According to the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, the remains of these fallen heroes have been identified this year alone:
Maj. Woodrow W. Vaden, U.S. Air Force, 1131st Special Activities Squadron, was lost on Dec. 10, 1964, aboard a C-123 Provider aircraft that crashed into a mountain near Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam. His remains were identified on Aug. 11, 2010.
Sgt. John P. Bonnassiolle, U.S. Army Air Forces, 392nd Bombardment Group, was lost April 29, 1944, near Hannover, Germany. His remains were identified June 14, 2010.
Cpl. Frank H. Smith, U.S. Army, 5th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, was lost on July 25, 1951, in South Korea while under enemy attack. His remains were identified on May 25, 2010.
Capt. Clyde W. Campbell, U.S. Air Force, 602nd Special Ops Sq., was lost on March 1, 1969 while flying his A-1J Skyraider over targets in Houaphan Province, Laos. His remains were identified on May 18, 2010.
1st Lt. Paul G. Magers and Chief Warrant Officer Two Donald L. Wann, U.S. Army, Company D, 158th Aviation Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, were lost June 1, 1971, while flying in an AH-1G Cobra helicopter over South Vietnam. Their remains were identified on March 22, 2010.
1st Sgt. George H. Humphrey, U.S. Marine Corps, 6th Marine Regiment, lost Sept. 15, 1918, during the first U.S.-led offensive of World War I, under the command of Gen. John J. Pershing, near St. Mihiel, France. His remains were identified on March 2, 2010.
Fireman 3rd Class Gerald G. Lehman, U.S. Navy, aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma was lost Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese capsized the vessel during their attack on Pearl Harbor. His remains were identified Jan. 11, 2010.
Welcome home, brothers.
The search must continue until they all come home. At the very least, we owe that to them and the loved ones who still wait for them to walk through the door.
