fenses in the war. By the end of these surgical strikes, according to pilots who flew the missions, the North Vietnamese had "nothing left to shoot at us as we flew over. It was like flying over New York City."

Nearly 2500 Americans did not return from the war in Vietnam. Thousands of reports have been received indicating that some hundreds remain alive in captivity. As in the case of Wilkinson, Vietnam and her communist allies can account for most of them.

In the total view of the issue of the missing, however, the return of remains signals no progress. In the early 1980's the very credible Congressional testimony of a Vietnamese mortician indicated that the Vietnamese possess over 400 sets of remains. In 15 years, they have returned barely half of them. More importantly, the same credible witness, whose testimony is believed throughout Congress, stated that he had seen live Americans held at the same location where the remains were stored.

As long as even one American remains alive in captivity in Southeast Asia, the only issue is that one living man. We must bring them home before there are only remains to negotiate for.

National Alliance of Families Newsletter 05/31/97
REMAINS RETURNED -- The Pentagon announced the remains identification of Air Force Capt. Jeffrey L. Harris.  Captain Harris and Capt. Dennis E. Wilkinson were aboard a F-4E shot down over North Vietnam on May 10th, 1972.

The remains of Capt. Wilkinson were unilaterally turned over, by the Vietnamese in August 1978. They were positively identified the following month, according to the Defense POW/MIA Weekly Update.  Three joint U.S. - SRV investigations and excavations in 1993, 1995, and 1996 were conducted
with remains recovered during the 1996 excavation.  Also recovered were personal effects, crew equipment and a blood chit.  A blood chit is a document often carried by aircrew members to aid in their escape or evasion if they crash behind enemy lines. 

Individual remains of Capt. Harris will be returned to his family. Individually unidentifiable commingled remains of both crewmen will also be returned for burial.   To the Harris and Wilkinson family, we offer our prayers, support and hope that you now have the answers you truly deserve.