Since POW/MIA Day was observed last month, I thought I would highlight two organizations that work tirelessly, every day, to recover and identify the remains of missing service members from World War II right up to current conflicts. These outfits, one government and one privately funded, are the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPMAA) and Project Recover.
DPMAA is an agency of the Department of Defense, whose mission is to “provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.” Just in the month of September 2021 alone, DPMAA announced the identification of 19 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines from World War II and the Korean War. This is both the work of the 30 anthropologists, archaeologists and forensic odontologists (a specialist dentistry field) at the agency’s world class, accredited laboratory, located in Hawaii, and field teams that work throughout the world. Find more info at https://www.dpaa.mil/.
Project Recover began as Dr. Pat Scannon’s vision to bring home MIAs from American aircraft shot down by occupying Japanese forces during combat over the Palau Islands in the Pacific during World War II. Formerly known as The BentProp Project, the organization has grown from a grassroots effort to a team of dedicated professionals and volunteers using innovative science to bring MIAs home. Over nearly three decades, the team has located more than 30 US World War II aircraft, many underwater, associated with more than 100 MIAs in missions around the globe. Find more info at https://www.projectrecover.org/.
Wreaths Across America
The Wreaths Across America (WAA) Mobile Education Exhibit National Tour is coming to St. Cloud on Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. WAA is a not-for-profit organization that is best known for placing 1.7 million wreaths on veteran’s headstones at Arlington National Cemetery and at over 2,557 locations nationwide, including Mount Peace Cemetery in St. Cloud. The event, free and open to the public, will take place at Centennial Park located at 1214 10th St., in downtown St. Cloud. More information on the exhibit can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK6rgTEndQU
LGTBQ+ Veterans
Sept. 20 marked the ten-year anniversary of the end of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Veterans Affairs took the occasion to announce some changes in their policies affecting LGTBQ+ veterans, including benefits and possible upgrades in Less than Honorable Discharges. More information can be found at https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/94920/tenth-anniversary-of-the-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell/
Village Veterans Association
I was delighted to learn that Good Samaritan Village, a long-established 55+ community southwest of Kissimmee, has its own veterans’ group, the Village Veterans Association. The 50-member group sponsors U.S. flags in the Village, a Boy Scout troop, and a Veteran’s Park. The Park is a waterfront area in the Village that honors those that served in past U.S. conflicts, and has a gazebo, fire pit, picnic area, fishing pier, sitting areas and flags for every branch of service. A Vietnam War memorial is in the works. The group also sponsors Independence and Memorial Day activities in the Village. The point of contact for the group is Chris Biernaski, who can be reached at Cbiernaski@ gmail.com.
