Last year America gave up its Vietnam War Unknown Soldier to another resting ground desired by his family. Today the Tomb of The Vietnam War Unknown soldier lies empty. Our Department of Defense sadly reports it will never be filled because new and innovative medical identification makes that reality wonderful... yet nostalgic.

Yet, The Vietnam War Tomb of the Unknowns need not remain empty. The spirit of the Vietnam War Unknown has never represented an unknown identity as much as it has represented the unknown factor of why over two million young American men and women patriotically sacrificed their lives and their futures to serve heroically in an unwinnable war to make the world, and our country, a better, democratic place for all to pursue life, liberty and happiness.

Our Vietnam War Tomb of the Unknowns need not remain empty. Our vacant Tomb can be filled will proud remains... the names of every American who served in Vietnam.

Just as new technology allows us to identify those died our technology must be tasked to identity those served. The American War Library has endeavored since 1988 to identity all those who served in Vietnam. Despite all efforts to identify each and every American who served in Vietnam no final report will, sadly, ever be filed. Every name, every American life who served in Vietnam will never be known.

To date, 99.8% of those who served in Vietnam have been identified by The American War Library, only a few names remain forever unaccounted for.

The American War Library asks the Department of the Army, The President of the United States, and the our Congress to give serious thought and consideration to placing within the Tomb of the Unknown Vietnam War the names of every American who served in Vietnam to Honor those names that may forver remain Unknown.

Phill Coleman
Vietnam Veteran, 1969-70
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