National League of POW/MIA Families
Arlington, VA, USA
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: There are still 1,746 US personnel listed by the Defense POW/MIA Office (DPMO) as missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Late last month, DPMO released an announcement naming four Marines whose remains were either individually identified, or included in the group identification. The four Marines are LCPL Kurt E. LaPlant of KS, LCPL Luis F. Palacios of CA, LCPL Ralph L. Harper of IN and PFC Jose R. Sanchez of NY. All were lost on June 6, 1968, in a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter incident in South Vietnam in which 12 of the 23 personnel on board were killed. All but these four were subsequently recovered and identified. The remains of these men were recovered over a period of several years from 1993 to 2007 and five separate field investigations and recoveries. This brings to 837 the number of US personnel accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. 90+% of the 1,746 still missing from the Vietnam War were lost in Vietnam itself or in areas of Laos and Cambodia under Vietnam’s wartime control.
LAO DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH LEAGUE: Lao Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisolith made a brief visit to Washington, DC, primarily to meet with Lao Ambassador Phiane Philakone and members of the Lao Embassy staff, but also met with League Executive Director Ann Mills Griffiths for a 45-minute cordial and productive discussion of accounting-related issues. Griffiths commended increased Lao Government flexibility in dealing with the US, especially Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) field operations, but also bilateral agreement to exchange Defense Attaches by the end of this year, a major move forward in the evolving military-to-military relationship. This exchange, formally implemented this Friday, December 5th, will be mutually beneficial and enable the Defense Intelligence Agency’s POW/MIA specialist (Stony Beach Team) to be assigned to the US Embassy in Vientiane, working under the auspices of the Defense Attaché Office (DAO). The League deeply appreciates and supports the advances that the two governments have made on POW/MIA and other bilateral issues of concern.
20-YEAR ASSESSMENT OF US-SRV COOPERATION & TECHNICAL TALKS HELD: Ambassador Charles Ray, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs, hosted Vietnamese officials in Hawaii on September 17th for a one-day assessment of the last 20 years of POW/MIA accounting cooperation. Chief of the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) Ambassador Nguyen Van Dao led the nine-member Vietnamese delegation, comprised of several long involved officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Public Security known to the League. US participants included JPAC Commander RADM Donna Crisp, USN, Detachment Commanders from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and senior members of the JPAC staff, plus Principle Director of the Defense POW/MIA Office (DPMO) Col David Ellis, USAF, and senior DPMO staff. League Executive Director Ann Mills Griffiths, a guest of JPAC, made a presentation at the Opening Session, following Ambassador Ray, RADM Crisp and Ambassador Dao, and attended associated social events.
The 20-year Assessment followed the twice yearly US-SRV Technical Talks, hosted on September 16th by RADM Crisp to review the recently concluded 92nd Joint Field Activity (JFA) and plans for the 93rd and 94th JFAs. The latter is scheduled to include the first ever use of a US Navy hydrographic survey vessel in accounting efforts, a step agreed to by the Vietnamese Government in October 2006, but still not implemented due to bureaucratic inertia, now possibly complicated by proposed new requirements for implementation that Vietnam is proposing. Though not required for shallow water surveys/investigations that can be conducted using other platforms, the US Navy’s ship can help expedite the process of identifying possible shallow-water excavation sites and should be acceptable for use on the humanitarian accounting effort, as it was last year to provide humanitarian medical assistance to the Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese leadership should raise NO additional requirements for POW/MIA accounting-related missions than for other humanitarian matters; therefore, the US should make clear that such cooperation is simply part of the expanding military-to-military relationship, now evolving in a mutually beneficial fashion.
DASD RAY VISITS SOUTHEAST ASIA: In mid-November, Ambassador Charles Ray, DPMO Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs, visited the capitals of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, plus Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), before heading back to the US. Though the precise reasons for his trip are unclear, and perhaps it was a farewell visit of sorts, though no high level calls occurred, but one can assume that the usual points were raised. The only known issues that would really help include pressing Vietnam for unilateral provision of archival records, especially on cases in Laos and Cambodia, and implementation of Hanoi’s now longstanding commitment to allow viable use of a US Navy ship for underwater surveys, investigations and recoveries.
JPAC OPERATIONS: Commander of JPAC RADM Donna Crisp, USN, conducted two command visits in Southeast Asia from October 26-31st. After meeting with US Ambassador to Laos Ravic Huso, Lao Vice Minister of Defense Somphet and Detachment III personnel in Vientiane, she visited JPAC teams working at all five recovery sites. She went on to Hanoi where she met with US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak, SRV Ambassador Nguyen Van Dao, Vietnam Office of Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) Director, and Detachment II personnel, she visiting a team at one site, before returning to Hawaii.
After a brief period during which no JPAC teams were deployed, operations are either now ongoing or just concluded in Vietnam, Laos, South Korea and India. Five Recovery Teams (RTs) conducted operations in Laos from October 14 – November 18th. The 106th Joint Field Activity (JFA) took place in Khammouan and Savannakhet Provinces.
In Vietnam,four RTs are still excavating four cases in Lao Cai, Dien Bien, Son La and Ninh Binh. Provinces. One IT planed to investigate 23 cases in eight provinces and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The second IT was to conduct research and interviews related to 10 cases in Hanoi and three cases in two other provinces. Reportedly, unilateral advance research and interviews are being conducted by the VNOSMP on 12 cases throughout the country. The 45-day work period should end on December 9th with redeployment of the JPAC teams to Hawaii.
In South Korea, one IT concluded work in Kyong Gi Province and in the DMZ on November 25th, as did another IT conducting underwater Phase Two Testing (P2T) operations in the Port of Pyongtaek. Another P2T recently conducted operations in India and concluded its work on November 21st.
PLAN NOW TO ATTEND THE 40TH ANNUAL MEETING JULY 22-25, 2009: Next year’s annual meeting promises to be special in many ways, including commemoration of over 35 years since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, and 40 years since the League was formed May 28, 1970. Governmental transitions are taking place, and there will be much to discuss and decide in terms of the League’s and the issue’s future. Importantly, it will also be the first year of a new administration. Any such political turmoil brings with it many changes in leadership and focus that, hopefully, will benefit the issue, but require close attention and actions by all members and supporters, especially our major national veterans organizations. Please do your part and start planning now to participate, arriving early if possible to call on Members of Congress and visit meaningful sites in our nation’s capital BEFORE the important sessions start on Thursday, July 23rd. The Secretary of Defense is again expected to authorize COIN Assist transportation.
COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN (CFC): The League (a 501 [c] 3 nonprofit) has again met the stringent criteria for eligibility in the 2008 campaign, and our official number is the same, CFC #10218, assigned by the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Washington, DC. The League is the ONLY nonprofit organization representing American POW/MIAs, KIA/BNRs and their families eligible for donations through CFC & United Way. Despite the reality of many competing charities and much need, especially in a time of war, the League is proud of our eligibility, due to tough requirements that must be met and is in urgent need of tax-deductible donations, FEIN #23-7071242.
CHECK THE LEAGUE’S UPDATED WEB SITE
www.POWMIALeague.org
www.POWMIALeague.com
www.pow-miafamilies.org
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