|
|
The American Legion of Iowa"For God and Country" - "We Can. We Will." |
|
|
|
|
Last year, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Brown from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) sent a list of 27 names of Iowans who didn't come back to US soil after the wars they served in. "From that list of names, we found 26 family members we could contact and obtain a family reference sample," said Brown. "Iowa did a great job of getting the word out that we are still looking for people to possibly help us identify one of our fallen heroes from Iowa. I am proud of the effort the people of Iowa made to give us those leads and so we could make the necessary contacts." "It all boils down to a promise made to everyone who enters the military that you will not be left behind," said Brown. "The members of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command intend to keep that promise but we need help to find relatives of those members. Our top priority are the last known alive cases, said Brown. Those are the people we are seeking who were last seen alive but remain unaccounted for." "JPAC never turns down a lead that may lead to bringing closure to a family that has been waiting years to hear," said Brown. "We owe it to the fallen members and their families to bring that necessary closure they deserve." Iowa did such a great job last year, Brown is presenting a new list of names and asking Iowa's help to find those family members that can give the needed family reference samples. It's a simple procedure to obtain the needed sample. "We are looking for mitochondrial DNA samples," said Brown. "This is DNA that runs down the maternal side of the family and to get the sample is simple." A DNA kit will be requested from a Service Causality Office. The person giving the sample just swabs their cheek and sends the package off in the pre-paid envelope. "It's that simple," said Brown. "We have enlisted the help of the Iowa AMVETs, VFW and American Legion to help us get the word out this year." Another Iowan searching for fallen Iowans is Linda Baublitz who grew up in the Emmetsburg and Mallard area. She works at the Department of the Army Service Causality Office in Alexandria, Virginia. "Linda and I talk a lot about our youth in Iowa and hearing the stories about people going off and fighting wars, said Brown. "We never knew until later in life that there are those who had never returned." "One thing I know through talking to Iowans; they still care!" said Brown. "Iowans are still neighbor helping neighbor people and want to see all these heroes back on American Soil." "People need to know, this process takes a while from the time we get the reference sample to making an identification." said Brown. "It isn't like CSI where things happen in an hour; sometimes it takes months to years; but it's worth it in the end." "I invite anyone with questions to go on the JPAC Web Site at www.jpac.pacom.mil for any questions." said Brown. View a list of Iowans for whom a reference sample is needed. |
|
Send mail to
webmaster@ialegion.org with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
