Our Mission:
My first husband, Capt. Jerry Zimmer, was an F4B Phantom jet pilot, whose aircraft was shot down on August 29, 1969, approximately 20 miles South of Da Nang, Vietnam, after six months in country. Neither Jerry nor his navigator, 1st Lt. Al Graf, was able to eject, before the aircraft crashed into the Que Son Mountains. Initially Jerry and Al were classified as Killed in Action/No Body Recovered (KIA/NBR). Years later, both Marines were listed as MIA, along with other service members whose bodies were never recovered.
Jerry has been gone nearly a half century, and hope for recovering his remains had run out a long time ago. However, in recent years our family became involved with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), now merged with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), and learned that Jerry’s and Al’s remains might, in fact, be recoverable, so we are doing everything possible to support their efforts to make this happen and bring our guys home where they belong.
NOTE: BLOG POSTS ARE NOT UPDATED, SO INFORMATION MAY HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME.
Archive for May, 2017
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MARINE CORPS, MEMORIAL PLAQUE DEDICATION, HONORING TBS 1-67, CO B, VIETNAM WAR CASUALTIES
L-R: Col. Hays Parks & Col. Bob Lange, both retired Marines from Bravo Co., TBS, 1-67, taking part in the wreath laying portion of the ceremony. The memorial plaque is to the immediate left of the wreath.
Capt. Andres (Andy) Vaart, USNR, ret., is another one of Bravo Company’s devotees. Andy told the families and friends of those listed on the plaque that he wanted to acknowledge the suffering of those left behind – it was a beautiful tribute, directed at families, who endure but never forget.
At the podium is Brig. Gen. Mike Wholley, USMC, ret, reciting the names of each Marine listed on the Memorial Plaque, while Lt. Col. Hon K. Lee, USMCR, ret., tolled the Bell of Honor as a sign of respect for each fallen hero.
During the playing of taps, an active duty Marine in his Combat Utility Uniform stands at attention and salutes, while Col. Parks, also stands at attention with his hand over his heart in keeping with military tradition.
Many thanks to the Marines of Bravo Company, TBS 1-67, for honoring the unit’s fallen warriors with a special plaque. Listed are the names of those who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, one of which is my former husband, Capt. Jerry A. Zimmer.
Inspired by Col. Hays Parks, the plaque soon became a Bravo Company project with everyone contributing in some way to its success.
On May 24, 2017, approximately 50 family members, special guests and former Bravo Company Marines gathered at the National Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, VA, to attend the plaque dedication ceremony.
On this 2017 Memorial Day weekend, please take a few minutes to watch Bravo Company’s video. Thank you. — Elaine Zimmer Davis
PLEASE PRESS HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO
Vietnam War MIA Families Head for D.C.
FAMILIES WITH MIAs UNACCOUNTED-FOR FROM THE VIETNAM WAR
PREPARE FOR THEIR ANNUAL MEETING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
L-R: Interim DPAA Director Fern Sumpter Winbush & Todd S. Livick, DPAA Director of Outreach & Communications; BG Mark Spindler, USA, Deputy Director, DPAA; League Board Chairman & CEO Ann Mills Griffiths. With the exception of BG Spindler, who is based in Hawaii, the other leaders reside in Washington, D.C.
ANNOUNCING
THE 48TH ANNUAL MEETING
OF
THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POW/MIA FAMILIES
&
THE US GOVERNMENT’S SOUTHEAST ASIA BRIEFINGS
JUNE 21 – 25, 2017
HILTON CRYSTAL CITY HOTEL
ARLINGTON, VA 22202
Registration for the event must be postmarked BY FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2017.*
CHECKS MADE PAYABLE TO
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POW/MIA FAMILIES
5673 COLUMBIA PIKE, SUITE 100
FALLS CHURCH, VA 22041
WEBSITE: http://www.pow-miafamilies.org/annual-meeting.html
*Families choosing to attend the government briefings but not other events, the deadline for registration is June 9, 2017, but sooner is better in my opinion. Contact your respective service casualty office for assistance with credentials and questions related to the briefings.
Each armed service has a casualty office that handles their own KIAs/BNRs, MIAs and POWs. L-R: Marine Corps Casualty Specialists Michael Ryba and Ronald (Chuck) Williams. (Not pictured is Hattie Johnson, USMCs Head of POW/MIA Casualty).
MIA FAMILY SERVICE CASUALTY OFFICES
CONTACT NUMBERS
Army: 1-800-892-2490
Navy: 1-800-443-9298
Air Force: 1-800-531-5501
Marine Corps: 1-800-847-1597
State Department: 1- 202-647-5470
CIA: 1-703-874-4270
WHY ATTEND THE LEAGUE & DoD MEETING?
Please click here for full story & photos in PDF
NOTE: YOU’LL NEED TO SCROLL THROUGH THE PDF, BECAUSE THE INFO IS WRITTEN IN SEGMENTS.
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