In 1971, Mrs. Michael Hoff, an MIA wife and member of the National League of Families, recognized the need for a symbol of our POW MIAs. Prompted by an article in the Jacksonville, Florida Times-Union, Mrs. Hoff contacted Norman Rivkees, Vice President of Annin & Company which had made a banner for the newest member of the United Nations, the People's Republic of China, as a part of their policy to provide flags to all United Nations members states. Mrs. Hoff found Mr. Rivkees very sympathetic to the POW/MIA issue, and he, along with Annin's advertising agency, designed a flag to represent our missing men. Following League approval, the flags were manufactured for distribution.
On March 9, 1989, an official League flag, which flew over the White House on 1988 National POW MIA Recognition Day, was installed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda as a result of legislation passed overwhelmingly during the 100th Congress. In a demonstration of bipartisan Congressional support, the leadership of both Houses hosted the installation ceremony.
The League's POW MIA flag is the only flag ever displayed in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda where it will stand as a powerful symbol of national commitment to America's POW MIAs until the fullest possible accounting has been achieved for U.S. personnel still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. On August 10, 1990, the 101st Congress passed U.S. Public Law 101-355, which recognized the League's POW MIA flag and designated it "as the symbol of our Nation's concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing and unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, thus ending the uncertainty for their families and the Nation".
The importance of the League's POW MIA flag lies in its continued visibility, a constant reminder of the plight of America's POW MIAs. Other than "Old Glory", the League's POW MIA flag is the only flag ever to fly over the White House, having been displayed in this place of honor on National POW MIA Recognition Day since 1982. Passage by the 105th Congress of Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act requires that the League's POW MIA flag fly six days each year: Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW MIA Recognition Day and Veterans Day. It must be displayed at the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Departments of State, Defense and Veterans Affairs, headquarters of the Selective Service System, major military installations as designated by the Secretary of the Defense, all Federal cemeteries and all offices of the U.S. Postal Service. By law passed in 2002, it must fly year-round at the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial and the World War II Memorial.
JPAC Detachments JPAC maintains three permanent overseas detachments in Southeast Asia, each operated by a lieutenant colonel, to assist with command and control, logistics, and in-country support during investigation and recovery operations. JPAC also maintains a fourth detachment, Detachment Four, at Camp Smith, Hawaii, which is responsible for recovery team personnel when they are not deployed.
JPAC Detachment One, Bangkok, Thailand Detachment One is located in Bangkok, Thailand, with its offices located in the US Embassy. Det One officially stood-up in January 1992 as one of four geographically separated detachments. Det One's mission is to provide the administrative and logistical support required to conduct field operations in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Burma. With a forward operating logistics location at U`tapao Royal Thai Naval Air Station in Pattaya, Thailand, JPAC is able to utilize host country facilities for transit of personnel and pre-positioning of equipment. Lt. Col. Peter G. Huddle, U.S. Air Force, is the current commander of Det One. He is supported by six military personnel and five civilians. In addition to serving as the logistics hub for operations in Southeast Asia, Det One is responsible for investigative and field activities in Cambodia. These duties entail monthly liaison visits to Cambodia and two Joint Field Activities (JFAs) per year.
JPAC Detachment Two, Hanoi, Vietnam Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command's Detachment Two is selectively manned joint duty, geographically separated and forward deployed in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV). The Det Two mission is to plan, coordinate and execute humanitarian efforts to account-for and resolve the fates of unaccounted-for Americans from the Vietnam War. Lt. Col. James E. Saenz, U.S. Army, is the current commander of Det Two. Four Joint Field Activities (JFAs) are conducted each year. Each JFA lasts approximately 30 days. During field operations, we support investigative and recovery teams that consist of 95 American military members and United States Department of Defense civilian employees, 20 representatives of the Vietnamese Government and up to 600 local workers. We are the United States Government's
JPAC Detachment Three, Vientiane, Laos Detachment Three is located in Vientiane, Laos with its offices located in the U.S. Embassy. Det Three was officially established in January 1992 as one of four geographically separated detachments under Joint Task Force-Full Accounting Headquarters at Camp Smith, Hawaii. Det Three 's mission is to provide command, control, and logistical support required to conduct field operations in Laos. With a forward operating logistics location in Savannakhet, Laos, Det Three is able to utilize host country equipment and facilities for transit of personnel and pre-positioning of equipment. Lt. Col. Brandt Deck, U.S. Army, is the current commander of Det Three. He is supported by three military personnel, two DoD civilians, and seven host nation civilian personnel. Det Three is responsible for the safe conduct of five field operations per fiscal year. These duties entail monthly liaisons with various members of the government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
JPAC Detachment Four, Oahu, Hawaii Detachment Four is located on Camp H.M. Smith on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Det. Four's mission is to provide mission essential training, recovery mission planning, and command and control of recovery teams when not under the operational control of Detachments 1-3. Det. Four deploys teams on over 75 missions per year to conduct World Wide Recovery Operations to achieve the fullest possible accounting of Americans still unaccounted-for from our nation's previous conflicts. The detachment consists of 100 joint-service members divided into 18 recovery teams. Det. 4 is also charged with integrating Active Duty specialists to augment recovery teams. These specialists typically come from the fields of Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Medical, Communications, and Life Support Investigation. When directed, Det. Four also deploys teams to assist with contingency humanitarian operations.
Remains of missing service members are returned to the Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for identification. Currently the laboratory is identifying about 2 service men a week - over a hundred a year. There is one American still missing from Operations Desert Shield/Storm, and there are more than 1,750 from the Vietnam War, 120 from the Cold War, more than 8,100 from the Korean War, and more than 78,000 from World War II.
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Tom Berger has sinced written about articles on various topics from Vietnam Travel, Education Toys and Acne Treatment. Tom Berger is a writer for The VVA Veteran, the official voice of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. ? An organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. Learn more at