STATUS OF THE ISSUE
STATUS OF THE POW/MIA ISSUE: July 12, 2022
1,584 Americans are still listed by DoD as missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War: Vietnam - 1,244 (VN-442, VS-802); Laos–285; Cambodia-48; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters–7. (These numbers fluctuate due to investigations resulting in changed locations of loss.) The League seeks the fullest possible accounting for those still missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. Highest priority is accounting for Americans last known alive. US intelligence indicates some Americans known to be in captivity in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were not returned at the end of the war. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, it must be assumed that these Americans could still be alive, and the US Government should not rule out that possibility and should seek to account for them as a matter of highest national priority.
Vietnam established comprehensive wartime and post-war processes to collect and retain information and remains; thus, unilateral efforts by them offered significant potential. Vietnam has recently taken many unilateral actions that are welcome and appreciated, plus announced that there are no obstacles to full cooperation. Until the pandemic halted field operations, Vietnam had increased implementation of commitments to provide long-sought archival records with relevant, case-related information. This was due in part to improved working-level efforts, but also due to increased bilateral relations across the board. The January 2018 League Delegation brought commitments that offered real promise for increased success. Vietnamese officials are participating with greater seriousness and professionalism, achieving increased results, including both US-led Joint Excavation Teams and Unilateral Recovery Teams, led by Vietnamese, some of whom are US-trained. Unless budget reductions interfere, this formula allows a greater number of teams to “increase the pace and scope of field operations,” as requested by Vietnam in 2009. Due to increased mil-to-mil cooperation, USN assets have participated in underwater operations, when requested, as has DPAA “partner” Scripps Institute of Oceanography, returning to Vietnam this month.
After a rough period, joint field operations in Laos increased productivity, though more difficult than elsewhere. Laos began showing greater flexibility, having again authorized an increased number of US personnel in-country simultaneously, allowing ground transportation to accessible sites, and reaching agreement for contracting a private company to provide reliable, smaller-scale helicopter support to access remote sites. When helpful, Vietnamese witnesses are also being allowed to participate, resulting in trilateral joint US-LPDR-SRV operations. Importantly, the Lao Government authorized two additional Lao officials to work year-round with DIA’s Stony Beach POW/MIA specialist, assigned full time in-country. Lao officials also approved field investigations outside the confines of DPAA-scheduled US field operations but, recently, COVID-related concerns have precluded these specialized field investigations. A border dispute with Cambodia impeded operations there but, hopefully, as urged by the League, and once DPAA and DIA/Stony Beach operations resume in full, Lao and Cambodian officials will set aside political disagreements and work trilaterally with the US to proceed on humanitarian recoveries to account for our missing. In fact, the first JFA of FY22 took place in the fall in Vietnam; remains that could be those of missing US personnel were repatriated, and a unilateral recovery by Vietnam brought the only ID of a previously missing American in two years!
DIA’s Stony Beach Team: One Cambodia specialist works full time at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, and research and field operations in Cambodia have received excellent support from US Ambassador Patrick Murphy and Cambodian officials. US Ambassador to Laos Dr. Peter Haymond is knowledgeable and supports full use of DIA’s Stony Beach specialist. For years, two Stony Beach personnel have rotated on temporary duty in and out of Vietnam, collecting information via archival research and interviews of potential witnesses. DIA has long sought Vietnam’s agreement to permanently station a Stony Beach Vietnam specialist in Hanoi, a proposal to which Vietnam has not yet agreed, and DIA now has three specialists rotating in/out of Hawaii/Hanoi. Increased bilateral military relations demonstrate the time is NOW for this to occur, and successive US Ambassadors to Vietnam have strongly supported this move. Sadly, SRV Minister of Public Security To Lam did not use the opportunity of meeting today with League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills Griffiths to announce a favorable decision.
Comment: Pandemic restrictions have eased in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, allowing reliable scheduling of Joint Field Activities (JFAs) to increase. Now that Laos has agreed to provide officials to accompany Stony Beach specialists and augment the investigation process while witnesses are still living, such cooperation must expand. The greatest obstacles to increased Vietnam War accounting are 1) too few qualified intelligence analysts; 2) lack of an objective assessment to determine valid US expectations; and 3) unpredictable funding for operations. Since over 80% of US losses in Laos and Cambodia occurred in areas where Vietnamese forces operated during the war, Vietnam’s unilateral provision of helpful archival records, Stony Beach field investigations and interviews, plus timely DPAA analysis and feedback, are key factors to increase accounting results for unreturned Vietnam War Veterans.
POW/MIA STATISTICS
Live Sighting statistics provided by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Live Sightings: 1,996 first-hand live sighting reports have been received since 1975, none recently. 1,941 (97.24%) are resolved: 1,340 (67.13%) equated to Americans previously accounted for (i.e., returned POWs, missionaries or civilians detained for violating SRV codes); 45 (2.25%) correlated to wartime sightings of military personnel or pre-1975 sightings of civilians still unaccounted-for; 556 (27.86%) were determined to be fabrications. The remaining 55 (2.76%) unresolved first-hand reports are the focus of continuing analytical and collection efforts: 48 (2.40%) concern Americans reported in a captive environment; 7 (0.35%) are non-captive sightings. The unresolved 55 firsthand sightings are listed below:
Pre-1976 1976-1985 1986-1995 1996-2005 2006-2015 Total
36 3 1 14 1 55
Accountability: At the end of the Vietnam War, there reportedly were 2,583 unaccounted-for American prisoners, missing or killed in action/body not recovered. As of today, the Department of Defense lists 1,584 Americans as missing and unaccounted-for, 90% of them in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia and Laos where Vietnamese forces operated during the war. A breakdown by year of recovery for the 999 Americans accounted for from Vietnam War-related losses after the official end of the war on April 30, 1975, follows:
1965-1974 War years: (more recently identified) 2
1974-1975 Winding down USG effort 28
1976-1978 US/SRV normalization negotiations 47
1979-1980 US/SRV talks break down 1
1981-1985 1st Reagan Administration 23
1985-1989 2nd Reagan Administration 168
1989-1993 George H.W. Bush Administration 129
1993-1997 1st Clinton Administration 327
1997-2001 2nd Clinton Administration 57
2001-2004 1st George W. Bush Administration 64
2004-2008 2nd George W. Bush Administration 62
2008-2012 1st Obama Administration 51
2012-2016 2nd Obama Administration 27
2016-2021 Trump Administration 13
According to the DPAA Lab, unilateral SRV repatriations of remains with scientific evidence of storage have accounted for less than 200 of the 674 from Vietnam; two were mistakenly listed as KIA/BNR in Vietnam in 1968 but remains were actually recovered at that time. All but nine of the 280 Americans accounted for in Laos since the end of the war have been the result of joint recoveries; nine were turned over by indigenous personnel to DIA Stony Beach specialists. In addition, three persons identified were recovered in Vietnam before the end of the war. There follows a breakdown by country of the 999 Americans accounted for since the official April 30, 1975, end of the Vietnam War: Vietnam, 674; Laos, 280, Cambodia, 42 and the PRC, 3.
An additional 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, for a grand total of 1,062. Of the 63, 9 were from Laos, 53 from Vietnam, and 1 from Cambodia. These Americans were accounted for by unilateral US efforts in areas where access was possible, not due to cooperation with the post-war governments of Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. Added to results from government-to-government humanitarian cooperation post-war, a total of 288 have been recovered and identified from Laos, 729 from Vietnam, 42 from Cambodia and 3 from the PRC.
For the latest information, call the League Office (703) 465-7432 or
check the League website: www.pow-miafamilies.org
CFC #10218
status_of_the_issue_7-12-22.pdf
1,584 Americans are still listed by DoD as missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War: Vietnam - 1,244 (VN-442, VS-802); Laos–285; Cambodia-48; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters–7. (These numbers fluctuate due to investigations resulting in changed locations of loss.) The League seeks the fullest possible accounting for those still missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. Highest priority is accounting for Americans last known alive. US intelligence indicates some Americans known to be in captivity in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were not returned at the end of the war. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, it must be assumed that these Americans could still be alive, and the US Government should not rule out that possibility and should seek to account for them as a matter of highest national priority.
Vietnam established comprehensive wartime and post-war processes to collect and retain information and remains; thus, unilateral efforts by them offered significant potential. Vietnam has recently taken many unilateral actions that are welcome and appreciated, plus announced that there are no obstacles to full cooperation. Until the pandemic halted field operations, Vietnam had increased implementation of commitments to provide long-sought archival records with relevant, case-related information. This was due in part to improved working-level efforts, but also due to increased bilateral relations across the board. The January 2018 League Delegation brought commitments that offered real promise for increased success. Vietnamese officials are participating with greater seriousness and professionalism, achieving increased results, including both US-led Joint Excavation Teams and Unilateral Recovery Teams, led by Vietnamese, some of whom are US-trained. Unless budget reductions interfere, this formula allows a greater number of teams to “increase the pace and scope of field operations,” as requested by Vietnam in 2009. Due to increased mil-to-mil cooperation, USN assets have participated in underwater operations, when requested, as has DPAA “partner” Scripps Institute of Oceanography, returning to Vietnam this month.
After a rough period, joint field operations in Laos increased productivity, though more difficult than elsewhere. Laos began showing greater flexibility, having again authorized an increased number of US personnel in-country simultaneously, allowing ground transportation to accessible sites, and reaching agreement for contracting a private company to provide reliable, smaller-scale helicopter support to access remote sites. When helpful, Vietnamese witnesses are also being allowed to participate, resulting in trilateral joint US-LPDR-SRV operations. Importantly, the Lao Government authorized two additional Lao officials to work year-round with DIA’s Stony Beach POW/MIA specialist, assigned full time in-country. Lao officials also approved field investigations outside the confines of DPAA-scheduled US field operations but, recently, COVID-related concerns have precluded these specialized field investigations. A border dispute with Cambodia impeded operations there but, hopefully, as urged by the League, and once DPAA and DIA/Stony Beach operations resume in full, Lao and Cambodian officials will set aside political disagreements and work trilaterally with the US to proceed on humanitarian recoveries to account for our missing. In fact, the first JFA of FY22 took place in the fall in Vietnam; remains that could be those of missing US personnel were repatriated, and a unilateral recovery by Vietnam brought the only ID of a previously missing American in two years!
DIA’s Stony Beach Team: One Cambodia specialist works full time at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, and research and field operations in Cambodia have received excellent support from US Ambassador Patrick Murphy and Cambodian officials. US Ambassador to Laos Dr. Peter Haymond is knowledgeable and supports full use of DIA’s Stony Beach specialist. For years, two Stony Beach personnel have rotated on temporary duty in and out of Vietnam, collecting information via archival research and interviews of potential witnesses. DIA has long sought Vietnam’s agreement to permanently station a Stony Beach Vietnam specialist in Hanoi, a proposal to which Vietnam has not yet agreed, and DIA now has three specialists rotating in/out of Hawaii/Hanoi. Increased bilateral military relations demonstrate the time is NOW for this to occur, and successive US Ambassadors to Vietnam have strongly supported this move. Sadly, SRV Minister of Public Security To Lam did not use the opportunity of meeting today with League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills Griffiths to announce a favorable decision.
Comment: Pandemic restrictions have eased in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, allowing reliable scheduling of Joint Field Activities (JFAs) to increase. Now that Laos has agreed to provide officials to accompany Stony Beach specialists and augment the investigation process while witnesses are still living, such cooperation must expand. The greatest obstacles to increased Vietnam War accounting are 1) too few qualified intelligence analysts; 2) lack of an objective assessment to determine valid US expectations; and 3) unpredictable funding for operations. Since over 80% of US losses in Laos and Cambodia occurred in areas where Vietnamese forces operated during the war, Vietnam’s unilateral provision of helpful archival records, Stony Beach field investigations and interviews, plus timely DPAA analysis and feedback, are key factors to increase accounting results for unreturned Vietnam War Veterans.
POW/MIA STATISTICS
Live Sighting statistics provided by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Live Sightings: 1,996 first-hand live sighting reports have been received since 1975, none recently. 1,941 (97.24%) are resolved: 1,340 (67.13%) equated to Americans previously accounted for (i.e., returned POWs, missionaries or civilians detained for violating SRV codes); 45 (2.25%) correlated to wartime sightings of military personnel or pre-1975 sightings of civilians still unaccounted-for; 556 (27.86%) were determined to be fabrications. The remaining 55 (2.76%) unresolved first-hand reports are the focus of continuing analytical and collection efforts: 48 (2.40%) concern Americans reported in a captive environment; 7 (0.35%) are non-captive sightings. The unresolved 55 firsthand sightings are listed below:
Pre-1976 1976-1985 1986-1995 1996-2005 2006-2015 Total
36 3 1 14 1 55
Accountability: At the end of the Vietnam War, there reportedly were 2,583 unaccounted-for American prisoners, missing or killed in action/body not recovered. As of today, the Department of Defense lists 1,584 Americans as missing and unaccounted-for, 90% of them in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia and Laos where Vietnamese forces operated during the war. A breakdown by year of recovery for the 999 Americans accounted for from Vietnam War-related losses after the official end of the war on April 30, 1975, follows:
1965-1974 War years: (more recently identified) 2
1974-1975 Winding down USG effort 28
1976-1978 US/SRV normalization negotiations 47
1979-1980 US/SRV talks break down 1
1981-1985 1st Reagan Administration 23
1985-1989 2nd Reagan Administration 168
1989-1993 George H.W. Bush Administration 129
1993-1997 1st Clinton Administration 327
1997-2001 2nd Clinton Administration 57
2001-2004 1st George W. Bush Administration 64
2004-2008 2nd George W. Bush Administration 62
2008-2012 1st Obama Administration 51
2012-2016 2nd Obama Administration 27
2016-2021 Trump Administration 13
According to the DPAA Lab, unilateral SRV repatriations of remains with scientific evidence of storage have accounted for less than 200 of the 674 from Vietnam; two were mistakenly listed as KIA/BNR in Vietnam in 1968 but remains were actually recovered at that time. All but nine of the 280 Americans accounted for in Laos since the end of the war have been the result of joint recoveries; nine were turned over by indigenous personnel to DIA Stony Beach specialists. In addition, three persons identified were recovered in Vietnam before the end of the war. There follows a breakdown by country of the 999 Americans accounted for since the official April 30, 1975, end of the Vietnam War: Vietnam, 674; Laos, 280, Cambodia, 42 and the PRC, 3.
An additional 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, for a grand total of 1,062. Of the 63, 9 were from Laos, 53 from Vietnam, and 1 from Cambodia. These Americans were accounted for by unilateral US efforts in areas where access was possible, not due to cooperation with the post-war governments of Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. Added to results from government-to-government humanitarian cooperation post-war, a total of 288 have been recovered and identified from Laos, 729 from Vietnam, 42 from Cambodia and 3 from the PRC.
For the latest information, call the League Office (703) 465-7432 or
check the League website: www.pow-miafamilies.org
CFC #10218
status_of_the_issue_7-12-22.pdf
STATUS OF THE POW/MIA ISSUE:
May 16, 2022
1,584 Americans are still listed by DoD as missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War: Vietnam - 1,244 (VN-442, VS-802); Laos–285; Cambodia-48; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters–7. (These numbers fluctuate due to investigations resulting in changed locations of loss.) The League seeks the fullest possible accounting for those still missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. Highest priority is accounting for Americans last known alive. US intelligence indicates some Americans known to be in captivity in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were not returned at the end of the war. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, it must be assumed that these Americans could still be alive, and the US Government should not rule out that possibility and should seek to account for them as a matter of highest national priority.
Vietnam established comprehensive wartime and post-war processes to collect and retain information and remains; thus, unilateral efforts by them offered significant potential. Vietnam has recently taken many unilateral actions that are welcome and appreciated, plus announced that there are no obstacles to full cooperation. Until the pandemic halted field operations, Vietnam had increased implementation of commitments to provide long-sought archival records with relevant, case-related information. This was due in part to improved working-level efforts, but also due to increased bilateral relations across the board. The January 2018 League Delegation brought commitments that offered real promise for increased success. Vietnamese officials are participating with greater seriousness and professionalism, achieving increased results, including both US-led Joint Excavation Teams and Unilateral Recovery Teams, led by Vietnamese, some of whom are US-trained. Unless budget reductions interfere, this formula allows a greater number of teams to “increase the pace and scope of field operations,” as requested by Vietnam in 2009. Due to increased mil-to-mil cooperation, USN assets have participated in underwater operations, when requested, as has DPAA “partner” Scripps Institute of Oceanography, returning to Vietnam this month.
After a rough period, joint field operations in Laos increased productivity, though more difficult than elsewhere. Laos began showing greater flexibility, having again authorized an increased number of US personnel in-country simultaneously, allowing ground transportation to accessible sites, and reaching agreement for contracting a private company to provide reliable, smaller-scale helicopter support to access remote sites. When helpful, Vietnamese witnesses are also being allowed to participate, resulting in trilateral joint US-LPDR-SRV operations. Importantly, the Lao Government authorized two additional Lao officials to work year-round with DIA’s Stony Beach POW/MIA specialist, assigned full time in-country. Lao officials also approved field investigations outside the confines of DPAA-scheduled US field operations but, recently, COVID-related concerns have precluded these specialized field investigations. A border dispute with Cambodia impeded operations there but, hopefully, as urged by the League, and once DPAA and DIA/Stony Beach operations resume in full, Lao and Cambodian officials will set aside political disagreements and work trilaterally with the US to proceed on humanitarian recoveries to account for our missing. In fact, the first JFA of FY22 took place in the fall in Vietnam; remains that could be those of missing US personnel were repatriated, and a unilateral recovery by Vietnam brought the only ID of a previously missing American in two years!
DIA’s Stony Beach Team: One Cambodia specialist works full time at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, and research and field operations in Cambodia have received excellent support from US Ambassador Patrick Murphy and Cambodian officials. US Ambassador to Laos Dr. Peter Haymond is knowledgeable and supports full use of DIA’s Stony Beach specialist. For years, two Stony Beach personnel have rotated on temporary duty in and out of Vietnam, collecting information via archival research and interviews of potential witnesses. DIA has long sought Vietnam’s agreement to permanently station a Stony Beach Vietnam specialist in Hanoi, a proposal to which Vietnam has not yet agreed, and DIA now has three specialists rotating in/out of Hawaii/Hanoi. Increased bilateral military relations demonstrate the time is NOW for this to occur, and successive US Ambassadors to Vietnam have strongly supported this move. Sadly, SRV Minister of Public Security To Lam did not use the opportunity of meeting today with League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills Griffiths to announce a favorable decision.
Comment: Pandemic restrictions have eased in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, allowing reliable scheduling of Joint Field Activities (JFAs) to increase. Now that Laos has agreed to provide officials to accompany Stony Beach specialists and augment the investigation process while witnesses are still living, such cooperation must expand. The greatest obstacles to increased Vietnam War accounting are 1) too few qualified intelligence analysts; 2) lack of an objective assessment to determine valid US expectations; and 3) unpredictable funding for operations. Since over 80% of US losses in Laos and Cambodia occurred in areas where Vietnamese forces operated during the war, Vietnam’s unilateral provision of helpful archival records, Stony Beach field investigations and interviews, plus timely DPAA analysis and feedback, are key factors to increase accounting results for unreturned Vietnam War Veterans.
POW/MIA STATISTICS
Live Sighting statistics provided by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Live Sightings: 1,996 first-hand live sighting reports have been received since 1975, none recently. 1,941 (97.24%) are resolved: 1,340 (67.13%) equated to Americans previously accounted for (i.e. returned POWs, missionaries or civilians detained for violating SRV codes); 45 (2.25%) correlated to wartime sightings of military personnel or pre-1975 sightings of civilians still unaccounted-for; 556 (27.86%) were determined to be fabrications. The remaining 55 (2.76%) unresolved first-hand reports are the focus of continuing analytical and collection efforts: 48 (2.40%) concern Americans reported in a captive environment; 7 (0.35%) are non-captive sightings. The unresolved 55 first hand sightings are listed below:
Pre-1976 1976-1985 1986-1995 1996-2005 2006-2015 Total
36 3 1 14 1 55
Accountability: At the end of the Vietnam War, there reportedly were 2,583 unaccounted-for American prisoners, missing or killed in action/body not recovered. As of today, the Department of Defense lists 1,584 Americans as missing and unaccounted-for, 90% of them in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia and Laos where Vietnamese forces operated during the war. A breakdown by year of recovery for the 999 Americans accounted for from Vietnam War-related losses after the official end of the war on April 30, 1975 follows:
1965-1974 War years: (more recently identified) 2
1974-1975 Winding down USG effort 28
1976-1978 US/SRV normalization negotiations 47
1979-1980 US/SRV talks break down 1
1981-1985 1st Reagan Administration 23
1985-1989 2nd Reagan Administration 168
1989-1993 George H.W. Bush Administration 129
1993-1997 1st Clinton Administration 327
1997-2001 2nd Clinton Administration 57
2001-2004 1st George W. Bush Administration 64
2004-2008 2nd George W. Bush Administration 62
2008-2012 1st Obama Administration 51
2012-2016 2nd Obama Administration 27
2016-2021 Trump Administration 13
According to the DPAA Lab, unilateral SRV repatriations of remains with scientific evidence of storage have accounted for less than 200 of the 674 from Vietnam; two were mistakenly listed as KIA/BNR in Vietnam in 1968, but remains were actually recovered at that time. All but nine of the 280 Americans accounted for in Laos since the end of the war have been the result of joint recoveries; nine were turned over by indigenous personnel to DIA Stony Beach specialists. In addition, three persons identified were recovered in Vietnam before the end of the war. There follows a breakdown by country of the 999 Americans accounted for since the official April 30, 1975 end of the Vietnam War: Vietnam, 674; Laos, 280, Cambodia, 42 and the PRC, 3.
An additional 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, for a grand total of 1,062. Of the 63, 9 were from Laos, 53 from Vietnam, and 1 from Cambodia. These Americans were accounted for by unilateral US efforts in areas where access was possible, not due to cooperation with the post-war governments of Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. Added to results from government-to-government humanitarian cooperation post-war, a total of 288 have been recovered and identified from Laos, 729 from Vietnam, 42 from Cambodia and 3 from the PRC.
For the latest information, call the League Office (703) 465-7432 or check the League website: www.pow-miafamilies.org
CFC #10218
status_of_the_issue_5-16-22.pdf
May 16, 2022
1,584 Americans are still listed by DoD as missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War: Vietnam - 1,244 (VN-442, VS-802); Laos–285; Cambodia-48; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters–7. (These numbers fluctuate due to investigations resulting in changed locations of loss.) The League seeks the fullest possible accounting for those still missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. Highest priority is accounting for Americans last known alive. US intelligence indicates some Americans known to be in captivity in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were not returned at the end of the war. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, it must be assumed that these Americans could still be alive, and the US Government should not rule out that possibility and should seek to account for them as a matter of highest national priority.
Vietnam established comprehensive wartime and post-war processes to collect and retain information and remains; thus, unilateral efforts by them offered significant potential. Vietnam has recently taken many unilateral actions that are welcome and appreciated, plus announced that there are no obstacles to full cooperation. Until the pandemic halted field operations, Vietnam had increased implementation of commitments to provide long-sought archival records with relevant, case-related information. This was due in part to improved working-level efforts, but also due to increased bilateral relations across the board. The January 2018 League Delegation brought commitments that offered real promise for increased success. Vietnamese officials are participating with greater seriousness and professionalism, achieving increased results, including both US-led Joint Excavation Teams and Unilateral Recovery Teams, led by Vietnamese, some of whom are US-trained. Unless budget reductions interfere, this formula allows a greater number of teams to “increase the pace and scope of field operations,” as requested by Vietnam in 2009. Due to increased mil-to-mil cooperation, USN assets have participated in underwater operations, when requested, as has DPAA “partner” Scripps Institute of Oceanography, returning to Vietnam this month.
After a rough period, joint field operations in Laos increased productivity, though more difficult than elsewhere. Laos began showing greater flexibility, having again authorized an increased number of US personnel in-country simultaneously, allowing ground transportation to accessible sites, and reaching agreement for contracting a private company to provide reliable, smaller-scale helicopter support to access remote sites. When helpful, Vietnamese witnesses are also being allowed to participate, resulting in trilateral joint US-LPDR-SRV operations. Importantly, the Lao Government authorized two additional Lao officials to work year-round with DIA’s Stony Beach POW/MIA specialist, assigned full time in-country. Lao officials also approved field investigations outside the confines of DPAA-scheduled US field operations but, recently, COVID-related concerns have precluded these specialized field investigations. A border dispute with Cambodia impeded operations there but, hopefully, as urged by the League, and once DPAA and DIA/Stony Beach operations resume in full, Lao and Cambodian officials will set aside political disagreements and work trilaterally with the US to proceed on humanitarian recoveries to account for our missing. In fact, the first JFA of FY22 took place in the fall in Vietnam; remains that could be those of missing US personnel were repatriated, and a unilateral recovery by Vietnam brought the only ID of a previously missing American in two years!
DIA’s Stony Beach Team: One Cambodia specialist works full time at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, and research and field operations in Cambodia have received excellent support from US Ambassador Patrick Murphy and Cambodian officials. US Ambassador to Laos Dr. Peter Haymond is knowledgeable and supports full use of DIA’s Stony Beach specialist. For years, two Stony Beach personnel have rotated on temporary duty in and out of Vietnam, collecting information via archival research and interviews of potential witnesses. DIA has long sought Vietnam’s agreement to permanently station a Stony Beach Vietnam specialist in Hanoi, a proposal to which Vietnam has not yet agreed, and DIA now has three specialists rotating in/out of Hawaii/Hanoi. Increased bilateral military relations demonstrate the time is NOW for this to occur, and successive US Ambassadors to Vietnam have strongly supported this move. Sadly, SRV Minister of Public Security To Lam did not use the opportunity of meeting today with League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills Griffiths to announce a favorable decision.
Comment: Pandemic restrictions have eased in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, allowing reliable scheduling of Joint Field Activities (JFAs) to increase. Now that Laos has agreed to provide officials to accompany Stony Beach specialists and augment the investigation process while witnesses are still living, such cooperation must expand. The greatest obstacles to increased Vietnam War accounting are 1) too few qualified intelligence analysts; 2) lack of an objective assessment to determine valid US expectations; and 3) unpredictable funding for operations. Since over 80% of US losses in Laos and Cambodia occurred in areas where Vietnamese forces operated during the war, Vietnam’s unilateral provision of helpful archival records, Stony Beach field investigations and interviews, plus timely DPAA analysis and feedback, are key factors to increase accounting results for unreturned Vietnam War Veterans.
POW/MIA STATISTICS
Live Sighting statistics provided by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Live Sightings: 1,996 first-hand live sighting reports have been received since 1975, none recently. 1,941 (97.24%) are resolved: 1,340 (67.13%) equated to Americans previously accounted for (i.e. returned POWs, missionaries or civilians detained for violating SRV codes); 45 (2.25%) correlated to wartime sightings of military personnel or pre-1975 sightings of civilians still unaccounted-for; 556 (27.86%) were determined to be fabrications. The remaining 55 (2.76%) unresolved first-hand reports are the focus of continuing analytical and collection efforts: 48 (2.40%) concern Americans reported in a captive environment; 7 (0.35%) are non-captive sightings. The unresolved 55 first hand sightings are listed below:
Pre-1976 1976-1985 1986-1995 1996-2005 2006-2015 Total
36 3 1 14 1 55
Accountability: At the end of the Vietnam War, there reportedly were 2,583 unaccounted-for American prisoners, missing or killed in action/body not recovered. As of today, the Department of Defense lists 1,584 Americans as missing and unaccounted-for, 90% of them in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia and Laos where Vietnamese forces operated during the war. A breakdown by year of recovery for the 999 Americans accounted for from Vietnam War-related losses after the official end of the war on April 30, 1975 follows:
1965-1974 War years: (more recently identified) 2
1974-1975 Winding down USG effort 28
1976-1978 US/SRV normalization negotiations 47
1979-1980 US/SRV talks break down 1
1981-1985 1st Reagan Administration 23
1985-1989 2nd Reagan Administration 168
1989-1993 George H.W. Bush Administration 129
1993-1997 1st Clinton Administration 327
1997-2001 2nd Clinton Administration 57
2001-2004 1st George W. Bush Administration 64
2004-2008 2nd George W. Bush Administration 62
2008-2012 1st Obama Administration 51
2012-2016 2nd Obama Administration 27
2016-2021 Trump Administration 13
According to the DPAA Lab, unilateral SRV repatriations of remains with scientific evidence of storage have accounted for less than 200 of the 674 from Vietnam; two were mistakenly listed as KIA/BNR in Vietnam in 1968, but remains were actually recovered at that time. All but nine of the 280 Americans accounted for in Laos since the end of the war have been the result of joint recoveries; nine were turned over by indigenous personnel to DIA Stony Beach specialists. In addition, three persons identified were recovered in Vietnam before the end of the war. There follows a breakdown by country of the 999 Americans accounted for since the official April 30, 1975 end of the Vietnam War: Vietnam, 674; Laos, 280, Cambodia, 42 and the PRC, 3.
An additional 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, for a grand total of 1,062. Of the 63, 9 were from Laos, 53 from Vietnam, and 1 from Cambodia. These Americans were accounted for by unilateral US efforts in areas where access was possible, not due to cooperation with the post-war governments of Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. Added to results from government-to-government humanitarian cooperation post-war, a total of 288 have been recovered and identified from Laos, 729 from Vietnam, 42 from Cambodia and 3 from the PRC.
For the latest information, call the League Office (703) 465-7432 or check the League website: www.pow-miafamilies.org
CFC #10218
status_of_the_issue_5-16-22.pdf
2020
2019
| Status of the Issue 2-26-19.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 2-7-19.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 1-22-19.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 12-3-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 11-8-18.pdf |
| status.of_.the.issue__10-16-19.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 10-17-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 9-11-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 8-22-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 7-12-19.pdf |
| Update 7-27-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue_7-6-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 6-7-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 4-9-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 3-14-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 2-26-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 2-2-18.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 12-7-17.pdf |
| Status of the Issue 9-20-17.pdf |
| status.of.the.issue_8-14-17.pdf |
2017
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2016
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2015
| Status of the Issue 12-3-15.pdf |
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2014
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2013
| Status of the Issue 12-17-13.pdf |
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