POW/MIA Update: May 5, 2008

[boardman]

POW/MIA Update: May 5, 2008

AMERICANS ANNOUNCED AS ACCOUNTED FOR: There are 1,761 US personnel listed by the Defense POW/MIA Office as still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. The remains of Staff Sergeant James K. Caniford, USAF, and Captain Barclay B. Young, USAF, both listed as MIA in Laos on March 29, 1972, were recently announced as identified. Their remains were recovered November 21, 2006. The most recent identifications, though many others are not yet announced, brought to 822 the number of US personnel accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. 90+% of the 1,761 still listed as missing and unaccounted-for were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Laos and Cambodia under Vietnam’s wartime control.

PACOM COMMANDER SUPPORTS JPAC: Admiral Tim Keating, USN, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) testified before Congress in mid-March that PACOM’s budget for Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) included funding to complete design of the long-sought new headquarters building for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC). He also pledged that PACOM’s request for FY10 would include authorization and funding for construction, estimated currently to be just over $100M dollars.

Executive Director Comment: That welcome news is long overdue. Expanding JPAC’s capabilities will help them meet increased demands for recovering remains of those lost before the Vietnam War, back to WWII. This is also an important signal to those serving today in the global war on terrorism, but especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. They must be able to depend on all of us here at home should they be captured or become missing in action while serving our country and defending our freedom.

JPAC COMMANDER TRAVELS: New JPAC Commander, RADM Donna Crisp, USN, recently visited Laos for the first time and Vietnam for a second time, holding talks with counterpart officials in both countries. POW/MIA consultations in Laos included US Ambassador to Laos Ravic Huso, Detachment 3 Commander LTC Brandt Deck, and DPMO, Stony Beach and JPAC staff. Ambassador Huso also arranged for RADM Crisp to meet the Vice Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense while in Vientiane. In Hanoi she held technical talks with the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP), Vietnam’s interagency committee to deal with the US of POW/MIA accounting matters. They discussed results from recent joint field operations and plans for upcoming activities. RADM Crisp is now in Papua New Guinea for talks there related to WWII recoveries and will then travel to Cambodia for a second visit to that country to hold talks with the Cambodian POW/MIA Committee, the highest level such group with which JPAC and DPMO deal on a regular basis. Just before her firstSoutheast Asia trip, she visited South Korea to discuss ways to expedite solving Korean War losses. Following talks in South Korea, RADM Crisp went on toBeijing to meet with PRC officials in an effort to restore recovery operations in that country. Prior to that trip, she visited India to pursue plans to conduct WWII recovery operations there.

UPDATE ON JPAC OPERATIONS: On May 1st, two JPAC recovery teams began operations at two sites in Xekong and Attapu Provinces and are expected to conclude on June 4th. A JPAC investigation team is also in South Korea and will conduct operations in Hwachon Province through June 15th. A JPAC Advance Team arrived in South Korean on April 27th to prepare for the arrival of a recovery team and an underwater investigation team that will conduct recovery operations in Kangwon and Kyongsang Provinces until mid-June. The underwater team will investigate two cases in the Han River \, near Seoul, until May 30th. Finally, two recovery teams and one investigation team are close to concluding field operations in Papua New Guinea. US Ambassador tp PNG, Leslie V. Rowe, visited the two recovery teams in Kokopo Province on April 29th, reinforcing the importance of the work being accomplished to recover WWII losses.

FAMILIES OPPOSE ANOTHER SELECT COMMITTEE ON POW/MIA AFFAIRS: With a unanimous vote of the League’s Board of Directors preceding a unanimous membership vote at the 38th Annual Meeting last June, the League is on record as strongly opposing H. Res.111. Previously disproven claims of conspiracy and cover-up are again being raised, but past investigations have completely tied up assets and resources and the accounting was put on hold to allow time and attention to respond to Congress. The League will continue to oppose another wasteful, time-consuming special committee or commission unless and until there is nothing further that can be done constructively. In that event, the League would then reconsider. That time is NOT yet here.

We urge Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Members of the Rules Committee to stop this resolution from being attached to another measure coming to a vote in the full House. If that happens, the League will do its best to prevent the negative impact that historically has occurred.

COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN (CFC): Though technically now concluded, the League was notified that the stringent criteria for the 2007 campaign were met; our new (five digit) number is 10218, assigned by the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Washington, DC. The League is the ONLY nonprofit organization representing American POW/MIAs, KIA/BNR’s and their families eligible for donations through CFC & United Way. Despite the reality of many competing charities and much need, especially in a time of war, the League is proud of our eligibility, due to tough requirements that must be met. We have also applied for the 2008 Combined Federal Campaign and, if again successful, our eligibility number will remain the same: #10218.

39TH ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED: Plan now to attend the League’s 39th Annual Meeting, June 19-22nd, again being held at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel,Arlington, VA. The Defense Department has again authorized commercial flights for two family members to represent each missing Vietnam War serviceman or civilian. The two persons authorized travel must be designated by the primary next-of-kin (PNOK). For most, the arrival date will be Wednesday, June 18th, to ensure availability for early Thursday morning when the sessions actually begin. The 39th Annual Dinner will be that same evening, and the Military Services will again host luncheons on Friday.

39TH ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM AD RATES

INSIDE BACK COVER - $1,000*
FULL PAGE (8 ½” x 11”) - $500*
½ PAGE (8 ½” x 5 ½”) - $250*
¼ PAGE (4 ¼” x 5 ½”) - $125**
BUSINESS CARD - $50
(As submitted)
“IN HONOR OF” - $25
(Submit Name of POW/MIA with Your Name)
PATRON - $10
(Your Name Listed)

Send camera-ready ads by email; mail text with payment to:

National League of POW/MIA Families
1005 North Glebe Road, Suite 170
Arlington, VA 22201
703-465-7432
powmiafam@aol.com <mailto:powmiafam@aol.com>
Deadline: June 1, 2008

*Donors at this level receive League Membership, Newsletters, Updates
and registration for the 39th Annual Meeting.

**Donors at this level receive League Membership, Newsletters and Updates.

The League is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt, non-profit organization; Federal Tax ID #23-7071242

CHECK THE LEAGUE’S UPDATED WEB SITE
www.POWMIALeague.org <http://www.powmialeague.org/> ; www.POWMIALeague.com <http://www.powmialeague.com/>
www.pow-miafamilies.org <http://www.pow-miafamilies.org/>

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