POW*MIA

[Draggingtree]

POW/MIA

 

 

World War II http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/wwii/

Of the 16 million Americans who served in WWII, more than 400,000 died during the war. At the end of the war, there were approximately 79,000 Americans unaccounted for. This number included those buried with honor as unknowns, officially buried at sea, lost at sea, and missing in action.
Today, more than 73,000 Americans remain unaccounted for from WWII.

 

Korean War Accounting http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/korea/

The Korean War accounting effort remains a priority for the U.S. government. DPMO pursues opportunities to gain access to loss sites within North Korea and South Korea. Additionally, identifications continue to be made from remains that were returned to the United States using forensic and DNA technology.
More than 7,500 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.

 

Vietnam War http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/

Since 1973, the remains of more than 900 Americans killed in the Vietnam War have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
For more than a decade the United States has conducted joint field activities with the governments of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to recover the remains of missing Americans. Throughout those countries, teams continue to investigate crash and burial sites, as well as interview locals to gain additional knowledge. The United States also continues to obtain access to historical wartime records and archives that provide information relevant to the fates of missing Americans.
Today, more than 1,600 Americans remain unaccounted for from the conflict

 

Cold War http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/cold_war/

In addition to the thousands of service members who fought communist forces during wars in Korea, Vietnam, and other conflicts, many service members risked their lives off of the battlefield while collecting intelligence on the Soviet Bloc, the People's Republic of China, and North Korea during the Cold War. The sacrifice made by these Americans enabled the United States and our allies to contain the threat of communist expansion until the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Today, 126 service members remain unaccounted for from the Cold War.

 

Iraq Theater & Other Conflicts http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/Iraq_Conflicts/

On Dec.1, 2011, the responsibility to account for missing U.S. personnel in Iraq transferred from the U.S. Central Command to DPMO. In accordance with the Missing Service Personnel Act, the current number of personnel missing from operations in Iraq is six — two service members from Desert Storm; and one service member and three DoD contractors from Iraqi Freedom.
DPMO is not only responsible for accounting for service members missing from past conflicts, it also provides policy and oversight of efforts to account for and recover personnel, such as Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who have become separated from their units during more recent actions. This includes the rescue, recovery, and reintegration of captured or missing personnel through diplomatic and military means. DPMO works to ensure that personnel accounting policies address the challenges of accounting in modern conflicts, including properly training and accounting for the increasing numbers of DoD contractors and civilians who accompany the military force.
Much of the emphasis for current personnel recovery focuses on preventing or preparing service members, civilians and contractors for isolation, and training to provide proper response in the event that they are captured. Improvements in technology, comprehensive planning, training and education, and improved command and control have all combined to form a rapid, well organized response to isolating events. DPMO continues to ensure lessons learned during current conflicts are incorporated into future capabilities.
The policy of the United States, to never offer remuneration for the return of captured personnel, serves as a deterrent to hostage-takers and is one of the keys to protecting our service members.

[Draggingtree]

POW/MIA

The VFW will not rest until we achieve the fullest possible accounting of all missing American military service members from all wars.

The numbers of unaccounted-for personnel are staggering, and the length of time since they have been lost is extensive. Many will never be recovered because the loss occurred over deep water or the eyewitnesses to the incidents have long passed away.

 

http://heroes.vfw.org/site/R?i=co_FMcjd4-T77hyoPp9Gxw