The Graybeards - Korean War Veterans Association

COVER from page 3
demand for almost $4 million in payment
for the 162 sets of remains returned
between 1993 and 1994 slowed further
progress. In January 1996 at CILHI, DoD
met with North Korean representatives to
resolve the compensation issue and to discuss
joint recovery operations. These meetings
moved the two sides closer to agreement.
Then in May 1996, when talks
resumed in New York City, the parties
agreed on compensation and joint recovery
operations.
Nine joint recovery operations occurred
between July 1996 and November 1998,
during which DoD recovered the probable
remains of 29 American soldiers. As of
January 1, 1999, CILHI has identified one
and believes that the evidence recovered
with the other remains should lead soon to
more identifications. Along with these successes,
DoD won agreement to conduct
archival research inside North Korea on
wartime military operations. Two such visits
took place, in 1997 and 1998, resulting
in dozens of documents related to
American prisoners.
Sightings of Alleged POWs
Living In North Korea
DoD investigates reports of POWs in
North Korea. Because of the publicity surrounding
these efforts, additional reports
have surfaced - some repeating earlier
claims. The US government uses all available
resources to investigate these reports;
however, they have not yet been able to
substantiate any of the information regarding
alleged POWs. Analysts have correlated
many of the reports to US defectors living
in North Korea since the 1960s.
US-Russia Joint Commission on
POWIMIAs Korean War
Working Group
Through this working group, the US
government has investigated reports alleging
the transfer of US POWs to the former
Soviet Union during the Korean War. The
working group follows a two-pronged
approach. They investigate the possibility
that transfers of US service members to the
former Soviet Union and the Peoples
Republic of China took place and they clarify
the circumstances surrounding the disappearance
of unaccounted-for US service
members. Despite circumstantial evidence
and intensive investigation, DoD has not
yet found conclusive evidence of transfers.
After years of negotiations brought
DoD access to Russian Ministry of
Defense archives, the fates of more than 70
Americans has been clarified. By the end
of 1998, the Russians had provided over
6,000 pages of text and nearly 300 photographs
relevant to missing Americans that
helped determine their fates. Additionally,
US officials have extensive interview programs
in Russia and the former republics
of the Soviet Union. Interviews with Soviet
veterans and other officials have provided
additional information on the fates of several
Americans.
Other Important Initiatives
DoD officials conduct extensive
archival research around the world. Their
efforts succeeded in locating a large collection
of intelligence reports dating from the
Korean War in the US National Archives
which US researchers are currently analyzing.
The US government continues to ask
the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for
information on American POWs whose
fates remain unresolved. While the PRC
has assisted significantly on American
World War II and Vietnam War cases,
Chinese officials have hindered DoD
access to Korean War records held in their
country. DoD has submitted several specific
Korean War case inquiries to the Chinese
government; these cases are currently
under consideration by the PRC.
DoD created the US government’s first
comprehensive database on Personnel
Missing-Korea (PMKOR) in 1998.
PMKOR reconciles the three major casualty-related
databases from the Korean War
and provides the most accurate accounting
baseline since the conclusion of hostilities
in 1953. DoD made extensive efforts to
ensure accuracy; however, PMKOR is a
dynamic document, and will continue to
change to reflect new discoveries achieved
through archival research.
Based on increasing access to Korean
War battlefields and the advent of new
identification technologies, DoD and the
Armed Forces have mounted a massive
outreach effort to locate families of the
more than 8,100 Americans unaccounted
for from the Korean War. Unfortunately, a
1973 fire at the National Personnel
Records Center in St. Louis destroyed
many US military personnel records holding
evidence useful for identifying recovered
remains. Therefore, DoD has requested
family members’ support in its accounting
efforts.
These offices provide POW/MIA families
support in finding answers to their case
specific inquires. They dedicate addresses
and telephone numbers to provide direct
access for family members, Concerned citizens,
organizations, and media should
contact the service casualty offices through
the respective public affairs offices listed
below.
Air Force
USAF Missing Persons Branch, 550 C
Street West, Suite 15 Randolph AFB, TX
78150-4716 Tel: 1 (800) 531-5501
Army
Department of the Army, TAPC-PER,
2461 Eisenhower Ave. Alexandria, VA
22331-0482 Tel: 1 (800) 892-2490
Marine Corps
Headquarters US Marine Corps
Manpower and Reserve Affairs (MRC),
Personal and Family Readiness Division,
3280 Russell Road, Quantico, VA
22134-5103 Tel: 1 (800) 847-1597
Navy
Navy Personnel Command, Bureau of
Naval Personnel, Casualty Assistance
Branch, (NPC-621P), 5720 Integrity Dr.,
Millington, TN 38055-6210 Tel: (800)
443-9298
Department of State
Department of State, Office of
AmCitizens Services and CM, CA/OCS
/ACS/EAP, Attn: Ms. Jenny Foo, 2201 C
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520 Tel:
(202) 647-6769
1999 “Family Update Schedule
16 Oct Birmingham, AL
20 Nov Houston, TX
(Again we thank all DPMO, CILHI personnel.
They are special military and civilian
people with a common goal. KWVA
POW/MIA staff officers are honored to
work with this dedicated group.)
September/October, 1999 Page 35