European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                There were Joyful reunions a Vietnam Iowa returned in 1373. There is no hard evidence thai americana Are still held captive in Southeast Asia today. Facing reality there Are no rows left in Indochina by Michael Staten and John Umbeck for the Baltimore evening Sun thirteen years is Long  year is the 13lh anniversary of the endow the Vietnam War a War the uni cd Stales did not win. Which meant americans wars not Able to verily the release Olai prisoners o War. Gul Media hype to Tho contrary it is time to admit finally As a Nalion and As individuals that Here Aio no pos left in Vietnam Laos or Cambodia. The sheer economics of keeping prisoners of War for this Long can Point us to no other conclusion. Although it has been More than a decade since the Vietnam War ended Many resources Are still being spent to find and Reo servicemen who might remain captive for example last july nearly two dozen members of Congress sponsored a Bill appropriating More than s2 million for gathering information leading to the recovery of us. Servicemen still missing in sout Casl Asia but one fact cannot be overlooked after years of speculation about Vibas Here is no hard evidence that any americans Are currently being held prisoner in Hal area. Is this a sign of government cover up to avoid political embarrassment or possibly the incompetence of military intelligence units the logic of economies suggests otherwise. Why would pos be kept after the War ended certainly Tho most popular image of Vietnam s pos has been Hollywood s creation through movies like Flambo which implied that . Prisoners were being held to perform slave like agricultural labor under heavy guard. Yel two observations make that scenario highly implausible first agricultural labor in Southeast Asia particularly in Vietnam and Laos is extremely cheap. Workers abound and agricultural wages Are very close to a subsistence level second it is costly to confine people against their will particularly when they Are forced to labor in open Fields. Merely keeping the prisoners alive would Cost their captors the equivalent of a subsistence wage. Why incur the additional Cost of guards cages and fences if willing workers could be hired locally for the same Price in policed it is also highly unlikely that american pos Are still being held for their technical skills skills thai would enhance their value As a commodity in a country with a technically unskilled labor Lorce. Rapid developments in military and Industrial technology during the last two decades have made to Vintage technical skills obsolete. Another possible motive for holding pos would be Ransom. That was certainly an Issue in the Early 1970s during negotiations to end Tho War. But f 3 years later it would require the captors to prove that the hostages Are still alive and to actively Contact officials in Washington to arrange a bargain. Yet we know of no such no Foliations. And even in the . Government refused to pay and Fried to cover up the information the captors would have an incentive to Contact family members directly and the evidence would become Public. Terrorist groups holding americans in Lebanon and Iran have used this tactic but no families of mias have reported such offers from the Page 14 the stars and stripes vie Namose. Only one other possibility exists Lor believing thai american pos have been Kepi alive All those years revenge. If the motivation were purely sadistic their captor would have nothing to gain by notifying the . Government which would explain the Lack of hard Videna of living prisoners. However recent world events make this grim possibility of revenge As a motive unlikely. Tie publicity of the Reagar administration arms for hostages strategy during the Iran Contra affair signalled the world thai the United slates was ready to Deal. With a revealed Price per hostage of several million dollars the Cost of retaining american prisoners As personal whipping boys increased suddenly and dramatically Yel despite that historical Peak in the Price k american prisoners no Market for pos has appeared. The logical conclusion thai no pos Are left in Southeast Asia does not of course deny the fact that some . Servicemen never returned from the War. Unfortunately the Stark reality of any War is that there Are always soldiers who Are killed and never Lound. Thai is especially True Olla Vietnam War which was fought in Jungles and often Wilh guerrilla ladies. The us. Government owes Illo the families of the remaining mias and to All americans to Stop promoting false Hopes that these servicemen might still to alive Tho Vietnam War is a painful part of our history but in is time to Lei it Resl where it belongs in the history books. Much aet Staten it Uio Cuti pm Cipior of Conan ii in m unt�nlirdoliw.r.-. Col too of Buith and Echo Ontic. John Umbeck i Ouw to Siux 01 Kow Tuci us Purtum in nobility l Erin fwd sow it in Neil. Sunday so