Major James Davis stated: “I was happy to nominate Austin Wright Sr. for this year’s Veteran of the Year Award!” I was Honored to be selected as ” Veteran of the Year ” for the City of Bayonne. “Austin, thank you for your service and for all you do for our community!” #BayonneStrong #BayonnesVeteranOfTheYear

Left to right: USAF Veteran Austin Wright Sr. holding his “Veteran of The Year Award,” and Mayor James Davis.

“First, I want to give praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you Mayor Davis, The City of Bayonne, The Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Veteran Heroes, and Thomas A. DeGise, the County Executive of the County of Hudson County, State of New Jersey. Itâ€s not about me, itâ€s about all who served. Also, I would like to Remember Bayonneâ€s “Medal of Honor ” recipient Lt. Steven R. Gregg and VFW Post 226 Quarter Master the late Howard Plunkett. I canâ€t forget to thank my personal hero and cheerleader, my mother, the late Mary Wright.”

Photo from left to right, Austin Wright Sr., ” Veteran of the Year ” and his Brother in Arms, the Joyce Herbert Post 226 Commander, Glen J. Flora.

To conclude his speech, Mr. Wright left us with a powerful message:

“What does it really mean to be free? Under what circumstances will you fight for you countryâ€s freedom? Do we “Aim High” yes! we try, because that was what the USAF taught me. In fact, a renowned Hebrew philosopher, Hillel once said, “If not me, who? If not now, when?” So strive to be better than before.

For Decades, The Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders have done a tremendous job helping Veterans. They pay respect and tribute to American heroes who lead by example as well and approves monies for Veteran programs

Many of our U.S. Veterans, stand for ensuring the safety of our countryâ€s freedom. We are far from perfect, but we have good intentions. I am a former US Air Force Sergeant, a philanthropist that gives back by choice. I only wish the best for All. “Love thy Neighbor, my sisters and brothers.”

Wright believes, “The Fate of America depends upon the Mindset and the education of our youth so that they can lead and maximize their God given potential.”

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The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Chief Warrant Officer George A. Howes, of Knox, Ind., will be buried Aug. 5 in Arlington National Cemetery. On Jan. 10, 1970, Howes and three aircrew members were returning to their base at Chu Lai, South Vietnam aboard a UH-1C Huey helicopter. Due to bad weather, their helicopter went down over Quang Nam Province, Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.). A search was initiated for the crew, but no sign of the helicopter or crew was spotted.

In 1989, the S.R.V. gave to U.S. specialists 25 boxes that reportedly contained the remains of U.S. servicemen related to this incident. Later that year, additional remains and a military identification tag from one of the other missing servicemen were obtained from a Vietnamese refugee.

Between 1993 and 1999, joint U.S./S.R.V. teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), conducted three investigations in Ho Chi Minh City and two investigations in Quang Nam-Da Nang Province (formerly Quang Nam Province). A Vietnamese citizen in Ho Chi Minh City turned over a military identification tag bearing Howes’ name and told the team he knew where the remains of as many as nine American servicemen were buried. He agreed to lead the team to the burial site. In 1994, the team excavated the site and recovered a metal box and several bags containing human remains. In 2006, the remains of three of the four men were identified and buried. No remains could be attributed to Howes given the technology of the time. In 2008, given advances in DNA technology, the remains were reanalyzed.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Howes’ sister and brother-in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, call (703) 699-1169 or visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo .

Source: Military.com

Photo: United States Flag with kneeling Soldier silhouette by Bob Orsillo – Finearts.com

The post Soldier Missing from Vietnam War Identified first appeared on River View Observer.