Ann Mills-Griffiths

Ann Mills-Griffiths has led the National League of POW/MIA Families since August 1, 1978, first as Executive Director and, since August 1, 2011, as Chairman of the Board and CEO, continuing responsibilities for the nonprofit, 501(c)3 humanitarian organization in Washington, DC. Having stepped aside from administering daily League operations, she focuses primarily on US policy, operations, and sustaining the League’s financial ability to achieve accounting objectives. She serves as an Adviser to the US side of the US-Russia Joint Commission (USRJC) on POW/MIAs and, at the request of the Secretary of Defense, she also served as a Commissioner on the Department of Defense 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration. A member of DAR, American Legion Auxiliary and Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA), she is also a Life Member of the DAV and VFW Auxiliaries, and an Honorary Life Member of the Special Operations Association (SOA) and the Special Forces Association (SFA).

Since 1970, the League has fought for the return of all POWs, the fullest possible accounting for those listed as MIA, and the recovery and identification of remains of those who died serving our nation during the Vietnam War. From 1980 through 1992, Ms. Mills-Griffiths represented the families’ views as a founding member of the POW/MIA Interagency Group (IAG), the US Government’s senior-level policy development mechanism for achieving accounting results in the context of developing bilateral relations with Vietnam and restoring normal bilateral relations with Laos and Cambodia. She was instrumental in setting up high level negotiations between Vietnam and the United States in 1982-83. Since then, she has continued to represent the POW/MIA families and America’s missing personnel through direct contacts with US and foreign leaders.

Ms. Mills-Griffiths has led or participated in numerous delegations to Southeast Asia, meeting with senior officials in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. She also has met with Russian, Chinese and countless other diplomats and senior officials in an effort to expedite answers on Vietnam War missing personnel. As a recognized leader on POW/MIA issues and recipient of numerous honors, she has appeared frequently before congressional committees and sub-committees, national and international media, participated for decades in policy related to Southeast Asia and, more recently, encouraged pursuing answers on a separate humanitarian basis, despite policy and political differences, with the PRC, DPRK and the Russian Federation, a policy pursued since the mid-1980s related to the Vietnam War mission. In addition, she has been called on for advice and counsel by foreign nations facing their own personnel accounting issues.

CDR James B. Mills, USN, Ms. Mills-Griffiths’ brother, was listed as MIA on September 21, 1966, when the Navy F4B on which he served as Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) disappeared on a night, low-flying bombing mission over North Vietnam. He was serving his second tour, assigned to Fighter Squadron 21, USS Coral Sea, when the F4B in which he and the pilot, CAPT James Bauder, USN, were last seen and disappeared off radar. Despite uncertainty surrounding this incident, and due to nearly miraculous site discovery and sincere dedication by DPAA’s under-water archeologists, the remains of CAPT Bauder were recovered and identified in August, 2017, and those of CDR Mills in August, 2018. He was interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on August 24, 2019, the Monday after the League’s 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting. The entire Mills Family is deeply grateful.

Ann is a member of American Legion Auxiliary, Post 364 in Virginia, and has spoken at many American Legion national conventions.