Missing in action?

Question: Missing in action!?

When military personnel (I'm talking specifically about the U!.S!. Army) are classified as MIA, are they considered casualties!?

For example, there are over 30,000 Americans missing from World War II!. Are those people officially considered dead now; would they be included in a compilation of deaths and/or casualties for the war!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

They are casualties, and are now considered dead!.

After two years, a man's status would be changed from "missing in action" to "presumed killed", and his next of kin was notified of this change in status!. This meant the next of kin could then collect on the $10,000!.00 GI life insurance!.

I actually have the letters notifying my grandmother that my uncle, who was an Army Air Force B-25 bombardier, was lost over the Mediterranean, and she was notified almost a month later that he was "missing"!. The next letter is dated two years later to the day, changing his status to "presumed killed"!. It was actually a form letter, and there was a list of twelve recipients at the bottom, because there were two B-25s lost that day, each with a six man crew!. Though no body has ever been recovered, he, like all the other missing, is commemorated on the "Tablets of the Missing" at the nearest American Battle Monuments Commission Cemetery!.

Immediate postwar casualty figures gave US war dead at about 275,000!. The figure given today is about 405,000 and undoubtedly includes all the men initially listed as missing!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

True story: It usually means that they were blown up beyond recognition - atomized - obliterated and no one will ever see them whole again - not even forensic specialists!. NOTHING was left, not a bone, not a button, not a tooth!. War is UGLY!.!.!.war IS Hell!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

even though the person is a MIA, no matter what has happen to the body, if it isn't recovered then it is simply classified as missing and not officially considered dead!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

MIA falls under "casualties"

And it usually does mean dead!. But it also often means captured and killed!.Www@QuestionHome@Com