1. THE RIGHT THING TO DO

2. WHAT IS MIAP?  Non-profit organization dedicated to veterans.  Massive nation-wide effort to locate, identify, & inter unclaimed cremated remains of forgotten veterans.  Executed through combined efforts of: Citizens Citizens Volunteer service & veteran organizations Volunteer service & veteran organizations Funeral Regulatory Agency Funeral Regulatory Agency State and National Veterans’ Administration agencies State and National Veterans’ Administration agencies

3. .  MISSION STATEMENT  To provide honor and respect.  To locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of American veterans through the joint efforts of private, state, and federal organizations to those who have served this country by securing a final resting place for these forgotten heroes

4. MIAP FOUNDER Fred Salanti Fred Salanti National Director National Director Redding, CA Redding, CA Disabled Veteran Disabled Veteran Major, US Army Infantry Major, US Army Infantry Viet Nam Veteran Viet Nam Veteran

5. MIAP NATIONAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR MIAP NATIONAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR LINDA SMITH LINDA SMITH RETIRED DOD RETIRED DOD US NAVY VETERAN US NAVY VETERAN Lake Ozark, MO 65049 Lake Ozark, MO 65049

6. MIAP NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON Heidi Voight Noted activist & public speaker from Milford, CT. Noted activist & public speaker from Milford, CT. Personal mission is to ensure no man or woman brave enough to serve is forgotten. “We owe them a proper memorial with honor, dignity, and with love.” Personal mission is to ensure no man or woman brave enough to serve is forgotten. “We owe them a proper memorial with honor, dignity, and with love.”

7. MIAP NATIONAL CHAPLAIN CHUCK TYLER National Chaplain/Web Administrator Establish Chaplain Corps in 50 states. Establish Chaplain Corps in 50 states. Recruiting for MIAP volunteer chaplains. Recruiting for MIAP volunteer chaplains. If you feel it’s your calling and meet requirements of an ordained minister or an experienced chaplain, please consider joining our efforts. If you feel it’s your calling and meet requirements of an ordained minister or an experienced chaplain, please consider joining our efforts.

8. AMERICAN LEGION AND AMVETS Partnered with MIAP Adopted American Legion Resolution 24 in May 2007 by the National Executive Committee and AMVETS Resolution 09-19 in 2008. Adopted American Legion Resolution 24 in May 2007 by the National Executive Committee and AMVETS Resolution 09-19 in 2008. Formally endorsed the MIA project. Formally endorsed the MIA project. Our goal is to “Identify, honor, and inter unclaimed cremated remains of veterans”. Our goal is to “Identify, honor, and inter unclaimed cremated remains of veterans”.

9. Rich Cesler, Idaho State Veterans’ Cemetery Cremated remains found in storage unit. In Nov 2006, the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery interred 21 veterans and 1 spouse. In Nov 2007, 13 additional veterans and 3 spouses were laid to rest. INSPIRATION FOR THE PROGRAM

10. 3500 cremated remains found stored at an Oregon State Hospital OREGON’S FORGOTTEN HOSPITAL

11. The Missing in America Project provides free liability insurance for all volunteers that visit funeral homes. The Missing in America Project provides free liability insurance for all volunteers that visit funeral homes. All volunteers must sign a release/liability form, assuring both the MIAP and funeral homes that all information is kept strictly confidential. All volunteers must sign a release/liability form, assuring both the MIAP and funeral homes that all information is kept strictly confidential. Funeral Homes are in charge of all decisions regarding interrment of located veterans. Funeral Homes are in charge of all decisions regarding interrment of located veterans.

12. JEFFERSON BARRACKS SERVICE St. Louis, MO Six veterans’ cremated remains were interred. January 11, 2008

13. JEFFERSON BARRACKS SERVICE MIAP/ALR/PGR PIPE AND DRUM CORPS PIPE AND DRUM CORPS

14. The shadow box was presented to the funeral director on behalf of the deceased veterans. It now hangs in a place of honor at the funeral home.

15. CALIFORNIA MIAP MISSION

16. April 2010 April 2010 Over 400 volunteers + Approx 120 Group Volunteers (AL, ALR, VFW, MCL, VVA etc)Over 400 volunteers + Approx 120 Group Volunteers (AL, ALR, VFW, MCL, VVA etc) Number of states participating: 47Number of states participating: 47 Funeral Homes Visited : 822Funeral Homes Visited : 822 Veterans Identified: 712Veterans Identified: 712 Veterans Interred: 632Veterans Interred: 632 Cremated remains located: 6656Cremated remains located: 6656 New cremated remains located in: New cremated remains located in: NM, MA, GA, CA, KY, IL, AK, NY MIAP UPDATE

17. IDENTIFING VETERANS & DEPENDENTS Inventory all cremated remains on property. Inventory all cremated remains on property. Input all cremated remains in secure MIAP database. Input all cremated remains in secure MIAP database. Check those files for military information: Check those files for military information: DD 214 (discharge paper) DD 214 (discharge paper) Certificate of Honorable Discharge Certificate of Honorable Discharge Notice of Separation Notice of Separation Death certificate: was decedent ever in US Armed Forces? Submit information for eligibility verification. Submit information for eligibility verification. Notification of eligible decedents. Notification of eligible decedents. Coordinate interment service with full military honors. Coordinate interment service with full military honors.

18. MILITARY HONORS

19. MIAP OPERATIONS Yellow = Region 5 LT Green = Region 5A LT Blue = Region 3 Violet = Region 4 DK Green = Region 2 Orange = Region 1 DK Blue = Region 1A White = No Region

20. National Director Fred Salanti ducpho@miap.us ducpho@miap.us National Operations Coordinator Linda Smith sailormom@miap.us sailormom@miap.us National Events Coordinator Joe Smith joelinda2470@charter.net joelinda2470@charter.net Financial Frank (Bud) Thieme Jr. bikerpapa@miap.us bikerpapa@miap.us Chaplain/Web Administrator Chuck Tyler chucktyler@miap.us chucktyler@miap.us Secretary Board of Directors/Legal Action Committee Open Open MIAP CONTACT INFORMATION

21. Veterans Organizations Coordinator Chris Brocksmith cgbrocksmith@cbrocksmith.com cgbrocksmith@cbrocksmith.com National Liaison To Funeral Directors Sally BelangerSallybelanger@aol.com Sallybelanger@aol.com National Spokesperson Heidi Voight hvoight@miap.us hvoight@miap.us Funeral Director/Legal Action Committee Funeral Director/Legal Action Committee Poul LeMasters, Esq. phl@rosenacker.com Poul LeMasters, Esq. phl@rosenacker.com phl@rosenacker.com National Political Coordinator John Caldarelli Jcaldarelli@optonline.com Jcaldarelli@optonline.com National Public Information Representative William Lauchlan wlauchlan@godaddy.com wlauchlan@godaddy.com MIAP CONTACT INFORMATION

22. “A veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America, for any amount, up to and including his/her life.” Author Unknown DEFINITION OF A VETERAN

23. SUMMARY This project has just begun. Our goal is to inter veterans and their dependents with the honor & respect they deserve. They served our great nation; it is now our great nation’s turn to serve them.

24. Missing in America Emotions surround on me this day of despair At the Veterans memorial, sorrow wafts in the air We honor five soldiers and lay them to rest The armed forces tribute for America’s best. Their comrades escort them to this hallowed place A disciplined march, in synchronized pace. Seven Honor Guard set, arms shouldered to fire Three shots will ring out, all meant to inspire Each volley thunders as it moves through my soul The flood in my eyes, I no longer control. Softly, the bugle mourns one final song Taps for these men, their day is now done. As I hold my flag high, to honor these men My heart starts to ache for what gathered us in. The journey each took to this final place Is unbearably sad and should cause us disgrace. Missing in Action, we all know this phrase A price our men pay for defending our ways. But missing at home, these men should not bear Being left on a shelf with no one to care. Their families are absent, they don’t know we’re here They’ve left these men stranded, year after year. On funeral home shelves, their fate left unknown So our mission won’t end, till all are brought home We’ll honor their service and life since the war And place them with God to rest evermore. Old Glory is folded and placed at their side We’ll remember forever, Americas Pride Missing in America, a project held dear Will find all these men and see them brought here They defended this Nation with courage and grit We owe it to them to never forget Don Blair

25. THE RIGHT THING TO DO QUESTIONS?