 What is DAV's POW-MIA Committee? And what do you do? Well, we, as the committee, we try to stay on top of current events within the POW-MIA issue. And when important things arise that may need action, we would report that to our national leadership. And we also, being a veteran service organization, we work hand in hand with the DPAA. And what that is is the Defense Department's POW-MIA Accounting Agency. And we have a seat at their table. They have quarterly teleconferences and family events and updates. And we're staying on top of all of that. And again, when necessary, our committee can write a resolution to be brought before the body. If it's, of course, something important that pertains to the POW-MIA issue. Our organization has passed resolutions that we are to support the DPAA and the Secretary of Defense in their endeavor to complete the fullest possible accounting of our missing. And so we're the responsible party for the DAV to accomplish those things. Totally understand. But that's great that we have this, by the way. And it seems to me that the US stands alone in its willingness and ability to track down our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who are still missing off the battlefield. But how does the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency, or DPAA, how do they do it exactly? Well, the DPAA, they have investigation teams, research teams. We have partners all over the world. And we send, sometimes they join us in a joint field activity and in our recoveries. And we have, we still have use eyewitnesses that were in the field, perhaps when, if there was a plane crash or a plane went down and eyewitnesses that were there to see it, then we use, we have all the historical data that is necessary to go to the people that know where we can get the correct information. That sounds like a very scientific process. And not only scientific, you're also talking about historical. With the science part, there are two laboratories in the United States that support this mission. Is that correct? That's correct. We have our main lab is in Pearl Harbor, a Hickam Air Force Base. And we have another lab at Offit Air Force Base in Nebraska. And thanks to the DAV, I was able to tour the Pearl Harbor lab. I had a tour guides of Johnny Webb and the director of the DPA, Fern Sumter Windbush. And while I was there, I had a great tour. I had the, I saw the tables after tables of remains in various stages of identification. And I was also able to meet with a couple forensic anthropologists and they answered all my questions I had at the time. And a very impressive operation, what they're doing. Sounds like a very interesting moment that not a lot of Americans get the opportunity to do. How successful has the US been this year with trying to track down and identify the remains of our fallen troops? Well, last year of the 2019, they had their greatest year ever. They had, they were able to identify 217 remains. Now this year with the COVID-19, unfortunately, they've only accomplished 94 remains so far this year. 62 of those were from World War II, 31 from Korea, the Korean War and one from the Vietnam War. And unfortunately, they only have about two and a half months left remaining in this year to get their numbers up. But the way things are looking is there isn't gonna be too much more activity. In March of this past year, if we go into the, how has COVID affected the DPA's operation? In operation, in March of this year, when everything hit, they postponed or canceled all joint field operations. They brought all of their teams home. Thankfully, they're all home and safe. And no DPA employee has come up with the tested positive for the COVID. So whatever they're doing, they're doing it the right way. But unfortunately, they're only gonna have 94 identifications up to this point this year. Well, I'm certain glad that they're staying safe, but it must be very disappointing for these families who are still waiting for their loved ones to come home to hear that operations are kind of slowed down in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, I understand the DPA goes through great lengths to make proper identifications and to make families whole to give them information about their loved one. But wasn't there recently a misidentification? Yes, they use all kinds of scientific means to make a positive identification. And believe me, they are very positive when they make an identification. But unfortunately, they found out this past year that there was a Korean soldier that was misidentified and sent home to his family. And as soon as the DPA realized that a mistaken ID had happened, they immediately contacted the Army Casualty Office. They contacted the family. They started an internal assessment of their processes and how could this happen? And they've taken corrective actions and they've even brought in a separate team of experts to look at their study, their procedures and see how this could have happened to make sure it doesn't happen again. But I'm sure that like I said, they go to extremes. They use all kinds of DNA, forensic DNA. They use a next generation DNA, all any different type of science tests that they can do. They're pretty thorough in what they're doing. They had to use a next generation because we found out that for example, North Korea, when they were getting, they were storing their remains of American soldiers and they were coding them with formaldehyde and other preservatives and that affected the actual, our ability to get out the DNA. And so this next generation, they've overcome that problem and that's why they use any type of multiple analysis, scientific analysis, they use it all. So this next generation is a way of kind of counteracting this formaldehyde and other preservatives. Yeah, it overcame all what they were doing, yes. That's great, that's great. So it sounds like we're talking about a lot of forensic work and the DPAA definitely employs forensic anthropologists. And I understand one this year was awarded a very prestigious award. Yes, one of our forensic scientists, Dr. Gregory Berg at the lab in Hawaii has been recognized for his outstanding work in using isotopes and he received a very prestigious award last year, this past year. Well, that's great to hear. Well again, Vincent D'Arcangelo, the chairman of DAV's POW-MIA committee, I think you shared some really great information that means quite a lot to a lot of veterans out there. So thanks for being with me today. Can I say one more thing, Matthew? Sure, yes, of course. A lot of, we still have perhaps 80,000 missing men and women from our past wars, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Cold War. We know that about half of those were lost over water and there's very little chance of us ever recovering them. However, we do believe about 39,000 of our missing are possible to be recovered and identified. And so that again, that's a lot of work on the DPA's soldiers. It's their job to recover them, identify them and bring them home. I still wear my POW-MIA bracelets and I wear POW-MIA pins and paraphernalia. Every year the DPAA releases a brand new poster, which are available for anybody to order and get from the Department of Defense. All of those things are good, they're crucial. We're not only honoring our former POWs and recognizing that what they had to sacrifice and put up with their brutal treatment. And, but it's also sending a message to future soldiers that may join the military, that if something should happen to them and they become a prisoner of war, we want them to know that they are not going to be forgotten about. We're gonna, this country does everything it can to bring them home. Absolutely, I remember when I served in the Army and I was in Iraq, I knew if things would go bad that my government would move heaven and earth to try to bring me home. So you're right, it is a great message we send to not only our current service members and our veterans, but also our would-be service members who are thinking about joining today. Vincent, again, is a great way to get involved by getting his bracelets and other pins. Great way of bringing the message out there. Thank you so much and folks, thanks for tuning in. Thank you, Matthew.