Dean was classified as a POW-MIA although he was a civilian, leading to speculation that he was working for the Central Intelligence Agency. According to Howard Dean, his parents believed this to be true, though Howard Dean does not.
As a civilian, Dean was classified as a POW-MIA, prompting theories that he might have been secretly employed by the CIA. In contrast, Howard Dean's own account suggests that his parents held this notion, whereas Howard Dean himself does not support it.