Gunny G's The Damn Few! Forum & Weblog: Our Forgotten POW/MIAs!

From: Dave Murray <xdave43@injersey.com> Save Address Block Sender
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To: Dave Murray <xdave43@injersey.com> Save Address
Subject: Bits & Pieces
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 19:10:45 -0500
National Alliance of Families
For The Return of America's Missing Servicemen
World War II - Korea - Cold War - Vietnam

Dolores Alfond - 425-881-1499
Lynn O'Shea --- 718-846-4350

Bits N Pieces --- February 26, 2000

46 Months till 2004 - That's when it all stops. The Defense
Departments
Strategic Plan, that first mentioned POW/MIA investigations,
as we
know
them would cease as of 2004, was written in 1998.
Unfortunately, it
doesn't
matter who the President is or will be. This is a decision
that was
made
in the Pentagon, without consultation with or input from family
organizations and their membership.

The recent study, commissioned by DPMO, "called the Mission Area
Analysis
(MAA), is to help implement the best use of money, resources and
technology
across the wide range of DoD's responsibilities in personnel
recovery
and
accounting," will provide DPMO the necessary cover to end active
investigations as we know them.

Here are DPMO's Words - "By the end of the year 2004, we will
have moved
from the way the US government conducts the business of recovery
and
accounting to an active program of loss prevention, immediate
rescues,
and
rapid post-hostility accounting."

DPMO can deny what we say is true. However, they can not deny
their own
words. Actually, when it suits their purpose, they can deny
anything
they
want.
#############

Your Mission, Should You Decide To Accept --- Stop The
Abandonment of
our
POW/MIAs. In our January 15th 2000 edition of "Bits," we put
out the
call
for help and promised sample letters. Attached with this fax or
e-mail
are
the sample letters and suggestions on how we can exert pressure
to
change
current DPMO plans.

We are going to be brutally honest here. Many will not like
what we
have to
say... but it needs to be said. The decision to end
investigations by
2004
has already been made. The trial balloons are up. It doesn't
matter
who
the President is, or will be. This decision was made at a DoD
policy
level.
Congress can call for a change in that policy, but unless they
legislate it
, there will be no change. Even if we can get congress to
legislate
continued investigations, we still have a problem. If one of the
four
leading candidates for President is elected, he will surely veto
any
pro-
POW/MIA legislation. If he is not elected, he will surely block
our
efforts
in congress.

By now, some of you may be asking... then why bother. The
answer is
simple
YOU ARE THE ONLY VOICES LEFT FOR OUR PRISONERs AND MISSING. We
need to
make every congressional representative realize that the honest
accounting
of our Prisoners and Missing is a real issue, important to a
great many
people.

This may well be the final battle of the POW/MIA issue.
Our POW/MIAs are depending on you, and
The clock is ticking.
##################

Inadvertently Left Behind - Within the next several months,
the
Defense
Department will announce the remains identification of
servicemen lost
on
May 15th 1975, at the Kho Tang Island, Cambodia. Eighteen
airman,
sailors
and marines were lost during an attempt to free the U.S.
merchant vessel
Mayaguez. A detailed article by Lisa Hoffman of Scirpps Howard
News
Service
, published in the Washington Times, on February 23rd 2000
details
incident
and the evidence that three men were inadvertently left
behind... alive.

"...absent is a final accounting of the fate of three Marines
who
inadvertently were left behind on the island when the rest
evacuated.
They
are believed to have been captured and executed days later."

"The tragic story of the Kho Tang battle began with the seizure
of the
Mayaguez off the southern coast of Cambodia, 12 days after the
fall of
South Vietnam's capital, Saigon. President Ford ordered U.S.
forces to
rescue the 39 crew members."

"By the time the Marines launched their assault, the Cambodians
had
released
the Mayaguez sailors on the Cambodian mainland. An intelligence
failure
left the Marines unaware that their services no longer were
needed."

"More than 230 Marines stormed ashore on Kho Tang, expecting an
easy job
of
overcoming a small enemy encampment numbering no more than 20.
Instead,
they were met by a well-armed force of 150. A furious battle
lasted
three
hours. Among the losses was the CH-53A helicopter, on which 13
GIs
died. In
all, 18 U.S. troops were killed.

"The Marines drew back and waited 15 hours to be evacuated from
the
island,
in what became one of the most dramatic rescues of the war. A
three-man
machine gun team, which included Covington, Ky., native Gary
Hall, was
dispatched to protect the troops' flank during the withdrawal.
But in
the
fog of battle, the team was mistakenly overlooked. It wasn't
until the
next
day that their absence was realized. By then, it was too late
to go
back."

"Although their fate is not entirely certain, it is believed the
trio
survived for several days before being captured and killed. One
reportedly
was shot to death after being caught stealing food from the
Khmer Rouge
camp
. The other two apparently were bludgeoned to death."

"It wasn't until 1992 that military investigators with the
Pentagon's
Joint
Task Force-Full Accounting operation, which is in charge of
accounting
for
U.S. MIAs, were able to explore either the island or the
helicopter
wreckage
just offshore."

"By 1995, the team - which faced obstacles ranging from
unexploded
ordnance,
poisonous snakes, fierce storms and tropical diseases - had come
up with
an
elaborate method of essentially salvaging the CH-53A chopper so
it could
be
searched for remains. They built a dam around the helicopter and
pumped
out
the water and sand.

"Despite a quarter century of squalls, tides and scavengers, the
investigators managed to recover 161 human bone fragments and a
few
personal effects - all that was left of the GIs, according to
Tom
Holland,
scientific director for the Army's identification lab.

"Later, scientists determined that the bones came from 13
different men.
It
took another three years to "harvest" enough DNA from the bones
and then
match it with DNA samples taken from maternal relatives to
definitively
identify nine of them."

"That left four men unidentified. The remains of three of them
were too
small to obtain a DNA sample."
#############

Three Marines were left behind on Koh Tang. They are Joseph
Hargrove,
Gary
Hall and Danny Marshall. In the almost 25 years, since that
battle, we
wonder if anyone has ever explained to the Hargrove, Hall and
Marshall
families how these men were "inadvertently left behind." Or,
why it was
"to
late" to go back for them. Imagine what these men thought as
they
waited
for rescue and their thoughts when they finally realized no one
was
coming
for them.

##################

One Families Thoughts - The following was sent to us, by Sandy
Hargrove.
She is the sister-in-law of Joseph Hargrove, "inadvertently left
behind"
on
Kho Tang Island.

"Joseph Hargrove was lost on May 15th 1975 his 24th birthday. I
know the
whole Hargrove family just knows that Joseph was sacrificed. We
were
never
told the truth."

"Joseph's older brother Lane was killed on April 21,1968. When
Lane was
going over he was asked if he wanted to go to Canada by one of
his older
brothers who had already done his time in the Army. Lane said no
he
wanted
to go to Nam."

"In those days we honestly believed that the government cared
about us
as
people. They wouldn't send someone to a foreign country and have
him
risk
his life for no reason... or would they. What we know now and
what we
knew
then. With all that we have gone through I think we would have
all
gone to
Canada with him."

"So Lane was blown up stepping on a land mine and his little
brother
Joseph
just got left behind. So will someone tell me how this country
is a
better
place because it is missing Joseph and Lane Hargrove. Joseph is
a human
being not a number. How dare anyone to think they can just
forget about
them. If it wasn't for Ralph writing that article in Popular
Science
over a
year ago I would still get the standard reply I usually get
when I
mention
the Mayaguez. "The What?"

"Well Joseph never came home because of that What. How easily
people
forget
. But now there is a movement out there to hold the government
accountable.
I love my country don't get me wrong but the people who run it
haven't
done
a very good job as far as Viet Nam. If anything I hope the guys
deaths
will
prevent this from happening again."

"There are other little Hargroves growing up now Thank you God.
Maybe
they
all will have a chance to grow up and have families not just
some of
them.
The families that Lane or Joseph never had, leave a big empty
spot at
the
family reunions." Sandy Hargrove
##################

Clinton Swears To The Lie... Again - On February 22nd 2000,
President
Clinton, once again, certified Vietnamese cooperation on the
POW/MIA
issue.
Issuing Presidential Determination 2000-14 Clinton cited
Vietnamese
"full
cooperation" in the following areas; resolving discrepancy
cases, live
sightings and field activities; recovering and repatriating
American
remains; accelerating efforts to provide documents that will
help lead
to
the fullest possible accounting of POW/MIAs; and providing
further
assistance in implementing trilateral investigations with Laos.

It is ironic, that the President, who never told the truth,
signed this
Determination on the official birth date of the President who
supposedly
never told a lie.
##################

No Remains -- Talks Continue - They're Running The Clock -
Football
and
basketball fans recognize the phrase "running the clock." It
means
killing
time. That's what DPMO is doing. North Korean offered U.S.
investigators
the opportunity to examine a site where they claim the remains
of over
400
American servicemen may be located. Instead of acting on the
offer,
DPMO
requested talks.

So, now they are talking. By the time this matter is settled
the site
will
be paved over and a another whole series of questions will
remain
unanswered.

They're running the clock.
#################

For Those Few - who may still believe the government is trying
to do the
right thing regarding our POW/MIAs we remind you...

"When you dance with the devil, you don't change him, he changes
you."

###############

National Alliance of Families Eleventh Annual Forum is scheduled
for
June
22th - 24th, 2000, at the Wyndham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
(Same as
last
year.) Room rates are $105.00 per night. For reservations
call
202-775-
0800. Contributions are needed to finance our forum.
Donations may be
mailed to:

National Alliance of Families
P.O. Box 40327
Bellevue, WA. 98015.

Remember All Contributions Are Tax Deductible.

First, let us thank you for your response to our request for
help. DPMO
is gearing up for the
final abandonment of our POW/MIAs. We must do everything we
can, to try
and stop them.

Our greatest weapon is our professionalism. Our letters must
reflect
that we are a determined,
reasonable, and logical group of people. Professionalism and
Facts will
keep us credible. Foul
language and baseless accusations will allow DPMO to paint us
all as
"kooks" and "crazies."
WE CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN.

As individuals, we ask that you contact both your senators and
your
congressional
representative. If your represent an organization, we ask that
your
organization contact your
senators. Also contact the congressman representing the
district where
your organization is
based.

Family members, when you use these letter insert the name of
your loved
one. Refer to him as
my brother, son, husband, father.... make it personal.

Consider visiting your congressman's local office. Most
district
congressional offices have at
least one night of evening hours. Call and make an appointment.
Go
prepared with
documentation showing that men were left behind. Be prepared to
leave
copies. (A good case
would be Capt. John McDonnell, alive in February 1973, who did
not come
home. See Bits N
Pieces September 11, 1999. We can e-mail you a copy if needed)

This is an election year. All 435 congressional representatives
and 33
Senators are up for
re-election, in November 2000. Consider visiting the offices of
those
challenging your current
representatives. Try to get their commitment to support POW/MIA
legislation and
investigations, if elected. We need to force Congressional
interest in
the POW issue.

Be prepared to defend your position that the families are not
getting a
truthful accounting and
that Congress has been mislead on the POW/MIA issue.

Example:

The Defense POW/MIA Office's weekly update of January 14th
states "Since
the end of the Vietnam
War, the remains of 552 servicemen have been recovered,
identified and
returned to their
families for burial with full military honors."

The remains of 552 servicemen, recovered, identified and
returned to
their families.... Not by
our count.... The following servicemen were NOT recovered, NOT
identified and NOT returned to
their families for burial.... James Preston, William L. Madison;
Kenneth
D. McKenney; Lavern
G. Reilly; Marshall L. Tapp; George W. Thompson; James E.
Williams;
Jacob Mercer; Richard
Nyhof; Robert Wilson; Leon A. Hunt; Larry J. Newman; Paul F.
Gilbert;
Stanley Lehrke; Robert
Harrison; Donald H. Klinke; Richard M. Cole; Gerald F. Ayres;
Charles
Rowley; Ronnie Hensley;
Robert Ireland; Stephen Harris; Donald Lint; William Brooks;
Charles B.
Davis; Donald G.
Fisher; John C. Towle; Thomas Adachi; Peter Matthes; Joseph
Matejov,
Dale Brandenburg, and Todd
Melton. Yet, all are included in the number 522

This list was compiled off the top of our heads. There are
others.
This list does not include
the 1/2 tooth identification of Peter Cressman, or the one and
two teeth
ID's of Mark
Danielson, Robert Simmons or others..

Nor did we include the crew of Specter 17, Thomas Hart, Rollie
Reaid;
George D. MacDonald;
John Winningham; Francis Walsh; James R. Fuller; Robert T.
Elliott;
Robert L. Liles; Harry
Lagerwall; Paul Meder; Delma Dickens; Stanley Kroboth; Charles
Fenter.
Of the thirteen
"identifications" only two were based on acceptable scientific
practices. Through court
action, the Defense Department, rescinded the identification of
Tom
Hart and George MacDonald.
Yet, all are included in the number of 522.

We ask that organizations issue Press Releases to their local
media
(print, tv and don't forget
radio, especially the all news stations. They are always
looking for
fillers. We are
forwarding a sample press release, edit and make it personal to
your
organization and area. If
your organizations membership includes family members, see if
you can
get a quote regarding
their feelings about the ending of POW/MIA investigations as we
know
them.

IF you get no response, send the press release again.
Follow-up with a
phone call. Use the
same one, just change the date. Keep sending it until they
respond.

Sample Letters follow - Change them around. Make them personal
or write
your own letter.

The Letters MUST BE MAILED OR FAXED. E-mails are generally
ignored
except for the automatic
responses, which mean nothing.

Addresses:

Send Senate Letters To: Send
Congressional Letter To

Your Senator's Name
Your
Representative's Name
U.S. Senate
U.S.
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20510
Washington,
D.C. 20515

Dear Senator ___________:

I am writing this letter to express my concern over Defense
Department
plans to restructure
its operations regarding investigations and recovery of
un-accounted
for servicemen from World
War II, Korea, Cold War, Vietnam and the Gulf.

As currently scheduled, the Defense POW/MIA Office (DPMO) plans
by year
2004 to move "from the
way the US government conducts the business of recovery and
accounting." This move seems
consistent with their efforts to avoid the truth about American
POWs
last known alive. It is
my opinion that investigating the fate of known Prisoners of
War, such
as Korean War POWs,
Roger Dumas, and Richard Desautels, and Vietnam War POWs
Charles
Shelton, David Hrdlicka, John
McDonnell, and others should not be hampered by time
limitations.

The failure of DPMO to implement essential "first step"
unanimous
recommendations of the
1991-1992 Senate Select POW/MIA Committee illustrates their
lack of
sincerity in pursuing the
fate of these men. Seven years have gone by while DPMO
steadfastly
refuses to pursue crucial
distress symbols found in U.S. satellite imagery.

Clearly, the countries holding information on the fate of our
men are
not cooperating with U.S.
investigators. To put a time limit on U.S. investigations will
provide
these uncooperative
nations with little incentive to provide information on our
POW/MIA's.
All they have to do is
stall. North Korea, China, Russia, and Vietnam excel at
stalling.

There can be no time limit on finding the truth!

While we support gathering of information and our servicemen in
the
field, we cannot accept
the current level of inaccuracy of information created by DPMO
and
CILHI (the U.S. government
remains identification organization). These two organizations
have
been unable to correct
deep flaws within their organizations, and need to be replaced
with
credible organizations
with trustworthy leaders, supported by the POW/MIA families.

I ask that you intercede with the Department of Defense, and
express
displeasure at any plans
to further limit investigations regarding our Prisoners and
Missing.
Additionally, I ask that
you support efforts to revamp current investigative procedures
to
insure a full and truthful
accounting of our prisoners and missing from World War II,
Korea, Cold
War, Vietnam and the
Gulf.

Very truly yours,

Your Name
Your Address

Letter to your Congressional Representative

Dear

I am writing this letter to express my concern over Defense
Department
plans to restructure it
operations regarding investigations and recovery of
un-accounted for
servicemen from World War
II, Korea, Cold War, Vietnam and the Gulf.

As currently scheduled, the Defense POW/MIA Office (DPMO) plans
by year
2004 to move "from the
way the US government conducts the business of recovery and
accounting." This move seems
consistent with their efforts to avoid the truth about American
Prisoners of War (POWs) last
known alive. It is my opinion that investigating the fate of
known
Prisoners of War, such as
Koren War POWs Roger Dumas, and Richard Desautels, and
Vietnam War
POWs Charles Shelton,
David Hrdlicka, John McDonnell, and others should not be
hampered by
time limitations.

The failure of DPMO to implement essential "first step"
unanimous
recommendations of the
1991-1992 Senate Select POW/MIA Committee illustrates their
lack of
sincerity in pursuing the
fate of our men. Seven years have gone by while DPMO
steadfastly
refuses to pursue crucial
distress symbols found in U.S. satellite imagery.

Clearly, the countries holding information on the fate of these
men are
not cooperating with
U.S. investigators. To put a time limit on U.S. investigations
will
provide these
uncooperative nations with little incentive to provide POW/MIA
information. All they have to
do is stall. North Korea, China, Russia, and Vietnam excel at
stalling.

There can be no time limit on finding the truth!

While we support gathering of information and our servicemen in
the
field, we cannot accept
the current level of inaccuracy of information created by DPMO
and
CILHI (the U.S. government
remains identification organization). These two organizations
have
been unable to correct
deep flaws within their organizations, and need to be replaced
with
credible organizations
with trustworthy leaders supported by the POW/MIA families.

I ask that you intercede with the Department of Defense, and
express
displeasure at any plans
to further limit investigations regarding our Prisoners and
Missing.
Additionally, I ask that
you support efforts to revamp current investigative procedures
to
insure a full and truthful
accounting of our prisoners and missing from World War II,
Korea, Cold
War, Vietnam and the
Gulf.

This issue is very important to me and my family. With
elections coming
up, I will be seeking
the candidate whose views on the POW/MIA issue most closely
match my
own.

Very truly yours,

Name & Address

Sample Letter for Organizations - Use for Both Senate and House
-

Dear

We write this letter on behalf of the members of [ insert your
organizations name] to express
our concern over Defense Department plans to restructure it
operations
regarding
investigations and recovery of un-accounted for servicemen from
World
War II, Korea, Cold War,
Vietnam and the Gulf.

As currently scheduled, the Defense POW/MIA Office (DPMO) plans
by year
2004 to move "from the
way the US government conducts the business of recovery and
accounting." This move seems
consistent with their efforts to avoid the truth about American
Prisoners of War (POWs) last
known alive. It is our opinion that investigating the fate of
known
Prisoners of War, such
as Korean War POWs - Roger Dumas, Richard Desautels, and
Vietnam War
POWs -, Charles Shelton,
David Hrdlicka, John McDonnell, and others should not be
hampered by
time limitations.

The failure of DPMO to implement essential "first step"
unanimous
recommendations of the
1991-1992 Senate Select POW/MIA Committee illustrates their
lack of
sincerity in pursuing the
fate of our men. Seven years have gone by while DPMO
steadfastly
refuses to pursue crucial
distress symbols found in U.S. satellite imagery.

Clearly, the countries holding information on the fate of these
men are
not cooperating with
U.S. investigators. To put a time limit on U.S. investigations
will
provide these
uncooperative nations with little incentive to provide POW/MIA
information. All they have to
do is stall. North Korea, China, Russia, and Vietnam excel at
stalling.

There can be no time limit on finding the truth!

While we support gathering of information and our servicemen in
the
field, we cannot accept
the current level of inaccuracy of information created by DPMO
and
CILHI (the U.S. government
remains identification organization). These two organizations
have
been unable to correct
deep flaws within their organizations, and need to be replaced
with
credible organizations
with trustworthy leaders supported by the families.

Our membership asks that you intercede with the Department of
Defense,
and express our
displeasure at any plans to further limit investigations
regarding our
Prisoners and Missing.
Additionally, we ask that you support efforts to revamp current
investigative procedures to
insure a full and truthful accounting of our prisoners and
missing from
World War II, Korea,
Cold War, Vietnam and the Gulf.

Very truly yours,

Press Release (On organization letterhead)
Date
Contact: Your Name
Phone Number (This should be a day time number, for easy access)

The [Name of Your Organization,] protests Defense Department
plans to
end POW/MIA
investigations by 2004.

The [insert your organizations name ] is concerned over Defense
Department plans to restructure
it operations regarding investigations and recovery of
Servicemen
Prisoner and Missing from
World War II, Korea, Cold War, Vietnam and the Gulf.

As currently scheduled, the Defense POW/MIA Office (DPMO) plans,
by year
2004, to move "from
the way the US government conducts the business of recovery and
accounting." It is our opinion
that investigating the fate of known, Prisoners of War, such as
Korean
War POWs Roger Dumas
and Richard Desautels, and Vietnam POWs Charles Shelton, David
Hrdlicka, John McDonnell and
others should not be hampered by time limitations.

The failure of DPMO to implement essential "first step"
unanimous
recommendations of the
1991-1992 Senate Select POW/MIA Committee illustrates their
lack of
sincerity in pursuing the
fate of these men. Seven years have gone by while DPMO
steadfastly
refuses to pursue crucial
distress symbols found in U.S. satellite imagery.

Clearly, the nations holding information on the fate of our men
are not
cooperating with U.S.
investigators. To put a time limit on U.S. investigations, will
provide
these uncooperative
nations with little incentive to provide POW/MIA information.
All they
have to do is stall,
and that is something that North Korea, China, and Vietnam excel
at.

We support gathering of information and our servicemen in the
field, we
cannot accept the
current level of inaccuracy of information created by DPMO and
Central
Identification Lab -
Hawaii (the U.S. government remains identification
organization).
These two organizations
have been unable to correct deep flaws within their
organizations, and
need to be replaced
with credible organizations with trustworthy leaders supported
by the
families.

Instead of winding down, the Defense POW/MIA Office should be
gearing up
to do their job, the
way it should be done.

-30-

Our Forgotten POW/MIAs!

Addendum: Our KOREAN WAR POW/MIAs!!!!