Biographies on Prisoners of War and Missing in Action 
[POW/MIA]
from the Vietnam Conflict

The list of ALL those declared POW/MIA during the Vietnam Conflict, beginning in 1952. Includes those declared Prisoner of War (POW), declared Missing In Action (MIA), Presumed Dead (PFOD), Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered (KIA/BNR), Died In Captivity (DIC), escapees, and returnees - includes civilians and foreign nationals.  Based on the PMSEA used by USG officials.

One of the last flights - 1973

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51366120/#51366120

The biographies available may be only the START of information available on any POW/MIA listed. Leave e-mail if more information is desired. We will search our archive and email any further information found. Biographies are updated here as soon as new information is received. PLEASE notify us of any errors found.

NOTE: ALL data in the statistical area of the biography is based on determination AT TIME OF LOSS, including rank and status. Since then, promotions may have occurred and ALL POW/MIAs have been declared "presumed" dead (PFOD) with a Presumptive Finding Of Death hearing or declared "Killed in Action/Body not Recovered" (KIA/BNR), including those "last known alive."

The Department of Defense uses one of the main data bases [PMSEA] for this program to verify legitimacy of a former Vietnam Prisoner of War. If a name does not appear on the PMSEA or in the index of names -- the "P.O.W." may be a wannabe or PHONY.

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INDEX of POW/MIA NAMES

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

Each indexed name is linked to further information if it is available.
 Sources of data and CATEGORY DEFINITIONS below.

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NOTE: Many links to "more info" in the bios have become temporarily disabled due to a change in servers at www.veterantributes.com. We are working to edit the hundreds of links

AND UPDATE EACH AND EVERY BIO. THIS IS A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING
WE HOPE TO HAVE IT COMPLETED BY MAY 1, 2020

All of the NAM-POW tributes can be found in this section:

http://www.veterantributes.org/NAM_POWS.php

 

All of the Son Tay Raiders can be found in this section:

http://www.veterantributes.org/Son_Tay_Raiders.php

 

All of the categories can be viewed on this page:

http://www.veterantributes.org/Tributes.php

Info on "how to" contact a returnee, return a bracelet, send a loveletter to a family.

Vietnam dog tags not MIAs

Survival Evidence - 15 page PDF file with names dated Jan 1976

The copper-stained skeleton 
by  Henry Mark Holzer
a Nov 2007 MUST READ

Warning to Families

The Department of Defense and other government agencies have received reports of an individual or individuals who have approached MIA families with personal information about their missing loved one. Using several aliases, this person or persons report that they have interviewed numerous MIAs from the Korean War, the Vietnam War and Desert Storm. They have reportedly asked for money from family members. It appears that individuals tell the family members that their loved one is alive and describe the circumstances under which they met. Much of this information has been confirmed as a fabrication. In many cases, the "live" POW has actually been accounted-for years ago through the identification of his remains. Often, a family member is shown a photo with a known Asian person impersonating an American POW. Family members are urged to avoid these individuals, and report any contacts to their service casualty offices or to the FBI.                                   

More information available on the Virtual VIETNAM Wall

DPAA UPDATED CATEGORY DEFINITIONS

Unaccounted for personnel from past conflicts and other designated
conflicts that the Department has a responsibility to account for are
categorized as "Active Pursuit," "Deferred," "Non-recoverable," and "Under Review." 

(1)  Active Pursuit cases are those for which there exists sufficient
information to justify research, investigation, disinterment, or recovery
operations in the field.  These cases are the priority for operational
planning and allocation of resources.

(2)  Deferred cases are those for which there are no new or viable leads, or access to the site is restricted.

(3)  Non-recoverable cases are those for which there is negligible potential for accounting, such as when an individual's remains are lost at sea (but not buried at sea), or lost due to fire, including cremation or an
explosion.  This assessment is based on historical research, scientific
analysis, and the limits of current technology.  To classify a case as
non-recoverable does not mean that the individual is accounted for.  Should new information be discovered that indicates that it may be possible to recover the remains, the case will be recategorized.

(4)  Under Review cases are those cases that have not yet been categorized as Active Pursuit, Deferred, or Non-recoverable.  When circumstances or new evidence is presented that cause a previously categorized case to be reevaluated, the case will be categorized as Under Review until a newcategory determination can be made.

Categories of Degrees of Information -- Enemy knowledge of POW/MIA
as noted in "CATEGORY" in biographies.

Category 1, Confirmed knowledge
  A. Identified by the enemy by name
  B. Identified by reliable sources. Received from releasee/escapee or
  C. Reported by highly reliable intelligence sources
  D. Identified through analysis of all-source intelligence.

Category 2, Suspect knowledge
  A. Involved in the same incidents as individuals in Category 1.
  B. Lost in areas or under conditions that they may reasonably be expected to be known by the enemy.
  C. Connected with an incident that was discussed but not identified by name in the enemy news media, or
  D. Probably identified through analysis of all-source intelligence.

Category 3, Doubtful knowledge
  This category contains individuals whose loss incident such that it is doubtful that the enemy would have knowledge of the specific individuals.  (e.g., aircrews lost over water or remote areas.)

Category 4, Unknown Knowledge
  A. Individuals whose time and place of incident are unknown (e.g., aircrews members downed at the unknown locations or ground personnel that were separated from their units at an unknown time or place), and
  B. Who do not meet criteria of categories 1 through 3.

Category 5, Category unrelated to degree of enemy knowledge.
  A. Individuals whose remains have been determined to be nonrecoverable as outlined in Department of the Army Technical Manual 10-286, January 1964, section 39.

Data from Defense Intelligence Agency -- January 20, 1982

P.O.W. NETWORK BIOGRAPHY DATA BASE SOURCES:

The Prisoners of War who came home.

Crewmembers or those that served with those that were lost.

Andersonville Museum, POW/MIA Archives.

Survivors with first hand knowledge of incidents.

CONGRESSIONAL REFERENCE DIVISION 5-156C (4/80)
U.S. RETURNEES AND ESCAPEES, SOUTHEAST ASIA 03/15/85

DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
ORDER OF CAPTURE U.S. PERSONNEL SEA 1952-1979 08/26/80 

PMSEA --  U.S. CITIZENS, DEPENDENTS, CAPTURED, MISSING, DETAINED OR VOLUNTARILY DETAINED IN SE ASIA, ACCOUNTED FOR OR UNACCOUNTED FOR FROM 01/01/61 THROUGH CURRENT DATE. - ALPHA 10/11/79 (used to verify legitimacy)   

HOMECOMING (EGRESS RECAP) -SUMMARY OF ALL NON-RETURNEES REPORTED AND CANDIDATE DIA IDENTIFIER -- PW/MIAS NOT LISTED TO BE RETURNED 04/24/73

FAMILY MEMBERS

PUBLISHED ARTICLES, OBITUARIES, CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY, RAW DATA FROM U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY SOURCES

HEARINGS BEFORE THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON POW/MIA AFFAIRS, UNITED STATES SENATE 06/24-25/92
HEARING ON AMERICANS MISSING OR PRISONER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ACCOUNTING PROCESS

HOMECOMING II PROJECT, Margaret Nevin

Lee Humiston, Museum Curator

IDVA
LIST OF CASUALTIES INCURRED BY U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONFLICT IN VIETNAM BY HOME STATE OF RECORD 03/08/77

NAM-POWS, Inc.

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE/LEGISLATIVE LIAISON 
U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO WERE CARRIED IN A HOSTILE MISSING STATUS,
CAPTURED/DETAINED STATUS OR NON-HOSTILE MISSING STATUS FROM 1 JANUARY 1961 AND RETURNED TO MILITARY CONTROL BY 7 APRIL 1973.  07/27/73

REPORT OF THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON POW/MIA AFFAIRS, UNITED STATES SENATE 01/13/93, POW/MIA'S

THE LAST FIREBASE ARCHIVE PROJECT 1994

STATE DEPARTMENT
BRIGHT LIGHT -- LIST OF CASUALTIES INCURRED BY U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL
BY HOME STATE 09/11/78

VIETNAM HELICOPTER PILOTS ASSOCIATION, OCTOBER 1994

WE CAME HOME, BY CAPTAIN AND MRS FREDERIC WYATT, 1977

???????????   {"REMARKS" in each bio can be found in these report}
U.S. UNACCOUNTED FOR IN SOUTH EAST ASIA - ALPHA 11/24/86 --05/27/87
U.S. UNACCOUNTED FOR IN SOUTHEAST ASIA - BY HOME STATE/ALPHA 08/22/84

NAMES ON DRV, PRG, LAOS LISTS -- RETURNEES

MEMORANDUM FOR CORRESPONDENTS -- NUMEROUS 1986-1999

Private research and declassified National Archive documents.

Department of Defense Press releases 1999 - current 

DPMO/DPAA PMSEA May 1997 and current electronic online versions.

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