QUESTION OF U.S. POW'S, MIA'S HELD IN USSR

Created: 9/12/1991

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Question. tXM'm, MIA'a Hold in USSR

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MOSCOW NEZAVISTMAYAHEADLINE:

Question. POM'S. MIA'a Held in USSR

SUBHSADLINE:

Issue Dated to WWUTHOR:

Vadio Birehteyn, Waahington-Ne> York: *'Whoremericans Disappear

to? The Red Ai my Frand than from Naziorunent Since Then They Have

Been Listed Among the Hiaaing InSO<JRCE_LINE:

A Moscow MEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA

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(Article by vadim Dlramteyn, Washington-New York:

"Where0 Americans Disappear to? ThefOR RELEASE

Army Freed them from Nazi Inuprisonment.

They Have Been Listed Among the Missing inUBSLUG:

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lArticle by Vadim Birshteyn, Washington-New York: "Where0 Americans Disappear Lo? The Red Army Freed them from Nazi Imprisoriment. Since Then They Hove Been Listed Among the Missing in Action")

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iText] Top Secret

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Scenes from American history are depicted on the walls of the Capitol Rotunda and statues. statesmen are frozen between them. The figure of George Washington is on the arch of the cupola. Just one detail disrupts the ostentatiousness of the scene: the black flag alongside the statue of Abraham Lincoln. The white silhouetteowed male head is in the center of the flag and the contourrison camp tower is behind it. Surrounding it are the letters: PON/MIA, POM means Prisoners of War, MIA means Missing in Action. American families are missing up0 fathers and sons who did not return home after the Second World War and the wars in Indochina. Members of POW/HIA associations spend all of their free time and enormous sums of money attempting to compel. Government to provide information about the fate of their loved ones. One of the groups-the Notional Union of Families-is located in Seattle. Dolores Alfond heads it and her brotherilitary pilot who disappearedrace in Indochinaears ago. .TEXT:

The problem arose ot the end4 when Soviet troops liberated many Nazi camps for internees which were located on the territories of Poland and Germany. Hundreds of thousands of citizens of Western European

countries, the United States, and Canada found themselves in the zone that was occupied by the Soviet Army. In accordance with the Yalta Agreement signed by Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill on Februaryhe Western allies were obliged to deport from Europe tens of thousands of Russian emigrants and relocated persons, including those liberated from Nazi camps. In exchange. Stalin promised to send home citizens of the allied countries who wound up under Soviet control. .TEXT:

However, the Soviet authorities did not hurry to carry out their promises. Six days after the victory, it was reported from France: nearly half ofritish0 American prisoners of war who were still present in Germany are obviously in the Russian zone of occupation. From reports: "American prisoners of war who were liberated by the Red Army were often treated poorly and they began to hate the Russians. Many were robbed, their watches, rings, and other items, which they still had even after prolonged confinement in Germany, were taken fromTEXT;

"American prisoners of war in Odessailteringere guarded by Russian soldiers who had loaded rifles and fixed bayonets and the Russian camp secret security service was stricter than theTEXT:

Oneneral Eisenhower telegraphed the allied main headquarters: The number of American prisoners of war under Soviet control is"

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Atend of May. information0 American prisoners of war arrived at Eisenhower's headquarters. Contrary to the facts, on July 1.isenhower made an official statement that mall number of American prisoners of war still remain in Russianesult, thousands of American families are still waiting for their relatives who did not return after the Second World War. On the whole. Americans areCOO of LheseEXT:

Twenty thousandarge number. Where were they kept? This isormer prisoner reported about one of the camps for internees that was located nearEXT:

"At the endhere were Germans, French, Americans. British, Dutch, and Belgigues-moremilitary and civilian personnel. They forced all of the prisoners to work, the food was very bad and monoLonous. They did not house them in barracks but inEXT:

A strange disease, during which the arms and legs collapse, was the consequence of the monotonous food. After some time, those who came down with this disease died. More0 Italian, morerench, and0 Rumanian and Hungarian prisoners

died. Several Poles and representatives of other nationalities also died from thisEXT:

This camp's contingent consisted of people of very high culture and knowledge and splendid experts in various fields of science. German engineers were used for special work-they drew designs of an aircraft that could accommodateassengers and attain speeds ofilometers per hour. The Russians were especially interested in these projects and the people who worked on this invention enjoyed various relaxations of discipline in the camp's working and livingEXT:

Now it is widely known about French prisoners of the Tambovook was even published about them in France. But what about theEXT:

Separate information about Americans in various camps glimmers in the recollections of people who survived the GULAG [Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps] during the postwar years: In Vorkuta, Inta,Magadan, and others. Cases are known when not only prisoners of war but also workers from the American Embassy in Moscow ended up in the camps. However, no one has encountered the thousands of American prisoners. Lists of missing Americans in the United States are still secret. So. where areEXT:

For the Americans, the problem of servicemen who did not return after the wars in Korea and Vietnam is no less acute. According to official statistics.ervicemen were not repatriated from Koreare listed as missing. According to availableortion of these people were transferred to camps located in China, Manchuria, and the USSR. This is how it occurred during the winter ofspring ofEXT:

"The railroad station was divided into two sections with

paths along both sides. Chinese soldiers escorted American prisoners

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of war from the Chinese side. The prisoners of war passed through the gates that divided the

platform to the train which the Russian team serviced. The Russians wore railroad worker uniforms but they were military men dressed as railroadEXT:

On Kay. Embassyote to the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairsuery about the fate of American prisoners of war. In response, on4 the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairsthere axe no such people and there never have been such people in the SovietEXT:

The families of the POW/HTA's think that upmericans were sent from Korea to theEXT:

Oneace treaty was signed in Paris

by representatives of the governments of the United

States, North and South Vietnam and the Interim Revolutionary

Government of South Vietnam that specifically provided for the bilateral

exchange of prisoners of

war. Contrary to this agreement, the United States has still notomplete list of American prisoners of war who were held in camps in North Vietnam and in

neighboring Laos- Onietnam solemnly announced that the last American soldier would

be repatriated on. secretary of defense seconded it: "There are no more prisoners of war in Southeast Asia, they have allEXT;

According to the information of POW/fetlArisoners of war were repatriated from Vietnam which is justercent of the total numbermerican prisoners of war who were aliveEXT:

"While it is an acceptable situation for American citizens to be

prisoners abroad, the freedom of all Americans is inhis sentence

iseaflet

published by relatives of the pilots of anhat was conducting an ordinary reconnaissance flight over neutral waters and was shot down by the Soviet PVO (Air

Defense] service over the Sea of Japan ont goes on to say; *'The crew ofen was obviously picked upoviet Naval vessel that was located there at the time of the incident. It is possible that the crewmembers are still alive and are imprisoned in the Soviet Union. Their names are listed;. Bush; First.. Service,. MacDonnell; Master. Hommer. Moore; Staff.... Bonnira,. Becker; and..EXT:

There areew of these cases in the history of the Cold War. Normally the American government mode one or two queries about the fates of the crews. However, only the relatives, who believe that their dear ones are still alive, are concerned about furtherEXT:

Naturally, the American administration's reluctance to

admit that it did little or did not make any effort to save

itsatter of the interrelationships of the

American voters and the government elected by them.

Righttormy debate is occurring in.

Senate; Do they create or notpecial commission on the

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POM/MI* issue? It seems that it will be formed.

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But there is another aspect of the problem. Information about all foreign prisoners of war who ended up on the territory of the USSR during tbe wax and until the and ofs is in the USSR Central State Archives in the fund of materials of the USSR MVD 'Ministry of Internal Affaira) Main Administration on Prisoner of

Mar and Internee Jasues-in that very one which contains the lists of those Polish officers shot in tbe Katyn Forest and information about Japanese and German prisoners of war which ia now being sent to those countries. So, the names of0 Americans and their fates may be easily explained in Moscow. However, it is difficult to gain access to these archives: the special authorization of two departments-USSR MVD and KGB-is required and they, as we all know, find it difficult to part with theirEXT:

We can much mora rapidlyutual understanding among those whoimilar fate: among

the relativea of. citizens who are missing ln the USSR and the relatives of Soviet prisoners of war who ended up prisoners in Afghanistan. The American MaV HIA families want to and can assist Soviet relatives of those who ended up AfghanEXT:

The American National Alliance of Families is awaiting

any news about their relatives. Contact between people

can and must beEXT:

Washington-NewEXT:

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