My travels often stumble upon remarkable stories. Stories that don't make FOX or CNN's news reels. Stories told by your average every day person, too small to make headlines, but large in the life of the story teller. Sue Scott, a resident of Detroit, Michigan told me her story on Father's Day just a few weeks ago at a bar in Crystal City, Virginia. It really hit me hard and I just can't seem to forget her story.

We were two strangers having our meals by ourselves, side by side at the bar. Inevitably we struck up a conversation. I guessed she was from out of town and asked her what brought her to the Washington, D.C. area. She said it was in search of her missing brother, CPT. Douglas David Ferguson, an Air Force pilot of an F4 plane. CPT Ferguson at the age of 24 was shot down in Laos on December 30, 1969, and remains missing in action. Unaccounted.

For the past 36 years, Sue Scott has tirelessly searched for the truth about her brother. What happened to him? Did he survive the crash as photo evidence might suggest by two opened parachutes found in the area? Was he taken prisoner? Is he still alive? Or did he perish that day?

Answers. That's all Ms. Scott wants. Ms. Scott pushes on, calling on various government agencies. Hoping. Keeping the faith that someday she will find the answers and be able to account for her brother.

What a task! What passion and tenacity she exhibits.

"What keeps her going?" I asked. Well it's statisitics and progress. Amazingly enough, as the years pass, we are still accounting for the MIA's from the Vietnam War. As of today, since the end of the War, 1,568 MIA's have been accounted. 1,802 personnel remain unaccounted. Included in these numbers are 194 accounted for in LAOS with 375 still unaccounted. Every year additional personnel are accounted.

This gives Sue Scott hope. She will not stop looking for answers. She just can't. She must keep trying. And so should our government. We owe it to those who have not come back yet.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive