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January 26, 2008 Bits N Pieces Truth Squads – If you’ve been watching the news and reading newspapers lately you have heard a lot about “truth squads.” Well, we have our own kind of truth squad. Anytime a politician, regardless of party, makes a statement regarding the POW / MIA issue that is misleading or untrue, we feel obligated to correct the record. Such is the case with a statement made by Senator John McCain. According to an article by Todd J. Gillman, published January 19th in the Dallas Morning News, Senator McCain is quoted as stating: “There is a record of the POW-MIA commission which unanimously reported that there is no compelling evidence that there's Americans alive in Southeast Asia. I'm proud of the work that we did on a bipartisan basis. The recognition of Vietnam . I'm proud of my record there." The “POW-MIA commission” Senator McCain refers to is well known to our readers as the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. Equally well known to our readers is the most important conclusion of that committee. The following comes directly from the committee's report, published January 13, 1993. [Begin Quote] "In 1976, the Montgomery Committee concluded that because there was no evidence that missing Americans had survived, they must be dead. In 1977, a Defense Department official said that the distinction between Americans still listed as "POW" and those listed as "missing" had become "academic". Nixon, Ford and Carter Administration officials all dismissed the possibility that American POWs had survived in Southeast Asia after Operation Homecoming." "This Committee has uncovered evidence that precludes it from taking the same view. We acknowledge that there is no proof that U.S. POWs survived, but neither is there proof that all of those who did not return had died. There is evidence, moreover, that indicates the possibility of survival, at least for a small number, after Operation Homecoming: First, there are the Americans known or thought possibly to have been alive in captivity who did not come back; we cannot dismiss the chance that some of these known prisoners remained captive past Operation Homecoming. Second, leaders of the Pathet Lao claimed throughout the war that they were holding American prisoners in Laos . Those claims were believed--and, up to a point, validated--at the time; they cannot be dismissed summarily today. Third, U.S. defense and intelligence officials hoped that forty or forty-one prisoners captured in Laos would be released at Operation Homecoming, instead of the twelve who were actually repatriated. These reports were taken seriously enough at the time to prompt recommendations by some officials for military action aimed at gaining the release of the additional prisoners thought to be held. Fourth, information collected by U.S. intelligence agencies during the last 19 years, in the form of live-sighting, hearsay, and other intelligence reports, raises questions about the possibility that a small number of unidentified U.S. POWs who did not return may have survived in captivity. Finally, even after Operation Homecoming and returnee debriefs, more than 70 Americans were officially listed as POWs based on information gathered prior to the signing of the peace agreement; while the remains of many of these Americans have been repatriated, the fates of some continue unknown to this day." [End Quote] McCain’s statement that “there is no compelling evidence that there's Americans alive in Southeast Asia” is a far cry from the committee’s conclusion: “…We acknowledge that there is no proof that U.S. POWs survived, but neither is there proof that all of those who did not return had died. There is evidence, moreover, that indicates the possibility of survival, at least for a small number, after Operation Homecoming….” We should all remember, and remind the media and anyone else who will listen, that John McCain signed the final report of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, a report which stated; “There is evidence, moreover, that indicates the possibility of survival, at least for a small number, after Operation Homecoming….” We’d like to find the reporter that would ask the next question…. Senator McCain, what have you done since 1993 to help learn what happened to that “small number” with evidence that indicated “the possibility of survival?” We all know the answer to that question…. Nothing! |
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FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2007 TO: ALL AMERICAN PATRIOTS WHO CARE ABOUT THE LIVING POWS STILL ALIVE IN VIETNAM AND LAOS FR: FORMER CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEBOUTILLIER RE: AN ENORMOUS CRIME Indeed, the abandonment of 600 of our living American Prisoners-of-War in 1973 was - and still is - an enormous crime. And that is the title of the single best book - ever written - about the criminal behavior of our government beginning 35 years ago and continuing right up to the present. On Memorial Day, AN ENORMOUS CRIME; The Definitive Account of American POWs Abandoned in Southeast Asia, written by Former Congressman Bill Hendon and Beth Stewart, will be published by St. Martin's Press. The first reviews - enclosed below - summarize this meticulously-researched book: From Publishers Weekly: "Controversial former North Carolina Congressman Hendon and attorney Stewart make the case that the U.S. knowingly left hundreds of POWs in Vietnam and Laos in 1973, and that every presidential administration since then has covered it up." And from Kirkus Reviews: "A sprawling indictment of eight U.S. dministrations...a convincing, urgent argument." I have been involved with this book since its inception; I have read every draft and am very familiar with the research done by Bill Hendon and Beth Stewart. The beauty of this book is that it is based totally on US Government documents. In fact, Hendon and Stewart spent years in the National Archives digging out previously-classified and never-before-published documents. So, when USG officials and former officials try to attack this book they are going to have a difficult time: the book isn't Hendon and Stewart's opinions; it is from the intelligence gathered through radio intercepts, satellite and aerial imagery, and thousands of reports from HUMINT sources (human intelligence) - and given to all our high-level officials from the Oval Office on down. In other words, they all knew. And they have all lied and covered-up the existence of our POWs to this day. They all knew that the USG knowingly left 600 POWs behind - and this crime has been systematically covered up ever since by officials from both parties in every administration. AN ENORMOUS CRIME is based on 66,000 pages of never-before-published USG intelligence reports.A companion web site will allow readers - and critics - to see all these documents and judge for themselves. Every intelligence report and government memorandum mentioned or discussed in the book will appear in its entirety on the web site for every reader to read and study - and decide for him/herself who is telling the truth about live POWs: the intelligence sources or those who have debunked the intelligence and covered up the existence of live POWs through eight presidential administrations.This web site will also contain other information not contained in the book. Here is what I am asking you to do: 1) Spread the word about this book to everyone you know who cares about our abandoned brothers; 2) Go to Amazon - here is the direct link -- http://www.amazon.com/Enormous-Crime-Definitive-Abandoned-Southeast/dp/0312371268/ref=pd_nr_b_34/104-5355030-3564753?ie=UTF8&s=books - and pre-order this book;3) Pray - as a community of POW activists - for the successful return of all our POWs. 4) Start to regain our sense of life-and-death desperation and our fighting spirit - the spirit we POW/MIA activists used to have when we took on our corrupt and arrogant government officials in the past - liars like McCain, Kerry, Kissinger, George "Sit Down and Shut Up!" Bush and those DIA Debunkers - and get ready to make one last push to get our POWs home - alive - now - beginning on Memorial Day when this book comes out. This book is NOT about crash site excavations, bones, or a couple of teeth-used-to-identify-an-eight-man- flight-crew! AN ENORMOUS CRIME is about one thing - and one thing only: living US POWs still held against their will by the North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao - and covered-up by a corrupt government in Washington, DC. In fact, the Pentagon is still receiving new, up-to-date, credible reports of sightings of US POWs this year! (Of course, they're hiding those reports from the public.)So we owe it to these brave American heroes to make one more concerted effort to get them home.What can you do? Whatever you do, DO SOMETHING! The POWs need our help - so it is up to us to do whatever we can do to help get this issue back on the front pages and back in the news. Please help our brothers! Sincerely, Former Congressman John LeBoutillier P.S. Please feel free to forward this email to any and everyone you know! Spread the word!
Publisher's Weekly: An Enormous Crime: The Definitive Account of American POWs Abandoned in Southeast Asia Bill Hendon and Elizabeth Stewart. St. Martin's/Dunne, $29.95 (640p) ISBN 978-0-312-37126-8 Controversial former North Carolina congressman Hendon and attorney Stewart make the case that the U.S. knowingly left hundreds of POWs in Vietnam and Laos in 1973, and that every presidential administration since then has covered it up. The main reason for the secrecy, say the authors, is the billions in war reparations demanded by the Vietnamese and promised by Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon at the Paris Peace talks. Hendon and Stewart provide a mountain of evidence, mainly intelligence reports of live sightings of American prisoners in Vietnam and Laos that make for less-than-scintillating reading. But riveting sections describe Hendon's crusade on this issue in the early 1980s, including two meetings with President Reagan, pleading his case that the government free the live POWs. Hendon and Stewart directly accuse a long list of government officials of the coverup. Among the most culpable: Kissinger, President George H.W. Bush, Senators John McCain and John Kerry, Gen. Colin Powell, former secretary of state George Schultz and former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld. It's a chore wading through the live-sighting reports and the massive, detailed endnotes, but the descriptions of Hendon's unsuccessful personal mission provide an intriguing story and carry the ring of truth. 36 b&w photos not seen by PW. (June 1) Kirkus Reviews: A sprawling indictment of eight U.S. administrations. The charge: sacrificing American war prisoners in the interest of focusing, as Bush aides have said, "not on Vietnam’s past but on its future." Beginning in 1966, write former Rep. Hendon (R-NC) and attorney Stewart, GIs captured in South Vietnam were moved north along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and other routes. Cataloguing sightings with the diligence of Vincent Bugliosi?whose RReclaiming History (2007), on the JFK assassination, is something of a companion piece?Hendon and Stewart reckon that hundreds of POWs had crossed thhe Demilitarized Zone by the time of the Tet Offensive, their numbers swelled by pilots downed over North Vietnam. Many of these soldiers, Hendon and Stewart charge, were used as human shields against American bombing attacks on power plants, military headquarters and other strategically important venues. North Vietnam and its allies in Laos and Cambodia weren’t particularly forthcoming on all these things, but the U.S. played a dirty hand, too; by the authors’ account, the prisoners’ ultimate release was bound up in negotiations conducted by Henry Kissinger, "the surrogate president," who reneged on promises of U.S. aid owing to supposed violations of previous accords, thus closing off a diplomatic channel for repatriation. Fast forward to 1987, when Ross Perot traveled to Vietnam and told the foreign minister, who insisted that there were no POWs there, "Don’t embarrass yourselves, I know too much." Fruitful negotiations ensued, the authors report, only to be brushed aside by the Reagan administration? even though, they claim, at least 100 U.S. priisoners were still alive in Vietnam. Hendon and Stewart, who appear nonpartisan in their disdain for governmental inaction and double-dealing, close by offering advice to President Bush to send an army of former presidents and their staffs to negotiate the release of the remaining captives. Much of the authors’ evidence is circumstantial, but there’s an awful lot of it. A convincing, urgent argument.Hendon, Bill & Elizabeth A. StewartAN ENORMOUS CRIME: The Definitive Account of American POWs Abandoned in Southeast Asia $29.95 Jun. 1, 2007 ISBN: 978-0-312-37126-5 2058
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Hope Rides Alone by Eddie Jeffers |
| This letter from Iraq is provided to us by Ohio Chapter 2 member Pam Murray. This is a fantastic letter written by a son to his dad from the front in Iraq. I wish all of those that are protesting the war could read this. I wanted to share an article my son Eddie sent me from Iraq. I was not going to send it out through the usual means; I'm looking to have this published somehow. I just felt after reading it again this morning that I wanted people to begin reading it and begin/continue to pray for our brave men and women in uniform. I'm not sure how many letters or articles you've ever read from the genre of "News from the Front," but this is one of the best I've ever read, including all of America's wars. As I was reading this, I forgot that it was my son who had written it. My emotions range from great pride to great sorrow, knowing that my little boy (22 years old) has become this man. He is my hero. Thank all of you for your prayers for him; he needs them now more than ever. God bless. David Jeffers |
I stare out into the darkness from my post, and I watch the city burn to the ground. I smell the familiar smells, I walk through the familiar rubble, and I look at the frightened faces that watch me pass down the streets of their neighborhoods. My nerves hardly rest; my hands are steady on a device that has been given to me from my government for the purpose of taking the lives of others. I sweat, and I am tired. My back aches from the loads I carry. Young American boys look to me to direct them in a manner that will someday allow them to see their families again...and yet, I too, am just a boy....my age not but a few years more than that of the ones I lead. I am stressed, I am scared, and I am paranoid...because death is everywhere. It waits for me, it calls to me from around street corners and windows, and it is always there. There are the demons that follow me, and tempt me into thoughts and actions that are not my own...but that are necessary for survival. I've made compromises with my humanity. And I am not alone in this. Miles from me are my brethren in this world, who walk in the same streets...who feel the same things, whether they admit to it or not. And to think, I volunteered for this...And I am ignorant to the rest of the world...or so I thought. But even thousands of miles away, in Ramadi, Iraq, the cries and screams and complaints of the ungrateful reach me. In a year, I will be thrust back into society from a life and mentality that doesn't fit your average man. And then, I will be alone. And then, I will walk down the streets of America, and see the yellow ribbon stickers on the cars of the same people who compare our President to Hitler. I will watch the television and watch the Cindy Sheehans, and the Al Frankens, and the rest of the ignorant sheep of America spout off their mouths about a subject they know nothing about. It is their right, however, and it is a right that is defended by hundreds of thousands of boys and girls scattered across the world, far from home. I use the word boys and girls, because that's what they are. In the Army, the average age of the infantryman is nineteen years old. The average rank of soldiers killed in action is Private First Class. People like Cindy Sheehan are ignorant. Not just to this war, but to the results of their idiotic ramblings, or at least I hope they are. They don't realize its effects on this war. In this war, there are no Geneva Conventions, no cease fires. Medics and Chaplains are not spared from the enemy's brutality because it's against the rules. I can only imagine the horrors a military Chaplain would experience at the hands of the enemy. The enemy slinks in the shadows and fights a coward's war against us. It is effective though, as many men and women have died since the start of this war. And the memory of their service to America is tainted by the inconsiderate remarks on our nation's news outlets. And every day, the enemy changes...only now, the enemy is becoming something new. The enemy is transitioning from the Muslim extremists to Americans. The enemy is becoming the very people whom we defend with our lives. And they do not realize it. But in denouncing our actions, denouncing our leaders, denouncing the war we live and fight, they are isolating the military from society...and they are becoming our enemy. Democrats and peace activists like to toss the word "quagmire" around and compare this war to Vietnam. In a way they are right, this war is becoming like Vietnam. Not the actual war, but in the isolation of country and military. America is not a nation at war; they are a nation with its military at war. Like it or not, we are here, some of us for our second, or third times; some even for their fourth and so on. Americans are so concerned now with politics, that it is interfering with our war. Terrorists cut the heads off of American citizens on the internet...and there is no outrage, but an American soldier kills an Iraqi in the midst of battle, and there are investigations, and sometimes soldiers are even jailed...for doing their job. It is absolutely sickening to me to think our country has come to this. Why are we so obsessed with the bad news? Why will people stop at nothing to be against this war, no matter how much evidence of the good we've done is thrown in their face? When is the last time CNN or MSNBC or CBS reported the opening of schools and hospitals in Iraq? Or the leaders of terror cells being detained or killed? It's all happening, but people will not let up their hatred of Bush. They will ignore the good news, because it just might show people that Bush was right. America has lost its will to fight. It has lost its will to defend what is right and just in the world. The crazy thing of it all is that the American people have not even been asked to sacrifice a single thing. It's not like World War Two, where people rationed food, and turned in cars to be made into metal for tanks. The American people have not been asked to sacrifice anything. Unless you are in the military or the family member of a service member, its life as usual...the war doesn't affect you. But it affects us. And when it is over, and the troops come home, and they try to piece together what's left of them after their service...where will the detractors be then? Where will the Cindy Sheehans be to comfort and talk to soldiers and help them sort out the last couple years of their lives, most of which have been spent dodging death and wading through the deaths of their friends? They will be where they always are, somewhere far away, where the horrors of the world can't touch them. Somewhere where they can complain about things they will never experience in their lifetime; things that the young men and women of America have willingly taken upon their shoulders. We are the hope of the Iraqi people. They want what everyone else wants in life: safety, security, somewhere to call home. They want a country that is safe to raise their children in. Not a place where their children will be abducted, raped, and murdered if they do not comply with the terrorists demands. They want to live on, rebuild and prosper. And America has given them the opportunity, but only if we stay true to the cause, and see it to its end. But the country must unite in this endeavor...we cannot place the burden on our military alone. We must all stand up and fight, whether in uniform or not. And supporting us is more than sticking yellow ribbon stickers on your cars. It's supporting our President, our troops and our cause. Right now, the burden is all on the American soldiers. Right now, hope rides alone. But it can change, it must change. Because there is only failure and darkness ahead for us as a country, as a people, if it doesn't. Let's stop all the political nonsense, let's stop all the bickering, let's stop all the bad news, and let's stand and fight! Isn't that what America is about anyway?
"I believe in the power of prayer. It's been said: 'I would rather stand against the cannons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous. The prayers of a friend are one of life's most gracious gifts...
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What Has America Come To? |
| What Has America Come To America the Beautiful, Or so you used to be. Land of the Pilgrims’ Pride; I’m glad they never see. Babies piled in dumpsters, Abortion on demand, Oh, sweet land of liberty; Your house is on the sand Our children wander aimlessly Poisoned by cocaine Chosing to indulge their lusts, When God has said abstain. From sea to shining sea, Our nation turns away. From the teaching of God’s love And a need to always pray. We’ve kept God in our temples, How callous we have grown. When earth is but His footstool, And Heaven is His throne. We’ve voted in a government, That’s rotting at the core. Appointing Godless Judges; Who throw reason out the door. Too soft to place a killer, In a well deserved tomb. You think God’s not angry, That our land’s a moral slum? How much longer will he wait Before His judgment comes? How are we to face our God, From whom we cannot hide? What then is left for us to do, But stem this evil tide? If we who are His children, Will humble and pray; Seek His holy face And mend our evil ways: Then God will hear from Heaven; And forgive us of our sins, He’ll heal our sickly land And those who live within. But, America the Beautiful, if you don’t, Then you will see. A sad but Holy God Withdraw His hand from thee…. Judge Roy Moore.
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Sergeant Jeremy Murray discussed in "War Like No Other" Article |
War Like No Other America's wounded return with haunting memories. They come from all walks of life. Some soldiers never return and we mourn By Jim Carney and David Knox Posted on Sun, Jan. 28, 2007 Oy Rassavong, an ex-Marine who was injured in Iraq, is still recovering at his home in Akron, Ohio. (Lew Stamp/Akron Beacon Journal) Jessica Clements' boyfriend took her to a Green High School basketball game a few weeks ago so they could watch his brother play ball at their alma mater. Her fun night out was in dramatic contrast to the spring and summer of 2004, when signs bearing her smiling face dotted the community, asking for prayer. The Army staff sergeant was in a military hospital, where she was given a 2 percent chance of survival after a roadside attack on the way to Baghdad International Airport. She had severe brain injuries. Now enrolled at the University of Akron, it was a refreshing moment to climb into the car with her friend, Paul Ellis Jr., for the trip to her home near Canton after the ballgame. But on the dark road, she shuddered in terror and grabbed Ellis' arm. Ellis saw nothing, and asked what was wrong. It was a combat flashback. There were no terrorists, and there was no bomb, but on Clements' road to recovery, there are haunting leftovers from her involvement in America's post 9/11 military action. Clements, now 30, is representative of the dramatic change in the nation's casualties in this war, in comparison with Vietnam. Among the casualties -- defined as those either injured or killed -- the survival rate is much higher because of quicker medical attention on the battlefield and in combat hospitals, great improvements in medical care and technology, and superior body armor. If the survival rate in Iraq and Afghanistan were the same as in Vietnam, America's death toll would be more than 8,000 today rather than a little more than 3,300. A Beacon Journal analysis of deaths also shows that America's victims are not predominantly young men ages 18-21 -- as they were in Vietnam, when there was a draft -- but tend to be in their later 20s. Many more are married and, although the number remains small, women are becoming routine casualties for the first time in America's military history. Deaths also include a far greater percentage of part-time military from the nation's reserve and national guard units. And while the Defense Department does not track how many of those killed were parents, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that children are losing their mothers and fathers in the conflict. Today, the Beacon Journal looks at casualties who reflect the changing demographics. Older and family men ``My dad is an angel now,'' young Ian Murray said. That's why the 6-year-old picked out a bracelet with angels as a Christmas gift for his grandmother, Pam Murray. His dad, Marine Sgt. Jeremy Murray, was killed in a roadside bombing a few days before Thanksgiving 2005. The sergeant's death left a large hole in a close family. Megan Murray, 26, lost her husband. Ian lost his father. Pam and Harold Murray lost a son. Lisa Murray lost a brother. Enlow Murray lost a grandson. Sergeant Murray is representative of the older, married men who have become a substantial part of America's war casualties. That concept became clear to the Murrays last month when Megan and son Ian, who live in Ravenna, traveled with grandmother Pam to California at the invitation of a group known as Snowball Express. They joined hundreds of widows and children who had lost a spouse or parent in post 9/11 action. Sgt. Murray, 27 when he was killed, served in the Army before joining the Marines. It was his third tour in Iraq. Ian tells anyone who asks that his Dad was “the best Marine ever,” his grandparents say. ``He talks about his Daddy all the time,'' said his grandfather Harold Murray, 49, a Chrysler employee. Many times, the boy talks of the things he did with his father. ``He talks about `Dad and I used to... ,''' said his grandmother, 48, a part-time postal worker. The men in the family hunt and fish together -- a tradition Harold Murray learned from his father, who is now 76 and living in Georgia. But that idea changed when his son was killed. Nonetheless, the Murray men are close. During a Thanksgiving visit, Ian and great-grandfather Enlow Murray were playing with a flashlight. ``That's pretty fun, isn't it,'' the great-grandfather said. Ian answered: ``I haven't had any fun since my dad died.'' Wounded are surviving Lance Cpl. Oy Rassavong, who wears a dramatic scar from one side of his head to the other, beams when asked to recite the words that are sacred to the Marines. ``Semper Fidelis,'' Rassavong, 23, responded. What do the words mean? ``Always faithful,'' he said. For Rassavong, this is a good moment. A few days later, he answered the last question with, ``I forgot,'' paused, and then said rather tenuously that he thought it meant always faithful. Rassavong suffered a critical head wound in a roadside bombing in Iraq on June 7, 2005. He is among the more than 24,000 wounded survivors. The left frontal lobe of his brain was damaged, resulting in paralysis of his right arm and right leg and long-term and short-term memory loss. But there is one thing he understands well: How close he came to death. He was walking in the Falluja area when a bomb exploded. ``I could have been gone,'' he said. Rassavong was hospitalized for more than 18 months in military and veterans' hospitals in Iraq, Germany, Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Md., Minneapolis, Minn., and Cleveland. In the last year, his speech and mobility have improved. He walks up and down the house steps by himself, holding onto a cane with his left hand. Rassavong's family escaped from Laos to the United States two decades ago as starvation and civil war left thousands of Laotians dead. He graduated from Garfield High School and now lives with his mother and brothers and sister in a home off of East Exchange Street. His oldest brother, Khan Rassavong, is currently in the Army in Iraq. This year, Rassavong hopes he and his mother and others can return to Laos to see family. He says he joined the Marine Corps to serve his country, loved being a Marine and would do it again if given the opportunity. His brother, Kong Rassavong, 30, added that Oy also joined in part for college benefits. Now, Oy wonders if he has the ability to handle college. He points to the scores of stitches marking where a plastic shell replaced the part of his skull destroyed by the bomb blast. ``My brain right here is gone,'' he said. Now, his days are spent watching movies on a wide-screen television. Even though he said it is upsetting that he cannot remember things from his past, he is not angry about what happened. ``I am doing fine,'' he said. ``Perfectly fine.'' Memories persist As Jessica Clements talked about her moment of terror on the road home from the Green basketball game, she said, ``It's still in my mind.'' In the five years of conflict since 9/11, 72 women have died, compared with eight during the Vietnam War. Clements is one of the survivors. Although she is trying to create a new life -- she is a junior at the University of Akron majoring in social work -- she has recurring nightmares. In one, insurgents -- a man and a woman -- are trying to break into her home. She has no weapon. ``They were trying to kill me,'' she said. In another, she has been captured by insurgents, raped and shot in the back. She pretends to be dead, holding her breath, in order to survive. ``I wake up dripping wet, sweating,'' she said. In large crowds, she panics. There are prolonged migraine headaches. Worse, there are seizures, which have affected her ability to be mobile. One occurred last May while she was driving near Erie, Pa., on I-90. Her car was totaled but she was not injured. She wasn't allowed to drive again for six months. She had another seizure in her sleep on New Year's Day. ``People look at me and think I am fine,'' she said. ``They don't see the constant battle I have every single day.'' Nonetheless, she has made a remarkable recovery. In December, she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show, where she told her story. The blast damaged the right side of her brain. Shrapnel pierced her lower back, hip and head -- where some remains. Part of her skull was removed and placed in her abdomen while the swelling in her brain subsided. It was replaced three months after her injury. She joined the Army Reserve before graduating from Green High School in 1995 and calls her near-decade in the Army ``the best thing I ever did with my life.'' If the Army would take her back, she said, she would go. But she can't, so she will serve in another way. Someday, she hopes to be a Veterans Affairs social worker to help others like her. That's why she's studying social work. It's not easy. She records her class lectures so she can listen again, and again. She rereads assignments. The repetition is necessary because of the damage to her short-term memory. There are wounded veterans returning home every day, she said. ``Even though they are home and are back to normal life, things might not be OK,'' she said. On the wall of her Plain Township home is a wooden case made by her boyfriend. Inside are the Army documents for her Bronze Star and Purple Heart and one word: ``Believe.'' ``It is kind of my thing,'' she said. ``Never give up.''
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| Definition of Prisoner of War / Matt Maupin |
National Alliance of Families for the Return of America’s Missing Servicemen Dolores Alfond -- 425-881-1499 Lynn O'Shea -- 718-846-4350 Web Site www.nationalalliance.org E-mail lynn@nationalalliance.org Status Change – On December 11th a casualty review board convened by the Army announced a status change for Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie. Originally carried as Duty Status Whereabout Unknown (Dustwun), the board ruled that Spc Altaie be declared "Missing-Captured." Altaie was kidnaped, on October 23rd 2006, while visiting relatives in Baghdad. Sadly, another member of the American Military is now ambiguously classified as "Missing-Captured" when his true status is Prisoner of War. Why is the United States Government so unwilling to refer to these servicemen as Prisoner of War? From our observation, the answer is simple. The ambiguous designation "Missing-Captured" allows a public with a notoriously short attention span to forget that these men were taken alive and held by the enemy. The "Missing-Captured" designation is a question mark in the minds of a generally unaware public. There is no question mark attached to the designation Prisoner of War. It is a clear description of status.... Prisoner of War equals in the hands of the enemy. As such, one would expect the enemy to account for the individual. Theoretically, it should be harder to leave a POW behind, than it would be to leave someone who is missing with no indication of his circumstance of loss or whereabouts. Unfortunately, the United States Government has never had any difficulty leaving any man behind. The elimination of the POW designation makes it that much easier. The perception foisted on an unsuspecting public that there are no POWs in Iraq is simply wrong. Why is the POW designation important? Here again, the answer is simple..... public perception. More and more the media describes Speicher and as missing, or disappeared. Recently, one article referred to Matt Maupin as "kidnaped." To the unknowing public, they simply are gone. In an article for the Army Times, published December 15, Gina Cavallaro described the Maupin loss this way; "The only other U.S. soldier listed as missing/captured in Iraq is Staff Sgt. Keith M. Maupin, 23, of Batavia, Ohio. He disappeared during an ambush attack on a fuel convoy outside of Baghdad on April 9, 2004." Disappeared! Maupin did not disappear. He was taken, captured by the enemy and one week later was displayed on television worldwide, by his captors. We may not know Sgt. Maupin’s current geographical location. However, we do know he was captured and photographed in captivity. Quoting Army Human Resources Command spokeswoman Shari Lawrence, Cavallaro wrote: "It’s simply because we don’t know if he is deceased, so we have to say, if we don’t know that, then we say ‘where is he? Based on the evidence, she said, "we know that he was captured by unknown people so he’s not a prisoner of war. By definition, he’s missing-captured." The article also contained the definitions for the DUSTWUN, and "Missing/Captured" status, as "taken from the Dept of Defense Instruction 1300.8, (sic) dated Dec 18, 2000." [Note: Correction Instruction is 1300.18.] "Missing/Captured" A casualty status applicable to a person who is not at his or her duty location and is determined to have been seized as the result of action of an unfriendly military or paramilitary force in a foreign country." The article also contained a definition for the phrase Prisoner of War as "taken from the Joint Publication 1-02." Joint Publication 1-02 as quoted in the article reads: "Prisoner of War (POW, not a casualty category)" A detained person as defined in Articles 4 and 5 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949. In particular, one who, while engaged in combat under orders of his or her government, is captured by an enemy’s armed forces." We took a look at Joint Publication 1-02 which is actually the Dept. of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. The full definition of a Prisoner of War reads: "A detained person as defined in Articles 4 and 5 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949. In particular, one who, while engaged in combat under orders of his or her government, is captured by the armed forces of the enemy. As such, he or she is entitled to the combatant’s privilege of immunity from the municipal law of the capturing state for warlike acts which do not amount to breaches of the law of armed conflict. For example, a prisoner of war may be, but is not limited to, any person belonging to one of the following categories who has fallen into the power of the enemy: a member of the armed forces, organized militia or volunteer corps; a person who accompanies the armed forces without actually being a member thereof; a member of a merchant marine or civilian aircraft crew not qualifying for more favorable treatment; or individuals who, on the approach of the enemy, spontaneously take up arms to resist the invading forces. Also called POW or PW." Based on these definitions, to the world Speicher, Maupin and Altaie are Prisoners of War under the Geneva Conventions. To their own government, they are ambiguously classified Missing/Captured.
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| Ohio Vietnam Memorial to go forward in Clinton, Ohio - submitted by Doug Wisor | |
Memorial will be in ClintonOhio Vietnam veterans exhibit originally intended for New Franklin will be in village cemetery insteadBy Maria Prinzo | |
Pam and Harold Murray and Ty Geiser Visit Daytona for some Spirits |
This picture taken by an unknown observer-photographer. Three observed are our own Ohio Chapter 2 members visiting Daytona, Florida, for some spirits (free drinks I think??). I believe that these bystanders are standing under their designated station in life?? Yes?? The saint is Pam Murray and the sinner is Ty Geiser?? I wonder if Harold had any difficulty riding his mini-bike to Florida?? | |
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A Christmas Letter from God to this children |
A Christmas letter from God to His children: Dear Children, It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival; although, I do appreciate being remembered anytime. How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just get along and LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town. Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree It was I who made all trees. You can and may remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching that explains who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks are. If you have forgot that one, look at John 15:1-8. If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it: 1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time. 2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them. 3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again. 4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them. 5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her. 6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile it could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local Hot-Line: they talk with people like that every day. 7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families. 8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name. You may already know someone like that. 9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them (and I suspect you don't) buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Marines, the Salvation Army or some other charity that believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you. 10. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.
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Woodie Henry, Rolling Thunder® Ohio Ch. 2, Helps Ladies of Harley | ||
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Ladies of Harley help Santa to spread some joy and gifts By MATTHEW RINK ’Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the town, the Ladies of Harley drove Santa around. On their big shiney bikes, they revved and they steered, delivering gifts and holiday cheer. “Now Janet, now Shelda, now Debbie and Ruby. On Sharon, on Pam, on Connie and Candy [and on Woodie].
To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall. Now ride away, roar away, drive away all.” On a blue hog marked with the words “Live to Ride, Ride to Live,” Santa Claus sped up and down the streets of Canton, leading his leather-clad helpers from the Stark County Ladies of Harley and the Harley Owners Group. “There’s no snow, so the reindeer can’t pull the sleigh,” the jolly St. Nick laughed. “Santa’s got to ride a Harley. It’s a magical Harley.” On Saturday, about a dozen women from the Ladies of Harley, with the help of another dozen men, delivered food and Christmas presents to three area families. Inside the home of Justin and Crystal Chester, the biker gang hauled food, toilet paper, dish detergent and gifts. Santa plopped onto the family’s couch and began reading from “The Night Before Christmas.” Chasittie, 6, Justine, 10, and Justin, 2, sat on his lap. “That’s you,” one of them said, pointing to the book and looking at Santa. For a few minutes, the Harley crew filled the living room of the Chester home. “This was amazing,” Crystal said. “It was a whole lot more than what I expected. It blew my mind. The opportunity to get help is a blessing.” The Ladies of Harley raised $2,600 through fund-raisers and raffles for the food and gifts. They worked with the Salvation Army of Canton to find the families. “We’ve found their willingness to serve beyond our comprehension,” Salvation Army of Canton Major Randy Savage said. “It shows a whole side of this group that’s really positive.” Savage said the Salvation Army of Canton will serve some 1800 children this year, twice as many as 2005. “The whole process is a wonderful venture for us, and the Harley group, it will help us in the distribution process,” he added. At another home, a woman stood outside snapping photos as the group pulled up. Seconds later, tears streamed down her face. “I am shocked,” said the woman, who, with her husband care for children ranging from 8 months to 6 years old. “I knew they were bringing gifts, I just didn’t know this many were coming.” The couple asked to be kept anonymous. The kids unwrapped toys – a Barbie, a bouncing Tigger and a doll. Before Santa left the home, one child shouted “Thank you Santa Claus, I love you Santa.” “This was wonderful,” the woman said. “I don’t know how I’ll ever thank them.” Ruby Cowling, of Navarre, organized the adopt-a-family event. The ladies met a week earlier at Wal-Mart at the Massillon Marketplace to shop for gifts. They rallied at the Wal-Mart on Tuscarawas Street in Canton before embarking on the gift-giving ride. “This is going to be absolutely awesome,” Cowling told the two dozen men and women that gathered in the parking lot. “I’m so excited.” Candy Roos and her husband, Jeff, of Massillon, joined the group. “It’s just awesome,” she said. “And we’ve got beautiful weather.” Alan Roebuck said he joined the group just to “spread some cheer.” “It makes me feel like a member of an ‘Extreme Home Makeover’ team,” he said. “This was great and you couldn’t ask for a better day.” Cowling wore a red Santa hat for the drive. She hugged the moms and dads at each stop and even recalled a time when she herself used the Salvation Army’s services. “We were poor and would go to the Salvation Army for help,” she said. “They would always give me something, but they never had a program like this. “It was awesome just to be able to give back,” she added. “That’s what it’s all about – watching the kids and seeing them smile.”
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Why Jesus is better than Santa Claus |
Santa lives at the North Pole -
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Wish You Were Here |
By Corporal Joshua Miles and all the boys from 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines, Kuwait, when they heard about all the protesting going on For all the free people that still protest. You're welcome. We are your fathers, brothers, and sons, We are the ones who fight and die, So when you rally your group to complain, We came here to fight for the ones we hold dear. When the conflict is over and all is well,
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"Gold Star" Draws Positions on Iraq War |
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'Gold Star' Draws Positions on Iraq War Friday, October 14, 2005 By Melissa Drosjack WASHINGTON - For almost a century, the gold star has been a symbol - both of national pride and of a parent's worst nightmare. It means someone's son or daughter has died fighting for his country. The gold star elicits respect, sympathy and compassion, and so two groups - American Gold Star Mothers and Gold Star Families for Peace - have adopted the image in their names. But one group declares a political position, which has created some confusion about exactly what "gold star" stands for. The term dates back to World War I, when families displayed flags with a blue star in the center, indicating that they had a son in the military. If the young man died in combat, the blue star was covered with a gold one. The Department of Defense awards gold star pins to family members who have lost a son, daughter or relative American Gold Star Mothers, a non-profit support group for families who have lost loved ones in war, hosts events on historical military dates to recognize soldiers' service. It has no religious or political affiliation. Gold Star Families for Peace speaks out against President Bush and the war in Iraq. The group has become the central force backing activist Cindy Sheehan and her anti-war protests. Coverage of Sheehan's activities over the summer, including her vigil outside Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, has led some Americans to associate the gold star to the anti-war movement. And American Gold Star Mothers have been caught in the crossfire. "It's the ill-informed that lash out. They get it off their chests," said Judith Young, national president of American Gold Star Mothers, referring to the phone calls the group has received at its office in Washington from Americans expressing their resentment about the war. "We have found the best way is not to answer back, because you're not going to change their mind one way or the other." The group has been forced to filter persistent calls and e-mails intended for Gold Star Families for Peace, which is trying to build a national movement to get U.S. troops out of Iraq. Bill Mitchell, a co-founder of Gold Star Families for Peace, lost his 25-year-old son, Army Sgt. Michael Mitchell, in April 2004. He said he tries to get his message out for peace and doesn't pay attention to the activities of the other gold star group. "I don't personally see any confusion. I'm working towards peace," Mitchell, of Atascadero, Calif., told FOXNews.com. Comparisons and Contrasts Both groups' membership is comprised of family members whose sons, daughters or relatives have died at war. American Gold Star Mothers, established in 1928, has about 900 members. The group initially permitted only moms to join, but it has since allowed others. Gold Star Families for Peace, which was founded last January, has 100 members. Both groups post information on their sites for those interested in joining. American Gold Star Mothers says on its Web site that "this is an organization of mothers whose sons or daughters served and died that this world might be a better place in which to live." Gold Star Families for Peace says on its Web site that it "believes that our loved ones have died needlessly, senselessly, and avoidably in the aggression against Iraq." The group states that its purpose is to bring an end to the occupation in Iraq and offer a support group for others who have lost relatives in the war. Sheehan, 48, was recently arrested in Washington protesting outside the White House. Since the death of her son Casey, who was killed in action in Iraq on April 4, 2004, Sheehan has used her gold star status to become a leader in the anti-war movement. "We realized that we had a unique voice within military families," said Mitchell, whose son died in the same battle as Casey Sheehan. "We're out there telling our stories, getting our message out there that we've made the ultimate sacrifice, but we don't want any more blood being spilled in our sons' names." Four national military family organizations released a statement in August demanding that antiwar groups stop using the gold star in their efforts to end the war. American Gold Star Mothers Inc., Gold Star Wives of America Inc., Sons and Daughters In Touch, and American WWII Orphans Network don't want gold stars linked to political demonstrations in the anti-war movement by Gold Star Families for Peace. "These four organizations - representing the mothers, wives and children of U.S. service personnel killed in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other U.S. military conflicts - are nonpolitical and do not take a position on the merits of the political demonstration being carried about by the group calling themselves 'American Gold Star Families for Peace,'" reads a joint statement issued by the groups. Rules Different for Voicing Positions on War While Gold Star Families for Peace incorporates political events into some messages, as a non-profit group, American Gold Star Mothers is barred from having any political or religious affiliation. Young said the American Gold Star Mothers Web site clearly lays out the group's mission, constitution and bylaws. It also explains that the group is a non-profit. "[Sheehan] and her organization have no connection whatever with American Gold Star Mothers Inc. We are a 501c(3) organization and, as such, do not engage in political activities. We do support our troops. After all, they are our children," according to a statement on the site. Young, who lost her son Jeffrey D. Young in the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983, has been a member of Gold Star Mothers for about 20 years. She said ignorance about the historical nature of her group breeds a lot of the confusion. "Most Americans don't know what a gold star mother is," Young said. But that, too, became an issue this year, when the Gold Star Mothers initially denied membership to a woman who was not an American citizen, but whose son had died fighting in Iraq. New York Gov. George Pataki and other lawmakers pressured the group to amend its membership rules to admit foreign nationals whose children had died in combat. Ligaya Lagman (search), a Filipino who lives in Yonkers, N.Y., lost her 27-year-old son, Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Lagman, a U.S. citizen, in the Iraq war. She became the first foreign mom to join the group since Committee members are appointed for two- or three-year terms, renewable by the Secretary.
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Fred Bletz, Rolling Thunder®, State Director Shot and Killed by Ionia County Sheriff Officials |
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'I wish it had not have happened' Sheriff Dwain Dennis speaks out about shooting
Ionia Sentinel-Standard managing editor Friday, May 6, 2005 SARANAC -- Ionia County Sheriff Dwain Dennis said Thursday afternoon he believes his deputies were justified in using lethal force in the shooting death of Saranac resident Fred Bletz late Tuesday evening, but said the incident has led to tragedy for everyone involved. "It's tragic for the victim's family, for the officers and for the community. I wished it had not have happened," Dennis said. It was also revealed Thursday that Fred Bletz's son, 28-year-old Zachary Bletz -- the subject whom Sgt. Travis Gribble and Deputy Brent Denny had intended to arrest Tuesday evening at the Bletz home prior to the shooting -- did not remain in police custody, at the request of the Ionia County Sheriff's Office. Instead he was bonded out on a personal recognizance bond and reunited with grieving family members a short while after the incident. "We didn't take him away," Dennis said. Members of the Ionia County Victim Advocates have also been tending to the family since the shooting. Fred Bletz, 56, died from a gun shot wound to the abdomen at his home at 7799 Centerline Road in Boston Township, just before midnight Tuesday. The arrest was going routinely until Fred Bletz allegedly emerged from a bedroom, apparently angry at the officers' presence at his home. Fred Bletz was reportedly roused while officers were arresting his son. Sources say Zachary Bletz was cooperative and was allowed by police to retrieve his shoes from the home when Fred Bletz became involved. At some point Fred Bletz retrieved a .45-caliber pistol and leveled it at the officers. When he didn't lower the gun at officers' commands, one of the deputies fired on him, Dennis said. "They did what they had to do in that situation," Dennis said. Bletz did not discharge his gun, for which he reportedly has a carry concealed weapons license through Ionia County. An anonymous source close to the investigation claims Bletz's gun was fully loaded -- a detail that will be revealed following a complete investigation. Bletz -- a Vietnam veteran who was a state director for the Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) awareness group "Rolling Thunder" and heavily involved in other veterans' affairs activities, was injured and briefly missing in action during the overseas war. According to records Bletz has no criminal history and was reportedly not known in local law enforcement circles. Zachary Bletz has only had minor drug-and-alcohol related offenses in the past. Dennis said there is no policy or timeframe for when officers serve warrants and make warrant arrests, and that while it is not common for warrants to be served at 11:30 p.m., which is the time Gribble and Denny arrived at the Bletz home, it is not unheard of. Warrant arrests are usually dictated by the person named on the warrant, and police seek the person out at the time they believe they will find them at home. Police always prefer to make an arrest at a residence rather than at a workplace or while the subject is in a vehicle, Dennis said. The officers chose to arrest Zachary Bletz just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday simply because, Dennis said, they only came on duty at 11 p.m., and it was one of the first orders of business. In addition, Dennis said he had asked several officers to "clean up" outstanding warrants, and that it what Gribble and Denny were going to do during their shifts. "There's no formula for it," Dennis said. Dennis defended the deputies' role in serving the warrant, saying they were carrying out a court-mandated order that Zachary Bletz be arrested. Zachary Bletz was wanted on a warrant from a Kent County Court for failure to appear for a charge of operating under the influence of liquor. Gribble and Denny, both veterans of the sheriff department with unblemished records, have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the conclusion of a Michigan State Police investigation. Dennis said he fully stands behind the officers and their actions. "If they had not acted in the same way -- things could have been much worse . . . there could have been more deaths," Dennis said. Man shot by Ionia County deputy to be laid to rest Monday The sheriff's department says Bletz came out of a back room with his gun drawn. They say the deputy told him twice to drop the gun, then fired. The shooting is still under investigation. Bletz's funeral is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Monday at Galilee Baptist Church in Saranac. Before that, friends will hold a motorcycle ride in his honor. The ride begins at 3:00 p.m. at the Ionia Fairgrounds.
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Let's Give Senator Glen Some Credit and Discredit Sena |
