Battle of Long Tan Memorial Service at The
Vietnam Veterans Memorial 16 August 2020
“In
1987 Prime Minister Bob Hawke designated August 18 as
Australia’s official Vietnam Veterans’ Day.
The date commemorates the [1966] Battle of
Long Tan, during which Delta Company 6 RAR fought an
‘encounter’ battle against enemy forces in the Long Tan
rubber plantation just a few thousand metres from the 1st
Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat.
Delta Company suffered 42 casualties,
including 18 dead – more than one-third of its strength –
while some 245 enemy troops were killed. Delta Company’s 105
men, and three New Zealanders from 161 Battery, Royal New
Zealand Artillery, fought for almost four hours against
soldiers of the North Vietnamese Army who outnumbered them
by ten to one.”
It's been more than 2,922 days since Austin
Tice, Marine, journalist, son and brother, was captured in
Syria. His family has worked tirelessly for eight years to
bring their son safely home. Now, they hope with a recent
public commitment from President Donald Trump, they may be
one step closer to...
Jul 6, 2020 - American
student locked in Egyptian
prison for over a year without trial is freed,
returns to US.
Mohamed Amashah spent 500 days in detention ...
Jul 7, 2020 - Mohamed
Amashah, a dual Egyptian-American national,
returned home to New Jersey on Monday after nearly 500
days in Egypt's Tora prison ...
FedEx Express pilot
Todd Hohn
released from detainment in China,
reunited with family!
Authorities detained Hohn in China on Sept. 12 when they
found pellets used in replica air guns in his bag, the Wall Street
Journal reported then. ...
Hohn, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, departed
Guangzhou on Saturday to return to his family, who live in Florida. ...
SERBIA
Rescue Story in AF
Times
Dave "Fingers"
Goldfein,
Gen USAF AF-CC, and the story of his
rescue (1999) were featured 19 June
in the Air Force Times
in an article by Stephen Losey:
"The cockpit
recording is striking for how steady
the pilot's voice remains. High
above Serbia, Lt.
Col. Dave Goldfein's F-16 has
just been hit by a surface-to-air
missile. His breathing accelerates
as warning alerts blare, but with an
even voice he informs his wingmen of
his trajectory as the Fighting
Falcon goes down. Only a brief,
frustrated expletive betrays the
pressure Goldfein feels in that
moment. And just as quickly, his
voice regains its edge as he tells
his fellow pilots that he's going to
glide as long as he can before he
bails out. Then he issues a
call: "Start finding me, boys." And
with that, the mad dash to save the
life of a U.S. Air Force pilot was
on. Read the full article
here.
Navy vet freed from Iranian prison ill, seeks transfer to
US
by: ERIC TUCKER, Associated Press
Posted:
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Navy veteran
released from an Iranian prison last week on a medical furlough says
he is sick with symptoms of the coronavirus and is requesting a
humanitarian evacuation to the United States for medical
treatment...
~~~~~~~~~~
Please, join me in offering
CONGRATULATIONSto our colleague
Edwin (Ed) Huffine!
Ed had the privilege of working with the
Argentinean Forensic Team for several years focusing on his field of
expertise – DNA - and the Teams overall effort has brought them to
the attention of the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE Nomination Committee for
2020. (Check out the link in the email below.)
Ed has been in this special business for a few
decades and his work his not gone unnoticed. Attached you’ll see
Recognition from Virginia’s Governor and the “Presidents E Award”
We will keep our fingers crossed for the team
and Ed for the final vote.
Until they ALL come home……….
moe
Sent: 30 March, 2020 22:02 in Subject: Info - Nobel Peace Prize Nomination
Moe,
FYI -
I worked with the Argentinean Forensic Team (EAAF)
for many years and helped develop/implement the
DNA testing to identify the missing for several
projects. Some of the work I did in Latin
America with EAAF been nominated for the 2020
Nobel Peace Prize. I have attached some
documents related to this as well as a photo of
us preparing to provide Congressional
Testimony. This work is part of the reason I
received the President 'E' Award and Virginia
Governor's Kompass award.
Update on the ROGER HALL, et al., versus The
CENTRAL INTELLENGECE AGENCY lawsuit.
From the desk of Tony C. , US Marine Corps, Vietnam
Combat Veteran, Advocate Extraordinaire.
moe note: the attached pdf document is a must read
. A quote from the document: “The Court is satisfied that the existence
of such records is not mere speculation.”
From: Tony C <USMC-Vietnam-Grunt@att.net>
Sent: 31 March, 2020 21:03 To: undisclosed-recipients: Subject: Judge Lamberth's one=page order denying Govt's
motionforreconsideration
From: Roger Hall
Roger, congratulations on an important
victory. It will be interesting to see what the
government's next move is. It is particularly remarkable
given the flurry of bad decisions in other of my cases
over the past few days.
I tried to find a copy of the
government's motion for reconsideration which Lamberth
denied but couldn't locate it. It will have to wait
until tomorrow or very late tonight since I've got
another urgent matter I have to deal with now. Jim
Statement of The American Ex-Prisoners of War before the Committees
on Veterans’ Affairs, U.S. Senate/U.S. House Of Representatives,
March 3, 2020
National Commander Robert G. Certain
Chief Executive Officer Cheryl Cerbone
Legislative Officer Charles Anthony Susino
Chairmen Mark Takeno and Jerry Moran, and members of the House and
Senate Veteran’s Affairs committee and guests, my name is Robert
Certain, National Commander of the American Ex-Prisoners of War.
Thank you for the opportunity to express our comments today.
Our legislative agenda has been very consistent year to year. It
is based on the earned benefits of the veteran for serving their
country, never using the word “entitlements” in the same sentence as
veteran. Its center is healthcare and fair compensation to the
veteran and their family....
Rolling Thunder Inc, National XXXIII Nationwide "Ride for Freedom"
Food, speakers, vendors, musical tribute to veterans
Joe Bean - 484-880-2012
Ed Crabtree - 908-930-1920
From: Patrick ( 1 ) <patrick@patrickjhughes.org>
Sent: 29 March, 2020 22:15 To: moehog@verizon.net Subject: Re: National Vietnam POW/MIA Monument Dedication
March 29, 2020
Friends and Supporters of the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans
Memorial we have decided to forego the public unveiling of
the National POW/MIA Monument to those from the Vietnam War,
scheduled for noon on Sunday, March 29, at the Memorial.
To comply with local restrictions and in the interest of the
health of those who may attend, we instead will hold a “virtual”
event ceremony that will be broadcast on our Facebook page at
the same time and date, which is National Vietnam Veterans Day.
Remarks by Ralph Galati, former POW in the infamous Hanoi
Hilton. Doug Seiler is the Monument’s architect.
From the Desk of Mike Benge, POW Vietnam – 28
January 1968- 5 March 1973.
moe note: Ms. Howard was a
Gold Star Mother, country music
singer, songwriter, producer, Author and a member of the Grand Old Opry.
She passed away 28 March 2020 in Gallatin, Tennessee.
United at Last.
From: Michael Benge <bengemike@aol.com> Sent: 29 March, 2020 14:36 To: BENGEMIKE@aol.com Subject: JAN HOWARD PASSED AWAY, SHE RECORDED THIS FOR HER SON
WHO WAS LATER KILLED IN VIETNAM(1968)
JAN HOWARD PASSED AWAY, SHE RECORDED THIS FOR HER SON WHO WAS
LATER KILLED IN VIETNAM( 1968)
... Zachary
Baumel, who immigrated to
Israel with his parents from
New York in 1970, was 21
when he fought in Israel's
invasion of Lebanon and was
declared missing in action
along with two other
soldiers in the Battle of
Sultan Yacoub...
Shahini was released
on $62,000 bail in 2017 after a hunger strike. Sometime in 2017 or
2018, he left
Iran (method undisclosed) and came to the U.S. and filed a lawsuit
in federal court against the Iranian government and several senior IRGC
officials. The suit claims that Shahini’s jailers subjected
him to “sleep deprivation, interrogation, solitary confinement,
painful shackling, malnutrition, and denial of medical care.”
POW/MIA
is a key issue that we're always thinking of at
AMVETS. We think this a great event, no matter
what, we'd like to help,” said AMVETS
National ...
where Glazov got much of his information for his front page
article
From Ray Calore:
Hi Mary! I put together some info and pics to update you on
what's been happening in Kansas on POW/MIA activities.
First thing is that our past SEVEN governors have signed a
POW/MIA Recognition for the state, beginning in the late
1980's:
Cambodia’s Hun Sen: The Blood-Drenched Opportunist of
Asia
He evolved from peasant to Khmer Rouge
commander, then Khmer Rouge opponent, then an illiberal strongman
tolerated by the West. Now as a Chinese client, his tyranny looks
dynastic....
"Sadly, the
statistics don't reflect the misidentifications as well as live sighting
reports which were dismissed for no valid reason or were just ignored as
sand fell through the hourglass for years/decades.
The powerpoints
always look impressive until the questions are asked."
NAME WITHHELD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" agree with YOU, XXXXXXXXXX.
Certain sectors of our illustrious government are
quite skilled at presenting the ‘numbers’ in a slightly bias nature.
They have been doing it for decades.
Two additional examples of the numbers game;
The 4,400
plus Unaccounted for from World War One – off the books. Gone. Why?
They were part of the original mission. Who authorized eliminating
them from the Mission? What is happening on these cases?
The current
publicized ID’s for this past fiscal year – 201 – of which only 182
were actually ‘new’ ID’s from the accounting period. The other 19
ID’s were remains that had been included in group ID’s reported in
previous years and the families had been notified and services
conducted. In essence the 19 cases have been double booked.
I find it interesting that the Congressional
numerical goal since 2015 was 200 ID’s Minimum per year and once that
number is stated publicly for the first time at the end of fiscal year
2016-17 the annual Budget for 2017-18 goes from $112 million to over
$150 million for the current year. 25 + % increase!?? Did someone
knowingly cook the books?
Bill Bell was reporting a Last Known Alive number
of over 300 cases during the Senate Select POW/MIA Committee hearings
back in 1991-92; numbers reported now are below 60 cases – little to no
explanation on how the 250 + cases were resolved or if they were
resolved.
I wonder what Paul Cole would find today if he
applied the same formula he used in the private review of the
effectiveness and the efficiency of then Joint Pacific Accounting
Command (JPAC) back in 2010-11 to the current Defense POW/MIA Accounting
Agency (DPAA)?
So, what is our plan XXXXX? What can/do we do to
combat these inaccuracies in reporting? How do we keep the ‘truth’ in
the reporting process? How do we hold management accountable to ‘the
people’?
Look forward to your response."
NAME WITHHELD
From:
Cheryl Cerbone Sent: 13 July, 2018 08:35 To: Subject: Death of our National Commander
The Directors,
Officers and members of the American Ex-Prisoners of War are saddened by
the death of our National Commander Charles Susino, Jr. on Thursday,
July 12, 2018 at his home in New Jersey.
As always, he was
surrounded by his family and their love.
There will be a very
simple one day service on Wednesday, July 18th,
2-6 pm at the Wright
and Ford funeral home in Flemington, NJ. At a later date, TBD, he will
be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Many of you know his
love and passion for veterans, his fellow ex-Prisoners of War and his
country.
If you wish to reach
out to his family, please address cards to his son, Charles Anthony
Susino, who will share them with his mother, Lillian, and his family.
The National POW/MIA Recognition Day event, The
RIDE HOME, is scheduled to kick off on September 20, 2018 and our base
of operations this year will be Warner Robins Georgia. For over 15 years
we have invited Former Prisoners of War and Families of those still
Missing in Action so we may fulfill the Commander-in-Chief’s
Proclamation:
“I call upon the people of the United States
to join me in honoring and remembering all former American prisoners of
war and those missing in action who valiantly served our great country.
I also call upon Federal, State, and local government officials and
private organizations to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies
and activities.”
Hero’s Banquet – Friday, 21 September requires a
$25 donation per plate if you wish to break bread with our Honored Guest
– information here -
http://www.theridehome.com/banquet2018.html
All Services are open to the Public.
All escort Rides gathering points to the services
will be announced on or about the 10th of September.
This is the Largest mutigenerational
gathering of Former Prisoners of War and Families of Missing in Action
in the country in response to the Presidential Proclamation, so come, be
a part of History!
If you wish to Sponsor an Honored Guest, check out
the attached Form.
Looking forward to see you in Georgia this
September!
Until they all come home……….
moe
Chairman
The RIDE HOME, Inc.
From: JOHN MOLLOY
Date: Thu, Jun 21, 2018, 08:16
Subject: Fwd: Sad News- Update - Cong Billy Hendon
To:
Dear Friends and Fellow Veterans,
Last night at about 11:00 PM Billy made his final journey to his eternal
reward.
As soon as I can find out any information regarding Billy's internment
I shall endeavor to share it.
John
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
Attached is an important document from Mark
Sauter concerning the summit, hopefully to be held in the near
future, and unrecovered POWs and missing Americans in Korea.
It was presented during the National Alliance meeting in
Washington, D.C. this weekend.
The Washington Times reports that three Americans held in North Korean
prisons are preparing for their release; The three Americans — Kim Dong
Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk, also known as Tony Kim — were
released from a North Korean labor camp and sent to Pyongyang for
medical treatment, the Financial Times reported. […]
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject:
FW: No combat pay for Korean Army POW's
Date:
Fri, 4 May 2018 08:48:06 -0400
From:
moehog@verizon.net
To:
'Moe Moyer' <moehog@verizon.net>
From
the desk of Mary Schantag, COB, POW Network!
moe
note; I would like to personally and publicly THANK
Mary for saying what many of us were thinking. There
are many concerns surrounding this issue and if we are
to maintain an affirmative attitude to the conclusion we
must not be afraid to speak to the truth.
Thank YOU, Mary!
A couple of weeks ago we were
told the families of enlisted Prisoners of War, returned as
remains after decades in enemy soil, were denied full
military funeral honors (that is reserved for officers.)
Had not for their capture or missing status - would they
have continued their military service - perhaps to become
officers?
Then we were informed that
the Admin Building at Arlington does not fly a POW/MIA flag.
And now - once again, we find
out the Korean War POWs were shortchanged.
Maloney Announces Legislation to Fix
Historic Underpayment of Korean War POWs
Bill Would Provide Back Pay to Veterans Who Were
Short-Changed by Arbitrary Combat Pay Limits...
I validated this through Elliott Sortillo.
Didn't know this.
Elliott Sortillo. At 16, Elliott Sortillo joined the 31st Infantry Regiment and participated in the landing at Inchon, South Korea. The unit headed south to Pusan, where it boarded a ship to make another landing at Iwon in the north. When his company went to Koto-ri to join U.S. Marines and British Royal Marines for a push north, ...
Jun 29, 2014 - For Elliott Sortillo, 79, of Portage, fighting in the Korean War meant fighting for survival. He was a prisoner of war for 30 months, nearly the entire war.
We also draw your attention to several bills which we
believe have special merit ....
H.R. 27: Ensuring
VA Employee Accountability Act. All veterans in all VA
facilities deserve adequate care from VA employees.
H.R. 4369: To
amend title 38, United States Code, to codify the authority
of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assign a disability
rating of total to a veteran by reason of unemployability,
and for other purposes
H.R. 299 and S. 422 : To
amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions
relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in
the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam, and for other
purposes. H.R. 303 and S.66: To amend title 10, United
States Code, to permit additional retired members of the
Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability to
receive both disability compensation from the Department of
Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay
by reason of their years of military service or
combat-related special compensation.
S. 339: A bill
to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the
requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the
Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans’ dependency and indemnity
compensation, and for other purposes.
HR 1472 and S. 591: Military
and Veteran Caregiver Services Improvement Act of 2017 S.
1990: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Improvement Act
of 2017 S. 544: A bill to amend the Veterans Access, Choice,
and Accountability Act of 2014 to modify the termination
date for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other
purposes.
Thank you for your time and attention and
most importantly your unwavering support of ex-POWs and all
veterans — deserving heroes every one.
God bless our troops
God bless America
Charles A. Susino
National Director
American Ex-Prisoners of War
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Case against the CIA for unreleased POW/MIA
documentation to be declassified and released has
reached the point where we will be able to take
depositions of people with knowledge of withheld pow/MIA
information. The depositions are expensive and
donations have been few in the past few years. This case
needs financial ($) help in order to get the evidence
from the CIA. Many documents have been released but we
have not yet breached the wall for the documents we
seek. The only documents the CIA releases are those we have
proof exist. These depositions will provide that
information. Please donate to:
When Air Force, Marine Corps,
Navy and Army troops were captured by the North
Vietnamese or went missing in action in the late
1960s and early '70s, the government ordered
their wives and families to keep quiet. They
were told that to speak about it might endanger
the lives of their husbands, fathers ...
From the desk of Scott Ward, C-130 Corrosion Analyst/Sr. Logistician,
POW/MIA Committee member, Robins Air Force Base
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Ward
Sent: 13 March, 2018 07:42
FYI
[Image may contain: one or more people, people standing, wedding and
outdoor]
On Sunday, April 8, 2018, former prisoners of war (POWs) from World War II,
Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and other conflicts will gather, along with
hundreds of veterans and visitors, at Andersonville National Historic Site
to commemorate the only national museum dedicated to preserving and sharing
their stories of courage, honor, and sacrifice for their country. Since
opening in April 1998, the National POW Museum has helped over 2.6 million
visitors better understand the experiences of American POWs from the
Revolutionary War to present day.
Activities will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a performance of patriotic music by
a ceremonial band from the U.S. Army MCoE. A commemorative ceremony at 2:00
p.m. will feature U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop and three former POWs.
Colonel (ret) David Eberly was a fighter pilot and the senior allied POW of
the 1991 Gulf War. Captain (ret) Bill Robinson, shot down over Vietnam and
held for over 7 years, was the longest-held enlisted POW in American
history. Sy Lichtenfeld was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and held
prisoner by the Germans during World War II. Each will share their
incredible and inspiring story during our commemorative ceremony. At the
conclusion of the ceremony, the Lee County NJROTC Armed Drill Team will
demonstrate their command of the rifle and unwavering teamwork.
Other planned activities include a presentation by Major Nicholas Holten,
Commander of the U.S. Army Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)
School, a flyover of military aircraft, and display of a UH-1 Huey
helicopter. All activities are free and open to the public.
On April 8, 2018, former prisoners of war (POWs) from World War II, Korea,
Vietnam, Desert Storm, and other conflicts will gather, along with hundreds
of veterans and visitors, at Andersonville National Historic Site to
commemorate the only national museum dedicated to preserving and sharing
their stories of courage, honor, and sacrifice for their country. Since
opening in April 1998, the National POW Museum has helped over 2.6 million
visitors better understand the experiences of American POWs from the
Revolutionary War to present day.
Scott Ward
C-130 Corrosion Analyst/Sr. Logistician
Mandaree Enterprise Corporation (MEC)
812 Park Dr.
Warner Robins, GA 3108
02/15/18
I wanted to share the video of Mr. Johnson’s
speech during debate on H.Res. 129, and share the good news that it just
passed today by a vote of 411-0!
Feb 15, 2017
- Summary of H.Res.129 -
115th Congress (2017-2018): Calling on the Department of
Defense, other elements of the Federal Government, and foreign
governments to intensify efforts to investigate, recover, and
identify all missing and unaccounted-for personnel of the United
States.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject:
Will any POW/MIA families show up to ask
Mr. Lord about the secret POW/MIA for reparations deals?
Date:
Thu, 8 Feb 2018 13:51:44 -0500
From:
markasauter@gmail.com
From: Washington History Seminar [mailto:WHS@wilsoncenter.org]
Sent: Thursday, February 8, 2018 12:28 PM To: markasauter@gmail.com Subject: WHS 2/15 - Vietnam: The Kissinger-Le Duc Tho
Negotiations, August 1969-December 1973
Vietnam: The Kissinger-Le Duc Tho Negotiations,
August 1969-December 1973, an
almost 1,800 page documentary history of the
negotiations, compiled and edited by John M.
Carland, contains word searchable transcripts of
every meeting Kissinger had with the North
Vietnamese—comprised of 68 separate meetings in
27 separate negotiating rounds. The negotiations
resulted in the still controversial January 1973
Paris Peace Accords. Many of the transcripts are
accompanied by long discursive footnotes that
reference and quote from, sometimes copiously,
Kissinger’s summary memos to Nixon about a
particular meeting with Le Duc Tho, as well as
from other American documents, and also from
enemy message traffic—Le Duc Tho to and from the
Hanoi Politburo, and various memos and memoirs
from North Vietnamese side.
John M. Carland,
a historian at the Army Center of Military
History, wrote Combat
Operations: Stemming the Tide, May 1965-October
1966, official history of the Army’s
first eighteen months of combat in Vietnam
(2000).At the Historian’s Office, Department of
State, he compiled, edited, and published in
2010 two documentary histories: Vietnam,
January – October 1972; and Vietnam,
October 1972 –January 1973. In
retirement, he completed a third documentary
history for State Department: Vietnam:
The Kissinger-Le Duc Tho Negotiations, August
1969-December 1973, published in
late 2017. All three documentary histories speak
to the relationship between force and diplomacy
in a war-time setting. He has also published and
delivered numerous articles and papers on the
United States and the Vietnam War. Carland holds
an undergraduate double degree in political
science and history from the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock, an M.A. in political
science from the City College of New York, and a
Ph.D. in history from the University of Toronto.
George C. Herring has
devoted much of his career to teaching and
writing about the Vietnam War. He taught his
first class on the war in the spring of 1973, as
the last U.S. troops were coming home from
Vietnam. His book, America's
Longest War: The United States and Vietnam,
1950-1975, was first published in 1979 and next
year will go into a sixth edition--with a new
title. His books also include The
Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War: The
Negotiating Volumes of the Pentagon Papers (1983)
and LBJ
and Vietnam: A Different Kind of War (1994).
A native of Virginia, Dr. Herring graduated from
Roanoke College, and after service in the U.S.
Navy earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at the
University of Virginia. He taught at the
University of Kentucky from 1969 until his
retirement in 2005. In 1993-1994, he was
visiting professor at the United States Military
Academy.
Winston Lord has
led a distinguished career in international
affairs, both in and out of government. His
governmental posts have included Special
Assistant to the National Security Advisor,
Director of the State Department Policy Planning
Staff. Ambassador to China under President
Reagan and Assistant Secretary of State for East
Asian and Pacific Affairs under President
Clinton. He has also led or served many non-
governmental organizations, including as
President of the Council on Foreign Relations
and Chairman of the International Rescue
Committee. With respect to the Vietnam
negotiations, Lord attended every Kissinger
meeting with the North and South Vietnamese from
1970 through January 1973. He was also on
related trips to China, the Soviet Union and
Southeast Asia. Lord was one of the principal
drafters of the Paris Peace Accords on Vietnam,
as well as the Shanghai Communique on President
Nixon's trip to China. Lord graduated from Yale
University (magna cum laude) and the Fletcher
School (first in class),and is the recipient of
several honorary degrees and governmental
awards.
Stephen Randolph served
as The Historian of the State Department from
2012 until his retirement at the end of 2017. As
The Historian, he was responsible for
publication of the Foreign
Relations of the United States series,
the official documentary record of US foreign
policy and diplomacy. Prior to his arrival at
the State Department, he served for fifteen
years as professor, department chair, and
associate dean at the National Defense
University. Still earlier, he served as a
fighter pilot, commander, and policy advisor
through a 27-year career in the Air Force,
retiring as a colonel in 2001. He is the author
of Powerful
and Brutal Weapons: Nixon, Kissinger, and the
Easter Offensive, a study of the
endgame of the US war in Indochina. Dr. Randolph
graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1974,
and was awarded a master's degree in the History
of Science from the Johns Hopkins University in
1975 and a Ph.D. from the George Washington
University in 2005.
The Washington History Seminar is co-chaired by
Eric Arnesen (George Washington University) and
Philippa Strum (Woodrow Wilson Center) and is
sponsored jointly by the
National History Center of the American
Historical Association and the Wilson Center's
History and Public Policy Program. It meets
weekly during the academic year. The seminar
thanks the Society for Historians of American
Foreign Relations and the George Washington
University History Department for their support.
From:
Michael McDonald-Low [mailto:crossbowdelta@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2018 5:44 PM Subject: Vietnam MIA
Mission Problems
My name is Michael McDonald-Low and I'm
asking for your help in bringing attention to the problems at DPAA,
(Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency), that are inhibiting MIA recovery
efforts in Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
I am a former
Army officer who served as an infantry platoon leader and company
commander in Vietnam (D/1/20 Inf, 11th LIB, Americal) in 1967 and 1968.
In 2009, I contacted
DPMO (Defense
Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office) and JPAC (Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command)
and informed them that they were going to the wrong location in their
search for an MIA from my platoon - MIA case 1165 - Clifford Van
Artsdalen. They had sent Investigative Teams four previous times to
Vietnam in their search for 1165, without ever contacting me, his
platoon leader at the time of the incident.
After three years of
contacts with JPAC/DPMO, I was finally able to lead a JPAC Investigative
Team to the mountains of the Que Son Valley near Tam Ky, Vietnam in
2012. Our goal was to find the correct location of a soldier from my
platoon who was killed there - MIA 1165. The mission was successful,
however I am still waiting, like many others, for approval by a DPAA
Excavation Decision Board.
In September 2014,
after providing advice on other ground loss cases, I was appointed as
the first ever Southeast Asia (SEA) Veteran Liaison - the first Vietnam
infantry veteran to be officially involved in the search for MIA's in
Southeast Asia.
As the SEA
Veteran Liaison, I participate in Southeast Asia MIA case analysis by
reviewing existing DPAA background information and investigative
reporting related to unresolved ground loss cases in Vietnam, Laos and
Cambodia. I also conduct independent open-source research related to
assigned cases, including but not limited to additional Vietnam War era
veteran interviews, when applicable.
I was also invited by
Alisa Stack to join the government organized PACT (Personnel Accounting
Consolidation Task Force) when it was formed to review JPAC/DPMO
procedures and methods in 2014. I visited JPAC as a PACT representative
to review their mission procedures. I submitted a detailed report based
upon those observations. Unfortunately, all of the PACT input (and money
spent) had little effect in changing the agencies.
In 2016, my book, Unaccounted, was published
and released. It is the true story of an American infantryman MIA in one
of Vietnam's deadliest locations and the mission to find him 44 years
later. It provides a firsthand look at a JPAC (DPAA) IT mission.
Recovering Southeast Asia
MIAs is the foundation of the MIA mission, but there is something
terribly amiss at mission control - DPAA.
The search for American MIAs of the Vietnam
War has been led over the years by the government organization which has
gone by many names, most recently, JPAC, DPMO and now DPAA.
After almost 50 years, there are still over
1,600 American military personnel missing in action - and considered
unaccounted in Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. 1,450+ of
these MIA cases fall into categories of pending an Investigation
Decision Board (IDB), pending an Excavation Decision Board (EDB), or
like most - still in research. There are more than 150 MIAs who have
been approved for excavation, but are still waiting. Most of these are
not even scheduled for excavation due to a lack of funding, and in most
instances, lack of key personnel, specifically archeologists.
The priority of DPAA should be to finish the
mission originally founded by the mothers of Vietnam Veterans - POW/MIA
League of Families. These cases need to be given immediate priority over
all other MIA cases worldwide as there is a diminishing window remaining
before disintegration of all skeletal remains in the acidic soil and
harsh climate of Southeast Asia.
How the MIA mission of
DPAA is failing Vietnam Vets.
1)
DPAA Hawaii
It is refreshing to see that Mr. Kelly McKeague is the new
director at DPAA. Hopefully, under his leadership things will
dramatically change.
Department leadership at DPAA Hawaii has been all about
self-preservation of career rather than getting the job done - it is a
cult of personality. The same people, problems, attitudes, and processes
that forced the creation of DPAA still exist, even after 30 Jan 2015
(the formation date). DPAA kept the same people in the same jobs in
Hawaii, but placed them under new department names; the mission
continued as it had in the past. The disconnect between DPAA Hawaii and
DPAA in Washington, D.C. is obvious and counter-productive. A fresh
direction requires new, dynamic people and leadership at the department
level, not the same old career GS JPAC Hawaii "veterans" operating as
they have for years.
2) IDB/EDB
The IDB
(Investigation Decision Board) and EDB (Excavation Decision Board)
process is a nice example of how DPAA Hawaii serves the process rather
than the process serving the mission. People with no field experience
are voting and running through the ringer those who know what they need
to do to accomplish the mission. Policy, and External Relations and
Planning have no business being involved in any IDB/EDB. Their input is
not relevant to any decision relating to investigations or excavations.
Their job should be to review and insure all measures are being taken to
successfully accomplish the mission. To insure objectivity and
fairness, all decisions regarding IDB’s and EDB’s should be made by a
panel that consists of: DPAA J2, J2 lead investigator, IT/RT case
analyst, MIA Case Consultant / Veteran Liaison, DPAA - Washington DC
case leader, CIL (Central Investigation Laboratory), American Witness,
and headed by Director DPAA.
3)
Burden of Proof Protocols
The current recommended Burden of Proof
protocols appear overly weighted on aircraft MIA’s, metal object losses,
and are not appropriate considerations for infantry surface losses.
I believe
there should be two sets of protocols, or two sets of weighting
standards: one for aircraft losses and one for surface losses.
It is also important to note that all of the easy MIA cases have been
completed. The toughest remaining cases are for the most part infantry
surface losses.
4)
Ignorance of Battlefield, Enemy Tactics, Infantry Organization, Weapons
and Injuries
Prior to the appointment of a SEA Veteran
Liaison there were no combat veterans from Vietnam who worked on any MIA
case. Consequently, many mistakes have been made over the years by
investigators who are ignorant of basic combat tactics, weaponry,
wounds, and circumstances they have no ability to evaluate. I have seen
cases where no further action was indicated by the investigator, because
he/she couldn't identify the possibility (for example) . . . that a
human being could not be disintegrated by a 81mm mortar. And yet, that
has happened. I believe an accurate analogy would be trying to describe
the color red to a blind person.
5)
Failure to Properly Interview Veteran Survivors
Vietnam veterans, particularly infantrymen
and Marines, are a special group that deserves special handling when
you're investigating a fallen comrade. If you can't do the talk, you
certainly can't do the walk. If you're an investigator you should be
familiar with combat and all that it entails, otherwise you won't ask
the right questions or be able to identify information that may or may
not help you. In my opinion, one of JPAC's and DPMO's (And now DPAAs)
biggest oversights has been their inability to identify a credible
veteran witness and then obtain relevant information from that witness.
6)
Investigation Team (IT) / Recovery Team (RT)
The IT process needs to be more dynamic and
fused. An IT leader in the field should have the authority to be able to
run down leads in the field to closure. but the host nation, due to time
constraints and coordination, often times do not allow further pursuit
during the operation. This rigid process forces IT to visit a site at
least two or more times with approval boards at DPAA in between.
Meanwhile, years pass and hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent for
multiple trips. An average IT mission is Vietnam carries a hefty price
tag - approximately $250,000.
Ideally, IT/RT should
be combined into a single unit for investigation and recovery. When IT
successfully locates an MIA location it can be years before an RT visits
it. When an RT eventually gets to the site they are depending on field
notes and GPS to re-identify the site. This process is haphazard even
with GPS. It is absolutely necessary that the IT be involved to
positively identify the location, as well as any witness, American or
otherwise. This combined unit would have the flexibility in the field
that is needed to immediately excavate a site that has a high potential
for recovery. This could save years of waiting to return to a site
and/or could even save the loss of a site that was in danger.
Additionally, the new IT/RT teams should consist of a historian, analyst,
Geographic Information System specialist, archeologist, and an external
relations person.
7)
American Witnesses
An American Witness should always sit on the
EDB of his MIA, particularly after providing exact coordinates and
leading the team to the MIA site. Further, the input by the American
Witness to the EDB will add a sense of place, importance and legitimacy
to the proceeding. He should then always be invited to participate in
the RT to re-verify that the correct location is being excavated. In the
past there has been little transparency at DPAA particularly involving
decisions concerning excavation. This shroud should be removed and the
inclusion and participation in an EDB by the American Witness would go a
long way towards that endeavor.
8)
Central Investigation Laboratory (CIL)
The CIL's control over the use of technology
for IT needs to end. IT needs to be free to try any and all
technologically that is available. CIL needs to be focused on
identifications only and not be given any power over any other aspect of
the organization. Senior lab leadership should be removed to improve the
culture of the lab and the future version of DPAA. The archeologists
should be removed from CIL and moved into the future version of the IT/RT
organization.
9) The Center for the Investigation of the
Missing and Advancement of Geospatial Methods (CIMAG)
The CIMAG is a
program in which DPAA could have served as a nexus to help direct and
develop products by universities, NASA, and NGA to develop remote
sensing methods to search for MIAs (particularly high altitude aircraft
wreckage). The program was a low investment initiative where DPAA would
have provided the problem and coordinated with other agencies to
establish lines of research funding to solve the problem. Unfortunately,
this initiative angered the CIL scientific director and he forced it to
be cancelled.
10) Skilled Archeologists - University
Battlefields Initiative
There are usually
only one or two archeologists working for DPAA, which slows down the IT/RT
process. The University Battlefields Initiative was a proposal developed
that would focus on using university personnel to conduct battlefield
archaeology. The current mode of search and recovery used by DPAA is not
geared toward the systematic work required of complex battlefields. The
DPAA recovery model had evolved around the concept of a single location
that was defined by a burial or wreckage feature rather than the
complexities of a battlefield. The University Battlefields Initiative
would establish endowed professorships to head programmatic in-depth
archaeological studies of historic battlefields that would be chosen
based on the missing casualty densities determined by DPAA researchers.
Again, universities would be responsible for establishing their own
funding lines through grants or other public and private support under
the assumption that their affiliation with DPAA would be a benefit. When
presented to several universities, each expressed a high level of
interest.
11) Search Methods - Advanced Technology
One of the biggest challenges DPAA will face
is the excavation of surface loss cases where the loss location can only
be narrowed down to a 25 meter (m) x 25m, 50m x 50m, or larger area.
Most of these sites are remote and/or lightly populated where there is
little chance of a local Vietnamese or a People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN)
soldier corroborating an American loss from 50 years ago; too much time
has passed, and the ability of a PAVN soldier or local Vietnamese to
recall dates and specific locations are questionable.
The MIA remains at a loss location sites are
typically small bone fragments or teeth (not metal). Currently, DPAA’s
only on-the-ground search tool is a metal detector. Metal artifacts (dog
tags, weapon, equipment) supporting the location of an MIA are at times
discovered, but in many instances PAVN and Viet Cong forces routinely
stripped equipment, weapons, dog tags and personal ID of any American
left behind.
A larger excavation footprint requires more
efficient search methods. Use of Ground Penetrating Radar, Sonic
Analysis, Magnetometry, micro aerial drones, and other promising
technologies would make searches quicker and more productive in finding
remains. Many companies actively involved in the development of these
technologies would rush to the opportunity to use their equipment on an
MIA mission.
•
The reality of my mission and personal work experience
with DPAA is sub-par and is probably best explained by a letter I sent
to Bob Maves, (next page), my DPAA senior supervisor in Hawaii. It
should be noted that Mr. Maves did not respond.
___________________________________
Nov. 1, 2017
Mr. Maves,
I haven't heard much from you or others at
DPAA. In the past year, I have been asked but twice to look into cases.
It's disappointing that I cannot be of more service, especially given
the limited window of time remaining to find MIA remains in Southeast
Asia.
Frankly, I don't see any change at the new
DPAA that encourages me about the MIA effort in Southeast Asia. In fact,
I'd have to say my skills have been utilized less and less since the
reorganization. In some specific cases, I provided detailed information
about an MIA that was never acknowledged nor was I given any explanation
regarding its value or contribution.
Even the very basics in computer assistance,
so I could access case files, has taken almost a year to accomplish.
My credentials expire tomorrow and if I
thought things would change, I'd renew them.
___________________________________
I appreciate any assistance you can provide.
I have also sent a copy of this letter to President Trump and many other
Veteran and POW/MIA organizations and media.
A POW/MIA flag
waves during the closing ceremony for the POW/MIA
24-hour run at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.,
Friday, Sept. ... It was developed by Kenneth Breaux
and his team at the Houston-based M.I.A. Recovery
Network, a nonprofit that advocates for
missing-in-action servicemembers and ...
Freedom Flight POW/MIA, a group
that honors and tries to increase awareness of
soldiers missing in action or prisoners of war, is
asking for help in locating equipment worth
thousands of dollars that was recently stolen.
President Luke Cesnik said someone broke into their
trailers at the McKay's Dodge ...
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject:
FW: Army Air Corps Museum - Special Announcement - December 7,
2017
Date:
Thu, 7 Dec 2017 11:51:40 -0500
From:
Moe Hog <moehog@verizon.net>
To:
'Moe Moyer' <moehog@verizon.net>
Good Thursday Morning!
Please join us in extending our
CONGRATULATIONSto MIA Recovery Network (https://miarecoverynetwork.com/
) and its founder Mr. Ken Breaux on their recent partnership with The
Sons of Liberty Museum and The Army Air Corps Library and Museum!!
Ken and his team have created an excellent
searchable data base on our World War II Missing in Action and are able
to bring it to a public platform where Families of those still Missing
in Action will, at last, have access to it.
FYI – the Missing in Action/Unaccounted For from
World War II represent approximately eighty seven percent (87%) of the
DoD’s List of MIAs.
Keep up the GREAT Work, Mr. Breaux!
We are Blessed to have you and your team on this
Mission!
Until they all come home……….
moe
From: Kenneth Breaux [mailto:kenneth.breaux@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: 7 December, 2017 08:37 To:
Subject: FW: Army Air Corps Museum -
Special Announcement - December 7, 2017
Air Corps Newsletter - December 2017
Greetings
On
this
the
anniversary
of
the
December
7
attack
by
the
Japanese
on
Pearl
Harbor
we
want
to
make
a
special
announcement.
The
press
release
headline
reads,
"MUSEUMS
AND
RESEARCHERS
JOIN
FORCES
TO
OPEN
UP
AMERICA'S
MIA
FILES."
This
week
we
are
announcing
a
strategic
partnership
between
the
Sons
of
Liberty
Museum,
the
Army
Air
Corps
Library
and
Museum,
and
the
MIA
Recovery
Network
to
help
in
researching
and
locating
American
military
personnel
who
were
lost
in
combat.
The
information
is
now
live
on
each
website
under
the
"Projects"
section.
Read
the
complete
press
release
and
follow/comment
on
Facebook
pages:
We are very
excited
about this
partnership.
When we
loaded the
data we
found a
number of
cross
references
to material
in our honor
roll
sections and
will assist
in filling
out a
biography on
those
listed.
Since the
history and
story of the
individual
citizen
soldier is
at the heart
of the
museum's
mission it
is hoped
that
providing
this
material we
can assist
in some
small way to
help write
the final
chapter in
their story.
We've
mentioned
this
before
but it's
worth
repeating;
our
sister
organization,
the
Sons of
Liberty
Museum
is a
great
organization.
Whereas
the
AACLM
covers
the Air
Service,
Army Air
Forces
and US
Air
Force,
the
"Sons"
covers
all
branches
of
service
from
World
War I to
present
day.
The Sons
recently
relaunched
their
website
containing
over
100,000
web
pages;
they
will be
adding
more
pictures
of their
exhibits
and
collection.
We look
forward
to the
day when
both of
these
organizations
can have
a large
campus
housing
both of
their
impressive
collections
saluting
our
nation's
citizen
soldiers
and
preserving
US
military
history
one
soldier
at a
time.
(We are
currently
in the
opening
stages
of a
capital
campaign
to do
this).
We need
you !
We need
your
help to
further
our
mission
of
preserving
and
bringing
this
history
to you
and your
families.
We are
not
unlike
all
non-profits,
we
always
need
capital!
You can
make
donations
through
the
following
link. As
a
501(c)(3)
non-profit
your
qualifying
donations
are tax
deductible.
If you
have
donated
or
considered
donating
artifacts
to the
AACLM
and in
your
family
you have
items
from the
other
branches
of
service
and
service
members,
please
let us
keep all
your
family
heritage
together
by
donating
those
items to
the
AACLM
and our
sister
organization
the
Sons of
Liberty
Museum.
World
War I,
World
War II,
Korea,
Vietnam,
Desert
Storm
and
present
day
items
are
welcome
by both
organizations.
Join us
on this
journey
!
Please
follow
us on
Facebook
and
Pinterest.
Enjoy
the news
of the
Museum
and
partner
with us
to help
share
this
information
with
persons
of like
minds.
In Their
Memory,
Robert
Coalter,
Director
Jason
Weigler,
Director
Robert
Weigler,
Director
David
Contreras,
Director
Researching
A
Veterans'
Service
One
of
the
most
frequent
questions
we
receive
is
the
general
"can
you
tell
me
what
my
relative
did
in
the
service".
Unfortunately,
most
of
the
time
we
have
to
say
"no"
we
are
not
familiar
with
him
or
her
but
if
you
are
interested
we
can
give
you
a
roadmap
to
follow
and
possibly
help
you
along
the
way.
Following
is
an
outline
of
the
roadmap
that
will
help
you
get
started.
So
get
ready
to
put
on
your
detective
hat
and
let's
get
going.
In
the
beginning
you
might
be
dealing
with
a
forest
of
information
so
large
that
it
is
overwhelming,
so
we
need
to
start
a
process
of
elimination.
The
first
thing
to
do
is
gather
any
and
all
papers
and
photographs
that
you
may
possess.
These
can
provide
a
lot
of
information
and
offer
clues.
Papers
may
contain
service
serial
number,
time
in
service,
awards
and
much
more.
Pictures
may
contain
names,
places
and
dates.
Within
the
photos
may
be
clues
as
to
locations
and
units
and
if
they
contain
aircraft,
tail
numbers
and
nose
art.
There
are
a
lot
of
historians
that
have
done
exemplary
research
on
aircraft
creating
invaluable
tools.
Personnel
Records
For
decades
the
US
Government
housed
individual
servicemen/women
personal-personnel
records
at
the
NPRC
in
St.
Louis
Missouri.
These
types
of
records
are
also
referred
to
as
the
service
jacket
or
201
file.
These
would
contain
copies
of
all
documents
pertaining
to
the
individual
who
would
possess
their
own
copies.
Contained
therein
could
include
orders,
assignments,
awards
and
discharge
papers.
Like
with
many
documents
regarding
our
lives,
many
people
get
rid
of a
lot
of
excess
items
so
you
may
only
have
a
few
items
if
any.
If
you
have
been
researching
for
some
time,
you
may
have
heard
the
story
of a
fire
in
the
St.
Louis
National
Personnel
Record
Center
(NPRC)
that
destroyed
all
records.
The
fire
did
happen
in
1973
and
according
to
the
National
Archives,
the
custodian
of
this
material,
it
destroyed
approximately
16-18
million
records
of
Army
and
Air
Force
personnel.
Not
all
of
the
records
were
destroyed-burned,
many
were
water
damaged
.
You
can
and
you
should
request
to
see
what
they
have
and
if
you
have
made
a
request
in
the
past
with
no
success,
make
another
one
now
because
there
has
been
an
effort
to
recover
and
re-compile
records
using
a
variety
of
sources.
Don't
get
your
hopes
too
high
but
make
another
effort.
Even if you have a discharge paper also known as a form DD-214, it only contains the last assignment; if the veteran served overseas in a conflict, it's likely that when returned to the states, they were assigned to another organization before they were discharged, so this document will not provide everything you are looking for. However, the last set of discharge papers have a multitude of other items such as awards, time overseas and can provide a lot of clues on where to begin your research.
If you
are
searching
for an
airman
who was
Killed
in
Action
(KIA) or
became a
Prisoner
of War
(POW),
you have
another
place to
search.
Reports
called
Missing
Aircrew
Reports
or MACRs
were
created
for all
aircraft
that
went
down
behind
enemy
lines.
These
reports
contain
the
dispensation
of each
crewmember
and
often
eyewitness
reports.
All of
the
MACRs
from
World
War II
can be
found on
the
website:
www.fold3.com Award
Documents
We
need
you
!
A
continued
big
thanks
to
our
fantastic
army
of
volunteers, busy
with
our
archiving
and
digitizing
project.
But
we
have
much
more
to
go
so
if
you
can
type
and
have
a
couple
hours
each
week
we
can
use
you
!
If
you
have
any
WWI,
WWII,
Korea
and
Vietnam
award
documents,
please
send
us
an
original
or a
digital
copy!
Why
Awards? Some
of
you
may
wonder
why
we
are
undertaking
this
type
of
project.
One
of
the
most
frequent
inquiries
we
have
relates
to
'my
relative
was
<name>
can
you
tell
me
where
he
served
and
what
awards
he
received'.
Individuals'
service
records
are
stored
at
the
personnel
center
in
St.
Louis,
and
many
records
were
destroyed
in a
fire
and
unless
the
serviceman
and
family
kept
a
copy
of
his
personnel
file
those
documents
are
gone
forever.
This
was
all
before
the
advent
of
digital
record
keeping.
Of
the
Group
and
Command
records
that
have
survived
many
are
spotty
at
best,
however,
they
do
not
contain
individuals'
files.
So
we
are
piecing
together
files
with
different
types
of
documents;
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