Montana native searches for America’s missing service members

LANG SON, VIETNAM

12.17.2019

Story by Staff Sgt. Rusty Frank 

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

HONOLULU, HAWAII—U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Lucas Robinson, a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) recovery team explosive ordinance disposal technician, recently joined a recovery team in search of a missing U.S. service member lost during the Vietnam War in Lang Son Province, Vietnam.

Robinson, a native of Glendive, Montana, volunteered to help DPAA fulfill its mission to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.

“These service members gave their lives for their country,” Lucas said. “It’s really important for us to come here and help locate them and bring them home. It was a very humbling experience and pretty amazing to come out here and see where our service members gave their lives.”

Lucas said his most memorable moment from the mission, was when the Vietnamese host provided a full Thanksgiving dinner for the team. He added This event provided extra boost in morale and helped further relations between the local community and the team.

“It was good to be able to bond with them outside of the workplace a little bit,” said Lucas. “It built a little bit more of a personal relationship between us and the Vietnamese officials.”

DPAA’s mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation. When American personnel remain unaccounted-for at the conclusion of hostilities, the DoD personnel accounting community becomes the responsible agent for identifying and accounting for the missing.

News media looking for more information about DPAA or Sgt. Robinson, visit www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa, or email Lt. Col. Ken Hoffman
at [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 12.17.2019
• Date Posted: 12.17.2019 21:37
• Story ID: 356102
• Location: LANG SON, VN