UPDATE: January 7, 2021
THE LEAGUE OFFICE IS TELEWORKING UNTIL RESTRICTIONS ARE EASED.
POW/MIA FLAG IN US CAPITOL ROTUNDA: With unanimous bipartisan support in the 100th Congress, the League's POW/MIA Flag was installed in the US Capitol Rotunda on March 9, 1989. Since that date, it has been displayed "as a powerful symbol of America’s determination to account for US personnel still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War." The 101st Congress also passed bipartisan legislation recognizing our POW/MIA flag and designating it "the symbol of our Nation's concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia."
Chairman's Comment: Media coverage of the lawless intrusion at the US Capitol on January 6th clearly showed our POW/MIA flag on display. It is important for all to understand that the accounting mission our POW/MIA flag represents is bipartisan-supported and has been since the League was formed on May 28, 1970.
WHITE HOUSE IN VIOLATION OF PUBLIC LAW 116-67, MANDATING THE POW/MIA FLAG BE DISPLAYED YEAR-ROUND: Despite President Trump’s decision to sign bipartisan-supported legislation in the House and Senate into law on November 7, 2019, the White House is now in violation of the mandate and intention of the “National POW/MIA Flag Act.” The League-originated POW/MIA flag was directed to be visibly displayed whenever the US flag is posted on Federal properties, including the White House, the US Capitol, all US Senate and House Buildings, the World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Selective Service system, all major military installations, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, all VA medical centers, and all offices of the US Postal Service.
Flag Day is one of the six days each year when previously existing laws required that our POW/MIA flag be flown, in addition to Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day. On Flag Day, June 14, 2020, the POW/MIA Flag was removed from atop the White House and placed on a separate flag pole, under the US flag, but scarcely visible in a small cluster of trees outside the circular drive around the South Lawn and at some distance from the White House and Old Executive Office Building. Strangely, this occurred only six months after President Trump had signed into law the separate bills passed by the House and Senate requiring visible display of the POW/MIA flag on “all days on which the flag of the United States is displayed,” including “at the White House.” Apparently, some uninformed staff, looking for a less visible alternative to its customary position on top of the White House, made the decision to find an alternative and did so without any consideration of implications to the accounting mission and without consulting the League or DPAA, until after removing the POW/MIA flag from its customary position of honor, the most visible location in Washington, DC.
Chairman’s Comment: The League is grateful for this tremendous support, which is a meaningful signal to senior counterpart officials whose cooperation and responsiveness are absolutely necessary. It also signals worldwide that America stands behind and with those who serve – past, present and future – and, if captured or missing, all possible efforts will be made to recover and bring home our UNRETURNED Veterans.
When this occurred, DPAA and the League were notified within minutes of each other, but given no reason, nor any indication as to who had made the decision to construct a new flagpole on the edge of the South Lawn and remove the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House, especially on Flag Day, June 14th, when and where it had proudly flown for decades. Even more strange, the POW/MIA flag was not in its rightful position on September 18, 2020, National POW/MIA Recognition Day. The way this was handled was truly bizarre and, to date, DPAA Director McKeague and League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths have not been provided the rationale. The League informed White House officials that removal of the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House would send conflicting signals domestically and internationally to counterpart governments which figure prominently in US efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting, in particular for Vietnam War POW/MIAs. It was also noted that such an action could be viewed as reducing priority and seriousness of US efforts and intentions, including with the DPRK, as accounting for Americans lost during the Korean War was Point #4 of the 2018 Singapore Agreement.
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is STILL 1,585. A September 24, 2020, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) release stated that Air Force Maj. Paul A. Avolese was lost in a mid-air collision on July 7, 1967, and he was presumed dead on July 24, 1967. There was no mention when remains were recovered or by whom, but interment services are pending. In a July 14, 2020 release, DPAA announced that 1st Lt. Alva R. Krogman, USAF, KIA/BNR, was accounted for on July 7, 2020. Lt. Krogman was flying on a visual reconnaissance mission over Savannakhet Province, Laos, on January 17, 1967, when his aircraft was hit and went down. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations were initiated immediately, but were shut down within a few hours after one of the SAR aircraft was also shot down. In February, 2020, a US team of unexploded ordnance removal specialists initially recovered remains while clearing the site in preparation for an April joint recovery mission. This was only the second identification of a previously missing/unaccounted-for Vietnam War Veteran to be announced since July 26, 2019.
ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS/EVENTS CANCELED; UNILATERAL SRV RECOVERIES CONTINUED: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Defense (DoD) banned all DoD travel, initially until May 15, 2020, then extended until June 30th and travel is still limited, but DoD has begun the process of incrementally lifting restrictions. The DPAA pulled teams from the field, returned them to the US and cancelled all field operations until further notice; however, Vietnam agreed to conduct unilateral recoveries in several provinces. Reportedly, there have been three such periods, with multiple recovery teams, and one reported repatriation ceremony, plus another period of unilateral SRV recoveries involving three teams was fielded more recently in northern provinces.
DPAA & DIA SIGN FORMAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU): On September 17, 2020, DPAA Director Kelly McKeague and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director LTG Bob Ashley, USA, signed an MOU to formally solidify integration of DIA’s Stony Beach Team of specialists into Vietnam War accounting operations. Formed in 1986, before the accounting mission broadened to include efforts to recover and identify personnel unaccounted-for from the Korean War, Cold War and World War II, Stony Beach’s sole mission was and is Vietnam War accounting, with focused priority on Last Known Alive (LKA) cases of US personnel initially listed as POW/MIA.
LEAGUE 51ST ANNUAL MEETING RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 23-27, 2021: As previously announced, the 51st Annual Meeting did not take place June 24-28th this year, and has been rescheduled for June 23-27, 2021. The Hilton Crystal City Hotel is open on a limited basis, and we’re hoping for fewer restrictions and greater normalcy by mid-2021. DPAA cancelled Family Member Updates previously scheduled for March, April, May, August and September. The DPAA-hosted Annual Government Briefings for Korean War/Cold War Families, previously planned for August, were also cancelled A virtual ZOOM Family Member Update was recently held in Little Rock, AR. Due to the seriousness and unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, DoD travel restrictions have been applied worldwide. In addition, DoD, DIA, State Department and other US agencies were largely teleworking, but are now alternating schedules to try to ensure greater in-person coverage.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: You can support the League on Facebook by creating a fundraiser to celebrate meaningful occasions and events. Opportunities are nearly endless, ranging from appeals for donations to the League in lieu of birthday gifts or to honor your missing loved one on the anniversary of his loss, and, if returned, his story commemorating his recovery, etc. If you would like to create a fundraiser to benefit the League, visit www.facebook.com/fund/powmiafamilies. 100% of the proceeds raised from your fundraiser will benefit the League!
You and your family, friends and colleagues can also support the League by shopping at Amazon Smile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping to which you may be increasingly accustomed. The added bonus? The Amazon Smile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
Update_1-7-21.pdf
UPDATE: December 12/31/2020
THE LEAGUE OFFICE IS TELEWORKING UNTIL RESTRICTIONS ARE EASED.
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is still 1,585. A September 24, 2020, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) release stated that Air Force Maj. Paul A. Avolese was a radar navigator assigned to the 4133rd Bombardment Wing. That day, he was part of the crew of a B-52D Stratofortress bomber conducting a bombing mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to a target in Vietnam. During a maneuver over the South China Sea, Avolese’s bomber collided with another B-52, causing both aircraft to fall into the sea. Four of the crew members from his aircraft were rescued, but Avolese was never recovered. He was presumed dead on July 24, 1967. There was no mention when remains were recovered or by whom, but interment services are pending. In a July 14, 2020 release, DPAA announced that 1st Lt. Alva R. Krogman, USAF, KIA/BNR, was accounted for on July 7, 2020. Lt. Krogman was flying an 01-F Birddog aircraft on a visual reconnaissance mission over Savannakhet Province, Laos, on January 17, 1967, when his aircraft was hit and went down. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations were initiated immediately, but were shut down within a few hours after one of the SAR aircraft was also shot down. In February, 2020, a US team of unexploded ordnance removal specialists initially recovered remains while clearing the site in preparation for an April joint recovery mission. This was only the second identification of a previously unaccounted-for Vietnam War Veteran to be announced since July 26, 2019.
Of the 1,585, 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia or Laos under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam-1,245 (VN-442, VS-803); Laos-285; Cambodia-48; PRC territorial waters-7. Since chartered in 1970, the League has sought the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. The total accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is now 998. A breakdown by country of these 998 Americans is: Vietnam – 673, Laos – 280, Cambodia – 42, and the PRC – 3. In addition, 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, the formal end of the Vietnam War, for a grand total of 1,061. These 63 Americans, were accounted for by US-only efforts in accessible areas, not with cooperation of post-war governments in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. A total of 288 have been accounted for from Laos, 728–Vietnam, 42–Cambodia, and 3 – PRC.
ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS/EVENTS CANCELED; UNILATERAL SRV RECOVERIES CONTINUED: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Defense (DoD) banned all DoD travel, initially until May 15, 2020, then extended until June 30th and travel is still limited, but DoD has begun the process of incrementally lifting restrictions. The DPAA pulled teams from the field, returned them to the US and cancelled all field operations until further notice; however, Vietnam agreed to conduct unilateral recoveries in several provinces. Reportedly, there have been three such periods, with multiple recovery teams, and one reported repatriation ceremony, plus another period of unilateral SRV recoveries involving three teams was fielded more recently in northern provinces. Further details will be provided when available.
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY ALSO LOST DUE TO COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS: In addition to field operations in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam being put on hold, the US-ASEAN Special Summit, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas on March 14, 2020, was cancelled. League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths was scheduled to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 13th, and was awaiting confirmation from the Lao and Vietnamese Prime Ministers, when the Summit cancellation was announced. More recently, it was learned that the Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Laos also planned to meet with the League Chairman/CEO.
DPAA & DIA SIGN FORMAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU): On September 17, 2020, DPAA Director Kelly McKeague and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director LTG Bob Ashley, USA, signed an MOU to formally solidify integration of DIA’s Stony Beach Team of specialists into Vietnam War accounting operations. Formed in 1986, before the accounting mission broadened to include efforts to recover and identify personnel unaccounted-for from the Korean War, Cold War and World War II, Stony Beach’s sole mission was and is Vietnam War accounting, with focused priority on Last Known Alive (LKA) cases of US personnel initially listed as POW/MIA. Unfortunately, fully integrating this small, highly trained team of intelligence specialists ran into obstacles, initially convincing foreign governments that their mission was singularly focused on the humanitarian mission of obtaining answers for the families about our Vietnam War missing. More recently, as the accounting effort expanded, obstacles grew from unwarranted bureaucratic concerns over control, and a separate chain of command and reporting requirements, rather than finding a viable means to fully utilize them for the value they add.
Chairman’s Comment: This MOU was much too long in reaching completion. The League deeply appreciates the efforts made by LTG Ashley and his DIA staff, as well as DPAA’s Policy & Plans Director Brian Pearl and Deputy Director Jennifer Nasarenko, with the full support of DPAA Director McKeague. Now, for greater implementation without unnecessary delay, and that may take additional persuasion of Vietnam’s leadership. Stony Beach has long been the established US lead on accounting efforts in Cambodia, due to the transfer to Bangkok years ago of the Operational Detachment then in Phnom Penh. Also, Stony Beach has long had a permanent specialist in Laos. At DPAA’s request during earlier bilateral talks, the Lao agreed to designate two Lao counterparts to work directly with the Stony Beach Lao specialist, and joint Stony Beach/Lao investigations were conducted during the last week of September, 2020, as travel restrictions eased. Stony Beach specialists have rotated in and out of Vietnam for far too long, and efforts are underway to confirm at least one permanent Stony Beach position permanently authorized and assigned to US Embassy-Hanoi. Stony Beach personnel cooperate closely with DPAA.
KOREAN WAR ACCOUNTING CLARIFICATIONS: According to DPAA, of the 588 total Korean War IDs (FY1982-2020), 344 (59%) came from the unilateral turnover by the Democratic Republic of Korean (DPRK) known as the K208 and Joint Recovery Operation (JRO) accessions: 152 from the K208, 153 from JROs, and 39 K208/JRO commingled. Based on mtDNA sequence data, 700 individuals were initially represented in K208 and JRO remains recovered; of those, 500 were deemed US and 200 those of foreign nationals.
Of the K-55 turnover of remains that resulted from the Trump/Kim Jong Un Singapore Summit in August, 2018, 69 have thus far been identified as US personnel. There were roughly 250 total individual remains in the K55 turnover, approximately 170 of them believed to be US personnel, and 80 the remains of foreign nationals. There were many US-allied countries involved in the Korean War.
POW/MIA FLAG TO BE DISPLAYED YEAR-ROUND: On November 7, 2019, President Trump signed into law the “National POW/MIA Flag Act.” The League-originated POW/MIA flag is now to be visibly displayed whenever the US flag is posted on Federal properties, including the White House, the US Capitol and all Senate and House Buildings, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Selective Service system, all major military installations, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, all VA medical centers, and all offices of the US Postal Service.
Chairman’s Comment: The League is grateful for this tremendous support, a meaningful signal to counterpart nations from which cooperation is absolutely necessary. It also signals all nations that America stands behind and with those who serve – past, present and future – and, if captured or missing, all possible efforts will be made to recover and bring home our UNRETURNED Veterans.
FLAG DAY CONFUSION: Flag Day is one of the six days each year when previously existing laws required that our POW/MIA flag be flown, in addition to Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day. This year, on Flag Day, June 14, 2020, the POW/MIA Flag was removed from atop the White House and placed on a separate flag pole, under the US flag, but scarcely visible in a small cluster of trees outside the circular drive around the South Lawn and far removed from the White House and Old Executive Office Building. Strangely, this occurred only six months after President Trump had signed into law the separate bills passed by the House and Senate requiring visible display of the POW/MIA flag on “all days on which the flag of the United States is displayed.”
Chairman’s Comment: When this occurred, DPAA and the League were notified within minutes of each other, but given no reason, nor any indication as to who had made the decision to construct a new flagpole on the edge of the South Lawn and remove the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House, especially on Flag Day, June 14th, when and where it had proudly flown for decades. Even more bizarre, the POW/MIA flag was not in its rightful position on September 18, 2020, National POW/MIA Recognition Day. The way this was handled was truly bizarre and, to date, DPAA Director McKeague and League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths have not been provided the rationale. The League informed White House officials that removal of the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House would send conflicting signals domestically and internationally to counterpart governments which figure prominently in US efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting, in particular for Vietnam War POW/MIAs. It was also noted that such an action could also be viewed as reducing the priority and seriousness of US intentions, including with the DPRK, as accounting for Americans lost during the Korean War was Point #4 of the 2018 Singapore Agreement. Clarification will be provided if/when available.
LEAGUE 51ST ANNUAL MEETING RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 23-27, 2021: As previously announced, the 51st Annual Meeting did not take place June 24-28th this year, and has been rescheduled for June 23-27, 2021. The Hilton Crystal City Hotel is open on a limited basis, and we’re hoping for fewer restrictions and greater normalcy by mid-2021. DPAA cancelled Family Member Updates previously scheduled for March, April, May, August and September. The DPAA-hosted Annual Government Briefings for Korean War/Cold War Families, previously planned for August, were also cancelled A virtual ZOOM Family Member Update was recently held in Little Rock, AR. Due to the seriousness and unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, DoD travel restrictions have been applied worldwide. In addition, DoD, DIA, State Department and other US agencies were largely teleworking, but are now alternating schedules to try to ensure greater in-person coverage.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: Facebook Birthday or Holiday Fundraisers: Opportunities include Christmas, Hanukkah, Date of Loss of Family Member or Friend, etc. The League needs funds!
You and your family, friends and colleagues can also support the League by shopping at Amazon Smile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping to which you may be increasingly accustomed. The added bonus? The Amazon Smile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
Update_12-31-20.pdf
UPDATE: December 9,2020
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is still 1,585. A September 24th DPAA release stated that Air Force Maj. Paul A. Avolese, 35, was a radar navigator assigned to the 4133rd Bombardment Wing. That day, he was part of the crew of a B-52D Stratofortress bomber conducting a bombing mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to a target in Vietnam. During a maneuver over the South China Sea, Avolese’s bomber collided with another B-52, causing both aircraft to fall into the sea. Four of the crew members from his aircraft were rescued, but Avolese was never recovered. He was declared dead on July 24, 1967. There was no mention when remains were recovered or by whom, but interment services are pending. In a July 14th release, DPAA announced that 1st Lt. Alva R. Krogman, USAF, KIA/BNR, was accounted for on July 7th. 1st Lt. Krogman was flying an 01-F Birddog aircraft on a visual reconnaissance mission over Savannakhet Province, Laos, on January 17, 1967, when his aircraft was hit and went down. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations were initiated immediately, but were shut down within a few hours after one of the SAR aircraft was also shot down. In February of this year, a US team of unexploded ordnance removal specialists initially recovered remains while clearing the site in preparation for an April joint recovery mission. This was only the second identification of a previously unaccounted-for Vietnam War Veteran to be announced since July 26, 2019.
Of the 1,585, 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia or Laos under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam-1,245 (VN-442, VS-803); Laos-285; Cambodia-48; PRC territorial waters-7. Since chartered in 1970, the League has sought the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. The total accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is now 998. A breakdown by country of these 998 Americans is: Vietnam – 673, Laos – 280, Cambodia – 42, and the PRC – 3. In addition, 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, the formal end of the Vietnam War, for a grand total of 1,061. These 63 Americans, were accounted for by US-only efforts in accessible areas, not with cooperation of post-war governments in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. A total of 288 have been accounted for from Laos, 728–Vietnam, 42–Cambodia, and 3 – PRC.
ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS/EVENTS CANCELED; UNILATERAL SRV RECOVERIES CONTINUE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defense Department banned all DoD travel, initially until May 15th, which then extended until June 30th. Travel is still limited today, but DoD has begun the process of incrementally lifting restrictions. DPAA pulled teams from the field, returned them to the US and cancelled all field operations until further notice; however, Vietnam agreed to conduct unilateral recoveries in several provinces. Reportedly, there have been three such periods, with multiple recovery teams, and one reported repatriation ceremony, plus another period of unilateral SRV recoveries, by three teams, was fielded more recently in northern provinces. Further details will be provided when available.
ANNUAL US-SRV TECHNICAL TALKS: Initially planned for mid-September at DPAA Ops Headquarters in Hawaii, the talks were instead held virtually, with DPAA Deputy Director for Operations RDML Darius Banaji, USN, and Mr. Le Chi Dung, Director General of the Americas Department, SRV Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the DPAA and VNOSMP (Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons) bilateral talks. Importantly, US Ambassador to Vietnam sat in on the talks making an introductory statement and, thereby visibly showing the importance of POW/MIA accounting cooperation and results to the American people, thus the overall bilateral relationship that continues to expand, including in military-to-military and strategic matters, but also in economic, educational, and broader humanitarian cooperation. Of significance was Mr. Dung’s vow to designate an interlocutor specifically to coordinate Stony Beach requests for linking up with participants on Vietnam’s NSC (National Security Council) 515 teams working unilaterally to recover remains of Vietnamese personnel killed in battle and buried in unknown locations.
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY ALSO LOST DUE TO COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS: In addition to field operations in Laos and Vietnam being put on hold, the US-ASEAN Special Summit, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas on March 14th, was cancelled. League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths was scheduled to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 13th, and was awaiting confirmation from the Lao and Vietnamese Prime Ministers, when the Summit cancellation was announced.
DPAA & DIA SIGN FORMAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU): On September 17th, DPAA Director Kelly McKeague and DIA Director LTG Bob Ashley, USA, signed an MOU to formally solidify integration of DIA’s Stony Beach Team of specialists into Vietnam War accounting operations. Formed in 1986, before the accounting mission broadened to including efforts to recover and identify personnel unaccounted-for from the Korean War, Cold War and World War II, Stony Beach’s sole mission was and is Vietnam War accounting, focused on Last Known Alive (LKA) cases of POW/MIA personnel. Unfortunately, fully integrating this small, highly trained team of intelligence specialists ran into obstacles, initially convincing foreign governments that their mission was singularly focused on the humanitarian mission of obtaining answers for the families on our Vietnam War missing. More recently, as the accounting effort expanded, obstacles grew from unwarranted bureaucratic concerns over control, and a separate chain of command and reporting requirements, rather than finding a viable means to fully utilize them for the value they add.
Comment: This MOU was far too long in reaching completion, and the League deeply appreciates the efforts made by LTG Ashley and his DIA staff, as well as DPAA’s Policy & Plans Director Brian Pearl and Deputy Director Jennifer Nasarenko, with the full support of DPAA Director McKeague. Now, for greater implementation without unnecessary delay, and that may take additional persuasion of Vietnam’s leadership. Stony Beach has long been the established US lead in Cambodia on accounting efforts, due to the transfer to Bangkok years ago of the Operational Detachment in Phnom Penh. Also, Stony Beach has long had a permanent specialist in Laos. At DPAA’s request during earlier bilateral talks, the Lao agreed to designate two Lao counterparts to work directly with the Stony Beach Lao specialist, and joint Stony Beach/Lao investigations were conducted during the last week of September. Stony Beach specialists have rotated in and out of Vietnam for far too long, and efforts are underway to confirm at least one permanent Stony Beach position permanently authorized and assigned to US Embassy-Hanoi.
LEAGUE 51ST ANNUAL MEETING RESCHEDULED FOR JUNE 23-27, 2021: As previously announced, the 51st Annual Meeting did not take place June 24-28th this year, and has been rescheduled for June 23-27, 2021. The Hilton Crystal City Hotel is open on a limited basis, and we’re hoping for fewer restrictions and greater normalcy by mid-2021. DPAA cancelled Family Member Updates previously scheduled for March, April, May, August and September. The DPAA-hosted Annual Government Briefings for Korean War/Cold War Families, previously planned for August, were also cancelled A virtual ZOOM Family Member Update was recently held in Little Rock, AR. Due to the seriousness and unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, DoD travel restrictions have been applied worldwide. In addition, DoD, DIA, State Department and other US agencies were largely teleworking, but are now alternating schedules to try to ensure greater in-person coverage.
POW/MIA FLAG TO BE DISPLAYED YEAR-ROUND: On November 7, 2019, President Trump signed into law the “National POW/MIA Flag Act.” The League-originated POW/MIA flag is now to be visibly displayed whenever the US flag is posted on Federal properties, including the White House, the US Capitol and all Senate and House Buildings, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Selective Service system, all major military installations, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, all VA medical centers, and all offices of the US Postal Service. The League is grateful for this tremendous support, a meaningful signal to counterpart nations from which cooperation is necessary. It also signals all nations that America stands behind and with those who serve – past, present and future – and if captured or missing, all possible efforts will be made to recover and bring home our UNRETURNED Veterans.
FLAG DAY CONFUSION: Flag Day is one of the six days each year when previously existing laws required that our POW/MIA flag be flown, in addition to Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day. This year, on Flag Day, June 14th, and for reasons still unclear, our POW/MIA Flag was taken down from atop the White House and placed on a separate flag pole, under the US flag, but scarcely visible in a small cluster of trees outside the circular driveway around the South Lawn and far removed from the White House and Old Executive Office Building. Strangely, this occurred only six months after the President had signed into law the separate bills passed by the House and Senate requiring visible display of the POW/MIA flag on “all days on which the flag of the United States is displayed.”
Chairman’s Comment: When this occurred, DPAA and the League were notified within minutes of each other, but given no reason, nor any indication as to who had made the decision to construct a new flagpole near the South Lawn and remove the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House, especially on Flag Day, June 14th, when and where it had proudly flown for decades. Even more bizarre, the POW/MIA flag was not in its rightful position on September 18, 2020, 2020 National POW/MIA Recognition Day. The way this was handled was truly bizarre and, to date, DPAA Director Kelly McKeague and League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths have not been provided the rationale. The League informed White House officials that removal of the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House would send conflicting signals domestically and to counterpart governments which figure prominently in US efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting, in particular for Vietnam War POW/MIAs. It was also noted that such an action could also be viewed as reducing the priority and seriousness of US intentions, including with the DPRK, as accounting for Americans lost during the Korean War was Point #4 of the 2018 Singapore Agreement. Clarification will be provided when available.
THE LEAGUE OFFICE IS PARTIALLY OPEN, ROTATING STAFF BETWEEN IN-OFFICE AND TELEWORKING UNTIL RESTRICTIONS ARE EASED.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: Facebook Birthday or Holiday Fundraisers: Opportunities include Christmas, Hanukkah, Date of Loss of Family Member or Friend, etc. The League needs funds!
You and your family, friends and colleagues can also support the League by shopping at Amazon Smile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping to which you may be increasingly accustomed. The added bonus? The Amazon Smile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
Update_12-9-20.pdf
UPDATE: October 8,2020
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is now 1,585. A September 24th DPAA release stated that Air Force Maj. Paul A. Avolese, 35, was a radar navigator assigned to the 4133rd Bombardment Wing. That day, he was part of the crew of a B-52D Stratofortress bomber conducting a bombing mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to a target in Vietnam. During a maneuver over the South China Sea, Avolese’s bomber collided with another B-52, causing both aircraft to fall into the sea. Four of the crew members from his aircraft were rescued, but Avolese was never recovered. He was declared dead on July 24, 1967. There was no mention when remains were recovered or by whom, but interment services are pending. In a July 14th release, DPAA announced that 1st Lt. Alva R. Krogman, USAF, KIA/BNR, was accounted for on July 7th. 1st Lt. Krogman was flying an 01-F Birddog aircraft on a visual reconnaissance mission over Savannakhet Province, Laos, on January 17, 1967, when his aircraft was hit and went down. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations were initiated immediately, but were shut down within a few hours after one of the SAR aircraft was also shot down. In February of this year, a US team of unexploded ordnance removal specialists initially recovered remains while clearing the site in preparation for an April joint recovery mission. This was only the second identification of a previously unaccounted-for Vietnam War Veteran to be announced since July 26, 2019.
Of the 1,585, 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia or Laos under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam-1,245 (VN-442, VS-803); Laos-285; Cambodia-48; PRC territorial waters-7. Since chartered in 1970, the League has sought the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. The total accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is now 998. A breakdown by country of these 998 Americans is: Vietnam – 673, Laos – 280, Cambodia – 42, and the PRC – 3. In addition, 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, the formal end of the Vietnam War, for a grand total of 1,061. These 63 Americans, were accounted for by US-only efforts in accessible areas, not with cooperation of post-war governments in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. A total of 288 have been accounted for from Laos, 728–Vietnam, 42–Cambodia, and 3 – PRC.
ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS/EVENTS CANCELLED; UNILATERAL SRV RECOVERIES CONTINUE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defense Department banned all DoD travel, initially until May 15th, which then extended until June 30th. Travel is still limited today but DoD has begun the process of incrementally lifting restrictions. DPAA pulled teams from the field, returned them to the US and cancelled all field operations until further notice; however, Vietnam agreed to conduct unilateral recoveries in several provinces. Reportedly, there have been three such periods, with multiple recovery teams, and one reported repatriation ceremony, plus another period of unilateral SRV recoveries, by three teams, will be fielded by mid-October in northern provinces. Further details will be provided when available.
ANNUAL US-SRV TECHNCIAL TALKS: Initially planned for mid-September at DPAA Ops Headquarters in Hawaii, the talks were instead held virtually, with DPAA Deputy Director for Operations RDML Darius Banaji, USN, and Mr. Le Chi Dung, Director General of the Americas Department, SRV Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the DPAA and VNOSMP (Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons) bilateral talks. Importantly, US Ambassador to Vietnam sat in on the talks making an introductory statement and, thereby visibly showing the importance of POW/MIA accounting cooperation and results to the American people, thus the overall bilateral relationship that continues to expand, including in military-to-military and strategic matters, but also in economic, educational, and broader humanitarian cooperation. Of significance was Mr. Dung’s vow to designate an interlocutor specifically to coordinate Stony Beach requests for linking up with participants on Vietnam’s NSC (National Security Council) 515 teams working unilaterally to recover remains of Vietnamese personnel killed in battle and buried in unknown locations.
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY ALSO LOST DUE TO COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS: In addition to field operations in Laos and Vietnam being put on hold, the US-ASEAN Special Summit, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas on March 14th, was cancelled. League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths was scheduled to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 13th, and was awaiting confirmation from the Lao and Vietnamese Prime Ministers, when the Summit cancellation was announced.
DPAA & DIA SIGN FORMAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU): On September 17th, DPAA Director Kelly McKeague and DIA Director LTG Bob Ashley, USA, signed an MOU to formally solidify integration of DIA’s Stony Beach Team of specialists into Vietnam War accounting operations. Formed in 1986, before the accounting mission broadened to including efforts to recover and identify personnel unaccounted-for from the Korean War, Cold War and World War II, Stony Beach’s sole mission was and is Vietnam War accounting, focused on Last Known Alive (LKA) cases of POW/MIA personnel. Unfortunately, fully integrating this small, highly trained team of intelligence specialists ran into obstacles, initially convincing foreign governments that their mission was singularly focused on the humanitarian mission of obtaining answers for the families on our Vietnam War missing. More recently, as the accounting effort expanded, obstacles grew from unwarranted bureaucratic concerns over control, and a separate chain of command and reporting requirements, rather than finding a viable means to fully utilize them for the value they add.
Comment: This MOU was far too long in reaching completion, and the League deeply appreciates the efforts made by LTG Ashley and his DIA staff, as well as DPAA’s Policy & Plans Director Brian Pearl and Deputy Director Jennifer Nasarenko, with the full support of DPAA Director McKeague. Now, for greater implementation without unnecessary delay, and that may take additional persuasion of Vietnam’s leadership. Stony Beach has long been the established US lead in Cambodia on accounting efforts, due to the transfer to Bangkok years ago of the Operational Detachment in Phnom Penh. Also, Stony Beach has long had a permanent specialist in Laos. At DPAA’s request during earlier bilateral talks, the Lao agreed to designate two Lao counterparts to work directly with the Stony Beach Lao specialist, and joint Stony Beach/Lao investigations were conducted during the last week of September. Stony Beach specialists have rotated in and out of Vietnam for far too long, and efforts are underway to confirm at least one permanent Stony Beach position permanently authorized and assigned to US Embassy-Hanoi.
LEAGUE 51ST ANNUAL MEETING NOW SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 24-28, 2021: As previously announced, the 51st Annual Meeting did not take place June 24-28th this year, and has been rescheduled for June 24-28, 2021. We just checked with the Hilton Crystal City Hotel, and they are now open on a limited basis, and we’re hoping for fewer restrictions and greater normalcy by mid-2021. DPAA cancelled Family Member Updates previously scheduled for March, April, May, August and September, previously scheduled in Colorado Springs. The DPAA-hosted Annual Government Briefings for Korean War/Cold War Families, previously planned for August was also cancelled Due to the seriousness and unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, DoD travel restrictions have been applied worldwide. In addition, DoD, DIA, State Department and other US agencies had been teleworking, but are now alternating schedules to try to ensure greater in-person coverage.
POW/MIA FLAG TO BE DISPLAYED YEAR-ROUND: On November 7th, President Trump signed into law the “National POW/MIA Flag Act.” The League-originated POW/MIA flag is now to be visibly displayed whenever the US flag is posted on Federal properties, including the White House, the US Capitol and all Senate and House Buildings, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Selective Service system, all major military installations, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, all VA medical centers, and all offices of the US Postal Service. The League is grateful for this tremendous support, a meaningful signal to counterpart nations from which cooperation is necessary. It also signals all nations that America stands behind and with those who serve – past, present and future – and if captured or missing, all possible efforts will be made to recover and bring home our UNRETURNED Veterans.
FLAG DAY CONFUSION: Flag Day is one of the six days each year when previously existing laws required that our POW/MIA flag be flown, in addition to Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day. This year, on Flag Day, June 14th, and for reasons as yet unclear, our POW/MIA Flag was taken down from atop the White House and placed on a separate flag pole, under the US flag, but scarcely visible in a small cluster of trees just outside the circular driveway around the South Lawn. Strangely, this occurred only six months after the President had signed into law the separate bills passed by the House and Senate requiring visible display of the POW/MIA flag on “all days on which the flag of the United States is displayed.”
Chairman’s Comment: When this occurred, DPAA and the League were notified within minutes of each other, but given no reason, nor any indication as to who had made the decision to construct a new flagpole near the South Lawn and remove the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House, especially on Flag Day, June 14th, when and where it had proudly flown for decades. Even more bizarre, the POW/MIA flag was not in its rightful position on September 18, 2020, 2020 National POW/MIA Recognition Day. The way this was handled was truly bizarre and, to date, DPAA Director Kelly McKeague and League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths have not been provided the rationale. The League informed White House officials that removal of the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House would send conflicting signals domestically and to counterpart governments which figure prominently in US efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting, in particular for Vietnam War POW/MIAs. It was also noted that such an action could also be viewed as reducing the priority and seriousness of US intentions, including with the DPRK, as accounting for Americans lost during the Korean War was Point #4 of the 2018 Singapore Agreement. Clarification will be provided when available.
THE LEAGUE OFFICE IS CLOSED AND ALL ARE TELEWORKING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: Facebook Birthday or Holiday Fundraisers: Upcoming opportunities include Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas………..
You and your family, friends and colleagues can also support the League by shopping at Amazon Smile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping to which you may be increasingly accustomed. The added bonus? The Amazon Smile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
Update_10-8-20.pdf
UPDATE: August 18,2020
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is now 1,586. In a July 14th release, DPAA announced that 1st Lt. Alva R. Krogman, USAF, KIA/BNR, was accounted for on July 7th. 1st Lt. Krogman was flying an 01-F Birddog aircraft on a visual reconnaissance mission over Savannakhet Province, Laos, on January 17, 1967, when his aircraft was hit and went down. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations were initiated immediately, but were shut down within a few hours after one of the SAR aircraft was also shot down. In February of this year, a US team of unexploded ordnance removal specialists initially recovered remains while clearing the site in preparation for an April joint recovery mission. This was the first identification of a previously unaccounted-for Vietnam War Veteran to be announced since July 26, 2019.
Of the 1,586, 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia or Laos under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam-1,246 (VN-443, VS-803); Laos-285; Cambodia-48; PRC territorial waters-7. Since chartered in 1970, the League has sought the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. The total accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is 997. A breakdown by country of these 997 Americans is: Vietnam – 672, Laos – 280, Cambodia – 42, and the PRC – 3. In addition, 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, the formal end of the Vietnam War, for a grand total of 1,060. These 63 Americans, were accounted for by US-only efforts in accessible areas, not with cooperation of post-war governments in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. A total of 288 have been accounted for from Laos, 727 – Vietnam, 42 – Cambodia, and 3 from the PRC.
ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS/EVENTS CANCELLED; UNILATERAL SRV RECOVERIES ONGOING: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defense Department ordered a ban on all DoD travel, initially until May 15th, extended until June 30th and now beginning to be lifted incrementally. DPAA pulled teams from the field to return them to the US and cancelled all field operations until further notice; however, the SRV agreed to conduct unilateral recoveries in Quang Binh Province, North Central Vietnam. There have been three such periods, with multiple recovery teams, and one now ongoing. Annual US-SRV Technical Talks, initially planned for mid-September at DPAA Ops Headquarters in Hawaii, and will instead be virtual, with Deputy Director for Operations RDML Darius Banaji, USN, leading for the US.
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY ALSO LOST DUE TO COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS: In addition to field operations in Laos and Vietnam being put on hold, the US-ASEAN Special Summit, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas on March 14th, was cancelled. League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths was scheduled to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 13th, and was awaiting confirmation from the Lao and Vietnamese Prime Ministers, when the cancellation was announced.
LEAGUE 51ST ANNUAL MEETING NOW SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 24-28, 2021: As previously announced, the 51st Annual Meeting did not take place June 24-28th this year, and has been rescheduled for June 24-28, 2021. We just checked with the Hilton Crystal City Hotel, and they are now open on a limited basis, and we’re hoping for fewer restrictions and greater normalcy by mid-2021. DPAA cancelled Family Member Updates previously scheduled for March, April, May, August and September, previously scheduled in Colorado Springs. The DPAA-hosted Annual Government Briefings for Korean War/Cold War Families, previously planned for August was also cancelled Due to the seriousness and unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, DoD travel restrictions have been applied worldwide. In addition, DoD, DIA, State Department and other US agencies had been teleworking, but are now alternating schedules to try to ensure greater in-person coverage.
POW/MIA FLAG TO BE DISPLAYED YEAR-ROUND: On November 7th, President Trump signed into law the “National POW/MIA Flag Act.” The League-originated POW/MIA flag is now to be visibly displayed whenever the US flag is posted on Federal properties, including the White House, the US Capitol and all Senate and House Buildings, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Selective Service system, all major military installations, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, all VA medical centers, and all offices of the US Postal Service. The League is grateful for this tremendous support, a meaningful signal to counterpart nations from which cooperation is necessary. It also signals all nations that America stands behind and with those who serve – past, present and future – and if captured or missing, all possible efforts will be made to recover and bring home our UNRETURNED Veterans.
FLAG DAY CONFUSION: Flag Day is one of the six days each year when existing laws required that our POW/MIA flag be flown, as well as on Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day. This year, on Flag Day and for unknown reasons, our POW/MIA Flag was taken down from on top of the White House and placed on a separate flag pole, under the US flag, but scarcely visible in a small cluster of trees just outside the circular driveway around the South Lawn. Strangely, this occurred only six months after the President had signed into law the bills passed by the House and Senate requiring visible display of the POW/MIA flag on “all days on which the flag of the United States is displayed.”
Chairman’s Comment: When this occurred, DPAA and the League were notified within minutes of each other and were given no reason, nor any indication as to who had made the decision to construct a new flagpole near the South Lawn and remove the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House, especially on Flag Day, June 14th, where it had proudly flown for decades. The way this was handled was truly bizarre and, to date, neither DPAA Director Kelly McKeague nor League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths has been provided any rationale. The subject had been raised at the White House Memorial Day Ceremony by a Public Liaison official, and he was informed as to why such a decision would send conflicting signals to counterpart governments which figure prominently in US efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting, in particular for Vietnam War POW/MIAs. It was stressed that it would be viewed as reducing the priority and seriousness of US intentions, including with the DPRK; accounting for Americans lost in the Korean War was element #4 of the 2018 Singapore Agreement.
THE LEAGUE OFFICE IS CLOSED AND ALL ARE TELEWORKING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: Facebook Birthday Fundraisers: Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, September 18, 2020, and Veterans Day………..
You and your family, friends and colleagues can also support the League by shopping at AmazonSmile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping to which you are accustomed. The added bonus? The Amazon Smile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
Donate today, 501(C)3, Fed Tax ID #23-7071242, at www.pow-miafamilies.org
Update_8-18-20.pdf
UPDATE: July 21,2020
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is now 1,586. In a July 14th release, DPAA announced that 1st Lt. Alva R. Krogman, USAF, KIA/BNR, was accounted for on July 7th. 1st Lt. Krogman was flying an 01-F Birddog aircraft on a visual reconnaissance mission over Savannakhet Province, Laos, on January 17, 1967, when his aircraft was hit and went down. Search and Rescue (SAR) operations were initiated immediately, but were shut down within a few hours after one of the SAR aircraft was also shot down. In February of this year, a US team of unexploded ordnance removal specialists initially recovered remains while clearing the site in preparation for an April joint recovery mission. This is the first identification of a previously unaccounted-for Vietnam War Veteran to be announced since July 26, 2019.
Of the 1,586, 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia or Laos under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam-1,246 (VN-443, VS-803); Laos-285; Cambodia-48; PRC territorial waters-7. Since chartered in 1970, the League has sought the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. The total accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is 997. A breakdown by country of these 997 Americans is: Vietnam – 672, Laos – 280, Cambodia – 42, and the PRC – 3. In addition, 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, the formal end of the Vietnam War, for a grand total of 1,060. These 63 Americans, were accounted for by US-only efforts in accessible areas, not due to cooperation by post-war governments in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. A total of 288 have been accounted for from Laos, 727 from Vietnam, 42 from Cambodia and 3 from the PRC.
ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS/EVENTS CANCELLED; UNILATERAL SRV RECOVERIES ONGOING: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defense Department ordered a ban on all DoD travel, initially until May 15th, extended until June 30th and now beginning to be lifted incrementally. DPAA pulled teams from the field to return them to the US and cancelled all field operations until further notice; however, the SRV agreed to conduct unilateral recoveries in Quang Binh Province, North Central Vietnam. DPAA also canceled Family Member Updates (FMUs) previously scheduled for March, April and May, and likely will cancel the FMU scheduled for October in Colorado Springs, CO.
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY ALSO LOST DUE TO COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS: In addition to field operations in Laos and Vietnam being put on hold, the US-ASEAN Special Summit, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas on March 14th, was cancelled. League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths was scheduled to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 13th, and was awaiting confirmation from the Lao and Vietnamese Prime Ministers, when the cancellation was announced.
LEAGUE 51ST ANNUAL MEETING NOT HELD: As previously announced, the 51st Annual Meeting did not take place June 24-28th, as previously scheduled. Never before in the League’s history has an annual meeting been cancelled; however, it is unlikely that a date will be rescheduled before the end of this year. That is due to uncertainty over options available, including the previously contracted venue at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel which is one of the few hotels in the area still open; most are closed. Of course, DPAA also cancelled annual briefings that are provided during the League’s annual meeting, as well as the DPAA-hosted Annual Government Briefings for Korean War/Cold War Families. This is all due to the COVID 19 virus and resulting pandemic, DoD travel restrictions, plus DoD, DIA, State Department and other US agencies being under strict orders to telework to the extent possible. It is also due to concerns over endangering the health of League members, as well as US and foreign officials who customarily attend and participate.
POW/MIA FLAG TO BE DISPLAYED YEAR-ROUND: On November 7th, President Trump signed into law the National POW/MIA Flag Act. The League-originated POW/MIA flag is now to be displayed whenever the US flag is posted on federal properties, including the White House, the US Capitol and all Senate and House Buildings, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national VA cemetery, buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Selective Service system, all major military installations, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, all VA medical centers and all offices of the US Postal Service. The League is grateful for this tremendous support, a meaningful signal to all nations that America stands behind and with those who serve – past, present and future – and if captured or missing, all possible efforts will be made to recover and bring home our UNRETURNED Veterans.
FLAG DAY CONFUSION: Flag Day is one of the six days each year when the POW/MIA flag was previously directed to be flown, as well as Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day. This year, on Flag Day and for unknown reasons, our POW/MIA Flag was taken down from on top of the White House and placed on a separate flag pole, under the US flag, but scarcely visible in a small cluster of trees just outside the circular driveway around the South Lawn. Strangely, this occurred only seven months after the President had signed into law the bills passed by the House and Senate requiring display of the POW/MIA flag on “all days on which the flag of the United States is displayed.”
Comment: When this occurred, DPAA and the League were notified within minutes of each other and given no reason, nor any information concerning who had ordered construction of a new flagpole near the South Lawn and removal of the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House, especially on Flag Day, June 14th, where it had proudly flown for decades. The way this was handled was truly bizarre and, to date, neither DPAA Director Kelly McKeague nor League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths has been provided the rationale. Removing the POW/MIA flag from atop the White House sends conflicting signals to counterpart countries which figure prominently in US efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting, in particular on Vietnam War POW/MIAs. Unless corrected, such will likely be viewed as reducing the priority and seriousness of US determination to obtain answers, including from the DPRK. Accounting for unreturned Korean War Veterans was the 4th element of the Singapore Agreement of June 12, 2018.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE INCLUDES POW/MIA FLAG IN AUTHORIZATION MEMO: On July 16th, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper issued a memorandum that specified which flags are legally authorized for official display on or depiction by any/all US military-related installations/facilities/personnel. As a result, the Army, Navy and Air Force issued Service-wide instructions for implementation on July 17th. All include our POW/MIA flag. The League deeply appreciates, is honored, pleased and relieved that this action was taken to reinforce our nation’s commitment to accounting for those who served our country during the Vietnam War, as well as wars and conflicts further past.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: A longstanding League Associate Member recently contacted the League office and volunteered to match a fundraising goal on Facebook for $2,000. That single concept translated into a donation total of $5,290 for the League. Others, have initiated similar efforts, such as donating funds that would have been spent on attending the 51st Annual Meeting or the amount planned for a family vacation that couldn’t be enjoyed in this year of COVID-19. Whatever the reason, please remember the League at this critical time!
You, too, can initiate a fundraiser on Facebook, challenging others in your family or circle of friends to help you reach a set goal to honor your missing loved one or friend on his/her birthday, or focus on a specific veteran-related day, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, September 18, 2020, and Veterans Day. All such individual efforts can and will help. The pandemic has adversely impacted donations, especially from younger workers now furloughed and struggling, but older Americans are on set incomes, have earned, invested and saved……….so think of donating a small amount each month. The League must continue pressing for answers to end uncertainty, holding the US Government accountable! Time is running out…....if we don’t stick with it, who will?
You and your family, friends and colleagues can also support the League by shopping at AmazonSmile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping to which you are accustomed. The added bonus? The Amazon Smile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
THE LEAGUE OFFICE IS CLOSED, ALL ARE TELEWORKING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Update_7-20-20.pdf
UPDATE: June 1,2020
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is still 1,587. Of that number 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia or Laos under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam-1,246 (VN-443, VS-803); Laos-286; Cambodia-48; PRC territorial waters-7. Since chartered in 1970, the League has sought the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. The total accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is 996. A breakdown by country of these 996 Americans is: Vietnam – 672, Laos – 279, Cambodia – 42, and the PRC – 3. In addition, 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, the formal end of the Vietnam War, for a grand total of 1,059. These 63 Americans, were accounted for by US-only efforts in accessible areas, not due to cooperation by post-war governments in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. A total of 287 have been accounted for from Laos, 727 from Vietnam, 42 from Cambodia and 3 from the PRC. No identifications of Vietnam War missing personnel have been announced since July 26, 2019.
ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS/EVENTS CANCELLED; UNILATERAL SRV RECOVERIES ONGOING: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defense Department ordered a ban on all DoD travel, initially until May 15th, now extended until June 30th. DPAA pulled teams from the field to return them to the US and cancelled all field operations until further notice; however, the SRV agreed to conduct unilateral recoveries in Quang Binh Province, North Central Vietnam. DPAA also canceled Family Member Updates previously scheduled for March, April and May.
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY ALSO LOST DUE TO COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS: In addition to future field operations in Laos and Vietnam being put on hold, the US-ASEAN Special Summit, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas on March 14th, was cancelled. League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths was scheduled to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 13th, and was awaiting confirmation from the Lao and Vietnamese Prime Ministers, when the cancellation was announced.
LEAGUE 51ST ANNUAL MEETING NOT BEING HELD: As previously announced, the 51st Annual Meeting will not take place June 24-28th, as scheduled. Never before in the League’s history has an annual meeting been cancelled; however, no date has been yet determined to reschedule this meeting before the end of this year. That is due to uncertainty over options available, including the previously contracted venue at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel which is one of the few hotels in the area still open; most are closed. Of course, DPAA also cancelled annual government briefings that are provided during the League’s annual meeting. This is all due to the COVID 19 virus and resulting DoD travel restrictions, plus DoD, DIA, State Department and other US agencies being under strict orders to telework to the extent possible. It is also due to concerns over endangering the health of League members, as well as US and foreign officials who customarily attend and participate.
POW/MIA FLAG TO BE DISPLAYED YEAR-ROUND: On November 7th, President Trump signed into law the “National POW/MIA Flag Act.” The League-originated POW/MIA flag is now to be displayed whenever the American flag is posted on federal properties, including the White House, the US Capitol and all Senate and House Buildings, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Selective Service system, all major military installations, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, all VA medical centers and all offices of the US Postal Service. The League is grateful for this tremendous support, a meaningful signal to all nations that America stands behind and with those who serve – past, present and future – and if captured or missing, all possible efforts will be made to recover and bring home our UNRETURNED Veterans.
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is still 1,587. Of that number 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia or Laos under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam-1,246 (VN-443, VS-803); Laos-286; Cambodia-48; PRC territorial waters-7. Since chartered in 1970, the League has sought the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. The total accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is 996. A breakdown by country of these 996 Americans is: Vietnam – 672, Laos – 279, Cambodia – 42, and the PRC – 3. In addition, 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, the formal end of the Vietnam War, for a grand total of 1,059. These 63 Americans, were accounted for by US-only efforts in accessible areas, not due to cooperation by post-war governments in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. A total of 287 have been accounted for from Laos, 727 from Vietnam, 42 from Cambodia and 3 from the PRC. No identifications of Vietnam War missing personnel have been announced since July 26, 2019.
ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS/EVENTS CANCELLED; UNILATERAL SRV RECOVERIES ONGOING: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defense Department ordered a ban on all DoD travel, initially until May 15th, now extended until June 30th. DPAA pulled teams from the field to return them to the US and cancelled all field operations until further notice; however, the SRV agreed to conduct unilateral recoveries in Quang Binh Province, North Central Vietnam. DPAA also canceled Family Member Updates previously scheduled for March, April and May.
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY ALSO LOST DUE TO COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS: In addition to future field operations in Laos and Vietnam being put on hold, the US-ASEAN Special Summit, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas on March 14th, was cancelled. League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths was scheduled to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 13th, and was awaiting confirmation from the Lao and Vietnamese Prime Ministers, when the cancellation was announced.
LEAGUE 51ST ANNUAL MEETING NOT BEING HELD: As previously announced, the 51st Annual Meeting will not take place June 24-28th, as scheduled. Never before in the League’s history has an annual meeting been cancelled; however, no date has been yet determined to reschedule this meeting before the end of this year. That is due to uncertainty over options available, including the previously contracted venue at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel which is one of the few hotels in the area still open; most are closed. Of course, DPAA also cancelled annual government briefings that are provided during the League’s annual meeting. This is all due to the COVID 19 virus and resulting DoD travel restrictions, plus DoD, DIA, State Department and other US agencies being under strict orders to telework to the extent possible. It is also due to concerns over endangering the health of League members, as well as US and foreign officials who customarily attend and participate.
POW/MIA FLAG TO BE DISPLAYED YEAR-ROUND: On November 7th, President Trump signed into law the “National POW/MIA Flag Act.” The League-originated POW/MIA flag is now to be displayed whenever the American flag is posted on federal properties, including the White House, the US Capitol and all Senate and House Buildings, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Selective Service system, all major military installations, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, all VA medical centers and all offices of the US Postal Service. The League is grateful for this tremendous support, a meaningful signal to all nations that America stands behind and with those who serve – past, present and future – and if captured or missing, all possible efforts will be made to recover and bring home our UNRETURNED Veterans.
PRIOR OPERATIONS IN LAOS AND CAMBODIA, January/February 2020
U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, Patrick Murphy, prepares to screen soil during a DPAA recovery mission in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. During his Feb. 1, 2020, visit, Ambassador Murphy spoke with recovery team members and local nationals, and he witnessed the recovery efforts for a missing U.S. serviceman lost during the Vietnam War. Ambassador Murphy continues to be a strident champion of the accounting mission, and for that we extend our deepest gratitude. (USAF photo by SSgt Rusty Frank)
Mr. Alexander Garcia-Putnam, right, a senior recovery expert assigned to DPAA, speaks to U.S. service members and Lao officials during a joint field activity (JFA) in Khammouan Province, Laos, February 2, 2020. During the JFA, a group of more than 70 personnel, both assigned to DPAA and augmented from military units around the globe, came together to help fulfill our nation's promise to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and the nation. (USMC photo by Sgt Jacqueline Clifford)
SSG Carter Caraker, USA, a supply non-commissioned officer assigned to DPAA, passes buckets to local workers during a JFA in Khammouan Province, Laos, February 10, 2020. During the JFA, a group of more than 70 personnel both assigned to DPAA and augmented from military units around the globe, came together to help fulfill our nation's promise to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and the nation. (USMC photo by Sgt Jacqueline Clifford)
THE LEAGUE OFFICE IS CLOSED AND ALL ARE TELEWORKING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: Facebook Birthday Fundraisers: Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, September 18, 2020, and Veterans Day………..
You and your family, friends and colleagues can also support the League by shopping at AmazonSmile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping to which you are accustomed. The added bonus? The Amazon Smile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: Facebook Birthday Fundraisers: Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, September 18, 2020, and Veterans Day………..
You and your family, friends and colleagues can also support the League by shopping at AmazonSmile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping to which you are accustomed. The added bonus? The Amazon Smile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
UPDATE: March 17, 2020
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is still 1,587. Of that number 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia or Laos under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam-1,246 (VN-443, VS-803); Laos-286; Cambodia-48; PRC territorial waters-7. Since chartered in 1970, the League has sought the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. The total accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is 996. A breakdown by country of these 996 Americans is: Vietnam – 672, Laos – 279, Cambodia – 42, and the PRC – 3. In addition, 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, the formal end of the Vietnam War, for a grand total of 1,059. These 63 Americans, were accounted for by US-only efforts in accessible areas, not due to cooperation by post-war governments in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. A total of 287 have been accounted for from Laos, 727 from Vietnam, 42 from Cambodia and 3 from the PRC. NO IDs have been announced since July 26, 2019.
VIETNAM WAR ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS: DPAA Deputy Director for Operations Rear Admiral Darius Banaji, USN, recently visited Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. His first visit included time with DPAA teams conducting field operations in Laos and Vietnam and personnel assigned to Detachment 2 in Hanoi and Detachment 3 in Vientiane. In addition, he met with US Embassy staff, as well as counterpart government officials in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
AMERICANS ACCOUNTED FOR: The number missing (POW/MIA) and otherwise unaccounted-for (KIA/BNR) from the Vietnam War is still 1,587. Of that number 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Cambodia or Laos under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam-1,246 (VN-443, VS-803); Laos-286; Cambodia-48; PRC territorial waters-7. Since chartered in 1970, the League has sought the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for the missing, and repatriation of all recoverable remains. The total accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is 996. A breakdown by country of these 996 Americans is: Vietnam – 672, Laos – 279, Cambodia – 42, and the PRC – 3. In addition, 63 US personnel were accounted for between 1973 and 1975, the formal end of the Vietnam War, for a grand total of 1,059. These 63 Americans, were accounted for by US-only efforts in accessible areas, not due to cooperation by post-war governments in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. A total of 287 have been accounted for from Laos, 727 from Vietnam, 42 from Cambodia and 3 from the PRC. NO IDs have been announced since July 26, 2019.
VIETNAM WAR ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS: DPAA Deputy Director for Operations Rear Admiral Darius Banaji, USN, recently visited Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. His first visit included time with DPAA teams conducting field operations in Laos and Vietnam and personnel assigned to Detachment 2 in Hanoi and Detachment 3 in Vientiane. In addition, he met with US Embassy staff, as well as counterpart government officials in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
LEFT: RDML Darius Banaji, USN, DPAA Deputy Director for Operations, speaks with Mike Taylor, SOA/SFA POW/MIA Committee Chair, at the Family Member Update (FMU) hosted by DPAA in Portland, Oregon, February 22, 2020.
DPAA visited the area meeting with strategic partners, state government officials, service members and DoD personnel. More than 250 family members attended the FMU, roughly 20% of them Vietnam War family members. (USAF photo by SSgt Leah Ferrante)
POW/MIA FLAG TO BE DISPLAYED YEAR-ROUND: On November 7th, President Trump signed into law the “National POW/MIA Flag Act,” a measure introduced by Representatives Jack Bergman, (R-MI) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) on March 7, 2019. The League-originated POW/MIA flag is now required to be displayed whenever the American flag is posted on prominent federal properties, including the White House, US Capitol, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, the buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, office of the Director of the Selective Service system, each major military installation, each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center and each office of the US Postal Service. The League is grateful for this tremendous level of support, a meaningful signal to all nations that America stands behind and with those who serve – past, present and future – and if captured or missing, all possible efforts will be made to recover and bring home our UNRETURNED Veterans.
FIELD OPERATIONS IN LAOS AND CAMBODIA, January/February 2020
U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, Patrick Murphy, prepares to screen soil during a DPAA recovery mission in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. During his Feb. 1, 2020, visit, Ambassador Murphy spoke with recovery team members and local nationals, and he witnessed the recovery efforts for a missing U.S. serviceman lost during the Vietnam War. Ambassador Murphy continues to be a strident champion of the accounting mission, and for that we extend our deepest gratitude. (USAF photo by SSgt Rusty Frank)
Mr. Alexander Garcia-Putnam, right, a senior recovery expert assigned to DPAA, speaks to U.S. service members and Lao officials during a joint field activity (JFA) in Khammouan Province, Laos, February 2, 2020. During the JFA, a group of more than 70 personnel, both assigned to DPAA and augmented from military units around the globe, came together to help fulfill our nation's promise to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and the nation. (USMC photo by Sgt Jacqueline Clifford)
SSG Carter Caraker, USA, a supply non-commissioned officer assigned to DPAA, passes buckets to local workers during a JFA in Khammouan Province, Laos, February 10, 2020. During the JFA, a group of more than 70 personnel both assigned to DPAA and augmented from military units around the globe, came together to help fulfill our nation's promise to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and the nation. (USMC photo by Sgt Jacqueline Clifford)
OPPORTUNITIES LOST DUE TO COVID 19 CORONA VIRUS: Along with further field operations in Laos and a DPAA-hosted Family Member Update (FMU), the US-ASEAN Special Summit, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas on March 14th, was cancelled. League Chairman/CEO Ann Mills-Griffiths was scheduled to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on March 13th, and was awaiting confirmation from the Lao and Vietnamese Prime Ministers when the cancellation was announced.
LEAGUE’S 51st ANNUAL MEETING: Pending possible COVID 19 requirements to cancel, registration for the 51st Annual Meeting is now open. Visit www.pow-miafamilies.org/annual-meeting to register online or download the form to mail with your check to the League office. Registrations must be postmarked no later than June 1st. The form must be returned with payment, to obtain credentials required for entrance to all sessions and special events. Those choosing to attend only USG briefings must contact their Service Casualty Office by June 1st. Pick up credentials at the Virginia Ballroom Foyer, Plaza Level, on Wednesday, June 24th, 5:00-8:00 PM or Thursday, June 25th, 8:00-9:00 AM. On Wednesday, June 24th, attend Newcomer Orientation, 6:30-7:30 PM, followed by a Welcome Reception, 7:30-9:00 PM.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: Reserve rooms at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel by calling 1-800-HILTONS (1-800-445-8667). Note affiliation with the League’s 51st Annual Meeting, or go online to www.hilton.com, and enter Group Code MIA to get the special rate of $160.00 + tax, per room night, single or double. (+$20 per night for each added adult in a room.) To get the special rate, the cutoff date is June 1st. The number of rooms is limited, so register early to assure your choice. If you intend to visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 24th, plan to arrive on Tuesday, June 23rd. Opening Session is Thursday, June 25th, as is the 51st Annual Meeting Dinner. Official briefings are all day on Friday, June 26th. Saturday morning, June 27th, is the critical Q&A Panel, followed by the very important League Business Session, open to all registered attendees. A League-hosted Farewell Reception will take place that evening. Customary departure is on Sunday, this year June 28th.
Chairman’s Comment: Despite many challenges, including continuing structural dysfunction within DPAA, there is reason for cautious optimism. With sustained support from the families and our nation’s veterans, the League is determined to press for priority and answers on Vietnam War accounting, as pledged by DPAA Director Kelly McKeague. The League also supports field investigation and recovery of unaccounted-for personnel from WWII, the Korean War and the Cold War as a priority over disinterment and ID of remains buried as “unknowns” in US cemeteries at home and abroad, so long as Vietnam War accounting efforts remain DPAA’s operational priority.
2020 MEMBERSHIP DUES: To those who have not yet renewed their League membership for 2020, the cost is only $25/year for a family member, associate member (concerned citizens/veterans) or organization. Mail a check for dues to the League office, or pay online at www.pow-miafamilies.org/membership. The more dues received, the better chance the League has to stay on top of USG efforts to account for our missing. Help the League save on postage by sending an email address to admin@pow-miafamilies.org to receive future updates electronically; we greatly appreciate your assistance in this cost-saving effort.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: You can support the League by shopping at AmazonSmile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping you are used to on Amazon. The added bonus? The AmazonSmile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
Donate today, 501(C)3, Fed Tax ID #23-7071242, at www.pow-miafamilies.org
Download File
LEAGUE’S 51st ANNUAL MEETING: Pending possible COVID 19 requirements to cancel, registration for the 51st Annual Meeting is now open. Visit www.pow-miafamilies.org/annual-meeting to register online or download the form to mail with your check to the League office. Registrations must be postmarked no later than June 1st. The form must be returned with payment, to obtain credentials required for entrance to all sessions and special events. Those choosing to attend only USG briefings must contact their Service Casualty Office by June 1st. Pick up credentials at the Virginia Ballroom Foyer, Plaza Level, on Wednesday, June 24th, 5:00-8:00 PM or Thursday, June 25th, 8:00-9:00 AM. On Wednesday, June 24th, attend Newcomer Orientation, 6:30-7:30 PM, followed by a Welcome Reception, 7:30-9:00 PM.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS: Reserve rooms at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel by calling 1-800-HILTONS (1-800-445-8667). Note affiliation with the League’s 51st Annual Meeting, or go online to www.hilton.com, and enter Group Code MIA to get the special rate of $160.00 + tax, per room night, single or double. (+$20 per night for each added adult in a room.) To get the special rate, the cutoff date is June 1st. The number of rooms is limited, so register early to assure your choice. If you intend to visit Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 24th, plan to arrive on Tuesday, June 23rd. Opening Session is Thursday, June 25th, as is the 51st Annual Meeting Dinner. Official briefings are all day on Friday, June 26th. Saturday morning, June 27th, is the critical Q&A Panel, followed by the very important League Business Session, open to all registered attendees. A League-hosted Farewell Reception will take place that evening. Customary departure is on Sunday, this year June 28th.
Chairman’s Comment: Despite many challenges, including continuing structural dysfunction within DPAA, there is reason for cautious optimism. With sustained support from the families and our nation’s veterans, the League is determined to press for priority and answers on Vietnam War accounting, as pledged by DPAA Director Kelly McKeague. The League also supports field investigation and recovery of unaccounted-for personnel from WWII, the Korean War and the Cold War as a priority over disinterment and ID of remains buried as “unknowns” in US cemeteries at home and abroad, so long as Vietnam War accounting efforts remain DPAA’s operational priority.
2020 MEMBERSHIP DUES: To those who have not yet renewed their League membership for 2020, the cost is only $25/year for a family member, associate member (concerned citizens/veterans) or organization. Mail a check for dues to the League office, or pay online at www.pow-miafamilies.org/membership. The more dues received, the better chance the League has to stay on top of USG efforts to account for our missing. Help the League save on postage by sending an email address to admin@pow-miafamilies.org to receive future updates electronically; we greatly appreciate your assistance in this cost-saving effort.
SUPPORT THE LEAGUE: You can support the League by shopping at AmazonSmile. It is simple and automatic, at no extra cost to you. Just visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7071242, and you will find the exact same prices, vast selection and convenient shopping you are used to on Amazon. The added bonus? The AmazonSmile Foundation automatically donates 0.5% of the cost of your eligible purchases to the League.
Donate today, 501(C)3, Fed Tax ID #23-7071242, at www.pow-miafamilies.org
Download File