Gov. Dean's statement on the recovery of his brother's remains:

[Padraig18]

Statement on Charlie Dean

MANCHESTER--The following is a transcript of Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean's comments today on behalf of his family regarding recent developments in the 1974 disappearance of his brother, Charles Dean, in Laos:

"Our family has learned from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) that what they believe to be the remains of our brother, Charlie, and his traveling companion, Neil Sharman, have been located in Laos in the area that I visited in 2002. While positive identification will take some time, the personal effects found at the site make us reasonably confident that we have finally located Charlie's remains.

"This has been a long and emotional journey for my mother, Jim, Bill and me. We greet this news with mixed emotions but are gratified that we may now be approaching closure to this painful episode in our lives. We ask that you respect our privacy as we arrange for the transfer, identification and ultimate burial of what we believe are Charlie Dean's remains.

"I want to particularly thank the United States military. The men and women I visited with and stayed with at base camp last year in Laos are extraordinary human beings. This whole operation is an extraordinary credit to the government and the U.S. military. My family and I are deeply appreciative.

"This is an extraordinary thing they've done: I've been on the site of five POW/MIA where they believe people are buried. It's very, very difficult. It's very rare to recover the type of remains that we recovered, which are very significant and are very likely to be positively identified.

"At every turn have been accommodating and respectful of our family's needs, and we're grateful for their service to our family and to every other family who has experienced a similar loss.

"This is painful not just for us, but for the families of every POW/MIA in America. Based on my spending time in Southeast Asia last year I can tell you and all those families that similar efforts are being made for every family and every missing America from these Southeast Asian wars. This is an extraordinary step our government has gone to .

"We will likely travel to Hawaii for a repatriation ceremony on the 26th. When we have more information from the Pentagon, we will share that which is not private or personal."

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10570&JServSessionIdr003=2ujy1xb7j1.app195a&news_iv_ctrl=1301

May God rest Charlie Dean's soul, and may he comfort the Dean family. :(

[dsc]

1. I guess we can look forward to seeing

an American Spectator article posted accusing Dean of killing his brother to help his campaign. Sadly, while I am being sarcastic, I am kidding on the square.

[flamingyouth]

2. And I wouldn't doubt it either

Unfortunately.

[neuvocat]

3. Neither would I.

[pruner]

4. here's some pics of Dean in Laos earlier this year

Vermont Gov. Howard Dean traveled to Laos to visit the site where his brother is believed to have died.


Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (right) looks at unexploded ordnance (UXO) during his trip to the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic in February.

http://www.pacom.mil/JTFFA/photo_gallery.htm

[eileen_d]

5. My sympathies to Dean and his family

during this difficult time. I imagine this must bring some closure, but open up some painful wounds at the same time.

[pruner]

6. Dean will be flying to Hawaii next week to repatriate the remains

I'd imagine that'll help the healing process too.

[Punkingal]

7. Wow!

I can just imagine how the Dean family must feel. On the one hand, relieved to have some sort of closure, but it must be painful on the other hand. I remember my grandmother saying about her 2 sons who were killed in WWII, and whose bodies were never returned, that she always, somewhere in the back of her mind, wondered if they were really gone. I would imagine the Deans have felt like that, too.

[sandnsea]

8. My cousin was one of the Laos Seven

For that reason, I fully appreciate and have the utmost respect for what Dean's family is going through and I so hope these are his brother's remains. I can't imagine what living with unanswered questions for all these years must have been like for him and his family. My prayers are with them.