We
will not rest until we achieve the fullest possible accounting of all
missing American military service members from all wars.
The numbers of unaccounted-for personnel are staggering, currently
83,000, and the length of time since they have been lost is extensive,
going back to World War II. Many will never be recovered because the
loss occurred over deep water, were due to catastrophic explosions, or
eyewitnesses to the incidents have long since passed, but every new
identification helps bring closure to one more American family, and is
one step closer to achieving the fullest possible accounting of our
missing. It is also a re-commitment to those serving in uniform today
that America will bring you home.
We encourage the U.S. government to continue its POW/MIA accounting
efforts, and we are directly engaged with other nations and their
veterans’ groups to urge their cooperation and assistance to obtain
information about missing Americans. VFW national officers make annual
trips to Pacific, Asian and European countries where they always meet
with senior host-country officials to stress the importance of
conducting investigation and recovery operations, as well as gaining
access to documents and archival research facilities.
The VFW is the only veterans organization to return to Southeast
Asia every year since 1991, to Russia since 2004, and now into China for
nearly a decade. The VFW opens doors on a vet-to-vet level that makes
us the envy of U.S. government politicians and bureaucrats who must
follow a strict protocol.
The VFW's Action Corps weekly e-newsletter lists returned MIAs once their names are posted on the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's website.
