Page 10 - Aerotech 6-5-15

Veteran’s News

Agency leverages diplomacy in remains recovery

CZ"NBBOJ-ZMF ganization. &HQWHUDQGWKH&HQWUDO,GHQWL¿FDWLRQ/DERUDWRU\ A noble mission
DOD News ³7KDWRI¿FHLQ+DQRLSUHGDWHGWKHSUHVHQFHRI 6KDZDUHWLUHG0DULQH&RUSVRI¿FHUVDLGWKLV
both in Thailand. After the Vietnam War, the of-
An American pilot begins a mission in Italy the U.S. Embassy, which didn’t happen until later ¿FHVZRXOGFRQGXFWLQYHVWLJDWLRQVDQGLQLWLDOLGHQ- mission not only is noble, but also is relatable any-
on Christmas Eve during World War II and never in the [President Bill] Clinton administration,” WL¿FDWLRQVEHIRUHUHWXUQLQJUHPDLQVWRWKH8QLWHG where in the world.
returns. Shaw noted. “By getting that footprint, we were
able to establish a relationship with the various States. “No matter where you go, people can identify
A U.S. Marine goes missing during the Korean KRVWQDWLRQVDQGKDYHVRPHFRQ¿GHQFHEXLOGLQJ with this,” he said. “Our primary mission is to
War, and more than half a century later, the daugh- measures where … we could learn a little bit more An earlier iteration of the Defense POW/MIA bring back our missing servicemen and women, …
ter he last saw when she was 18 months old still about them and they could learn a little bit more and it’s something that everyone can get behind.”
longs to have known him. about us.” Accounting Agency returned to Hawaii in the late
But for the United States and the host nations
In a yellowing letter, a World War II widow who Shaw also praised as a recent success the cur- 1970s, and in the early 1980s, DOD stood up a in which it operates, it’s also a reminder of the
never remarried pleads for answers about her hus- rent U.S. relationship with Burma, a relationship 0,$RI¿FHLQ+DQRL terrible price of war, Shaw said.
band of less than a year who went to war and faded he said is building “step by step.”
without a trace. This work continued until the early 1990s before “It really is something that strikes in the heart—
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency not just for us, but for our friends and allies as
No matter how minute the link or trace, no KDVEHHQLQ%XUPDIRUWKHODVWWKUHH¿VFDO\HDUVWR another attempt to streamline Joint Task Force Full we jointly execute this mission with those host
matter how much time has passed, the team at conduct investigations on additional U.S. POW/ $FFRXQWLQJDQGWKH&HQWUDO,GHQWL¿FDWLRQ/DERUD- nation partners,” he said. “Former enemies now
the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency here MIA service members, Shaw explained. “When have become allies and join us in our search for the
FHDVHOHVVO\ZRUNVWR¿QGWKHUHPDLQVRI$PHULFDQ we resumed diplomatic relations with Burma, our tory. “We’ve always had the mission,” Shaw said. missing. As human beings, we have much more in
prisoners of war and personnel still missing in ac- PLVVLRQLVRQHRIWKH¿UVWZHFRXOGGR´KHVDLG common than we do differences.”
tion to bring answers to family and friends of their “It’s continued to evolve over the years, and we
loved ones. Until about 10 years ago, recovery missions
were one of the few actions the United States can trace our roots directly back to the old Army
³(YHU\LGHQWL¿FDWLRQWHOOVDVWRU\´VDLG*DU\ conducted with North Korea, Shaw said. Forensic
Shaw, regional coordination branch chief at the and excavation teams estimate that about 5,500 Graves Registration Service that policed the battle-
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Americans’ remains have yet to be recovered in ¿HOGVDIWHU:RUOG:DU,,´
an area about 60 miles north of Pyongyang near
And more often than not, those stories have the Chosin-Jangjin reservoir. Soldier missing from
taken place where the agency’s painstaking quest
to solve a mystery has diplomatic implications. Studies indicate that about 8,000 U.S. soldiers Korean War accounted for
and Marines went missing during the Korean War
Host-nation sensitivities from 1950-1953. The Department of Defense POW/MIA Ac- believed to
“By the nature of our business, almost all of the counting Agency announced May 22 that the re- contain more
“There’s a good example of a place where we mains of a U.S. soldier missing from the Korean than 400
casualties, except for a very few training casual- don’t have very good relations at all, but what little :DUKDYHEHHQLGHQWL¿HGDQGZLOOEHUHWXUQHGWR U.S. service-
ties in the United States, are in foreign countries we can do will go back to this mission,” Shaw his family for burial with full military honors, men who
around the world,” Shaw said. “So those countries, said. “When we resume any kind of relations with according to a DOD news release. fought dur-
in effect, are hosting us.” 1RUWK.RUHD,¶PFRQ¿GHQWWKDWRXUPLVVLRQZLOO ing the war,
be the one that gets our foot in the door.” Army Cpl. Richard L. Wing, 19, of Toledo, according to
Shaw said the countries run the gamut from al- Ohio, will be buried June 5, in Arlington Na- the release.
lies to friends, partners, and even some countries Similarly, Shaw said the agency’s mission con- tional Cemetery near Washington, D.C., accord- North Korean
with which the United States has had strained or tinues unimpeded in China, even if the relationship ing to the release. documents,
inconsistent relations. But the humanitarian aspect gets somewhat tense on occasion. turned over
of the mission, he added, enables the search teams In late November 1950, Wing was assigned at that time,
to gain access to countries where a different mili- Early recovery efforts to Company H, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cav- indicated that
tary mission might not be welcome. During World War II and the Korean War, the alry Division, which was deployed north and some of the
southeast of the town of Kunu-ri, North Korea, remains were recovered from the vicinity where
“Because it’s not a traditional [military-to-mil- U.S. Army Graves Registration Service, as the ex- when their defensive line was attacked by Chi- Wing was believed to have died.
itary relationship], it’s not held hostage to some ecutive agent for mortuary affairs, made frequent nese forces, forcing the unit to withdraw south To identify Wing’s remains, scientists from
of the political constraints and considerations like VWRSVDWPDNHVKLIWEDWWOH¿HOGFHPHWHULHV to a more defensible position, near the town of '3$$DQGWKH$UPHG)RUFHV'1$,GHQWL¿FD-
other mil-to-mil operations,” Shaw said. “Every- Sunchon, the release said. tion Laboratory used circumstantial evidence and
one can agree that this is a good thing to do. It’s a “In the olden days, they didn’t have the refrig- IRUHQVLFLGHQWL¿FDWLRQWRROVWRLQFOXGHWZRIRUPV
good-news story, and it allows us access to places eration [or] logistical capability we have now, so Before they could disengage, the 1st Cavalry of DNA analysis; mitochondrial DNA, which
where we otherwise might not be able to go.” people were pretty much buried where they fell,” 'LYLVLRQZDVIRUFHGWR¿JKWWKURXJKDVHULHVRI matched his sister and brother, and Y-STR DNA,
Shaw explained. “[The Army] would go back after Chinese roadblocks known as “the Gauntlet,” ac- which matched his brother, the release said.
Building relationships with a former WKHZDUDQGJRWRWHPSRUDU\EDWWOH¿HOGFHPHWHULHV cording to the release. Wing was reported miss- Today, 7,852 Americans remain unaccounted
enemy to bring the remains home, leave them in place or ing in action after the battle. for from the Korean War, according to the re-
consolidate them.” OHDVH8VLQJPRGHUQWHFKQRORJ\LGHQWL¿FDWLRQV
Of note, Shaw said, is the evolution of the U.S. In 1953, returning American soldiers who had continue to be made from remains that were pre-
mission in Vietnam, where, following the war, the Meanwhile, the lack of access to the ground in been held as prisoners of war reported that Wing YLRXVO\WXUQHGRYHUE\1RUWK.RUHDQRI¿FLDOVRU
8QLWHG6WDWHVZRUNHGZLWK9LHWQDPHVHRI¿FLDOV Vietnam presented still more challenges, Shaw re- had been captured by Chinese forces in Novem- recovered by American recovery teams.
to identify locations of U.S. casualties and bring counted. “After the Vietnam War, there were a lot ber 1950 near Kunu-ri and died of dysentery in
them home. of political undercurrents and context associated a prisoner of war camp known as Camp 5 in
with that war, and the American public demanded Pyokdong, North Korea, the release said.
Shortly after the fall of Saigon in 1975, DOD accountability for our POWs and MIAs.”
HVWDEOLVKHGD+DQRLEDVHG32:0,$RI¿FHWKDW Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea turned
Shaw described as a forerunner of the current or- The Army Graves Registration Service morphed over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains
into two elements: the Joint Casualty Resolution

Veterans visit D.C. monuments, memorials through Honor Flight

CZ4S")BJMFZ)BVY iting the Air Force Memorial, National Mall, U.S. Marine
Air Force News Corps Memorial, World War II Memorial and Arlington Na-
tional Cemetery.

Whether standing at the Air Force memorial or silently “I am really amazed at what I have seen so far and I have

observing the changing of the guard at Arlington National enjoyed every minute of it—I would love to bring my grand-

Cemetery, a program gives military veterans the chance to kids down here some time,” said Daniel Keel, a Tuskegee

see monuments and landmarks in the Washington metropoli- Airman and a World War II veteran, flight officer, naviga-

tan area. tor, bombardier and B-24 pilot. “What I tell most youngsters

The Honor Flight Network flies veterans to Washington, nowadays is the Air Force is a good place to be.”

D.C., to visit memorials that honor their service to the nation. With hubs around the country and several trips here every

“I have never been to Washington and a few people who month, the Honor Flight Network is dedicated to providing

had been on this honor flight told me this is a big deal and it veterans with honor and closure.

really means something to me now,” said former Army Air

Corps 2nd Lt. Richard Kappel, a World War II prisoner of Air Force photograph by SSgt. Carlin Leslie

war. “The changing of the guard has been my favorite part of Daniel Keel a Tuskegee Airman and World War II veteran poses
the tour; it was very touchy feely. I am so glad I came here.” IRUDSKRWRDWWKH$LU)RUFH0HPRULDOGXULQJDQKRQRUÀLJKWYLVLW

On a recent visit here, honorees of the Villages Honor to Washington, D.C., May 27, 2015.

Flight from North Central Florida had a jam-packed day vis-

10 Aerotech News and Review June 5, 2015

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