We were. We are. We will always be.
Fellow Patriots, April 1, 2024
Tours of Duty is elated to announce Mission Success!!
On March 29th, 2024, the Vietnam Mission Field Team conducted an After Actions Review (AAR) of our maiden mission that you generously chose to support. For this mission, your dollars went directly to flights, hotels, equipment, and medical supplies that supported the Team in the Field. Due to your generosity, we had a very successful mission, and we cannot thank you enough!
As you recall, this mission and Team were primarily focused on closing a 50-year loop for multiple cases, some of which are considered closed, yet without proof of DNA evidence. One such case, was regarding the scant remains handed to CWO2 Wilson’s family. On this front, Tours of Duty is excited to announce that great strides were made in locating CWO2 Wilson’s remains, and his fellow warriors lost on January 8, 1973, known as REFNO 1978.
Additionally, the Field Team, which was led by our Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr. Bill Lachey, who did find remains of another case in which Tours of Duty dutifully handed over to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). As attested by the steward of the remains, this set still has the original uniform, dog tags, ID Card, and letters to their family in both English and Vietnamese! We could not be prouder of the professional and honorable actions taken by the Team on the ground when interfacing with the family that is stewarding the remains, the local Vietnamese officials, and the federal jurisdictional superintendents, the DPAA.
Currently, DPAA has mobilized the local Detachment out of Hanoi to secure said remains and conduct the necessary testing to ensure the remains belong to the purported individual. Due to confidentiality, and the current inability for Tours of Duty to receive those remains, and to conduct our own independent verification of DNA, we cannot disclose the purported name attached to the remains. We thank you for your understanding in such a sensitive matter, and after DNA confirmation, we hope to be able to reveal the name soon and bring them home!
As an executive summary, we want you to know what your partnership means to the Team, as they were able to meet every primary objective:
- Efficiency and Effectiveness: Utilizing the unique skills and experiences of veterans to conduct recovery operations for POW/MIA service members. In fact, the Veterans involved with this mission, personally knew some of the individuals being recovered, and had details previously unknown.
- Culture & Community: During this mission, your dollars went towards helping to heal untreated wounds, in the context of former Vietcong soldiers and Vietnam War Veterans digging side by side with individuals once deemed an enemy.
- Family Support: You gave a voice to the voiceless in the midst of the emotional toll and the uncertainty of a missing loved one. Your contribution has opened an avenue for family members to directly participate in the research, recovery, and restoration prongs of our mission. Families are crucial to our success, and we intend to continue to partner with them!
- Education Empowerment: Tours of Duty is committed to building upon the body of knowledge gleaned from this mission in the context of certifications available via our partnership with Texas State University through their anthropology program.
Thank you again for your generous contribution, and your continued support!
Applications for partnerships, sponsorships, and volunteer opportunities are currently available. Interested parties should visit www.toursofduty.org or contact Paul Slough, Director of Outreach, at (940)-600-2275, or email p.slough@toursofduty.org for more information.
We were. We are. We will always be.
God bless,
Amanda Rutledge
CEO | Founder Tours of Duty