You Are Not Forgotten: A Family’s Quest for Truth and the Founding of the National League of Families

You Are Not Forgotten is a story of courage, honor, and personal growth told by the woman who lived it. Evelyn Fowler Grubb was an American heroine and an eyewitness to the history recorded in this book. She was the wife of U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Wilmer Newlin Grubb who was shot down over North Vietnam in 1966 and photographed alive and well at his capture. Throughout the course of the war, Evelyn and thousands of other wives and family members were unable to get information or contact their loved ones. The U.S. government was unable to get reliable information and was hesitant to release unconfirmed data. The North Vietnamese government refused to provide information, and completely ignored the Geneva Conventions. This book traces the heart-rending journey of these families through the life of Evelyn Grubb and her family.
You Are Not Forgotten is also the story of the founding of the National League of Families and its role in the history of the period. Without any experience in the development of organizations, Evelyn became one of the founding members of the National League of Families of POW/MIA. In 1971, she became its National Coordinator in Washington, D.C., and served on its Board of Directors until 1974. From 1966 to 1974 she transformed herself from wife and mother to a national and international advocate for the American POWs and MIAs. In that capacity, together with hundreds of other POW/MIA family members, she lobbied relentlessly for enforcement of the Geneva Conventions, the humane treatment of POWs, and an accounting of our MIAs. While raising her four sons alone, she interacted with government officials at the highest levels in the United States– including Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon–and in many other countries. After eight long and traumatic years of waiting and hoping, Evelyn and her family were officially notified that her beloved Newk had perished in captivity from unsubstantiated causes soon after his capture.
You Are Not Forgotten is a significant history of the period. Just as importantly, however, it is the powerful, personal, and emotional journey of a group of strong and capable women and men who came together, grew in stature and cohesiveness to ensure that their husbands and loved ones would not be forgotten.