46 Months till 2004 - That's when it all stops. The Defense Departments Strategic Plan, that first mentioned POW/MIA investigations, as we know them would cease as of 2004, was written in 1998. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter who the President is or will be. This is a decision that was made in the Pentagon, without consultation with or input from family organizations and their membership.

The recent study, commissioned by DPMO, "called the Mission Area Analysis (MAA), is to help implement the best use of money, resources and technology across the wide range of DoD's responsibilities in personnel recovery and accounting," will provide DPMO the necessary cover to end active investigations as we know them.

Here are DPMO's Words - "By the end of the year 2004, we will have moved from the way the US government conducts the business of recovery and accounting to an active program of loss prevention, immediate rescues, and rapid post-hostility accounting."

DPMO can deny what we say is true. However, they can not deny their own words. Actually, when it suits their purpose, they can deny anything they want.

Your Mission, Should You Decide To Accept --- Stop The Abandonment of our POW/MIAs. In our January 15th 2000 edition of "Bits," we put out the call for help and promised sample letters. Attached with this fax or e-mail are the sample letters and suggestions on how we can exert pressure to change current DPMO plans. To access sample letters, click here.

We are going to be brutally honest here. Many will not like what we have to say... but it needs to be said. The decision to end investigations by 2004 has already been made. The trial balloons are up. It doesn't matter who the President is, or will be. This decision was made at a DoD policy level. Congress can call for a change in that policy, but unless they legislate it, there will be no change. Even if we can get congress to legislate continued investigations, we still have a problem. If one of the four leading candidates for President is elected, he will surely veto any pro-POW/MIA legislation. If he is not elected, he will surely block our efforts in congress.

By now, some of you may be asking... then why bother. The answer is simple YOU ARE THE ONLY VOICES LEFT FOR OUR PRISONERs AND MISSING. We need to make every congressional representative realize that the honest accounting of our Prisoners and Missing is a real issue, important to a great many people.

Inadvertently Left Behind - Within the next several months, the Defense Department will announce the remains identification of servicemen lost on May 15th 1975, at the Kho Tang Island, Cambodia. Eighteen airman, sailors and marines were lost during an attempt to free the U.S. merchant vessel Mayaguez. A detailed article by Lisa Hoffman of Scirpps Howard News Service, published in the Washington Times, on February 23rd 2000 details incident and the evidence that three men were inadvertently left behind... alive.

"...absent is a final accounting of the fate of three Marines who inadvertently were left behind on the island when the rest evacuated. They are believed to have been captured and executed days later."

"The tragic story of the Kho Tang battle began with the seizure of the Mayaguez off the southern coast of Cambodia, 12 days after the fall of South Vietnam's capital, Saigon. President Ford ordered U.S. forces to rescue the 39 crew members."

"By the time the Marines launched their assault, the Cambodians had released the Mayaguez sailors on the Cambodian mainland. An intelligence failure left the Marines unaware that their services no longer were needed."

"More than 230 Marines stormed ashore on Kho Tang, expecting an easy job of overcoming a small enemy encampment numbering no more than 20. Instead, they were met by a well-armed force of 150. A furious battle lasted three hours. Among the losses was the CH-53A helicopter, on which 13 GIs died. In all, 18 U.S. troops were killed.

"The Marines drew back and waited 15 hours to be evacuated from the island, in what became one of the most dramatic rescues of the war. A three-man machine gun team, which included Covington, Ky., native Gary Hall, was dispatched to protect the troops' flank during the withdrawal. But in the fog of battle, the team was mistakenly overlooked. It wasn't until the next day that their absence was realized. By then, it was too late to go back."

"Although their fate is not entirely certain, it is believed the trio survived for several days before being captured and killed. One reportedly was shot to death after being caught stealing food from the Khmer Rouge camp. The other two apparently were bludgeoned to death."

"It wasn't until 1992 that military investigators with the Pentagon's Joint Task Force-Full Accounting operation, which is in charge of accounting for U.S. MIAs, were able to explore either the island or the helicopter wreckage just offshore."

"By 1995, the team - which faced obstacles ranging from unexploded ordnance, poisonous snakes, fierce storms and tropical diseases - had come up with an elaborate method of essentially salvaging the CH-53A chopper so it could be searched for remains. They built a dam around the helicopter and pumped out the water and sand.

"Despite a quarter century of squalls, tides and scavengers, the investigators managed to recover 161 human bone fragments and a few personal effects - all that was left of the GIs, according to Tom Holland, scientific director for the Army's identification lab.

"Later, scientists determined that the bones came from 13 different men. It took another three years to "harvest" enough DNA from the bones and then match it with DNA samples taken from maternal relatives to definitively identify nine of them."

"That left four men unidentified. The remains of three of them were too small to obtain a DNA sample."

Three Marines were left behind on Koh Tang. They are Joseph Hargrove, Gary Hall and Danny Marshall. In the almost 25 years, since that battle, we wonder if anyone has ever explained to the Hargrove, Hall and Marshall families how these men were "inadvertently left behind." Or, why it was "to late" to go back for them. Imagine what these men thought as they waited for rescue and their thoughts when they finally realized no one was coming for them.

One Families Thoughts - The following was sent to us, by Sandy Hargrove. She is the sister-in-law of Joseph Hargrove, "inadvertently left behind" on Kho Tang Island.

"Joseph Hargrove was lost on May 15th 1975 his 24th birthday. I know the whole Hargrove family just knows that Joseph was sacrificed. We were never told the truth."

"Joseph's older brother Lane was killed on April 21,1968. When Lane was going over he was asked if he wanted to go to Canada by one of his older brothers who had already done his time in the Army. Lane said no he wanted to go to Nam."

"In those days we honestly believed that the government cared about us as people. They wouldn't send someone to a foreign country and have him risk his life for no reason... or would they. What we know now and what we knew then. With all that we have gone through I think we would have all gone to Canada with him."

"So Lane was blown up stepping on a land mine and his little brother Joseph just got left behind. So will someone tell me how this country is a better place because it is missing Joseph and Lane Hargrove. Joseph is a human being not a number. How dare anyone to think they can just forget about them. If it wasn't for Ralph writing that article in Popular Science over a year ago I would still get the standard reply I usually get when I mention the Mayaguez. "The What?"

"Well Joseph never came home because of that What. How easily people forget. But now there is a movement out there to hold the government accountable. I love my country don't get me wrong but the people who run it haven't done a very good job as far as Viet Nam. If anything I hope the guys deaths will prevent this from happening again."

"There are other little Hargroves growing up now Thank you God. Maybe they all will have a chance to grow up and have families not just some of them. The families that Lane or Joseph never had, leave a big empty spot at the family reunions." Sandy Hargrove

Clinton Swears To The Lie... Again - On February 22nd 2000, President Clinton, once again, certified Vietnamese cooperation on the POW/MIA issue. Issuing Presidential Determination 2000-14 Clinton cited Vietnamese "full cooperation" in the following areas; resolving discrepancy cases, live sightings and field activities; recovering and repatriating American remains; accelerating efforts to provide documents that will help lead to the fullest possible accounting of POW/MIAs; and providing further assistance in implementing trilateral investigations with Laos.

It is ironic, that the President, who never told the truth, signed this Determination on the official birth date of the President who supposedly never told a lie.

No Remains -- Talks Continue - They're Running The Clock - Football and basketball fans recognize the phrase "running the clock." It means killing time. That's what DPMO is doing. North Korean offered U.S. investigators the opportunity to examine a site where they claim the remains of over 400 American servicemen may be located. Instead of acting on the offer, DPMO requested talks.

So, now they are talking. By the time this matter is settled the site will be paved over and a another whole series of questions will remain unanswered.

They're running the clock.

For Those Few - who may still believe the government is trying to do the right thing regarding our POW/MIAs we remind you...

National Alliance of Families Eleventh Annual Forum is scheduled for June 22th - 24th, 2000, at the Wyndham Hotel, Washington, D.C. (Same as last year.) Room rates are $105.00 per night. For reservations call 202-775-0800. Contributions are needed to finance our forum. Donations may be mailed to:

National Alliance of Families

P.O. Box 40327

Bellevue, WA. 98015.