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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

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Location of Archival Materials

CNO and BuPers Prisoner of War & Missing in Action Records

Dates: 1964-1981

Collection Number: AR/100 (Formerly COLL/654)

Finding aid 

Scope and Content Note

Represented in this collection are the records of two separate offices within the Department of the Navy: the Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations for POW/MIA Matters (OP-09BW) and the Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Personnel for POW/MIA Matters (Pers-Og).  The collection retains this distinction, with Section I containing material from the OPNAV office and Section II from the BuPers organization.  The collection contains paper records, motion picture film, photographs, and tape recordings. 

Section I. Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations (OP-09BW) 

The office was concerned with programs involving U. S. Naval prisoners of war and missing in action resulting from the Southeast Asian conflict. Rosters of POWs and MIAs, orders, debriefs, logbooks, message files, and recovery reports bearing on the return of POWs in the spring of 1973 (Operation Homecoming/Egress Recap) make up the bulk of the material. The extensive planning for the reception and care of returning prisoners of war is reflected in the collection. On March 17, 1973, the last of the Navy's known POWs were returned to the United States. On July 15, 1973, the office was disestablished and its responsibilities were transferred to the Bureau of Naval Personnel. 

Section II. Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Personnel (Pers-Og)/Assistant for POW MIA Affairs (NMPC-64G/Pers-Og) 

The office of the Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Personnel (Pers-Og) was established on October 8, 1970 to advise and assist the Chief of Naval Personnel in all matters under his cognizance concerning POWs and MIAs from the Southeast Asian conflict.  The functions of the office were divided into four areas: (1) POW/MIA status review; (2) assistance to POW/MIA next of kin; (3) maintenance of records; (4) information dissemination and correspondence. On April 30, 1979, this office was disestablished and its responsibilities assumed by the Assistant for POW/MIA Affairs (NMPC-64G/Pers-Og). 

The records include studies on the military code of conduct, activities of returned POWs, foreign broadcasts, news releases, Bureau of Naval Personnel correspondence and message traffic, as well as legislative studies and actions, casualty reports, POW debriefs and records on Operation Homecoming/Egress Recap. 

Section I for Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations (OP-09BW) is arranged into four series.  Series I covers subject files, series II covers congressional hearings, series III covers message files and series IV deals with Operation Homecoming (Egress Recap) plans, orders and instructions from all commands. 

Section II for Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Personnel (PERS-OG)/Assistant for POW/MIA Affairs (NMPC-64G/PERS-OG) is arranged into four series.  Series I covers subject files, series II covers message files, series III dealing with chronological files and series IV covers films and tape recordings.

Note: Much of the material in this collection is restricted due to classification and privacy.


Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as CNO and BuPers: POW and MIA Records, 1964-1981, Archives Branch, Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

Published: Mon Oct 18 11:37:48 EDT 2021