Teeth ID Vietnam Vets

[David]

AP


Nearly four decades after dying on a hill in Vietnam, all that remained of four missing servicemen were some bone fragments and teeth. But the teeth were enough to identify the men, finally bringing closure to families who could never bury their loved ones.

On Tuesday, three of the men ? Marine Sgt. James Neil Tycz of Milwaukee, Marine 2nd Lt. Heinz Ahlmeyer Jr. of Pearl River, N.Y., and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Malcolm T. Miller of Tampa, Fla. ? will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The fourth, Marine Lance Cpl. Samuel Sharp Jr., of San Jose, Calif., was buried in his hometown last month.

The bodies had been left behind after a fight with North Vietnamese troops in 1967, near the Laos border, because it was too dangerous to go back in. Over the years, U.S. officials received tips from Vietnamese about the location of the men, and U.S. military officials visited the site several times, beginning in 1993.

In 2003, a team led by forensic archaeologist Sam Connell uncovered teeth that would ultimately be identified as belonging to the four men. Connell's team of 10 people included a medic, a native Vietnamese linguist, mortuary affairs specialists and military officials.

A previous team had helped pin down the place to search by finding other evidence in the area, such as boots.

Connell's team excavated the area, running soil through screens with 1/4-inch holes to trap any particles, such as human remains.

"We found a whole bunch of teeth," Connell said. "And some other remains, that were heavily deteriorated, but teeth survive the deterioration process because of the enamel."

The team was on site for two weeks in late April and early May, 2003. Another team visited the area last year, but did not find any more human remains. The servicemen were identified late last year by matching the teeth against dental records.

"You're doing archaeology, but in a forensic manner," Connell said. "You rope it off as a crime area ? it's a 30-year-old crime."

He said the investigators received excellent cooperation from both local residents and the Vietnamese government.

Since the end of the war, 748 Americans listed as missing in Vietnam have been accounted for.

"There's no doubt that in Southeast Asia, time is our enemy," said Johnie Webb, senior adviser to the commanding general of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, or JPAC. "Plus, there are many areas in Vietnam where the soil is very acidic, which causes increased deterioration of bones, including teeth."

Although teeth hold up better against the elements, Webb said, it is unlikely that they will survive another 50 years in the humid Vietnam climate.

About 1,800 servicemen are still missing from Vietnam. Many more are missing from World War II ? about 78,000, Webb said. But military officials are still searching for remains from that war as well, and will be going to Hungary and Germany for a recovery effort this fall.




The remains of Marine Sgt. James Neil Tycz of Milwaukee will be buried Tuesday.