According to DPAA, more than 82,600 Americans are still listed as missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and other conflicts.
Sgt. 1st Class Alan L. Boyer, a Green Beret from Missoula, Mont., was last seen climbing a ladder to a hovering helicopter as his team was extracted under enemy fire in Laos on March 28, 1968. The ladder broke, and Boyer’s fate was a mystery for 48 years. In 2016, his remains were identified by scientists at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) after they were turned over by a U.S. citizen who received them from Lao nationals. Boyer now rests in Arlington National Cemetery.
According to DPAA, more than 82,600 Americans are still listed as missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and other conflicts. Many are simply not recoverable, but The American Legion is adamant that families deserve the fullest possible accounting of their loved ones. “There are 1,261 reasons why we are here,” Marine Corps Maj. Chad Bonecutter told me when I visited Hanoi in November. He was referring to MIAs believed to be in Vietnam. Their recovery and identification is a priority for the DPAA detachment there.
I have received similar reassurances that American MIAs from the Korean War also remain a top priority. The South Korean Ministry of National Defense Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification (MAKRI) works hand in hand with DPAA to find and identify U.S. remains.
Unfortunately, their neighbors to the north have been anything but cooperative. “Because of the political situation, we cannot access the demilitarized zone or North Korea,” Lt. Col. Choi Hi Chun of MAKRI told us in Seoul. “We estimate there are about 40,000 South Korean and 5,000 U.S. soldiers missing in North Korea. We are doing our best in gathering testimony of veterans and preparing for the political situation to get better so we can start recovery as soon as we are given access.”
Massive explosions, faulty data and remains lost at sea are realities of war. Thus, we cannot expect recovery of all missing servicemembers. For example, naval tradition permits fallen sailors to remain with their ship. “I assure you, we will not dive on USS Arizona,” Brig. Gen. Mark Spindler said at DPAA headquarters in Hawaii. “The U.S. Navy considers them entombed in the most sacred place they could be.”
Nevertheless, as time passes and wartime memories fade, it is crucial that veterans of all wars share with DPAA any intelligence they may have regarding the whereabouts of missing comrades. That includes information that could lead to recovery of enemy soldiers. Whether it’s a wartime diary entry or a solid firsthand account, such information can be extremely useful to investigators. Family members should also submit DNA to help make identification easier. Go to www.dpaa.mil to learn more about what you can do to help.
Nearly half a century ago, my wartime service in Vietnam ended. I came home. Too many did not, and anguish continues for their families. The American Legion has numerous resolutions stressing the importance of a full accounting, and we encourage all official Legion meetings to include an empty chair ceremony. We will never waver in our resolve for a full accounting of all who went to war, no matter where, and disappeared. The families of our brothers and sisters deserve nothing less.
- Magazine