[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4433-S4434]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, as Americans who value the freedoms 
protected by our country's servicemembers, we must meet our 
responsibility to those who sacrificed so much for our country. To do 
this, we must continue to seek answers for families of America's 
prisoners of war, POWs, and missing in action, MIA.
  In honor of the observation of National POW/MIA Recognition Day this 
September 16, 2022, I join in raising awareness about the more than 
81,500 Americans the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, DPAA, reports 
remain missing from past conflicts. Thank you to the members of the 
POW*MIA Awareness Rally Corp. of Pocatello, ID, and others across our 
country for keeping a spotlight on the need to bring all missing 
American servicemembers home.
  Roughly 360 servicemembers from Idaho are among those who remain 
missing. The vast majority, 328, of Idaho's missing servicemembers were 
lost during their service in World War II, while 23 Idahoans were lost 
serving in the Korean War, and one Idahoan was lost during service in 
the Cold War.
  The remaining eight Idahoans went missing while serving in the 
Vietnam war. Some years ago, then-POW*MIA Awareness Corp. director 
Hiedi Young shared biographies she prepared of those eight Idahoans at 
a rally I attended. The biographies are a thoughtful reminder of the 
ongoing price of our freedom, and I share them here again today to 
highlight the ever-growing need to bring them and their fellow 
servicemembers home. It has now been more than 50 years since these 
Idahoans were lost in service to our country.

       Lieutenant Roderick L. Mayer, United States Navy of 
     Lewiston, has been missing since October 17, 1965, in North 
     Vietnam. Lt. Mayer was a pilot of a fighter jet that was shot 
     down. He and his co-pilot ejected from their aircraft. Based 
     on testimony of his co-pilot, it is believed that he ``died 
     of severe

[[Page S4434]]

     wounds from ejection.'' Status: ``Presumptive Finding of 
     Death, Body Not Recovered.''
       Ensign Hal T. Hollingsworth, United States Navy of Grace, 
     has been missing since January 16, 1966, in South Vietnam. 
     Hollingsworth was the co-pilot of an aircraft that while 
     airborne had mechanical difficulties and crashed at sea. 
     Status: ``Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered.''
       Staff Sargent William B. Hunt, United States Army of 
     Sandpoint, has been missing since November 4, 1966, in South 
     Vietnam. Hunt was lifted into battle to help evacuate 
     wounded. He voluntarily left the aircraft to help reinforce 
     remaining troops on the ground. The Viet Cong attacked the 
     position the unit was maintaining and after 2 days of heavy 
     fighting Hunt was gravely wounded. Status: ``Presumptive 
     Finding of Death, Body Not Recovered.''
       Captain Curtis R. Bohlscheid, United States Marine Corps of 
     Pocatello, has been missing since June 11, 1967, in South 
     Vietnam. Bohlscheid was the pilot of a helicopter which 
     crashed into a steep ravine on a mission to insert a seven-
     man Marine Force Recon team on the battlefield. Status: 
     ``Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered''
       First Lieutenant William E. Lemmons, United States Army of 
     Pocatello, has been missing since June 18, 1967, in South 
     Vietnam. Lemmons was aboard a helicopter on a visual recon 
     mission. The helicopter was declared missing and after 
     extensive searches no trace of the aircraft or its crew was 
     found. Status: ``Missing in Action.''
       Captain Jon K. Bodahl, United States Air Force of Boise, 
     has been missing since November 12, 1969, in Laos. Bodahl was 
     the pilot of an aircraft on a recovery mission that was shot 
     down. His aircraft was found during search and rescue 
     operations, but there was no trace of him. Status: ``Missing 
     in Action.''
       Warrant Officer Jon M. Sparks, United States Army of Carey, 
     has been missing since March 19, 1971, in Laos. Sparks was 
     the co-pilot of a helicopter covering a downed helicopter 
     during a rescue effort. The aircraft was shot down and due to 
     heavy fire a search and rescue mission could not be 
     conducted. It is unknown what his fate was. Status: ``Missing 
     in Action''
       Captain Gregg N. Hollinger, United States Army of Paul, has 
     been missing since December 14, 1971, in South Vietnam. 
     Hollinger was on an administrative mission aboard an aircraft 
     that experienced an in-flight emergency and lost contact with 
     ground control. Extensive searches were conducted for the 
     next three days, over water and the adjacent shore area, but 
     no trace of the aircraft or personnel was ever found. It was 
     later determined the aircraft was lost at sea and the crew 
     and passengers died. Status: ``Killed in Action, Body Not 
     Recovered.''

  My prayers are with their families as the challenging work continues 
to get needed answers and bring our country's servicemembers home. The 
POW/MIA Accounting community's 2022 poster commemorating National POW/
MIA Recognition Day simply states, ``THEIR Sacrifice/OUR Pledge.'' Yes, 
America's responsibility to our servicemembers must be met. May 
presumptions be replaced with facts, as our country's bravest are 
brought home to the families and communities who love them and long for 
their return.

                          ____________________