2:1 The Search and Identification Continues.

As the USAF and the other branches continuously conduct operations throughout the world, sustain injuries, and pay ultimate sacrifices, there are still many across the globe unaccounted for and missing. An office located in the heart of the Pentagon was created to continue to “the fullest possible accounting of those who become missing due to hostile action while pursuing U.S. national objectives abroad.” The Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO), continue, on a daily basis to account for all of our Missing In Action (MIA) throughout the world.

To date, more than 88,000 Americans remain MIA from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. It is the goal that every single one of the MIA’s are located, identified and repatriated. The process is long and arduous to repatriate our MIA’s—from the analysts, to the negotiations with other countries, the investigations, excavations, identification of the remains, and then, hopefully, notifying the next of kin. In many cases, from the time the process begins and ends, 5-10 years have passed—still, well worth it.

In a recent accounting, nine USAF personnel from the Vietnam Conflict were returned to their families for burial with full military honors. On 22 May 1968, the nine men aboard a C-130A flareship known as “Blind Bats,” of the 41^st Tactical Airlift Squadron, were conducting an evening flare mission over Laos. The crew made a radio call and 15 minutes later, another C-130 crew reported seeing a large ground fire near the last known location. This particular C-130, was the first C-130 lost over Laos. The crew remained missing for 40 years. DPMO and several DOD agencies, brought the men home.

In another story, Technical Sergeant Walter A. McClellan of Pensacola, Florida was buried Friday, 23 April 2010. Almost 65 years to the day that his B-17 was shot down near Dresden, Germany by German Fighters in WWII. TSgt McClellan parachuted, was captured by German SS Forces, interrogated, and later executed. One report in 1956 and another in 2007 by German citizens stated that a young Airman was buried in a Burkhardswalde, German church by the townspeople after once being buried in the town’s sports field. In 2008, DPMO and JPAC determined that the remains in fact, were TSgt McClellan.

I believe that there are two things to write about. Complete and utter “BS” where a and complete and utterly important issues. Today’s blog, is of the latter. This is an organization/office that needs the full support of every Veteran and Active Duty person. If you can volunteer, do it. If you can’t volunteer, support it. The black flag with “POW/MIA,” written on it has more meaning than most think. It’s okay to display the flag, but when asked, “do you know what that flag means?” And the response is “nawww, but I thought it was cool looking,” you’re going to get a lesson and you’re going to sit and listen to it.

The following video is an example of what the POW/MIA's mean to some:

Here is a video of a "Repatriation." This is only a very small part of the process, on the other hand, probably the most important and highly honorable part of the process--"bringing 'em home."