By Staff Report
Cheryl McCall, a Chipley City Council member, recently spoke to the Friends of the Library about a lesser-known aspect of the Vietnam War—the efforts of military wives to advocate for their missing and captured husbands.
Her presentation, February 24, focused on the recently published book Unwavering, which took a decade of research to complete. The book examines how, during the 1960s and 1970s, a group of women organized to bring attention to the plight of approximately 1,500 American servicemen who were prisoners of war or missing in action in Southeast Asia. Their advocacy efforts brought national attention to the issue and influenced U.S. foreign policy, making the return of POWs and MIAs a key component of peace negotiations.
McCall also discussed how these events contributed to changes in U.S. military strategy. Since the Vietnam War, efforts to prevent POW situations have increased, leading to greater use of unmanned technology and specialized military operations focused on recovering captured personnel.
Hannah Collins