AMERICANS IDENTIFIED: There are now 1,695 Americans listed by the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. The names of those accounted for since the last League Newsletter include:

Captain Darrell J. Spinler, USAF, KIA/BNR, 6/21/67, LA, RR 11/17/10, ID 1/5/11
Sergeant First Class Donald M. Shue, USA, MIA, 11/3/69, SVN, RR 4/3/10, ID 1/6/11
Specialist 4th Class Randal D. Dalton, USA, KIA/BNR, 7/24/71, CB, RR 9/11/89, ID 1/18/11
Lieutenant Commander William P. Egan, USN, MIA, 4/20/66, LA, RR 12/22/09, ID 2/11/11
Commander Frank Green, Jr., USN, MIA, 7/10/72, NVN, RR 12/9/09, ID 11/1/10
Master Sergeant Ralph Reno, Jr., USA, KIA/BNR, 7/3/66, SVN, RR 8/29/00, ID 10/5/10
Sergeant First Class James Moreland, USA, MIA, 2/7/68, SVN, RR 4/12/95, ID 10/13/10
Warrant Officer George A. Howes, USA, MIA, 1/10/70, SVN, RR 6/7/94, ID 5/17/10
Colonel James E. Dennany, USAF, MIA, 11/12/69, LA, RR 4/12/99, ID 9/8/10
Major Robert L. Tucci, USAF, MIA, 11/12/69, LA, RR 4/12/99, ID 9/8/10
Major Thomas J. Beyer, USAF, MIA, 7/30/68, SVN, RR 12/1/09, ID 10/12/10
Major Richard G. Elzinga, USAF, MIA, 3/26/70, LA, RR 6/22/09, ID 10/28/10
Staff Sergeant Samuel E. Hewitt, USMC, MIA, 3/23/66, SVN, RR 6/24/10, ID 9/20/10

The League is deeply grateful that these Americans can at long last receive the honor they deserve and that their families no longer endure uncertainty. The number of Americans returned and identified since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is now 888; another 63 US personnel, recovered post-incident and identified before the end of the war, bring the total to 951. Of the 1,695 unreturned American veterans from the Vietnam War, our POW/MIAs, 90% were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Laos and Cambodia under Vietnam’s wartime control: Vietnam – 1,300 (VN-477, VS-823); Laos – 330; Cambodia – 58; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters – 7. 450+ were over-water losses.

LEAGUE DELEGATION TO SOUTHEAST ASIA: League Executive Director Ann Mills-Griffiths and Senior Policy Advisor Richard T. Childress met with US and foreign officials in Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand from March 10-27th. We are grateful for the courtesy and support extended by the Lao, Cambodian and Vietnamese Ambassadors to the United States, resident in Washington, who provided support and courtesy visas for each country. We also appreciate analysts in the Defense POW/MIA Office (DPMO) and Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) who provided updated summaries of archival documents and discrepancy cases that were distributed in each country, as has been the case in prior years. The in-country support provided by JPAC and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Stony Beach personnel facilitated necessary logistics – translation, interpretation, travel, hotel accommodations, document copies for each meeting, etc.

Thanks to our supportive US Embassies in the region, broad-based Country Team Briefings were arranged, followed by more detailed discussions with JPAC and/or DIA Stony Beach personnel, prior to meeting with foreign officials. International flights to/from Bangkok were “purchased” using mileage points, plus minimal fees, thanks to a very patient and gifted, anonymous friend of the issue. Richard and Elli Childress paid all of their own expenses, including regional travel, hotels and meals. The League is most grateful that they were once again willing to contribute so generously of their personal time and funds to participate in this mission, as they have before, thereby strengthening our quest for answers.

The Delegation first went to Laos for senior level discussions and visited two excavation sites in the south, then on to Vietnam for high level discussions, on to Cambodia with calls on the King, the Prime Minister and the high-ranking members of the Cambodian POW/MIA Committee, before returning to Bangkok and back to the US. A more detailed report will be posted on the League website, www.pow-miafamilies.org, and available by request to the League office; however, following is a summary of key discussions and results. .

Laos: We are most grateful that Ambassador Stewart invited the League Delegation to stay at her residence, thus also signaling her full support for our shared mission. She accompanied us by helicopter to the two excavation sites, her first since becoming Ambassador, though she had more than once done so as Deputy Chief of Mission during the 1990s. She graciously hosted a reception before our departure for Hanoi. Despite heavy demands stemming from the imminent Lao Party Congress in which all senior Lao leaders participate, the Senior Deputy Foreign Minister (former Lao Ambassador to the US) hosted a dinner in the Delegation’s honor.

Substantive discussions were held with the Secretary General of the Ministry of National Defense. The most immediate result is the Lao Government’s apparent decision to reconsider Stony Beach’s role in augmenting investigations in Laos. (Stony Beach in Laos was and is intended to help locate the remaining 124 incident sites associated with 206 individuals, of which 19 are aircraft crash sites. This would facilitate more realistic planning for achieving accounting objectives. Lao Government agreement for Stony Beach participation in POW/MIA investigations has been the subject of countless League and US Government requests over many years. Stony Beach Lao specialist Dustin Roses has been permanently assigned in Laos for over a year, but unable to fulfill his mission.) Ambassador Stewart was most helpful throughout the discussions, as was the Defense Attaché, especially in clarifying the role and status of Stony Beach in Laos as being for the sole purpose of expediting the accounting for missing US personnel.

Other issues raised included the need for Lao support in obtaining Vietnam’s archives related to cases of US personnel missing in Laos, especially in areas where Vietnamese forces were deployed during wartime, the occasional need for base-camping joint teams at excavation sites to reduce costs and risk, and more rapid approval of Lao-American linguists. This latter issue appears to be near resolution, but base-camping will continue to be the subject of further discussion and consideration; however, the Lao expressed concerns about security of the joint teams. The Lao agreed that more could and should be done on locating and providing archival documents and expressed willingness to consider alternatives that might produce more rapid results. The League had planned to press for a fair priced helicopter contract; however, the day before our arrival, a JPAC working level team “negotiated” a contract that will allow joint operations to continue.

Vietnam: Thanks to advance preparations and scheduling, plus in-country JPAC and Stony Beach personnel, logistics were again no problem, and accommodations at the Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel, though more expensive than Bangkok or Phnom Penh, were convenient and comfortable. Chargé d’Affaires Virginia Palmer participated in senior-level calls, as did the Defense Attaché, and hosted a lovely dinner in our honor, with Vietnamese officials, at her home. Following a Country Team Briefing and meeting with JPAC and Stony Beach personnel, detailed discussions were held with members of the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Personnel (VNOSMP). Most VNOSMP officials are experienced and well-versed on the issue and known to the League from prior delegations due to their many years of serving on this unique interagency group, comprised of officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFA), National Defense (MND) and Public Security (MPS). In fact the VNOSMP Chairman, MFA’s Nguyen Ba Hung, hosted a lovely dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hanoi. He is serving his third chairmanship of the VNOSMP and will shortly depart for San Francisco as Vietnam’s Consul General, accompanied by one of the VNOSMP Directors as his deputy.

The most striking aspect of discussions in Vietnam was an attitudinal change on the part of all officials. This was evident despite US failure to respond to Vietnam’s 2009 proposal to expand the pace and scope of accounting operations due to inaction by the US Congress to allocate funding. Vietnam’s longstanding Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Ministers of Defense and Public Security reiterated Vietnam’s hope that such expansion would soon occur and, significantly, offered to positively consider any initiatives we wish to propose. They agreed that more can be done on archival research and provision of records, and agreed to work bilaterally and multilaterally (with US, Lao and Cambodian specialists) to expand opportunities for greater results in locating relevant archives.

Cambodia: Met initially by DIA’s two Stony Beach specialists, a Country Team Briefing at the residence of US Ambassador to Cambodia Carol Rodley was the first function after arrival in Phnom Penh. It was clear that there is a robust, growing and very broad relationship between the US and Cambodia – political, military and economic.

The League Delegation was privileged to once again have an audience at the palace with His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, successor to Norodom Sihanouk, still revered as the King Father, who was long supportive of Cambodia’s cooperation with the US on the accounting effort. We called on the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Interior, the Deputy Minister of Defense, the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the founder of the Document Center of Cambodia (DC-CAM).

Asking for Cambodia’s cooperation and support is unnecessary; thanking them is mandatory. The historic Raffles Le Royal Hotel served as the site of a League-hosted luncheon honoring the Cambodian POW/MIA Committee to thank them for their unfettered cooperation since 1992. There has been and is willingness to respond positively to any and all requests made by the US. Authorization comes directly from the Prime Minister to the Cambodian POW/MIA Committee Chairman, General Pol Saroeun, who also serves as Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. The Deputy Chairman is Secretary of State for the Ministry of Interior Sieng Lapresse, long known to us as a very supportive and effective force in the issue. All members of the Cambodian POW/MIA Committee are very senior officials who cooperate closely with DIA’s two Stony Beach specialists in Phnom Penh, as well as with JPAC when conducting joint field operations. Any lack of operational capacity in Cambodia is due to priorities established by US officials, within budgetary constraints, based on inaction by the US Congress, certainly NOT by Cambodia.

Thailand: Calls and meetings in Thailand were primarily focused on obtaining information from the US Government’s perspective on the current policy, economic and political environment in the region, plus detailed discussion with DIA’s Bangkok-based Stony Beach specialist Brad Taylor, JPAC Detachment 1 Commander LtCol Marc Galler, USAF, and his Deputy, Major Ted Schjoth, USA. Detachment 1 supports operations in Cambodia, as well as WWII and Cold War incidents in the region. They are working on some hopeful initiatives to recognize Cambodian cooperation.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE REINFORCES JPAC: The League recently learned that the Defense Department’s proposed budget for the next five years includes a $312.1 million increase in funding and a plus-up of 253 additional personnel for JPAC, and JPAC’s continuation under the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM). This budget proposal required approval by the Secretary of Defense and, thankfully, puts the focus precisely where the League has advocated, in support of the organization conducting field operations to account for our missing loved ones and remains recoveries going back to World War II. Hopefully, this puts an end to DPMO’s plans to become operational, instead of the policy control and oversight organization intended when formed. DPMO’s budget proposals included taking part of JPAC’s worldwide mission, namely investigations on WWII European cases and establishing an identification laboratory separate from JPAC’s command and control.

VIETNAM HOSTS 10TH ANNIVERSARY MEMORIAL SERVICE: The lives of seven active-duty US personnel and nine Vietnamese military personnel were commemorated precisely on the 10th anniversary of the tragic April 7, 2001 accident. The mission was to prepare for the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA) 65th Joint Field Activity (JFA) when the Russian MI-17 helicopter in which they were flying crashed in a mountainous area of Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. Lost in the fatal crash were LTC Rennie M. Cory, Jr; USA, then Detachment Two Commander, LTC George D. Martin III, USA, his assigned replacement; Maj. Charles E. Lewis, USAF; MSgt. Steven L. Moser, USAF; Chief Petty Officer Pedro J. Gonzales, USN; SFC Tommy J. Murphy, USA; TSgt Robert M. Flynn, USAF; from the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Personnel (VNOSMP) Sr. COL Tran Van Bien, PAVN, and Mr. Nguyen Than Ha; and from the Northern Services Flight Company (NSFC), LTC Nguyen Van Ha; LTC Nguyen Thanh Son; MAJ Nguyen Huu Nham; MAJ Vu Pham The Kien; LT Giap Thanh Ngan, LT Pham Duy Dung; and LT Dang Ngoc. LTC Cory’s children and family members of the Vietnamese officials were honored guests for the Memorial Service and the luncheon that followed, both hosted by incoming Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Cuong. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs (DPMO) Robert Newberry, MG Stephen Tom, USAR, Commander of JPAC, COL Patrick Reardon, USA, Defense Attaché in Hanoi, and staff members of DPMO and JPAC attended.

ACCOUNTING COOPERATION: The 102nd Joint Field Activity (JFA) recently concluded in Vietnam. Four JPAC Recovery Teams (RTs), one Research Investigation Team (RIT) and one Investigation Team (IT) conducted operations simultaneously in Kon Tum, Quang Tri and Binh Dinh Provinces, as well as Hanoi and Rach Gia City. JPAC forensic anthropologist Dr. Robert Mann also conducted a Joint Forensic Review (JFR) of remains – recovered by Vietnamese citizens and turned in to Vietnamese officials – to determine whether they are indigenous or could be those of US personnel. JFRs are conducted whenever circumstances warrant. High level visitors to JPAC’s Detachment Two are frequent and in recent months included the Secretary of State, Director of National Intelligence, US Army Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Navy. JPAC Detachment Two is now under the command of LTC Patrick Keane USA, who assumed his post from LTC Todd Emoto, USA, in November, 2010. The steady stream of such high level visitors is in keeping with increased bilateral economic and military-to-military relations and an expanding political and security agenda.

On November 16th, four RTs completed the 116th JFA in Laos to account for US personnel lost in two incidents in Savannakhet Province and one in Xekong Province. A repatriation ceremony was held to officially receive remains recently recovered that could be those of Americans. Present for the ceremony were the Lao Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary General of the Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires. Joint field operations scheduled for January 14 - February 16th were canceled due to inability at that time to reach contract agreement for helicopter transportation. A last-minute request to use ground transportation was rejected by the Lao Government, leaving MG Stephen Tom, USAR, JPAC Commander, little choice. Joint operations resumed on March 7th and concluded on April 5th. Two RTs conducted operations in Khammouane and Savannakket Provinces (both visited by the League Delegation) and one IT in Bolikhamxai Province. All were under the command of LTC Chris Barnwell, USA, Detachment Three Commander.

Field operations in Cambodia were conducted February 5th to March 18th. Included were one RT and one Underwater Recovery Team (URT), operating in Kratie and Kampong Cham Provinces. Field operations in Cambodia are under the command of JPAC Detachment One Commander LtCol Marc Galler, USAF. He also handles operations in India and, when resumed, Burma, as well as significant logistics support for field operations in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. In addition, JPAC has one IT and two RTs conducting operations until April 23rd in Papua New Guinea and recently had one Liaison Element and one RT in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and one IT in Germany. Once a high-level US policy decision is made to reengage Burma, likely under the humanitarian umbrella necessary to maintain separation from serious political differences, JPAC is eager to renew WWII remains recoveries.

FUTURE OF US-RUSSIA JOINT COMMISSION (USRJC) ON POW/MIAs STILL UNCERTAIN: Late last year the VFW and the League, supported by the DAV, JWV, the American Legion and Korean War and WWII-related family groups, wrote letters to the President and senior Obama Administration officials, a consensus intervention to block proposals then under consideration at higher levels that would dramatically alter the USRJC’s structure and undercut or destroy its effectiveness by subsuming the issue into a broader-based US-Russia Bilateral Commission (BLC). In the BLC construct, DPMO would be in a position to control, rather than directly support, the work of the USRJC. At that time and following a meeting of the US Commissioners, there was little evidence that higher level officials were paying serious attention. Our consensus view was that now is not the time to dismantle what could finally be a strengthened, effective, USJRC.

A DPMO-hosted meeting on January 12th did nothing to dispel the families’ and veteran groups’ concerns, nor did learning that the POW/MIA accounting issue was not mentioned in the official December 27, 2010, letter of agreement between the US Secretary of Defense and his counterpart, the Russian Minister of Defense. No decisions came from the meeting, but there was unanimous opposition to arguments presented by DASD Newberry and Ms. Leslie Hayden, previously Director of Russian Affairs on the National Security Council Staff. (Efforts to dismantle the USRJC’s independence and unique support structure, including the JCSD Office in Moscow, have been pursued by former DPMO Directors, but never before reached such a crisis point. DASD Newberry moved reassigned several JCSD specialists into DPMO’s WWII Research Analysis Directorate, and funding designated for USRJC support was diverted to other DPMO priorities.

The Obama Administration IS now paying attention, and there is reason for cautious optimism. The National Commander and Executive Director of the VFW met with President Obama on March 10th during the VFW’s Washington Conference. Retired Marine and Vietnam combat veteran VFW National Commander Richard L. Eubank, accompanied by Executive Director Bob Wallace, also a Vietnam War combat veteran and former VFW National Commander, raised the customary issues related to supporting our Nation’s veterans, but Mr. Eubank also raised serious concerns about the current direction of US POW/MIA accounting efforts and the USRJC. The VFW’s press release stated:

Support for the families of America’s MIAs was also a discussion topic, especially with the new congressional mandate for the Defense Department to begin identifying at least 200 missing servicemen by the year 2015, which is more than double their current average. “We are very grateful for the large budget recommendations for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command,” said Eubank, who has witnessed the dedication of U.S. military and civilian employees to help recover missing Americans in Vietnam, Russia and elsewhere. The funding increase will allow JPAC to further expand their worldwide mission to meet the new requirement, but the VFW is concerned that search and recovery efforts in Southeast Asia could take a backseat to other wars, where the opportunity to recover more MIAs with less effort may exist. “After meeting with the president, I am proud to report that Southeast Asia operations will continue unabated, and that the future of the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs is secure,” he said. “America has a sacred responsibility to care for her veterans, military and their families, and to ensure a fallen comrade is never left behind on the battlefield. The president is ensuring that promise is kept.”

USRJC American Chairman General Robert “Doc” Foglesong, USAF (ret) will be meeting with Obama Administration leaders very soon and there should emerge a clear picture of the USRJC’s future. In the interim, USRJC Commissioner & Executive Secretary Norm Kass “retired” on December 31st, after serving the USRJC since its inception in 1992, fighting tirelessly to prevent the many DPMO attempts over the years to control, rather than support, the USRJC’s important work. (The good news is that Norm Kass agreed to join the League Advisory Board as Advisor on Russia & the Former Soviet Union.)

42nd ANNUAL MEETING JULY 21-24, 2011: This year’s annual meeting must take off from the high point where we ended last year, and it is up to us to make it special. YOU can help by being there. Governmental transitions have now taken place, as have changes within the POW/MIA Community, and there is much to discuss and decide in terms of the League’s and the issue’s future. We don’t yet know who the Keynote Speaker will be at the Opening Session on Thursday, July 21st, 9:00 a.m.; however, there will be two very full days of presentations by senior US and League officials, briefings by analytic personnel, field operators, scientists and guest presenters on the complete range of issue-related policy and operational matters. A three-hour Question & Answer session with US officials will be held on Saturday morning, July 23rd, followed by the bylaw-required League Business Session.

There will also be Special Events. The 42nd Annual Dinner & Candlelight Ceremony will be on Thursday, July 21st, an event that is always inspirational. Cost this year is again $55.00 per person. On Friday night, we have requested a concert at historic Ft. Myer. The United States Army Chorus is the only military musical group ever to receive the League Award for its many contributions over the years to annual meetings. BINGO Night will conclude all activities on Saturday night, July 23rd.

Reservations can now be made at the Hilton Crystal City Hotel. Call 1-800-HILTONS (800-445-8667), noting affiliation with the League’s 42nd Annual Meeting, or go to www.hilton.com, and use Group Code “POW” to get the special rate of $149.00 (plus taxes) per room, per night, single or double. Deadline to secure the special rate is June 22nd, but the block of rooms is limited, so early reservations are encouraged to ensure desired accommodations are available.

Registration: The form to register for the 42nd Annual Meeting is included as an insert to this newsletter, as is the flyer on Program Ad Rates on the reverse. Simply complete and return the form to the League office with your check for the registration fee ($50.00 per League member; $60.00 for non-League-members), plus $55.00 per person for the 42nd Annual Dinner and Candlelight Ceremony. This form is also available from the League’s web site: www.pow-miafamilies.org.

Transportation: As stipulated by Congress, the Secretary of Defense is expected to again authorize transportation (COIN Assist) for two family members representing each Vietnam War missing and unaccounted for US serviceman and civilian to attend the annual meeting during which official briefings will be given. Service Casualty Offices (SCOs) will be sending information to some (not all) family members about the annual meeting (too often with VERY confusing content) and forms to complete for requesting COIN Assist transportation, file reviews, attendance at Service-hosted luncheons, and transportation to the Friday evening concert. In authorizing COIN Assist, Congressional intent was to ensure that each unaccounted for American would be represented at the League’s annual meetings. Please help spread the word: All family members are eligible to attend League annual meetings at which official briefings will be given, though some League events are open only to those who register for the full League 42nd Annual Meeting. If you have questions, please call the League office, 703-465-7432.

Silent Auction: There will again be a Silent Auction, smaller in scope and open fewer hours. Sorely as are needed the funds generated by this highly successful event, it is very labor-intensive and de-manding. Nevertheless, in view of the tremendous success each year, we are again seeking suitable items for display and purchase. Please be very selective. Bring the item(s) with you and deliver them to the Auction Room, 1st floor of the Hilton, adjacent to the Military Service Casualty Offices, or send them to the League office. Please send or bring an itemized list, with each item’s value.

Program Ad Rates: Each year, the League publishes a beautiful program that includes individual ads honoring missing US personnel, organizational ads with best wishes to the families gathered for the meeting, ads promoting POW/MIA-related and other products, etc. The yellow insert provides the 2011 Program Ad Rates. The deadline for receipt of ads is June 30th. If possible, email your camera-ready ad to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and mail a copy with payment to the League office.

DUES PAYABLE: The response to the special postcards that were sent out in late January has been outstanding. Whether or not dues were paid, ALL League family members are receiving this mailing due to the election and annual meeting information; however, this will be the LAST mailing unless dues are paid for 2011. The label on the front of your envelope lists the date dues were last paid for the year, EXCEPT that these labels were printed out in early March, and at least 100-200 League members – both family and associate – have since paid dues. If you sent a check, or paid through PayPal since early March, there is no need to again pay the $25.00 dues, though of course donations are always welcome. You should also know that only those Associate Members who had paid dues current at least through 2010 received this mailing. It is simply unwise and unfair to those who support the League to continue distributing material to those who don’t care enough or pay close enough attention to recognize that no humanitarian organization can survive without funding UNLESS it receives government funds. THE LEAGUE DOES NOT RECEIVE, AND HAS NEVER RECEIVED, FUNDS FROM THE USG. So if you are a family member and your dues have not been paid, either send a check or go online to use PayPal. (Unless current, you will NOT receive a ballot to vote in the 2011-2013 Board of Directors Election.) Associate members whose label indicates 2010 – your dues are also due each year on December 31st.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION: As called for in the bylaws, an election is held every other year to choose seven League members who will serve a two-year term. Applications to be a candidate are enclosed; candidate criteria, plus general duties and responsibilities are listed. If you have the means – physically and financially – plus the motivation and dedication to serve, please consider being a candidate for the 2011-2013 Board of Directors. The deadline for receipt of applications in the League office is June 3, 2011.

MESSAGE FROM ANN MILLS-GRIFFITHS: After running the national office for exactly 33 years, I will be stepping down on August 1st as League Executive Director, though not out of the issue if re-elected to the Board of Directors. With the Board’s consensus, I will retain primary responsibility as the League’s policy point-of-contact for US and foreign officials with whom I have worked for decades. This is especially important as it pertains to foreign officials who do not move in and out of government the way officials do in the United States, especially in conjunction with presidential elections. Continuity and knowledge among the leaders of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are well-established and invaluable. With very few exceptions, such knowledge and continuity do not exist within official US circles, at least at the policy level; thankfully, a few who have served since near the war’s end at Central Identification Laboratory (CIL) and Defense Intelligence Agency are still with us.

It is my intention to co-author a nonfiction, well-documented book that will finally get the facts published on significant issue-related circumstances and events that transpired over the last few decades. Though no profits are expected, it is absolutely critical that the true story be told. As a civilian, female, non-government participant with a TOP SECRET clearance, I was in a unique position working with, but not for, the US Government, much as it was resented by some. It is time to do this now, before it is too late. Therefore, a very knowledgeable young lady, Lacy Rourke, will begin as the League’s National Coordinator on June 1st, and will be introduced at our 42nd Annual Meeting. That will give us two months of full time overlap in the League office, though I intend to spend quite a bit of time in book-preparation. Lacy once worked as a League Intern before getting her undergraduate degree a few years ago. We are most fortunate that the timing was right for her to re-join us.

COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN (CFC): The League (a 501 [c] 3 nonprofit organization) again met the stringent criteria for eligibility in the 2010 campaign and has applied for the 2011 campaign that begins next October. Our official number is the same, CFC #10218, assigned by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Washington, DC. The League is the ONLY nonprofit organization representing American POW/MIAs, KIA/BNRs and their families eligible for donations through CFC & United Way. Despite the reality of many competing charities and much need, especially in a time of war, the League is proud of our eligibility, due to the tough requirements that must be met and is in urgent need of tax-deductible donations, FEIN #23-7071242.

POW/MIA FLAG POSTING: You can help check to ensure compliance with existing law and postal regulation on May 21st, Armed Forces Day, and May 30th, Memorial Day. These two days are two of the six days on which public law requires posting of our POW/MIA flag. All offices of the US Postal Service are also required to post our flag, by issuance of USPS POSTAL BULLETIN 21967 (3-12-98). Go to your local offices of the US Postal Service and ask for the postmaster. Either thank the postmaster for flying our POW/MIA flag, OR ask the postmaster why his USPS location is not in compliance with the law and the USPS Bulletin. Report your finding to Susie Stephens-Harvey, Georgia State & Regions I & II Coordinator, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

FINAL PRINTING OF SPECIAL COOKBOOK: Mrs. Christine Jones, MIA mother (Major Bobby M. Jones, MD, USAF), also mother of League Vice Chairman of the Board Jo Anne Shirley, wrote a very special dessert/specialty cookbook of well-tested recipes that she dedicated to her MIA son and all American POW/MIAs. She has offered to do another printing of Gamma’s Goodies and again donate the proceeds to the League. The cost per copy is $20.00. For all who plan to attend the 42nd Annual Meeting, Jo Anne indicated willingness to bring copies with her. Otherwise, please add $5.00 for PRIORITY MAIL, or $2.00 for regular mail. Gamma’s Goodies makes a perfect birthday, 1st anniversary or bridal shower gift. To order, send a check to the League office for the number of books you need, and the office will notify Mrs. Jones.

THE RIDE HOME: Once again, Rolling Thunder Chapters are organizing The Ride Home in Americus, Georgia, and inviting all returned POWs and MIA family members to attend as their guests. The weekend begins on Thursday, September 15, 2011, and coincides with National POW/MIA Recognition Day on Friday, September 16th. The League forwarded individual invitations to those who reside in the southeastern part of our country, but all are welcome – getting to Americus and back home are the only arrangements you will have to make! League members who attended in 2010 and the year before were outspoken in their praise of the event, the support, the awareness and the chance to honor our missing POW/MIAs. You'll attend recognition ceremonies, dedications and dinners that honor our loved ones and returned POWs from all conflicts. If you haven't visited the Andersonville (GA) prison or National POW Museum, this is your chance. Information is also available on the League’s website, or contact Mr. George Christo, POW/MIA Liaison at 239-823-9794 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit www.theridehome.com.

CONTRIBUTE BY SEARCHING & SHOPPING ON THE INTERNET: Here are three ways you can help the League financially when using the Internet, especially for online shopping.

iGive.com, an Internet search engine and shopping mall that contributes a portion of its sales and advertising dollars to non-profits. Just register as a new user and designate the League for contributions. For each online search you make, the League will receive one penny but, in addition, using www.iGive.com to make online purchases, and designating the League, will mean the League also receives a variable percentage of the sale – up to 20% - depending on the retail outlet..

GoodSearch.com, powered by Yahoo, another online search engine that shares revenue with non-profit organizations, in this case 50%, split among user-designated groups. Just go online and visit the website www.GoodSearch.com and choose the League as your favorite cause. GoodSearch expanded to include GoodShop, an online shopping mall of merchants dedicated to helping fund worthy causes. If designated, each purchase made using www.GoodShop.com will result in a donation to the League – meaning a donation of up to 20% of the sale.

Please use iGive.com or GoodSearch.com every time you search for information on the Internet. Use iGive.com or GoodShop.com to make online purchases. Together we can make a big difference.

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