Episode 087 - Bringing MIAs Home: Untold Vietnam Recovery Stories

Mandy Robbins (Sister of SFC John Robert “Bob” Adams, MIA 1967):

“I’ve never walked a minute in your boots, but I’ve been an MIA sister since I was 11. And with all my heart, I love each and every one of you. I respect each and every one of you.

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything every minute that you spent in that awful war and the awful things that you had to endure. And especially I want to thank you… maybe some of you even served with my brother. You have just touched my heart, and I will never forget any of you.”

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More information on Episode 087 – Bringing MIAs Home: Untold Vietnam Recovery Stories

In this episode of Military Tales, we present a special recording from the Joint Special Operations Association (SOA) and Special Forces Association (SFA) POW/MIA Symposium. Hosted by Committee Chairman David Gordon, this session brings together veteran advocates, POW/MIA family organizations, and forensic experts to share the ongoing, painstaking efforts to recover and identify American service members missing in action from the Vietnam War and other conflicts.

Featuring key updates from Ann Mills Griffith (National League of POW/MIA Families), Dave Huffman (Mission POW/MIA), and a remote briefing from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) team in Hawaii—including a detailed forensic case study on the recovery efforts from the 1968 Battle of Lang Vei.

Key Topics & Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome and opening remarks by SOA/SFA POW/MIA Committee Chairman David Gordon.
06:44 – Ann Mills Griffith (National League of POW/MIA Families): Reflections on 50+ years of advocacy, the recovery of her brother (Navy Lt. Jim Mills) after 52 years, and current diplomatic challenges in Southeast Asia.
15:03 – The Mobile Investigation Unit (MIU) initiative in Vietnam and high-level engagement with Vietnamese leadership.
23:18 – Dave Huffman (Mission POW/MIA): Overview of “Operation HEART” (Honorable Exchange of Artifacts for Resolutions and Time) and returning captured items to unlock MIA leads.
35:00 – Real-world case studies: Recovering pilot ID cards from Vietnamese museum basements and restoring the “Flame of Hope.”
48:22 – Emotional tribute from Mandy Robbins, sister of missing aviator SFC John Robert “Bob” Adams.
52:45 – DPAA Hawaii Remote Briefing (Capt. Megan Bodner & Sgt. Maj. Lauren Flores): FY2025 operational milestones, country-by-country updates (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), and budget outlook.
01:12:18 – Forensic Case Study (Stephanie Hartley, Forensic Anthropologist): A step-by-step walkthrough of field excavations, artifact recovery, and lab analysis leading to the identification of heroes lost at the Battle of Lang Vei (February 1968).