European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 9, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday february 9, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 17 new action to find the missing by Denis d. Gray associated press More than a decade alter the end of the Vietnam War and despite a Lack Olta Gible Public evidence som americans Are convinced  Are being held captive in communist Indochina. President Ronald Reagan s administration vowing to give the Issue highest National priority says it operates under the Assumption that some Are indeed alive and being detained. Row Hunters most of them Vietnam War veterans claim their number is in the hundreds and describe Camps holding americans providing vivid details which sometimes include names of prisoners the sizes of compounds and even the guards sexual activities. Increasing contacts Between Vietnam and the United states along with the hit movie rambo. Appear to have energized the Issue. The blood and brawn movie depicts a Lone Veteran taking on the vietnamese army and . Officialdom to Rescue american pos. Despite such activity both real and celluloid the Bottom line remains unchanged . Government delegations 1 million indochinese refugees Western journalists diplomats and forays by the Hunters All have failed to provide at least publicly positive proof that a single american is alive in Indochina. The governments of Vietnam Cambodia and Laos have repeatedly denied holding americans. Vietnamese foreign minister Nguyen co Thach recently told visiting . Senators they could investigate any reports of live compatriots in his country and even offered to accompany them. Vietnam maintains that All american pos were repatriated in 1973 after the signing of the Paris peace accords that ended american combat involvement in Indochina. Communist forces swept to Victory in 1975. A year later a select committee of the House of representatives concluded there Are no americans still being held alive As prisoners in Indochina although there might be a Small number of deserters and civilians who chose to stay behind. Only one person in this latter category has emerged. Marine Robert r. Garwood captured in 1965, had stayed on voluntarily in Vietnam and returned Home in 1979.the department of defense lists nearly 2,000 people As missing in action or Mia. Technically this is incorrect because the secretaries of the four armed services have declared All but one of them As dead with bodies not recovered bar. In january assistant defense Secretary Richard Armitage said the Reagan administration acts under the Assumption that at least some americans Are being held against their will in Indochina in private conversations . Government and military officials offer a More Complex answer to alive or dead an analysis of a Large body of data collected during and after the War indicates the probability of any family cries at service for Navy Pilot whose remain were finally resumed la the United state. Americans left alive is very slim. After repeated Public denials indochinese governments would hardly risk keeping americans within their Borders. Domestic american politics dictate that the administration not close the Book on this emotion charged Issue. And yet puzzles remain. The Olli Cial switch trom the Mia to bar categories in some cases was done on the basis of a Lack of evidence that individuals were alive rather than from positive proof of death. Washington has announced it is investigating 95 live sighting reports alter rejecting 711 others As fabricated or erroneous. The . Government simply does t have an aggressive intelligence collection Effort says retired . Air Force intelligence officer a. Shinkle Active in la pow affairs since 1970. This is a common criticism among activists on the Issue some of whom also have charged the . Government with covering up the existence of live americans for political reasons. As to the argument that indochinese governments would risk International censure if live americans were to emerge now Shinkle and others say Vietnam has lied before and needs the captives As bargaining chips for sorely needed american Aid. It s to their advantage to keep these pos As an insurance policy to help gel what they want from the United states and they have tremendous patience said Shinkle who is convinced there Are 230 to 240 pos in Laos and even More in Vietnam. James to Gritz a highly decorated sex special forces officer said he was certain several Hundred were being held when he staged unsuccessful guerrilla forays into Laos in 1982 and 1983. The current . Government list of live sightings probably describes Lar ewer than 95 purported americans since . Officials say Many past reports related to single individuals. Of the 95, 13 come irom Laos two from Cambodia and the rest irom Vietnam. The most recent was in 1983. It. Col. Paul Mather who Heads the Bangkok based . Military Effort says More than 90 percent of the reports come irom refugees fleeing Indochina. Mather says the sightings include a Large number of one shot reports making them difficult to correlate with other information or disprove. Refugees have frequently been caught in outright lies or honest mistakes. Some apparently Hope to enhance their chances for entry into the United states or gain some Reward by relating pow stories