THE WAR: The Families Are Frantic

THE WAR The Families Are Frantic With each hint of progress in the Viet Nam negotiations, there comes a special quickening of hope for several thousand Americans, the families of 1,600 military men missing or imprisoned in Southeast Asia. For them, the maneuverings of international diplomacy—be they new proposals from the North Vietnamese or the prospect of a peace-making presidential visit to China —are translated into a single, very personal reality: the fate of a husband, son, father or brother.

For years the families were largely ignored in...