DoD Assists in Identification of Missing Vietnam-Era CIA Pilot
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of an American civilian pilot, missing in action from Vietnam while flying for Civil Air Transport, a proprietary of the CIA, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is James B. McGovern Jr. of Elizabeth, N.J. He will be buried tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On May 6, 1954, McGovern, along with his co-pilot, First Officer Wallace A. Buford, and four French servicemen, departed Haiphong, Vietnam, in their Civil Air Transport C-119 on what was to be the last supply drop to the besieged French forces at Camp Isabelle-the remaining French holdout in the battle of Dien Bien Phu. As the aircraft approached the drop zone, it was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The pilots attempted to fly southwest to the relative safety of Laos, but crashed along the Song [River] Ma in Houaphan Province. Only two of the Frenchmen survived and were taken prisoner by Lao forces. One of them died within a few days, and the other was released and returned to France a few months later. McGovern, Wallace and two of the French servicemen were not recovered.
Between 1997 and 1998, joint U.S.-Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), traveled to Houaphan Province two times to investigate the incident. They interviewed several Laotian citizens who recalled the crash. The citizens said that three of the crewmen who died in the impact had been buried near the crash site. When the team surveyed the site, they found small fragments of aircraft wreckage, but did not locate any grave sites.
In 2002, another joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. team excavated the site. They found crew-related equipment and aircraft wreckage, including an aircraft data plate dated 8-21-52, but found no human remains. A few months later, another team revisited the site and recovered human remains from an isolated burial.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA in the identification of McGovern's remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ or call (703) 699-1169.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Guard Soldiers, Families Get Books
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2007 – Indiana citizen-soldiers and their families are enjoying copious reading material thanks to a partnership between bookseller Barnes and Noble, the United Service Organizations and America Supports You, an Indiana Army National Guard senior noncommissioned officer said here May 20. "We've received four semi-(trailer-) truck loads of books" over the past two weeks, Master Sgt. Roy H. Zenor, plans NCO for the Joint Maneuver Training Center at Camp Atterbury, Ind., said during Armed Forces Day activities at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Bookselling colossus Barnes and Noble recently joined the Defense Department's America Supports You program and made a $3.4 million donation of 300,000 items consisting of books, toys and games for servicemembers and their families. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military members and their families serving at home and overseas. The USO participates in the America Supports You program.
"All of these books came from the USO and Barnes and Noble," Zenor said, noting a distribution center was set up at the camp. "We're scheduled to receive eight to 10 truckloads all together."
Camp Atterbury, one of six reserve-component mobilization sites in the United States, is located about 40 miles southwest of Indianapolis, said Zenor, who's assigned to the 638th Military Intelligence Battalion based in Indianapolis.
Volunteers at Camp Atterbury continue to sort out the books according to categories, such as reference, child and educational books, Zenor said.
"Some of these books will become part of the Camp Atterbury library," Zenor said, while other books will go to soldiers training for overseas deployment at Camp Atterbury or to troops returning from duty abroad. Other books, toys and games will be forwarded to other Indiana military units as well as to state family-assistance organizations.
Troops at Camp Atterbury already are enjoying the donated books on their off-duty time, Zenor said.
"Soldiers tell us they're reading books they never thought they'd read, which is a good thing to hear," Zenor said.
Zenor said he became aware of USO-affiliated activities for the military at an Inter Service Family Assistance Committee meeting he'd attended in Indianapolis. Afterward, USO representatives traveled to Camp Atterbury to meet with Zenor and other officials.
"They talked about what the USO could do for Camp Atterbury," Zenor recalled. "And, we continued to work on that relationship." The USO later told Zenor about the possibility of obtaining some donated books.
Penske Logistics, a global trucking firm, is delivering 22 trailer loads of Barnes and Noble-donated items to military bases nationwide. The trucking company has assisted in shipping book donations to ASY affiliates Delaware-based Operation AC, Operation Shoebox in Florida, Adopt-a-Chaplain in California, the USO of Indiana and other nonprofit groups nationwide. ASY partner Y3K Grafix enlisted Penske's assistance.
The magnitude of all of this support "is just amazing" and very much appreciated, Zenor said.
Zenor's zeal is commendable, noted Marie Spinosa, director of fund raising for the Indianapolis-based USO of Indiana.
"I really was impressed by Sergeant Zenor's excitement about the donation," Spinosa said. "He has worked very hard to make sure he can use the donation wisely and that people can benefit from it in the best way."
The USO is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale, welfare and recreation-type services to U.S. servicemembers. The USO operates more than 130 centers worldwide. Overseas centers are located in Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Afghanistan, Guam, and Kuwait.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
American Forces Press Service
May 22, 2007 – Indiana citizen-soldiers and their families are enjoying copious reading material thanks to a partnership between bookseller Barnes and Noble, the United Service Organizations and America Supports You, an Indiana Army National Guard senior noncommissioned officer said here May 20. "We've received four semi-(trailer-) truck loads of books" over the past two weeks, Master Sgt. Roy H. Zenor, plans NCO for the Joint Maneuver Training Center at Camp Atterbury, Ind., said during Armed Forces Day activities at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Bookselling colossus Barnes and Noble recently joined the Defense Department's America Supports You program and made a $3.4 million donation of 300,000 items consisting of books, toys and games for servicemembers and their families. America Supports You connects citizens and corporations with military members and their families serving at home and overseas. The USO participates in the America Supports You program.
"All of these books came from the USO and Barnes and Noble," Zenor said, noting a distribution center was set up at the camp. "We're scheduled to receive eight to 10 truckloads all together."
Camp Atterbury, one of six reserve-component mobilization sites in the United States, is located about 40 miles southwest of Indianapolis, said Zenor, who's assigned to the 638th Military Intelligence Battalion based in Indianapolis.
Volunteers at Camp Atterbury continue to sort out the books according to categories, such as reference, child and educational books, Zenor said.
"Some of these books will become part of the Camp Atterbury library," Zenor said, while other books will go to soldiers training for overseas deployment at Camp Atterbury or to troops returning from duty abroad. Other books, toys and games will be forwarded to other Indiana military units as well as to state family-assistance organizations.
Troops at Camp Atterbury already are enjoying the donated books on their off-duty time, Zenor said.
"Soldiers tell us they're reading books they never thought they'd read, which is a good thing to hear," Zenor said.
Zenor said he became aware of USO-affiliated activities for the military at an Inter Service Family Assistance Committee meeting he'd attended in Indianapolis. Afterward, USO representatives traveled to Camp Atterbury to meet with Zenor and other officials.
"They talked about what the USO could do for Camp Atterbury," Zenor recalled. "And, we continued to work on that relationship." The USO later told Zenor about the possibility of obtaining some donated books.
Penske Logistics, a global trucking firm, is delivering 22 trailer loads of Barnes and Noble-donated items to military bases nationwide. The trucking company has assisted in shipping book donations to ASY affiliates Delaware-based Operation AC, Operation Shoebox in Florida, Adopt-a-Chaplain in California, the USO of Indiana and other nonprofit groups nationwide. ASY partner Y3K Grafix enlisted Penske's assistance.
The magnitude of all of this support "is just amazing" and very much appreciated, Zenor said.
Zenor's zeal is commendable, noted Marie Spinosa, director of fund raising for the Indianapolis-based USO of Indiana.
"I really was impressed by Sergeant Zenor's excitement about the donation," Spinosa said. "He has worked very hard to make sure he can use the donation wisely and that people can benefit from it in the best way."
The USO is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale, welfare and recreation-type services to U.S. servicemembers. The USO operates more than 130 centers worldwide. Overseas centers are located in Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Afghanistan, Guam, and Kuwait.
Article sponsored by criminal justice online leadership; and, police and military personnel who have authored books.
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