IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 311

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should continue

to actively pursue efforts to achieve a full accounting of all members

of the Armed Forces who remain unaccounted for from previous conflicts,

particularly the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and to continue

and maintain programs and procedures for achieving a full accounting

of all military personnel who become prisoners of war or missing in

action in future conflicts.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 13, 2000

Mr. SAXTON (for himself, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey, Mr.

SMITH of New Jersey, and Mr. LOBIONDO) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International

Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 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

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States

should continue to actively pursue efforts to achieve a

full accounting of all members of the Armed Forces

who remain unaccounted for from previous conflicts, particularly the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and

to continue and maintain programs and procedures for

achieving a full accounting of all military personnel who

become prisoners of war or missing in action in future

conflicts.
2

•HCON 311 IH

Whereas the United States has long-standing programs and

procedures for searching for and accounting for members

of the Armed Forces and other persons who as a result

of a military conflict are placed in a missing status;

Whereas those programs and procedures include joint research and, in some cases, remains recovery operations

with the governments of North Korea, Russia, and other

countries to account for United States military personnel

who engaged in activities related to the Korean War, with

the governments of Vietnam and other Southeast Asian

countries to account for United States military personnel

who engaged in activities related to the Vietnam War,

and with the government of Russia to account for United

States military personnel who engaged in activities related to the Cold War;

Whereas the Department of Defense estimates that there are

over 10,000 members of the Armed Forces and others

who as a result of activities during the Korean War or

the Vietnam War were placed in a missing status or a

prisoner of war status, or who were determined to have

been killed in action although the body was not recovered, and who remain unaccounted for;

Whereas since 1996 the United States has recovered the remains of 42 United States servicemembers from North

Korea, nine of whom were recovered as recently as 1998;

Whereas through the work of the United States-Russia Joint

Commission on POW/MIAs, the remains of 18 United

States servicemembers whose aircraft were shot down

during the Cold War have been recovered and identified,

with more than 120 recovered remains still unaccounted

for;
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•HCON 311 IH

Whereas recent advances in forensic medicine and DNA analysis technology have improved the ability of the Department of Defense to identify the remains of recovered unknowns;

Whereas, notwithstanding the matters stated in the foregoing, the Defense Missing Persons Office of the Department of Defense has prepared a draft of a long-term

strategic plan to consolidate the personnel recovery and

accounting operations of the Department of Defense by

2004 which, if implemented, could result in a reduction

of United States search and recovery efforts for unaccounted persons; and

Whereas the United States should continue to actively pursue

efforts to achieve a full accounting of unaccounted for

persons from past wars, including recovery and identification of remains: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress—

3 (1) that the United States should continue to

4 actively pursue a full accounting of all members of

5 the Armed Forces (and others) who remain unac6 counted for from past conflicts (particularly the Ko7 rean War and the Vietnam War) and, as part of ef8 forts to continue to actively pursue such a full

9 accounting—

10 (A) the Secretary of Defense should con11 tinue at current levels activities to analyze, in12 vestigate, search for, and account for persons
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•HCON 311 IH

1 who are unaccounted for from such conflicts

2 and who were at any time classified as a pris3 oner of war or missing in action or who were

4 determined to have been killed in action al5 though the body was not recovered; and

6 (B) the United States should continue to

7 declassify Department of Defense documents

8 and to release intelligence information held by

9 agencies of the Government to the extent that

10 that information relates to cases of such per11 sons; and

12 (2) that the United States should continue to

13 take steps necessary for pursuing, in the case of any

14 future military conflict, a full accounting of all per15 sonnel who in such a conflict are classified at any

16 time as a prisoner of war or missing in action.

Æ