POW/MIA Affairs Committee Update March/April 2024

BY GRANT T. COATES, CHAIR

As of February 12, the number of Americans missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War was 1,577. The countries are Vietnam-1,237; Laos–285; Cambodia-48; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters–7.

Public Affairs Resolution P-7: In accordance with Vietnam Veterans of America Convention Resolution P-7, amended at the 19th National Convention, July 18, 2019, the following is the annual report of the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Affairs Committee.

PM-3 Declassification Of Information And Diligent Effort: The POW/MIA Committee monitors the actions of the National Declassification Center (NDC), created on December 29, 2009, by Executive Order 13526. The NDC includes military commands and secret correspondences that have completed declassification processing.

PM-4 Americans Missing In Laos And Cambodia: Efforts continue being made for better relations between Laos and Cambodia to further recovery missions in those countries.

PM-7 Possibility Of Live POW/MIAs, And Facilitating The Return Of Those Who Remain In Southeast Asia: VVA has formally acknowledged the possibility of live Americans being left in Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War, and elsewhere worldwide, as a result of later military operations and war. Until all known missing in action from the Vietnam War are accounted for and returned, no change to the resolution is foreseen.

PM-8 Fullest Possible Accounting Of POW/MIAs In Vietnam: The committee continues to receive timely information from Defense Prisoner of War-Missing in Action Accounting Agency and other organizations regarding accountability of the missing in action from the Vietnam War. The names of all identified MIAs are immediately announced through organizational media. For various reasons, including wishes of the families, Department of Defense announcements are often delayed beyond identification dates.

PM-11 Honoring All Returned Pows, And Giving Recognition Of American Civilians Held As POW/Interned During WWII: VVA urges all chapters and state councils to seek opportunities to honor local former POWs and their families. VVA desires that Congress enact legislation to formally recognize the sacrifices of these individuals.

VVA commends the extraordinary service rendered by public servants, military personnel, and citizens who have devoted their time and personal resources to resolving the issue of prisoners and missing from the Vietnam War and other conflicts.

PM-13 Public Awareness And Education On The POW/MIA Flag: Vietnam Veterans of America encourages and supports compliance of U.S. Public Law 116-67, the National POW/MIA Flag Act, enacted on 7 November 7, 2019 as Public Law 116-67. The law changes the days on which the POW/MIA flag is required to be displayed at specified locations to all days on which the U.S. flag is displayed.

VVA further resolves to continue efforts to educate public officials and others on the history and meaning of the POW/MIA flag and its proper display.

VVA recognizes that any official organizational function in which the national colors are displayed should include the POW/MIA flag; the POW/MIA flag shall be posted or flown to the immediate left of the national colors. All other flags used in the display shall be flown to the left of the POW/MIA flag following published guidelines for positioning protocol.

PM-14 Forever POW/MIA Stamp: As of February 4, no member of Congress has introduced the Perpetual POW/MIA Stamp Act. A bill must be passed by both the House and Senate in identical form and then be signed by the President to become law.

VI-1 The Veterans Initiative, A National VVA Effort On Vietnam’s Missing In Action: In an effort to receive more information regarding the Vietnamese missing in action from the Vietnam War, the Veterans Initiative Program launched a new informational request advertisement in 2016 titled “Were You There” which was displayed in The Veteran. In 2015, the headline, “The Veterans Initiative Needs Your Help,” was placed on the POW/MIA page on VVA’s website. Several eyewitness reports have been submitted to the committee for investigation. We believe that the end result of the veteran-to-veteran collaboration between VVA and Vietnamese veterans organizations will be the return of American Vietnam War MIAs.

VI-2 Scope Of The Veterans Initiative: Vietnam Veterans of America reaffirms that the primary mission of the Veterans Initiative is to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all unrepatriated POW/MIAs in Vietnam and supports expanding the mission to include other parts of Southeast Asia.

The POW-MIA Affairs Committee: Grant T. Coates, Chair. Members: Terry Courville, Leslie DeLong, Dennis Howland, Chuck Renevier, Jaycee Newman, and Ted Wilkinson. AVVA Liaison Kay Gardner; VVA Staff Advisor Mokie Pratt-Porter, Special Advisor: Gary Jones, Susie Stephens-Harvey.

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