POW MIA Update August 3, 2007
AMERICANS ANNOUNCED AS ACCOUNTED FOR:
There are now 1,772 US
personnel listed by the Department of Defense as missing and
unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. The names of seven US
personnel were this week announced as accounted for, including Lt.
Col. James H. Ayres, of Pampa, Texas, and Lt. Col. Charles W.
Stratton, of Dallas, Texas, both U.S. Air Force, missing in Laos
since January 3, 1971. Remains were jointly recovered during
several field operations between 2001-2005. In addition the names
of five Army personnel involved in a UH-1D helicopter incident in
Laos on January 5, 1968, were also announced. The five included
Chief Warrant Officer Dennis C. Hamilton, of Barnes City, Iowa;
Chief Warrant Officer Sheldon D. Schultz, of Altoona, Pa.; Sgt. 1st
Class Ernest F. Briggs, Jr., of San Antonio, Texas; Sgt. 1st
Class John T. Gallagher, of Hamden, CT.; and Sgt. 1st
Class James D. Williamson, of Olympia, WA. The group remains of
this crew will be buried on Aug. 14 at Arlington National Cemetery.
SFC Gallagher's remains were individually identified, and a separate
burial date is being set by his family.
The
identification of the remains of these seven Americans, plus three
previously missing and unaccounted for, but not yet announced brings
to 811 the number of US personnel returned since the end of the
Vietnam War in 1975. Over 90% of 1,772 still listed as missing
were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Laos and Cambodia under
Vietnam’s wartime control.
UPDATE ON OPERATIONS:
The 100th
period of Joint Field Activities (JFA)
in Laos, the fourth
30-day JFA this year, began June 26th and is expected to
conclude July 31st. Again comprised of some 50 US
personnel, four teams are focusing on incident excavations. A Change
of Command occurred on July 2nd, during which LTC Brandt
Deck, USA, replaced LTC Wade Owens, USA, as Detachment 3 Commander.
Both are Special Forces officers, as is JPAC’s Detachment Commander
in Hanoi, LTC Jim Saenz, USA.
The
89th JFA in Vietnam
is ongoing and will continue over a 45-day period until July 25th.
The roughly 100 US personnel are dispersed among one
Research/Investigation Team (RIT), one Investigation Team (IT), one
Phase 2 Testing Team (P2TT) and five recovery Teams (RTs). The last
JFA, March 8th- April 21st, was extended to
include an Underwater Investigation Team (UIT) that included the
Navy’s Mobile Diving Salvage Unit #1 (MDSU1), operating along the
coast of northern Vietnam, though without the US Navy ship as
earlier agreed.
Annual, bilateral POW/MIA consultations with a delegation from
Cambodia are now ongoing
in Hawaii, hosted by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).
JPAC will host bilateral, semi-annual POW/MIA Consultations with
Laos later this month.
Worldwide, a survey and investigation of a WWII loss on the island
of Iwo Jima took place
June 17-27th, and an investigation in
South Korea (ROK) took
place June 1-30th. While conducting the investigation of
a possible burial site identified by an eye witness in the ROK, the
US team recovered possible remains and other material evidence;
therefore an immediate recovery operation was undertaken to prevent
the possibility of disturbance by nearby South Korean personnel.
A
JPAC historian recently returned to Hawaii after a brief visit to
the Netherlands to
observe salvage operations of a possible US aircraft and conduct
interviews related to a WWII incident.
Finally, excavations on two WWII sites in
Hungary and
Austria are ongoing and
expected to conclude on August 15th.
LAOS AGREES TO ACCEPT U.S. DEFENSE ATTACHE:
During a recent visit to Washington, DC, a Ministry of Defense
official long involved in the POW/MIA Issue conveyed his
government’s agreement in principle to accept a US Defense Attaché
in Vientiane in 2008 and to post a Lao officer at their Embassy in
EXCHANGE. This is very positive development. The League has sought
this agreement for well over a decade, knowing there is much to gain
in broadening the bilateral relationship. The Stony Beach POW/MIA
Team is an asset of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and two
Stony Beach specialists are now assigned to the DATT in Hanoi and
the DATT in Phnom Penh. It is hoped that the two Lao specialists in
Stony Beach will soon be permanently assigned in Vientiane to pursue
POW/MIA-related information in Laos.
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH:
There is widespread disappointment – in DPMO, JPAC and the League –
in responses to the US Government-funded archival research programs,
especially in Vietnam. This program has been ongoing for several
years, but archival records known to exist have not yet been
provided, thus the continued calls for unilateral actions by Hanoi,
including by President Bush last November. It is hoped bilateral
technical talks with each of the Indochina governments that will
occur over the summer will focus on renewing viable multilateral
archival cooperation, among other initiatives that are or should be
considered.
WIN A HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER:
The League will receive all proceeds from a nationwide drawing to
win a beautiful customized 1989 Harley Sportster that is now
ongoing. Only 8,000 raffle tickets have been printed and numbered,
$10.00 each, obtainable by contacting the League office. With a
1/8,000 chance of winning this Harley Davidson Sportster,
the drawing will be held on National
POW/MIA Recognition Day, September 21, 2007, in Washington, DC.
Tickets can also be obtained through the League’s website,
www.POWMIALeague.org, by clicking on Pay Pal, though handling
adds an additional $2.00 to the total cost of the ticket(s). Now is
your chance to win a Harley AND support the League, a nonprofit 501
[c] 3 tax-exempt organization.
38TH ANNUAL MEETING:
The
League’s 38th Annual Meeting was held June 21-24th
at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, VA. There were two
very full days of League and US Government presentations, both
policy and operational, on Friday, June 22nd and
Saturday, June 23rd, followed by a League business
session wrap-up on Sunday morning, June 24th. A
complete report on all that transpired will shortly be distributed
nationwide and put onto the League’s web site.
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,
the League is firmly on record as strongly opposing H. Res. 111.
Previously disproven claims of conspiracy and cover-up are again
being raised, and past investigations have completely tied up assets
and resources and the accounting was put on hold to allow time and
attention to responding to Congress. The League will continue to
fight against 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 now!
COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN (CFC) APPROVES LEAGUE FOR 2007:
The League was just notified that all criteria were met, and our
newly assigned (five digit) number is
10218, just assigned by
the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Washington, DC. The
League is the ONLY nonprofit organization representing Vietnam War
POW/MIAs and KIA/BNR’s and their families that is eligible for
donations through the CFC & United Way structure. Despite the
reality that there are many competing charities and much need,
especially in a time of war, the League is proud of our CFC
eligibility, knowing the tough criteria any organization must
meet. .
Vietnam and
Cambodia set up national border gate
A ceremony to set up My Qui Tay-Som Rong border gate
between Vietnam and Cambodia was held in Vietnam's southern
Long An province on July 31.
The
border gate is located in Long An province of Vietnam and
Svay Rieng province of Cambodia, which share a 137.7 km land
border.
Addressing the ceremony, the authorities of the two
provinces agreed to speed up measures to develop the border
areas economically and held the belief that the
establishment of the border gate would contribute to
improving the living conditions of people residing in the
two countries, particularly the two provinces. (VNA
The Lao
Security Ministry on July 31 held a ceremony in Vientiane to
mark the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship and
Co-operation Treaty (July 18) and the 45th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic ties (September 5) between
the two countries.
A delegation
of the Vietnamese Public Security Ministry, headed by
Minister General Le Hong Anh attended the celebrations.
Lao Security
Minister Thongbanh Sengaphone said that the two Parties,
States and armed forces would continue to develop the
Laos-Vietnam friendship, solidarity and co-operative ties
and concluded by saying that Lao security forces would
continue to strengthen the relationship.
Vietnamese
Public Security Minister Anh presented the Ho Chi Minh Order
to Minister Thongbanh Sengaphone
On this
occasion, friendship orders and medals were presented to
soldiers and officers of the Vietnamese people's police and
Lao security forces. (VNA)
Vietnam
soldier coming home
Funeral services set for Altoonan shot down 39 years ago
during war
Funeral
services with full military honors will be held Aug. 14 for
an
Altoona
serviceman who was shot down 39 years ago in Laos during the
Vietnam War, his family said Wednesday.
Chief Warrant
Officer Sheldon D. Schultz (See obituary, Page A9) of
Altoona
piloted a Huey helicopter when he and his four-member crew
were hit by artillery fire Jan. 5, 1968.
The services
will be held at Old Post Chapel,
Fort Myer,
Va., with interment and graveside services to follow at
Arlington National Cemetery.
Until now,
Schultz; Sgt. 1st Class Ernest Frank Briggs Jr.; Sgt. 1st
Class James D. Williamson; and Chief Warrant Officer Dennis
Clark Hamilton were unaccounted for.
Schultz was
unaccounted for, despite the Department of Defense declaring
him dead in 1979.
The remains
of Sgt. 1st Class John Theodore Gallagher were identified in
November.
With DNA
technology and cooperation with the Vietnamese and Lao
People's Democratic Republic governments since the 1973
ceasefire, the
U.S. military
has been able to recover human remains, military equipment,
dogtags and other items to identify missing servicemen in
Southeast Asia.
More than
1,750 servicemen have remained unaccounted for from the
Vietnam War.
"It provides
a sense of relief, tremendous relief," said Ann Marie
Griffiths, executive director of the National League of
Families of American Prisoners and Missing in
Southeast
Asia.
Schultz's
late father, George, was a past treasurer and member of the
league's board of directors.
"They [George
and his wife, Laura] wanted answers. At least he knew where
[Sheldon] went down. I wished George would be here to see
this day,"
Griffiths
said.
When
contacted Wednesday, family members said they wanted to wait
until after the funeral to talk about Sheldon.
To veterans,
especially to those of the Vietnam War, this is a time of
celebration. It goes back to the ingrained military concept
that "you never leave a soldier behind" and doing all that
can be done to bring them back, said Tim Susengill, former
president and current board member of the Hainley-English
chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America.
"Someone else
is home. Another soldier is found," he said.
The crash
site was found in 2002, according to declassified Defense
Department documents. Possible dental remains, personal
effects and other items were recovered since that time until
excavation of the site was stopped last year.
The evidence
was transferred to the Central Identification Laboratory of
the Joint POW/
MIA
Accounting Command at Hickam Air Force Base,
Hawaii.
Schultz's
flight was part of a two-helicopter team sent to drop off a
special forces reconnaissance team in
Laos. The
lead troop carrier banked sharply to avoid the fire but it
struck Schultz's helicopter, sending it into a nosedive into
the ground.
Schultz
graduated from
Altoona Area
High School in 1966. He joined the U.S. Army and graduated
12th out of a class of 250 from helicopter pilot school in
1967. He arrived in Vietnam Dec. 5, 1967.
Schultz
received a Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, National
Defense Service Medal, Vietnamese Campaign Medal, Vietnamese
Service Medal, Army Aviator Wings and Expert Marksmanship
Badge with Automatic Rifle and Pistol bars.
Schultz's
name is engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in
Washington,
D.C., and its replica, The Wall That Heals, on the grounds
of the Van Zandt VA Medical Center.
A visitation
is scheduled from
6 to 8 p.m.
Aug. 13 at Murphy Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson Blvd.,
Arlington, Va.
Schultz is
survived by his mother, a brother and a sister.
Mirror Staff
Writer Mark Leberfinger is at 946-7462
Remains of
pilots found decades later
By AMAN
BATHEJA
Star-Telegram staff writer
Ayres
Dorothy Davidson would read the annual updates from the
Pentagon with the same sense of anticipation and dread.
Every year, officials would tell her they were doing
everything possible to locate her brother's remains.
"We just kept
hanging on, kept hoping for info to tell us exactly what had
happened to him," she said by phone Friday from her home in
Abilene.
Davidson's
brother, James Ayres of Pampa, and Charles Stratton of
Dallas -- both Air Force lieutenant colonels -- had been
missing in action for 36 years, ever since their warplane
inexplicably exploded over Laos during a nighttime raid.
On Friday,
the Defense Department announced that the remains of Ayres
and Stratton have been positively identified at what is
believed to be the crash site.
The news
provides not only a somber resolution to the two men's loved
ones but also relief that neither was tortured as a prisoner
of war.
"We're just
so grateful to have closure and to know that he and his
co-pilot died at the point of impact," Davidson said.
Ayres and
Stratton were on a mission to strike enemy targets in
Savannakhet province on Jan. 3, 1971. The crew of nearby
aircraft described a large explosion shortly after Ayres had
initiated a target run.
Communication
with the plane was lost, and no ejections were witnessed. A
search-and-rescue attempt was deemed too dangerous.
In 2001, a
team of Americans and Laotians traveled to the province and
interviewed locals about crash sites. A man led the team to
what was believed to be where Ayres and Stratton crashed.
Another team
soon began excavating the site and recovered human remains.
Over the next three years, teams visited the site six more
times.
Scientists
from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed
Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used DNA and other
forensic tools to identify the remains.
On July 5,
Davidson got the news about her brother. For a long time,
she had worried about what may have happened to Ayres if had
he survived the crash.
"If they had
been able to eject, it was not a pleasant thought trying to
think of them getting through that jungle," she said. "I was
concerned that he might have been taken prisoner in one of
those unbearable prison camps."
During the
Vietnam War, 572 Americans were reported missing in Laos.
About 215 have been repatriated or identified, according to
the U.S. Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office.
About 357 remain missing. Some 1,365 Americans are
unaccounted for in Vietnam.
The effort to
recover service members from as far back as World War II
forges on, with 600 Defense Department employees involved
this year.
Davidson said
she has been amazed at the government's efforts toward
finding service members' remains. In January, she joined
more than 200 other relatives of missing service members at
a briefing at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport on the Defense
Department's efforts. She learned about the number of plane
crashes in Laos and how difficult it is to locate DNA
evidence at crash sites.
She left the
meeting thinking that even if her brother's remains were
never found, she would still be honored that the search
continued with such earnestness.
"I just felt
like there were people that truly cared, that I wasn't alone
in this thing," she said.
On Friday,
Ayres will be buried with full military honors in Fairview
Cemetery in Pampa, where many of his relatives are buried,
Davidson said.
Burial plans
for Stratton are pending, according to the Defense
Department.
572 Americans
reported missing in Laos during the Vietnam War.
350
Approximate number of Americans still unaccounted for in
Laos.
1,981
Americans reported missing in Vietnam during the war.
1,365
Approximate number of Americans still unaccounted for in
Vietnam.
"Until They
Are Home"
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office
(DPMO) announced Friday the remains of two U.S. servicemen,
missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified
and will be returned to their families for burial with full
military honors.
They are Lt.
Col. James H. Ayres, of Pampa, TX and Lt. Col. Charles W.
Stratton, of Dallas, TX -- both US Air Force. Ayres will be
buried August 10 in Pampa, and Stratton's burial date is
being set by his family.
On January 3,
1971, these men crewed an F-4E Phantom II aircraft departing
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base on a nighttime strike
mission of enemy targets in Savannakhet Province, Laos.
Shortly after Ayres initiated a target run, the crew of
other aircraft in the flight observed a large explosion.
No one
witnessed an ejection or heard beeper signals, and
communication was lost with the aircraft. Hostile activity
in the area prevented search and rescue attempts.
In 2001, a
joint US/Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team,
led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), traveled
to Savannakhet Province and interviewed Laotian citizens
about their knowledge of aircraft crash sites.One of the men
led the team to what was believed to be the Ayres and
Stratton crash site.
Later that
year, another US/L.P.D.R team began excavating the site.The
team recovered human remains and aircrew-related items.
Between 2002 and 2005, joint teams visited the site six more
times to complete the excavation, recovering more human
remains and crew-related items.
Among other
forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence,
scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification
Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification
of the remains.
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
CHECK THE LEAGUE’S UPDATED WEB SITE
www.POWMIALeague.org
www.POWMIALeague.com
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
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