and progress was obtained on improving access to the Western Highlands where many incidents await excavation and agreement to use US Navy ships for underwater recoveries, when needed.

Although more circumspect on archival records, the Vietnamese accepted all League requests for unilateral provision of archives and documents. The League is hopeful that Vietnam’s leaders will again, as in the mid-1980s, make a significant decision to take needed unilateral actions, but the key is still implementation.

In Cambodia, meetings were held with the entire leadership, including Prime Minister Hun Sen and all other officials with POW/MIA responsibilities. Cambodia is fully cooperative with all US requests for POW/MIA support and assistance. Their cooperation is outstanding, and they allow whatever access is requested. The new Cambodian monarch, His Majesty King Norodom Sihamony, already revered by Cambodia’s people, is also supportive and knowledgeable. We thanked all Cambodian leaders and urged officials there to again urge the Vietnamese to provide relevant records, still the major gap.

Officials in Laos were very responsive, as evidenced by many high level meetings and assurances of practical cooperation and flexibility. From the Deputy Prime Minister to the Defense Minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all officials reinforced their commitment to cooperate fully within existing assets and resources. Lao Government cooperation is high and increasingly flexible. In every instance, Lao officials were urged to press Vietnam for relevant archival records, as in Cambodia, still the major gap, and to search their own limited archives as well. A JPAC-supported visit to excavation sites reinforced the importance of these difficult operations and the League’s appreciation for their efforts.

FAMILY MEMBER DELEGATION FINALIZED: As announced in the League’s December 2, 2006 Newsletter, the League is organizing a small family member trip to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in March. The group will be led by League Chairman of the Board Jo Anne Shirley, sister of Major Bobby M. Jones, MD, USAF, MIA in SVN since 11-28-72. Participating will be Sue Scott, Board Secretary, sister of Captain Douglas D. Ferguson, USAF, MIA in Laos since 12/30/69; Pam Cain, VA State Coordinator and daughter of Colonel Oscar Mauterer, USAF, MIA in Laos since 2-15-66; and Karoni Forrester Gonzales, TX Assistant State Coordinator and daughter of Major Ronald W. Forrester, USMC, MIA in NVN 12/27/72. Participants have been encouraged to raise funds from local citizens, churches, veterans and other interested friends and neighbors to help defray the estimated $10-12,000 cost per person, so try to help if you can, and clearly mark your donation. The League is a nonprofit, 501 [c] 3 humanitarian organization, Federal Tax ID #23-7071242.

UPDATE ON JPAC OPERATIONS: Joint field operations resumed for the 37th time in Cambodia on January 11th, for the 97th time in Laos on January 9th, and will resume for the 87th time in Vietnam in March. The USG has finally taken action on the two-year assignment for JPAC Detachment III Commanders in Laos. This step was long ago approved by the Lao Government, but slowed by the Pentagon bureaucracy. Technical talks will also be held soon in Laos and Vietnam. Field operations related to WWII will occur in Thailand in February and are now ongoing in Papua New Guinea and Palau, preceded by operational discussions held in advance and concluded by JPAC Commander BG Michael Flowers last week. Also, a DPMO-led team is in Beijing for talks aimed at renewing recovery operations there. A JPAC team recently returned from South Korea and discussions on renewed joint operations to begin later this year. South Korea has now established its own recovery unit to locate and identify remains of its citizens killed during the Korean War. JPAC has provided helpful guidance and advice in that process.


Ann Mills Griffiths
Executive Director
National League of POW/MIA Families
1005 North Glebe Road, Suite 170
Arlington, VA 22201
(PH) 703-465-7432 (FX) 703-465-7433
www.pow-miafamilies.org