American POWs: Who Was Left Behind?

A newly discovered document fuels the argument over the fate of American POWs

Major wars, from the Peloponnesus to the Persian Gulf, are fought and refought in the minds of scholars and military buffs long after the bones of the soldiers who did the real fighting have turned to dust. So it is likely to be -- and then some -- with the Vietnam War. Last week, for instance, on the eve of a crucial U.S. mission to Vietnam, a Harvard researcher disclosed parts of a document indicating that Hanoi has lied repeatedly about the number of American prisoners captured during the war. If the document proves to be accurate, its contents could destroy...

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