2002-2003 Press Releases

National League of Families Presents Awards of Appreciation to Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad and other Senior Lao Officials (Feb. 20, 2003)

Ms. Ann Mills-Griffiths, Executive Director of the National League of POW/MIA Families, presents an award to Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Somsavat Lengsavad

Ms. Ann Mills-Griffiths, Executive Director of the National League of POW/MIA Families, presented awards to Lao officials in appreciation of the cooperation and support the Lao government has given to efforts to account for Americans missing in action during the War in Southeast Asia.

For the first time in history, the League has formally recognized the individual Lao officials for unprecedented contributions in support of the 20-year bilateral effort to account for America’s POW/MIAs. Special recognition as a pioneer of Lao-U.S. cooperation was presented to H.E. Phoun Sipraseuth, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Politburo member who died in 1995.

Ms. Ann Mills-Griffiths presented Plaque Awards to Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad, Minister Soubanh Srithirath, Vice Minister Phongsavath Boupha, and Vice Minister Bounkeut Somsangsak. She also presented Framed Certificates to Ambassador Vang Rattanavong, Ambassador Done Somvorachit (in abstentia), Ambassador Linthong Phetsavanh, COL Sisompone Bangonesengdet, Mr. Bounneme Chonaughom, Mr. Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune (in absentia), and H.. Sileua Bounkham, Governor of Savannakhet. During her visit to Vientiane, Ms. Mills-Griffiths also met Former President and Senior Advisor Mr. Nouhak Phoumsavanh.

The National League of Families represents the families of Americans with members missing in action during the War in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to long-term League Executive Director Ann Mills-Griffiths, the League was represented on this trip to Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam by Chairman of the Board Jo Anne Shirley and Policy Adviser Richard T. Childress, who is a specialist on Southeast Asia and Reagan Administration Director of Asia Affairs. At every appointment, they urged all Lao officials to expand individual and bilateral accounting efforts, including interviews and efforts to seek out additional Lao records, that might reveal the fate of missing Americans.

Ms. Mills-Griffiths and delegation, accompanied by Ambassador Vang Rattanavong, Director General of the Europe and Americans Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited the Joint U.S.-Lao Task Force Base Camp at Ta-Oy in Salavan Province to meet with Team members and witness the ongoing recovery activity.  

The delegation also attended the Repatriation Ceremony on February 19 at which the remains of three Americans recovered by the team of Lao and U.S. specialists were formally handed over to American authorities for transport to laboratories in Hawaii.