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George A Halcomb Sr.
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| GEORGE
A. HALCOMB, SR. JAN. 3, 1947 - APRIL 11, 2008 George A. Halcomb,
Sr., age 61, of Manteca, passed away Friday, April 11, 2008 at
Doctor's Hospital of Manteca. He was born on Friday, January 3,
1947, in Marigold, Mississippi. George
served in the US Army during the Vietnam War, was a member of the
Green Beret Special Forces and was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He
was a truck driver for over 25 years. He is survived by his
beloved wife, Nancy C. Halcomb of Manteca; mother-in-law Betty
Zimmerman of Manteca; son, George & Rachel Halcomb, Jr. of
Jacksonville, Texas; daughter, Tina & Pete Ramsey of
Riverbank; daughter, Sheryl & Frank Cardoza of Turlock;
daughter, Teresa & Steve Burwell-Lovitt of Manteca; daughter,
Julie & Mitch Acosta of Manteca; 17 grandchildren; two
brothers and one sister. Funeral Home in charge of arrangements is
Park View Funeral Home, 3661 E. French Camp Rd.Manteca, CA 95336.
The family will be having a memorial service at 2248 Katherine
Place, Manteca, CA, on April 19, 2008 at 2:00 PM. www.modbee.com/obituaries Published in the Modesto Bee on 4/17/2008. |
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| George
A. Halcomb Green Beret, ex-POW George A. Halcomb, Sr., age 61, of Manteca, passed away Friday, April 11, at Doctor's Hospital of Manteca. He was born on Friday, January 3, 1947, in Marigold, Mississippi. George served in the US Army during the Vietnam War, was a member of the Green Beret Special Forces and was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He was a truck driver for over 25 years. He is survived by his beloved Wife-Nancy C. Halcomb of Manteca; Mother-in-law Betty Zimmerman of Manteca; Son-George & Rachel Halcomb, Jr. of Jacksonville, Texas; Daughter-Tina & Pete Ramsey of Riverbank; Daughter-Sheryl & Frank Cardoza of Turlock; Daughter-Teresa & Steve Burwell-Lovitt of Manteca; Daughter-Julie & Mitch Acosta of Manteca; 17 grandchildren; two brothers and one sister. Funeral Home in charge of arrangements is Park View Funeral Home, 3661 E. French Camp Road, Manteca, CA 95336. The family will be having a memorial service at 2248 Katherine Place, Manteca on April 19 at 2 p.m. Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin Tuesday, April 15, 2008 |
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RECORDS REQUESTED. PRELIMINARY SEARCHES FOUND NO MATCH FOR SPECIAL FORCES, OR VIETNAM SERVICE.
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| Veterans
Remember Fallen Friends May 27, 2006 06:32 PM EDT (WANE) -- Many veterans callit 'the best kept secret in Fort Wayne.' They're talking aboutThe Veteran's National Memorial Shrine. It has memorials from every war, including the Korean, Civil, Vietnam, both World Wars and even the Revolutionary war. We had the chance to talk to one man who served in that war and World War Two, where he was almost killed on D-day. He turns 86 this summer, but he says memories from that war are so sharp it's like it happened yesterday. Along with him we talked to a veteran who was held captive in Vietnam. "A bomb was dropped on us but it just missed on D-day. If it hit I probably wouldn't be here talking to you." WWII and Korean War veteran Melvin Franke said. "When you first went over there they said what you don't want to do is get shot or lose an eye or lose an arm, but what you really don't want to do is get captured." Vietnam P.O.W. Joe Halterman said. Both of those veterans told us about friends they lost and how they survived. One of the thing both men told us they appreciate is the watch fire. It's a military tradition that serves to guide home those veterans who haven't returned. It gives current Vets a chance to remember their friends lost in war. The watch-fire will be put out at 9:00 p.m. Saturday, during a ceremony aimed at remembering american veterans. |
aka KNOWELL W BOWNE
aka KNOWELL W HAMPTON
aka WADE W HAMPTON
aka Wade K. Hampton
NOT a POW.
DECEASED
Bill expired Mon 01-Jan-2007 (late night) or
Tue 02-Jan-2007 (early AM), The death was not called until the 2nd even
though he died several hours before midnight.
02/2002
08/2004
2004 - Now telling journalists that he is going
01/29/2007
William Marvin Hancock was
never in Vietnam. He was discharged a CTR2 in Scotland after serving
in the Navy from 11/12/1972 until 08/11/1979. He was stationed in NTC
Great Lakes; Pensacola, FL; Edzell Scotland and NAS DA Las TX. His
only awards were Good Conduct and Expert Rifle. A transcript of his
court-Martial is "not in file."
With EXODUS Communications, Inc.
He is currently working in a senior security position at CISCO.
=======================
TESTIMONY OF DR. WILLIAM HANCOCK, CISM, CISSP
Nick Harder served near and far
The Register's Home columnist escaped imprisonment in the Vietnam War and helped others survive everyday pitfalls.
The Vietnam War was ramping up when Nick Harder left college to join the Marines. He served in the Special Forces and became something of a documentarian, shooting pictures from the bellies of helicopters, envisioning a career in photojournalism.
Then Harder was captured. Imprisoned in a bamboo cage perched perilously, and agonizingly, in water, he forced himself to remain constantly awake to keep death at bay. He had to escape, or he would die. But how?
Harder used the only weapon he had left: his teeth. He chewed at the bars of his cage until they gave way and he could slip from his captors' grip. His teeth were ruined. He required extensive dentistry. He contracted malaria. But he was the only member of his group to survive, and he would take sleeping pills every night for the rest of his life to keep the awful nightmares away.
Home-improvement writer Harder, 61, died early Tuesday at Mission Hospital after a different kind of battle for his life. The columnist and reporter for The Orange County Register and Orange County Home magazine had been in fragile health for some time: He had diabetes, then suffered a heart attack in October and had a triple bypass. He contracted a stubborn staph infection, and his medications made him nauseated. He grew weaker. He was admitted to Mission Hospital on Monday and died early Tuesday.
The journey from jungle to journalist infused Harder's work, and life, with a certain sobriety. After the Marines, he studied journalism at Northern Illinois University, worked at Chicago area papers and came west, becoming one of America's first home-repair columnists.
He was a contemporary of Bob Vila and Norm Abram, who helped popularize home improvement more than two decades ago with television's pioneering "This Old House," and even after gaining celebrity, they eagerly took Nick's calls.
His columns were, almost literally, his life.
After he got a new dog, a terrier he named Pirate for its black eye patch, he shared tips on puppy-proofing. After his water pipes burst, he detailed how to install wood floors. When he began using a wheelchair, he shared insights on installing temporary ramps.
His folksy wisdom on everything from creating a nursery for the new baby to choosing the right type of toilet made his one of the most widely read columns in the newspaper. He would get so involved in people's problems or projects that he would meet them at the hardware store to dispense guidance firsthand. He was a professional house snoop, his wife, Wendy, said, and he loved talking shop about renovations, trials and tribulations. Harder designed the family's home on the shore of Lake Mission Viejo. "I refinished that deck in 6 1/2 hours," he would boast to guests.
Harder's lighter side blossomed upon meeting Wendy. It was 1984. He was editor of the Fullerton Tribune; she was an anchor and producer for KOCE-TV's "NewsCheck." They ran into each other at an Orange County Press Club tennis tournament and arranged to play a few days later. Then they went sailing on Lake Mission Viejo, and a big wind came up, dumping them into the chilly water as Harder's wallet sank to the bottom. On their third date, Harder asked Wendy to marry him. They wed six months later.
The price of love, friend Orman Day said, was having to wear stockings in public. Wendy loved folk dancing, and soon the 6-foot-4-inch Harder found himself in lederhosen and boots at Oktoberfests. He said he did it "for love," but he knew he looked great in lederhosen, Wendy said.
Parties at the Harder house became famous. People flew in especially for the Fourth of July extravaganza, and Harder would appear in full costume for Renaissance-style Christmas parties that made guests felt as if they had stepped into Fezziwig's ball from Dickens' "David Copperfield."
Harder was known around the office for his thunderous greetings – "Morning, troops!" – and his good news sense and generous nature with his time and money.
When a proposal was made to install a plaque honoring veterans at the foot of the flagpole in front of the Register, Harder kicked in several hundred dollars from his own pocket to ensure it became a reality. He never wanted anyone to know.
Flying above the Harder house is an American flag, attached to the most enormous flagpole Harder could find. When Harder noticed that the gold ball atop the flagpole was gone, he and neighbor Al Hicks jury-rigged a pulley system; Hicks pulled until Harder was suspended about 50 feet in the air and could replace the gold ball. It delighted the Hickses when their home travails would end up as Harder's columns, and they kidded him about wanting residuals.
Harder received three Purple Hearts for his service in Vietnam. Two he gave away to children he saw playing soldier.
Harder is survived by wife, Wendy; son, Jonathan; parents, Libby and Russell Harder; brother, Bill; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 16 at Mount of Olives Lutheran Church in Mission Viejo, 24772 Chrisanta Drive. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to The ROCK Youth Center, 24772 Chrisanta Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691.
CONTACT US: 714-796-6910 or tsforza@ocregister.com
NOT SPECIAL FORCES
| Name : | PETER N HARDER |
| Service : | MARINE CORPS |
| Service Component : | |
| Pay Grade : | E-4 |
| Military Specialty : | 4312 |
| Home of Record : | Unknown |
4312 Press Information Man
E4 HARDER PETER N entered the
USMC
31 January 1964 and served in Vietnam with an MOS of 4312 which was
Print Journalist.
----------------------------------------
The records of Mr. Harder's service show that he was trained in covert operations. We spoke with the record keepers at the National Archives who said there is no way to prove or disprove his story, and that, given his training, it is entirely likely that everything he said was true. Since the man is dead, and we cannot question him further, we decided to let it, and him, rest.
Staff Writer
The Orange County Register
625 N. Grand Ave.
714-796-6910 (phone)
714-796-3681 (fax)
tsforza@ocregister.com
-----------------
From:
<showcasemedia@sbcglobal.net>
Subject:
To:
Copies to:
Teri Sforza:
Ignorance may be bliss but it is a disservice to all journalists. Gina
=======================
|
To: tsforza@ocregister.com
Subject: Nick Harder...never a POW/MIA in the
Vietnam War
CC: info@pownetwork.org, Showcase Media <showcasemedia@sbcglobal.net>,
Sherman1@flash.net, mmcgrath62@comcast.net
|
I noticed your reply to Ms. Osborne. I might have already contacted you
aka
Harding, Charles W.
New York
02/2005
06/2005
Has been giving presentations at schools and college. He displays his Silver and Bronze stars, Purple hearts, and tells about his POW experience.
Tale #2
06/2005:
Reports of his claims include Silver Star, Bronze Star w/V, 3 Purple Hearts. Claims he was ambushed on patrol in SVN, with officers killed. Got a battle-filed commission to Lt. He was captured, and after a time his leg was shot up. He and others overpowered the guards and escaped to LZ XRay. He claims no report of captivity due to all the officers deaths. He claims no one asked him what had happened to him or the others. Claims LBJ presented medals at Walter Reed, and he told the President to go "F_ _ _" himself. (He was all drugged up.) Claims life member MOPH. Claims DD214 shows all awards in question, and will show he was an officer.
Schoharie County Commander
Pentagon denies POW captivity tale.
==========================
You are free to show any of my correspondence to whomever has an interest. As long as we all stick to facts, we are not defaming anyone. The short story is that there are no records or proof that Chuck was ever a POW/MIA for even a single day of the Vietnam War. That's the first big lie. We usually find that when a person tells that lie, he is usually lying about a lot of other things, too.
Mike
NAM-POW Historianwww.nampows.org
=====================
===================
......We have
Charles Harding's response. He is very angry and has told local
Legion and VFW officials that he has retained an attorney. He
states that they have obtained prints from the documentation forwarded
to him and have identified the sender. States that they are in
process of initiating a lawsuit. Chuck tells everyone that he has
contacted the POWNETWORK and you have admitted that his records as he
has represented them are accurate and you have defamed him. He
states that you have agreed to remove the information regarding him and
substitute a retraction and complete admission of error. Chuck
states that he has advised you that he will file suit against the
NETWORK if you fail to do this and you have apologized profusely for
improperly challenging his POW experience and his courageous military
service. He states that you have agreed to help him identify
anyone who provided you the false information and are eager to help him
with the lawsuit against these individuals.......
Department of New York Legion also. Harding has told others
that he also contacted Department officials and they also agreed to stop
inquiries. Department says that he has not contacted anyone there.
Harding has been trying to quickly shift over to the VFW.
Has told them similar stories and has stated that his life member
papers have been lost. Wants them to accept him without records
pending his verifying his life membership status.
=======================
02/09/05
P.O.W. NETWORK
=================
June 2005
Chattahoochee, FL
NEVER IN VIETNAM
Served USAF Sept 54 to Sept 57
USAFR Sept 57 to March 1958
USA March 1958 1964
USARA-Ready April 75 to Dec 1986.
Authorized: Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Army
Commendation Medal; NCO Professional Development Ribbon; Army
Achievement Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Marksman Badge.
Special Svc Helper; Inf Comm; Commo Chief; Comm Ctr Supv; Sr. Instructor
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/foreign/tobyharnden/november07/americaday8.htm
Crossing America Day 8: Vietnam heroes in Phoenix, Arizona
Tags: Vietnam, Iraq war, Phoenix, crossing america, war veterans, Arizona
Crossing
America:
full coverage
We found them sitting on a car park wall after the parade.
Unshaven, heavily tattooed, their faces bearing the ravages of
sadness and hard living. The two friends were among thousands
who had marched through the streets of Phoenix, Arizona on
Veterans Day.....
But these men were different from most. This had been the first public event Phil Parks and Mac Harmon had taken part in since coming home from South-East Asia nearly four decades earlier.
Perhaps, just perhaps, simply turning up had been the first tentative step they had taken towards coming to terms with the horrors that still haunt them.
“Today was one of the best days of my life and I've lived 60 years,” said Parks. “I got recognition from complete strangers. My chest filled out and I was all proud. People were saying thank you and I haven't heard that since I came back.”
A sniper with the US Army 1st Infantry
Division, he returned in 1970 with 82 confirmed kills to his
name - a feat now commemorated in ink on his forearm - and the
memory of seeing his childhood best friend from Waterford,
Michigan blown to pieces.
Phil Park's tattoo
I got bags of shit thrown at me, spit at, called names - 'baby killer', stuff like that” he said. “I've had nightmares ever since. Every night it's non-stop. It never goes away.”
Harmon, 61, was a reconnaissance infantry man and 'tunnel rat' who was captured and spent 487 days in the infamous Hanoi Hilton prison. “You had a gun put to your head once or twice a day,” he said. “After a while, you got to hoping there was a bullet in it.
“There was five of us went in together. Only one and a half came back. I still question the one. He's over there and will always be over there in his mind. They broke him.”
He
was born October 20, 1951, in Johnson City, Tennessee, to devoted and
loving parents, Allen and Hildred Harris.
He attended Dunbar Elementary School, and graduated from
University High School, in 1969.
Eugene served in the United
States Army, as a Field Wireman in the Vietnam War.
He was a POW, captured and wounded during this tour.
He served a second tour as a Military Policeman at the base in
Springfield Illinois, where he was again wounded while on duty and
lead to a series of continuing health problems. Throughout his time in
the service he received numerous medals which include the National
Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Purple Heart, Vietnam
Service Medal w/2 bronze service stars, Vietnam Campaign medal w/60
Device, 2 O/S Bars, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/Palm, Sharpshooter
& Expert Badge w/Pistol Bar (Cal.45), and the Vietnam Commendation
Army Honor Medal. After his honorable discharge with the army he
decided to make his home in St. Louis, MO where he attended the Bailey
Technical School and graduated at the top of his class with a degree
in Electrical Engineering. He
owned and operated Eugene’s Auto Repair for several years and was
co-owner of E&E Wiring Service both located in St. Louis, Mo.
Until his health would not allow him to continue.
He won 1st place in Wheelchair games in Oklahoma
after a tragic car accident left him partially paralyzed. He was a
member of Paralyzed Veterans Association.
04/2008
.....A structural bulwark against a pandemic is also present in the National Incident Management System, which strives for a systematic response among 16 agencies across the gamut of local, state and federal governments, said Billy Harrison, emergency management director for DeSoto County.
The NIMS has been around for decades but "really kicked in after Hurricane Andrew" in 1992, said Harrison, who said the system "tries to assure that everyone is on the same sheet of music."
Harrison, who has trailed disaster the world round as a member of the U.S. Army's Special Forces emergency operations team, said the United States has a "strong, robust surveillance system in place," as does Florida, which boasts "sentinel positions all over the state that monitor any unusual (viral) occurrences.".....
=============================
Claims Master Sergeant ( retirement in 2000), a POW in Vietnam for several months. Carried Business Cards stating he was a "mercenary." Stationed in London England for a period of time. Claims Special Forces.
=========================================
From: "Billy H."
<topsgt@desoto.net>
To: <info@pownetwork.org>
Subject: Billy Harrison
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:22:15 -0400
12/2007
"It's NOT illegal here to say you served in the military" he says.
Claims he was a medivac huey pilot in Vietnam. He was on his 307th
mission when his chopper went down. He was taken prisoner and held for
18 months. One morning when they awoke all the guards were gone. They
broke out and he ran for three days until he came upon U.S.
troops. The next POW was 50 miles behind him. He also states that he was
on a dead run when one of the body bags had a waving arm. It was Jim
Armagost.
Claims his call sign was "Cowboy" Claims he left the service as a Major. He holds the record for the Vietnam War for the most MEDEVAC flights. He flew as a CAPTAIN but when he returned to the US he was promoted to Major. Also there are apparently two different stories about Jim Armagost, man in the body bag, 1) It was discovered that he was alive while transporting him from the prison camp to the U S lines. and 2) He was being Medevaced in a chopper when he was discovered to be alive.
Has some affiliation with North Nassau Recycling in Fernandina Beach, FL. May have owned it in the past.
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Florida. Fort McCoy.Contact: Paul & Linda Harvey 1-352-236-2133
National Honor Society Pow Wow and
Gathering
April 11th, 12th, 13th 2008
Fund Raiser for Ft McCoy VFW
Retirement Home
~ALL PROCEEDS go to the VFW
Retirement Home~
Vendors by invitation
aka Gil Hash
more
02/2007
ACTIVE DUTY Oct 9 1962-Oct 8 1964.
ONLY AWARD - Good Conduct Medal
aka "Jake"
2004
At it AGAIN 08/2005
Only medals authorized: National Defense; First Coast Guard Good Conduct.
Wearing seven....
