Approval Granted For Mia Search In Vietnam

Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Media Mail List
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Approval Granted For Mia Search In Vietnam

Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Bruce Billson has been advised that the Vietnamese Government has given its approval for further work to commence in search of Austalian MIA's from the Vietnam War.

Ongoing diplomatic efforts, greatly assisted by the support of the Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra, has secured approvals for the private, Australian Government backed group Operation Aussies Home and a specialist civilian team, coordinated by Army, to conduct further examinations of sites in Vietnam where the remains of Australian soldiers could be located.

Ground penetrating radar will be used in this work in search of the graves of Lance Corporal Richard Parker and Private Peter Gillson, who were killed during fighting in Bien Hoa Province in 1965.

The Army team, supported by the Operation Aussies Home group, will seek to establish whether remains of Lance Corporal John Gillespie can be located from a helicopter crash site in the Minh Dam Mountains (formerly the Long Hai Hills) of southern Vietnam.

Army is currently making preparations to support the expert team to go to Vietnam at the earliest opportunity.

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