There were 801 POWs that returned alive from Southeast Asia. 660 were service members, 65 were civilians, and 76 were foreign nationals. Of the 801 returning, 136 were Army, 333 were Air Force, 39 were Marines, and 152 were Navy. 28 personnel escaped, 66 were released, and 566 returned during the Operation Home Coming. The first to be captured by the Viet Cong (VC) on 23 October 1963 were Captain Humbert R. Versace, 1LT James N. Rowe and Sgt Daniel Pitzer. Capt Verasace was reported to have been executed by the VC 25 September 1965 along with Sgt Kenneth M. Roraback. Neither remains has been repatriated. Capt Versace did not receive the Medal of Honor, even after being highly recommended. This was a grave misjustice and should be relooked, as with others that were held captive in that brutal jungle. Others that were captured and some died should at least receive the Medal of Honor or Distinguished Service Cross.

Also there were about 2,500 US personnel who were classified by the State Department as missing from Southeast Asia after the Operation Homecoming. Most were written off in the 1980s with a bureaucratic classification of presumptive finding of death -BODY NOT RECOVERED.

Update - Aug 1999

- Corporal Charles Tillman, Columbia, SC - 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division and Private Herbert Ardis, Detroit, Mich - 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division were both lost in the confusion in the Korean War and were listed as Missin in Action. This happened in fighting the Chinese Communist forces near the Chongchon River in North Korea.They were recently identified. Since 1996, the remains of 35 have been repatriated from North Korea.

In order to keep with the fullest possible accounting of America's missing in action servicemembers, the services have set up the following toll free 800 numbers. Families Can contact the following Numbers for up-todate information on a Missing servicemember -

The primary focus of this year's national ceremony will be Secretary of Defense Cohen's dedication of an inscription on the empty Vietnam War crypt at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington National Cemetery. The inscription will read "HONORING AND KEEPING FAITH WITH AMERICA'S MISSING SERVICEMEN," with the dates 1958-1975, previously inscribed.

For information on the ceremony closest to you,please contact the Defense POW/MIA Office, area code 703, 602-2102, Ext. 111.

BG Harry B. Axson, Jr., new commander of Joint Task Force Full-Accounting, is now on a trip to Laos for POW/MIA consultations. National POW/MIA Recognition Day is September 17th this year.

The Central Identification Laboratory stated that it will use DNA technology to identify the Korean War and World War II remains that were previously classified as unknown and buried in national cemeteries.

The remains of one US Navy and two US Army personnel, repatriated, respectively, in 1990 from North Vietnam and 1997 from South Vietnam, have been identified and are returning to their families for burial.

The remains of two Americans previously listed as missing in Laos have been returned and identified. The remains of Major Charles F. Morley of Warrensburg, MO, and Captain Thomas C. Daffron of Pinckneyville, IL, both US Air Force, were recovered by a US-Lao excavation team in 1995. These two Americans were lost during a night mission over Khammouan Province, Laos, on February 18, 1970. A third American, Army Specialist 4th Class Roger L. Smith of South Point, Ohio, has also been accounted for. The remains of Specialist Smith, listed as missing in North Vietnam on October 3, 1968, were recovered in October & November of 1994.

New Funeral policies are now being considered by the Department of Defense (DOD). They have sent a set of proposals to Congress that will improve the way funeral honors are being conducted now. If approved by Congress, the services will all be required to provide specific funeral honors for any veteran who has served honorably in the Armed Forces by the next of kin. If approved, it will become effective on 1 January 2000. More to come. DOD plans to have an 800 toll free number for the funeral requests, and a Web site to explain the benefits.