QUANG BINH PROVINCE, Vietnam -- More than four decades ago, the United States found itself divided by the controversial war in Vietnam. The conflict resulted in the deaths of almost 60,000 service members. More than 1,200 are still Missing in Action (MIA).

During a recent temporary assignment with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to Vietnam, William Beaumont Army Medical Center's Maj. Aaron Pumerantz, D.O., contributed to the ongoing search to locate our service members and bring them back home.

Pumerantz, chief of rheumatology at WBAMC, deployed as one of the 124th Joint Field Activity's medical officers during excavations for fallen service members at Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Quang Binh, and Thua Thien-Hue Provinces in Vietnam.

"We went to an austere environment in Vietnam as part of a team to recover fallen service members," said Pumerantz, a native of Simsbury, Connecticut. "I volunteered for it."

For a month and a half Pumerantz and a team of service members comprised of Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines excavated different sites trying to recover remains.

The deployment was challenging physically, emotionally and psychologically, said Pumerantz. In addition to the challenging labor, the teams were required to hike for miles to reach excavation sites. According to Pumerantz, a former college football player, it was some of the hardest work he's experienced.

For Pumerantz and his colleagues, the mission was more than just finding remains at excavation sites; it meant an opportunity to bring America's sons and daughters back home.

"We're going to work until we bring them all home or can't work anymore to find them. That's what we do, and that's why it was a successful mission. We worked hard," said Pumerantz. "We're getting closer to providing solace to a wife, daughter, son, or parent that wants to put a loved one to rest.

"Not only are we accomplishing the mission and getting farther in finding fallen service members, but the team camaraderie and joint service aspect provide a unique experience," said Pumerantz.

Each joint field activity team was supported with professionals ranging from linguists and Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians to photojournalists and mortuary affairs technicians. When Pumerantz wasn't burrowing in the jungles of Vietnam, he provided medical care for his team members and the Vietnamese nationals working alongside them.

The care included musculoskeletal issues, gastrointestinal illnesses, skin rashes and other symptoms associated with the type of labor involved. Pumerantz, who had volunteered for humanitarian missions in Central America during college, said the mission and others like it provide inspiration and unique opportunities to serve.

"Going to a third world country is so moving for many reasons. Crying, bleeding, everything was involved in this mission," said Pumerantz. "It's symbolic of the major opportunities the Army has to offer. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding."