POW/MIA Affairs Committee Update January/February 2024

BY GRANT T. COATES, CHAIR

As of January 2, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues its mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country in the Vietnam War. Currently, the number of servicemembers still unaccounted for stands at 1,577. The breakdown by country is: Vietnam – 1,237; Laos – 285; Cambodia – 48; and the Peoples Republic of China territorial waters – 7.

The DPAA late last year announced that Marine Corps Capt. Ronald W. Forrester, who had been missing in action in the Vietnam War, was accounted for on December 4. A member of Marine All-Weather Attack Squadron 533, Marine Attack Group 12 in the 1st Marine Air Wing, Capt. Forrester was navigating an A-6A Intruder during a nighttime mission over North Vietnam in the winter of 1972, when his aircraft lost communication and did not return. Despite an extensive SAR operation, neither Capt. Forester nor his aircraft were found, and in 1978, his status was changed to KIA.

The Veterans Initiative Program seeks your assistance. Personal items, maps, stories, after-action reports, pictures, and military items retrieved from the battlefields of Vietnam are not merely keepsakes or war trophies. They hold the key to possibly locating the final resting places of missing war dead. Your contributions and dedication to uncovering these stories play a critical role in our ongoing efforts to bring every servicemember home.

As we remember and honor those who have served and sacrificed, let us also commit to the ongoing task of accounting for every missing American. Together, we can ensure their legacies of bravery and sacrifice are never forgotten.

Contact the Veterans Initiative at:
Veterans Initiative Program
Vietnam Veterans of America
8719 Colesville Rd., Suite 100
Silver Spring, MS 20910
vi@vva.org

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