| Research and Declassification of Documents |
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Access to information is essential in bringing about a full accouting for American POW/MIAs. If we know what historical documents and intelligence reports contain, we are able to work with the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) and other government offices in the accounting process. Research of records pertaining to missing American servicemen is an integral part of the recovery effort. Additionally, it is imperative to know the location of former battle sites, aircraft crash sites, and sites of former prison of war camps. We also must continue to research for information about the reported transfer of American POWs to China and the former Soviet Union. All government agencies are required to review documents over 25 years old for possible declassification. While progress has been made in some agencies that retain information, the intelligence community has been slow to release documents. Many documents retained in all agencies remain classified. The "classified" roadblock impedes the accounting effort significantly. Each branch of the military has a policy for review of its collections of records, and should be implementing its policy. In various archives, there are boxes referred to as record groups, that have lists indicating the type of information contained in the record group. An individual can identify documents of interest from the list and request a copy. If the document has not been declassified, a request for release can be made to the appropriate branch of service. The Air Force produces a quarterly summary of documents it has reviewed and thier current status. The other branches have to be contacted for information on their declassification efforts. DPMO has visited many archives amassing a large amount of POW/MIA related material. Analysts are reviewing and cataloging the collection of information. DPMO researchers have gathered hundreds of documents and artifacts from the Fatherland Liberation Museum in Pyongyang, North Korea pertaining to missing American servicemen, and the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission has been reviewing thousands of pages in archives in Russia, Hungary, Poland and the former Czech Republic. U.S. intelligence agencies have questioned North Korean defectors and South Korean POWs who have escaped from the North in recent years, for information relevant to the POW/MIA issue. According to DPMO, information relevant to the POW/MIA accounting that is received from these individuals should be declassified and available to anyone upon request. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that establishes the right of the public to obtain information from agencies of the federal government. Information obtained from agencies may be printed documents, photographs, computer tapes, or any other information bearing material, which were created or obtained by a federal agency and are in the possession and control of the agency at the time a request is made. The FOIA requires an agency to respond to an intitial request within ten working days and to an administrative appeal within twenty working days. In some cases, an agency may deny a request for information based on national security or privacy considerations. A requester may then write a letter of appeal to the agency. If the appeal is denied, the requester can take his/her claim to the federal district court. Families are entitled by law not only to information about their missing loved one, but also to information about the location, treatment, and condition of un-named POWs. Sections of the Missing Service Personnel Act require DPMO to make this information available to the families when it comes to their attention. As much as possible, the Coalition of Families will help any family member who finds themselves overwhelmed or "bogged down" by the whole process of gathering information pertaining to their missing loved one. The officers and directors of the Coaltion will provide family members with a list of agencies which may retain information, and assist in getting started with FOIA requests and the appeals process. The Coalition of Families may be reached by telephone, fax or e-mail. Please refer to our home page for addresses and telephone numbers.
Collection of Army Documents AssembledDPMO reports that archivists have finalized a 6 month research project involving records from October to December 1950, dealing with Army divisions in combat in North Korea. A 58 volume library of indexed records and map overlays has been assembled. The library contains records about the following Army divisions: 1st Cavalry; 2nd Infantry; 3rd Infantry; 7th Infantry; 24th Infantry; and 25th Infantry. The documents include unit war diaries, daily journals, operations reports, situation reports, maps, and other information pertaining to U.S. POWs or unaccounted-for servicemen. The originals of these records are now located at the National Archives II, in College Park Maryland. DPMO states that this material will be used in conjunction with other information to prepare for field operations and excavations in North Korea. Families whose loved ones fought with these units might find this collection helpful.
Air Force Summaries of its CollectionAs we have reported in the Coalition newsletter, the Air Force produces a quarterly summary of the POW-MIA related documents found in its collection by researchers as they have reviewed the collection for possible declassification. The summaries give a breakdown of records by record group, indicating the number of boxes in each group and the general topic addressed by the documents in each group. The descriptions are very general, but the Air Force casualty office reports that more detailed descriptions can be had for the asking. Many of the documents remain classified and would need to be requested and pursued through the Freedom of Information Act. The Coalition receives these summaries when they come out. Anyone interested in obtaining a copy for research purposes can contact us.
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