Charlie Dean's remains found in Laos

The Pentagon said Tuesday it has uncovered remains from the site in Laos where Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean's younger brother was believed to have been killed nearly 30 years ago.

The remains have not been officially identified, but were uncovered in a grave along with some of Charles Dean's personal items, said Howard Dean's campaign spokeswoman, Tricia Enright. The candidate was notified of the discovery a few days ago, Enright said.
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Charles Dean, although a civilian, is considered by the U.S. government to have been a prisoner of war. The effort to recover the bodies of Dean and Sharman was coordinated by the Defense Department's Joint Task Force Full Accounting.

A joint U.S.-Laotian team discovered the remains earlier this month in Bolikhamxai Province in central Laos, said Larry Greer, spokesman for the Pentagon office in charge of POW and MIA issues. He said the remains are still in Laos and will be picked up by a U.S. Air Force plane in the next few weeks to be taken to the military's identification laboratory in Hawaii.

This news, if confirmed, brings to closure a chapter of Dean's life, which had a profound effect on his life-path (he devoted an entire chapter to Charlie and his father in his new memoir). Dean even traveled to Laos in February to visit the site where his brother is believed to have been killed. There are some photos of Dean in Laos at the Pacific Command Joint Task Force for Full Accounting (JTFFA) website (scroll down).

Please remember the Dean family in your prayers today.