Assistant vice chief attends POW/MIA dinner

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WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  The Air Force's assistant vice chief of staff and director of the Air Staff represented the service at the 41st annual National League of Families of American POW/MIAs Annual Dinner July 22 in Arlington, Va.

The League of Families held its 41st annual meeting July 21 through 24 and sponsored the dinner.

"Full accounting of our missing is very important," Lt. Gen. William L. Shelton said. "The National League of Families of American POW/MIAs ensures we never forget the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who are unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

"Through the passion and hard work of the League of Families and the Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office, the POW/MIA issue rightly remains in the national conscience," General Shelton said.

According to the Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office, there are 1,713 Americans still unaccounted for in Southeast Asia.

The league was incorporated here May 28, 1970.

Voting membership consists of wives, children, parents, siblings and other close relatives of Americans who were or are listed as prisoners of war, missing in action, killed in action/body not recovered and returned Vietnam War U.S. POWs, said Ann Mills-Griffiths, the executive director of National League of POW/MIA Families and MIA sister.

Associate membership consists of extended family relatives of POW/MIAs who do not meet voting membership requirements, veterans and other concerned citizens, she said.

The league's purpose is to obtain the release of all prisoners, the fullest possible accounting for the missing and repatriation of all recoverable remains of those who died while serving during the Vietnam War in Southeast Asia, Ms. Griffiths said.

The League of Families website is www.pow-miafamilies.org, and the DPMO website is www.dtic.mil/dpmo.