The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced on June 26 that U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Don F. Worley, 31, was accounted for on June 22, 2026. In 1968, Worley and 18 other men were assigned to Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in Houaphan Province, Laos. In the early morning of March 11, the site was overrun by Vietnamese commandos, causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow ledge of the steep mountain. A few hours later, under the protective cover of A-1 Skyraider aircraft, U.S. helicopters were able to rescue eight of the men. Worley and 10 other Americans were killed in action and were unable to be recovered. More information will be released following the family briefing.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is the primary U.S. government organization tasked with recovering and identifying missing personnel from past conflicts. Currently, there are over 1,500 American service members still officially unaccounted for, with nearly 72,000 remaining from World War II alone. The DPAA uses historical records, forensic anthropology, DNA, and on-site archaeology to identify remains and provide answers to military families. To search specific databases, request information on a lost service member, or find out how to return a Vietnam-era POW/MIA bracelet, use the DPAA Case Search and VVMF POW/MIA FAQ for official casualty resolution procedures.