WWII Vanuatu Recovery

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Adelita Mead

Date: 10.12.2012
Posted: 10.13.2012 16:52
News ID: 96135
POW/MIA recovery efforts in Vanuatu

LUGANVILLE, Vanuatu – Specialized archaeological recovery teams from the U.S. Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command are deployed to Vanuatu searching for four Americans who remain unaccounted-for from World War II.

Two recovery teams with approximately 25 JPAC team members are excavating separate aircraft crash sites on Espiritu Santo and Mavea searching for evidence of four individuals lost during World War II. The teams will be in country for approximately 45 days.

Recovery teams search for human remains, life support items and other material evidence (personal and military issued items) that may lead to an identification.

Falling directly under the U.S. Pacific Command and employing more than 450 joint military and civilian personnel, JPAC continues its search for the more than 83,000 Americans still missing from past conflicts.

The ultimate goal of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, and of the agencies involved in returning America’s heroes home, is to conduct global search, recovery, and laboratory operations in order to support the Department of Defense’s personnel accounting efforts.

"Until They Are Home"