Vanessa was a good soldier.

Did she go into the army to help people?

Yes. Another soldier notified command that she was missing.

They're searching their company areas. They're searching the installation.

It's like she vanished into thin air.

I want to talk. And I wonder.

This takes a turn, this story.

So her family said that she was being sexually harassed by a superior. This kicked off the hashtag hash iamvanessagian. I don't know what makes them do that. The right to harass my sister. Women are coming forward saying they, too, were sexually harassed in the army. Enough is enough. We need to change this.

The trends are going the wrong way. That's really tearing at us as an institution.

A man who is out digging holes sees what he thinks is human hair.

I kept praying because miracles can happen. I would say, please don't let it be.

I'm Lester Holt, and this is Dateline. Here's Andrea Canning with voices for Vanessa.

I couldn't believe this was happening to me. It was the scariest part in my answers.As Vanessa's disappearance turned into a cause, her family brought on board a firebrand attorney named Natalie Quam to get to the bottom of their claims. Vanessa was sexually harassed.She said, how much are you going to charge us? And I said, I'm not going to charge you anything. You lost your sister. I want to help you out.But Qwomp says the army was reluctant to share details on the case with her, too. Is it possible that they were doing all this investigation, but they were just really holding it? Because27 years.Fort Hood seems to epitomize the army's deeply entrenched and long term problems. In November 2020, an independent review of Fort Hood by outside experts found a toxic culture permissive of sexual harassment and assault at the army base.We have a problem. We've got to recognize we have a problem, and we've got to fix it. It pains me that it took the death of your daughter.California congresswoman Jackie Spear, chair of the House Armed Services subcommittee on military personnel, has been trying to pull the military into line for about a decade.The military brass would come to us and say we have zero tolerance for sexual assault and sexual harassment, and they were given a pass. Not anymore, she says.In a 2019 military survey, 120,000 service members said they'd been sexually harassed, but less than 1% filed a complaint. And when it comes to sexual assault, of the 20 plus thousand cases, only about 1% resulted in convictions.We are introducing the Im Vanessa Guillen legislation today.So shes introduced legislation with strong bipartisan support, the Vanessa Guillen act that requires sexual harassment and assault complaints be investigated by an independent military prosecutor in the US army. Why will things be different this time around?This legislation creates accountability. There'll be independent investigations taking place, and I'm going to guarantee that that kind of action is taken by the military by making sure this legislation gets passed.Representative speers hard work paid off when a key part of the I am Vanessa Guillen act was signed into law. Legal decisions in military sexual assault cases have now shifted from commanders to independent. Prosecutors also enacted a provision establishing sexual harassment as a standalone offense under military law. Would you say that this is the hash metoo movement of the military?I think there's no question that this is the hash metoo movement of the military. Vanessa will go down in history in saving so many other service members lives.In August 2020, Vanessa's casket was taken by horse drawn carriage to a memorial service at her former high school. Her family chose a private burial. Though a military funeral was an option, we actually declined.My mom didn't want the military casket or anything of that.So because of how the military handled us.Right.Vanessa's family hopes her legacy will be about bringing change to the army, giving a voice to so many men and women who have suffered in silence.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt. Thanks for joining us.

answers.

As Vanessa's disappearance turned into a cause, her family brought on board a firebrand attorney named Natalie Quam to get to the bottom of their claims. Vanessa was sexually harassed.

She said, how much are you going to charge us? And I said, I'm not going to charge you anything. You lost your sister. I want to help you out.

But Qwomp says the army was reluctant to share details on the case with her, too. Is it possible that they were doing all this investigation, but they were just really holding it? Because27 years.Fort Hood seems to epitomize the army's deeply entrenched and long term problems. In November 2020, an independent review of Fort Hood by outside experts found a toxic culture permissive of sexual harassment and assault at the army base.We have a problem. We've got to recognize we have a problem, and we've got to fix it. It pains me that it took the death of your daughter.California congresswoman Jackie Spear, chair of the House Armed Services subcommittee on military personnel, has been trying to pull the military into line for about a decade.The military brass would come to us and say we have zero tolerance for sexual assault and sexual harassment, and they were given a pass. Not anymore, she says.In a 2019 military survey, 120,000 service members said they'd been sexually harassed, but less than 1% filed a complaint. And when it comes to sexual assault, of the 20 plus thousand cases, only about 1% resulted in convictions.We are introducing the Im Vanessa Guillen legislation today.So shes introduced legislation with strong bipartisan support, the Vanessa Guillen act that requires sexual harassment and assault complaints be investigated by an independent military prosecutor in the US army. Why will things be different this time around?This legislation creates accountability. There'll be independent investigations taking place, and I'm going to guarantee that that kind of action is taken by the military by making sure this legislation gets passed.Representative speers hard work paid off when a key part of the I am Vanessa Guillen act was signed into law. Legal decisions in military sexual assault cases have now shifted from commanders to independent. Prosecutors also enacted a provision establishing sexual harassment as a standalone offense under military law. Would you say that this is the hash metoo movement of the military?I think there's no question that this is the hash metoo movement of the military. Vanessa will go down in history in saving so many other service members lives.In August 2020, Vanessa's casket was taken by horse drawn carriage to a memorial service at her former high school. Her family chose a private burial. Though a military funeral was an option, we actually declined.My mom didn't want the military casket or anything of that.So because of how the military handled us.Right.Vanessa's family hopes her legacy will be about bringing change to the army, giving a voice to so many men and women who have suffered in silence.That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt. Thanks for joining us.

27 years.

Fort Hood seems to epitomize the army's deeply entrenched and long term problems. In November 2020, an independent review of Fort Hood by outside experts found a toxic culture permissive of sexual harassment and assault at the army base.

We have a problem. We've got to recognize we have a problem, and we've got to fix it. It pains me that it took the death of your daughter.

California congresswoman Jackie Spear, chair of the House Armed Services subcommittee on military personnel, has been trying to pull the military into line for about a decade.

The military brass would come to us and say we have zero tolerance for sexual assault and sexual harassment, and they were given a pass. Not anymore, she says.

In a 2019 military survey, 120,000 service members said they'd been sexually harassed, but less than 1% filed a complaint. And when it comes to sexual assault, of the 20 plus thousand cases, only about 1% resulted in convictions.

We are introducing the Im Vanessa Guillen legislation today.

So shes introduced legislation with strong bipartisan support, the Vanessa Guillen act that requires sexual harassment and assault complaints be investigated by an independent military prosecutor in the US army. Why will things be different this time around?

This legislation creates accountability. There'll be independent investigations taking place, and I'm going to guarantee that that kind of action is taken by the military by making sure this legislation gets passed.

Representative speers hard work paid off when a key part of the I am Vanessa Guillen act was signed into law. Legal decisions in military sexual assault cases have now shifted from commanders to independent. Prosecutors also enacted a provision establishing sexual harassment as a standalone offense under military law. Would you say that this is the hash metoo movement of the military?

I think there's no question that this is the hash metoo movement of the military. Vanessa will go down in history in saving so many other service members lives.

In August 2020, Vanessa's casket was taken by horse drawn carriage to a memorial service at her former high school. Her family chose a private burial. Though a military funeral was an option, we actually declined.

My mom didn't want the military casket or anything of that.

So because of how the military handled us.

Right.

Vanessa's family hopes her legacy will be about bringing change to the army, giving a voice to so many men and women who have suffered in silence.

That's all for now. I'm Lester Holt. Thanks for joining us.