Daring Mission, Dashed Hopes

CIA finds no P.O.W.s in Laos, but M.I.A. families keep hoping

The Viet Nam War is long over, and for most Americans, best forgotten. But there remains a nagging concern—and for many families a daily grief—that, when the U.S. got out of Southeast Asia, it may have left dozens, even hundreds of P.O.W.s behind. Past Administrations have tacitly assumed that there may be some survivors among the 2,528 men missing, including 560 lost in Laos. The anguished families believe that as many as 300 of them are still alive. Neither Viet Nam nor Laos...