[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 444 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 444
Extending the thanks of Congress and the Nation to the Defense POW/
Missing Personnel Office, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command of the
Department of Defense, the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory,
the Air Force Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory, and the military
departments and to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for their efforts
to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all Americans unaccounted
for as a result of the Vietnam War.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 29, 2006
Mr. Simmons (for himself, Mr. Evans, Ms. Bordallo, Ms. Millender-
McDonald, and Mr. Ruppersberger) submitted the following concurrent
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and
in addition to the Committee on International Relations, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Extending the thanks of Congress and the Nation to the Defense POW/
Missing Personnel Office, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command of the
Department of Defense, the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory,
the Air Force Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory, and the military
departments and to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for their efforts
to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all Americans unaccounted
for as a result of the Vietnam War.
Whereas the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO), an element of the
Office of the Secretary of Defense, exercises policy, control and
oversight within the Department of Defense of the process of
investigation, analysis, recovery, and fullest possible accounting of
Americans missing as a result of the Nation's previous conflicts;
Whereas the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), located on the island of
Oahu in Hawaii, is charged with the mission of achieving the fullest
possible accounting of all Americans missing as a result of the Nation's
previous conflicts;
Whereas the laboratory portion of that command, referred to as the Central
Identification Laboratory, is the largest forensic anthropology
laboratory in the world;
Whereas the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL), located in
Rockville, Maryland, is one of the leading laboratories in the world for
processing degraded skeletal remains and family references for
mitochondrial DNA;
Whereas the Air Force Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory (LSEL), located in San
Antonio, Texas, houses the most comprehensive technical library and
collection of life sciences equipment used by the U.S. military, to
include analysts for artifact identification;
Whereas National POW/MIA Recognition Day is one of the six days specified by law
as days on which the POW/MIA flag is to be flown over specified Federal
facilities and national cemeteries, post offices, and military
installations;
Whereas as diplomatic relations of the United States with the Socialist Republic
of Vietnam have improved, so has access to archival information and on-
site investigations relative to unaccounted-for Americans;
Whereas as of June 28, 2006, 86 Joint Field Activities have been conducted in
Vietnam in hopes of bringing home remains of Americans unaccounted for
from the Vietnam War;
Whereas as of June 28, 2006, the remains of 604 Americans have been repatriated
from Vietnam, identified, and returned to their families;
Whereas as of June 28, 2006, 95 Joint Field Activities have been conducted in
Laos in hopes of bringing home remains of Americans unaccounted for from
the Vietnam War;
Whereas as of June 28, 2006, the remains of 208 Americans have been repatriated
from Laos, identified, and returned to their families;
Whereas as of June 28, 2006, 35 Joint Field Activities have been conducted in
Cambodia in hopes of bringing home remains of Americans unaccounted for
from the Vietnam War;
Whereas as of June 28, 2006, the remains of 29 Americans have been repatriated
from Cambodia, identified, and returned to their families;
Whereas in June 2006 the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA
Affairs met with senior Vietnamese officials to follow-up on proposals
made during previous visits; and
Whereas the United States has a historic commitment to the recovery of and full
accounting for Americans who are missing from the Nation's wars and
conflicts: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That the Congress--
(1) recognizes that National POW/MIA Recognition Day is one
of the six days specified by law (pursuant to section 902 of
title 36, United States Code) as days on which the POW/MIA flag
is to be flown over specified Federal facilities and national
cemeteries, military installations, and post offices;
(2) applauds the personnel of the Defense POW/Missing
Personnel Office (DPMO), the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command
of the Department of Defense, the Armed Forces DNA
Identification Laboratory, the Air Force Life Sciences
Equipment Laboratory, and the military departments for
continuing their mission of achieving the fullest possible
accounting of all Americans unaccounted for as a result of the
Nation's previous conflicts;
(3) extends the thanks of the Congress and the Nation to
the personnel of those offices, commands, and laboratories in
the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for
their efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all
Americans who remain unaccounted for as a result of the Vietnam
War;
(4) encourages the United States Government to use all
available means to continue the mission described in paragraph
(1) at current or greater levels until the fullest possible
accounting is achieved;
(5) recognizes that the efforts and involvement of POW/MIA
families and veterans contribute significantly to the fullest
possible accounting of missing Americans;
(6) recognizes the assistance of host nations in supporting
the efforts of the United States Government to achieve the
fullest possible accounting of all Americans unaccounted for as
a result of the Nation's previous conflicts;
(7) recognizes and honors the eight Americans and nine
Vietnamese who have paid the ultimate price in supporting the
mission of fullest possible accounting, namely Lieutenant
Colonel Rennie Cory, Lieutenant Colonel George C. Martin, Major
Charles E. Lewis, Captain Richard M. Rees, Chief Hospital
Corpsman Pedro J. Gonzales, Master Sergeant Steven L. Moser,
Sergeant First Class Tommy J. Murphy, Technical Sergeant Robert
M. Flynn, Senior Colonel Tran Van Bien, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Ha,
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Ha, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen
Thanh Son, Major Vu Pham The Kien, Major Nguyen Huu Nham,
Lieutenant Giap Thanh Ngan, Lieutenant Dang Ngoc, and
Lieutenant Pham Huy Dung;
(8) thanks the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for continued
assistance and cooperation in the humane recovery,
identification, and repatriation of the remains of American
personnel remaining unaccounted for from the Vietnam era; and
(9) recognizes that the efforts and involvement of POW/MIA
families contribute significantly to the success of Joint POW/
MIA Accounting Command and that that command owes a great deal
of gratitude to the families and veterans who support the
mission of that command.
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