Honoring POW/MIAs every day

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Veronica Aceveda
  • AFMAO Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  From public gatherings to moments of silence, Americans across the country honored National Prisoner of War Missing in Action Day Sept. 16, but there are three people on Dover Air Force Base, Del., who revere POWs and MIAs every day.

They are the three-person team of the Past Conflict Branch, located inside Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations. As part of a larger government community committed to POW/MIAs, this small team of civilians is charged with increasing the number of DNA samples stored in a database for use in identifying the fallen, so they can be returned to their loved ones.

On a daily basis, the Past Conflicts staff spends hours on the phone, reaching out to families who are affiliated with those who became missing during past conflicts.

"Last year, we sent out 2,000 DNA sample kits, but we spoke to somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000 people," said Allen Cronin, chief of the Past Conflicts Branch. "We'll never get them all, but we're getting pretty close for some conflicts."

According to the Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office website updated Sept. 15, the Vietnam War has 1,682 unaccounted for. Of that number, Cronin said there are less than 12 families without a DNA specimen on file.

With a smaller margin than that are the statistics from the Cold War. On Sept. 15, the DPMO website listed 125 unaccounted for. Cronin said there about 30 families with no DNA in the database.

Less than 200 family DNAs are needed for the Korean Conflict, he added.

Of the different types of DNA, Cronin said the preferred sample is from the maternal side but will record what is available such as DNA from children. He once arranged for a DNA collection from a fourth cousin removed, he said, adding how the individual was so distant in relation that he was unaware there was an MIA in the family but was willing to help.

"Even if the chances are slim, such as a known downed aircraft over water, we encourage families to still submit a DNA sample," said Cronin. "By taking their father or husband off the list, it gives another family the opportunity to have their loved one found."
Another responsibility of the Past Conflict Branch is notifying Air Force families when Airmen Missing in Action have been found.

The initial notification is by telephone but a more in-depth explanation and presentation of research is provided during a personal sit-down with the family.

From June to July this year, Cronin traveled the states making contact with seven families in this regard.

"Hundreds of efforts, years of work, thousands of hours goes into a booklet prepared for the family," said Cronin. "The reward is huge for the families. Being able to deliver this product is an honor."

Ruben Garza, another member of the Past Conflicts Branch, also considers it an honor to bring resolution to the family.

"You have to realize, years and years ago, these families got a knock on the door telling them their loved one was missing," said Garza. "They've been waiting for so long for that second knock, and I get to be that knock. It's an honor and a privilege to be the one who lets that family know our country never gave up."

The Past Conflict Branch also serves as a liaison to the family, assisting with funeral and burial arrangements.

"I never dreamed I'd be a part of such an important mission," said Danielle VanOrden, a Past Conflicts Branch member who worked as a small town funeral director for 14 years before coming to Dover AFB. "It's rewarding in a way that I cannot express. I don't consider it a job; we are people helping people."

VanOrden, who has helped arrange services for six families across the United States this year, said she stays in contact with many of the families she's encountered.

"We build such a rapport with the families," she said. "They send me Christmas cards, pictures and e-mails. Through this process, we become a part of their family."

The Past Conflict Branch recently closed a 60-year gap for one family. With the assistance of all the government agencies dedicated to POW/MIAs, Cronin recalled how an MIA pilot from 1951 was reburied last year after technological advances made it possible for identification. The pilot had been buried in an unknown grave for 57 years.

"I'm astounded by the number of people who don't know our government is still looking for our fallen," said Cronin who appreciates POW/MIA Day and recognition ceremonies like the one the base is having at 4 p.m. Sept. 21 at the base flag pole.

"Whatever it takes, the more the better," he said. "It reminds the families that we care, and their loved ones are not forgotten."