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by: Robin Mayberry
U.S. Russian Joint Commission
on POW/MIAs is an organization established in 1992 born out of cooperation between both presidents
of the United States and the Russian Federation. It encompasses ongoing investigation in four
separate working groups: World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Vietnam
War.
According to the information
provided by the commission, the objectives are: "to determine whether American servicemen are
being held against their will on the territory of the former Soviet Union and, if so, to secure
their immediate release and repatriation; to locate and return to the United States the remains
of any deceased American servicemen interred in the former Soviet Union, and to ascertain the
facts regarding American servicemen who were not repatriated and whose fate remains unresolved."
This information can be found on the web at
http://www.dtic.mil/dmpo/jcsd
The Korean War Working Group (KWWG)
is attempting to gain access to reports generated by Soviet military units regarding the fate of the
64th Aviation Corps. We currently have three researchers that are deployed for this task in Podolsk.
It is important to note that in the past researchers have been limited to conducting research 8 days
a month. More recently, response by the Russians has yielded more flexibility.
A component of the KWWG is the Interview
Program, which involves meeting with Soviet Korean War veterans in the former Soviet Union and Russia.
This research has been promising, as it has provided information pertaining to the potential relocation of
our American POWs to the Soviet Union. Locations such as the St. Petersberg Military Hospital may have
housed American soldiers, and consequently, concern surrounds the possible alteration of those records such
as name changes. It is possible the U.S. soldiers could be buried at sites such as this.
Gulag research continues to be a
challenge for our U.S. investigators. The areas of Perm and Vorkuta especially are trying, as we
still do not have access to classified information regarding the Soviet gulag system. There are civic
organizations in Russia who are pursuing the issue and attempting to collaborate through the networking
process. It is very clear that in order to obtain the information contained in the classified files
that there must be a directive from the Russian government in order for these files to be open for
review.
Cold War Working Group interviews are
ongoing and encompass much of the former Soviet Union. This is an attempt to enhance research being
conducted at the Central Archives located at the Naval Forces of the Russian Federation near St. Petersburg.
Some success has occurred with this particular group as 18 crewmembers have been repatriated and have
reached their final resting place at Arlington Cemetery. What must be understood is that even though the
non-disclosure agreement was signed, there still remains the old Soviet Union way of thinking, bounding
employees to the rules of non-disclosure of the past leadership.
One asks, "What can I do to influence
the Russians to release this information?" We must reach and affect the senior level of our own U.S.
Government in order to convey the urgent message to leadership in the Soviet Union. It is a collaborative
effort that involves initiative on the part of family members. Write your U.S. Congressman and Senators
and let them know that the pressure is still on, and we want answers, and the records released
for review.
The Coalition of Families would
like to thank all those at the Joint Commission who continue to dedicate themselves to finding the
answers for our family members.
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