[Extracted in part from Korean War Project website: http://www.koreanwar.org/]

PLEASE HELP MAKE  FUTURE MEMORIAL DAYS MORE SPECIAL FOR 18th MIA-KIA FAMILIES

[Memorial Day, May 28, 2001].  As I reveled in a pleasant glow from having watched and enjoyed several excellent Public Television programs honoring wartime veterans, both living and dead, I had continued my personal search for an appropriate major subject of interest to highlight this July 2001 issue of 18FWA Status Reports.  Later, while doing my periodic ‘survey’ of the excellent Barker brothers’ Korean War Project website [ www.koreanwar.org ], I came across the ongoing Armed Forces search for DNA samples from families of the 6000 or more missing Heroes who have been unable to return from the Korean War ... whose remains have yet to be discovered, recovered ... and, more importantly, to be positively identified once they are found.

With the exception of the individual buried in the Tomb of The Unknowns, at Arlington Cemetery all unidentified remains repatriated after the Korean War were buried at the Punchbowl, the National Cemetery of the Pacific, Oahu, HI.

Two hundred twenty-four sets of remains had been returned by North Korea prior to the beginning of recent joint United States – North Korean recovery efforts in 1996; only five of those were positively identified.  A total of 42 additional sets have been recovered since the start of joint recovery efforts.  Major advancements in DNA technology however, have prompted the Defense POW/MIA Personnel Office to formulate a policy for the future disinterment of all unknown remains at the Punchbowl National Cemetery for the purpose of positive DNA Identification.

But the DNA database is not yet complete and this is why it is so  important for families to donate their blood samples... and where we of 18FWA can assist their program.  [ Continued on next page ]