The National Alliance of Families mourns the passing of Bob Winters, father of POW/MIA David M. Winters. Bob, a Navy veteran, served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. His three sons also served in Vietnam. David still serves. To the Winters family, we offer our deepest sympathy.

Get Well to: Jane Duke Gaylor. Jane gave us all quite a scare last Saturday night in Washington D.C. Jane was hospitalized until this past Thursday. She is now home and we wish her well.

"Castle Memo" - From Ann Holland -- Monday June 30th is the "all clear date." We must push for a "special investigation" of the charges made by Dr. Castle. Contact your congressman and provide him a copy of the memo, and ask for a special investigation of Dr. Castles charges. It should also be known that the award Dr. Castle was nominated for, then withdrawn because of the publicity surrounding the memo, was not reinstated.

Family Members - review your case documentation. We are looking for any documentation that was signed by Bob DeStatte or that has Bob DeStattes' name on it. We already have documents, relating to another case, with hand written notes signed "Bob D."

For those who were not at this years' meeting a detailed explanation of Ann's request follows in the summary of the Alliances Eighth Annual Meeting.

Looking for: the family of Korean War POW/MIA John S. Smith. If you have any information, please contact Dolores Alfond at 206-881-1499.

Albright Goes to Vietnam: The following is excerpted from a June 27th Reuters article by Carol Giacomo. -- "Madeleine Albright, on her first visit to Vietnam as U.S. Secretary of State, arrived in Hanoi on Friday to press Vietnamese leaders for speedier economic reforms and re-emphasize the issue of Americans missing from the Vietnam war. Her first act on Friday was to be briefed by the military officer overseeing the U.S. missing-in-action (MIA) office that searches for the 1,584 servicemen in Vietnam still unaccounted for after the war that the Americans lost in 1975. Of that number, 196 cases were priority cases in January 1992 -- that is, cases based on live sightings of individuals -- and now only 48 individuals remain on that list, military officials said....

... The MIA issue has long been an emotional one in the United States, which for years was bitterly rent by the war in which Washington backed South Vietnam against the communist North. But there are increasing suggestions the intense search for missing servicemen -- costing about $10 million a year -- may one day have to end without resolving all the cases. "I don't think you'll get 100 percent accounting," said Army Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Chase, the chief of the search operations who briefed Albright. The U.S. government has long committed itself to the "fullest possible accounting" of the missing servicemen but Chase said what that term means "is a very debatable point."

One U.S. official predicted the searching and investigating, done with the help of the Vietnamese government, would continue for at least another five years. Families of the missing Americans forced Washington to move slowly in establishing diplomatic ties with communist Vietnam. But since President Bill Clinton took that step in 1995, much of the extreme emotionalism around the issue seems to have diminished.

But as Albright told reporters: "I think that for thousands of Americans the POW-MIA situation will never be resolved. It will clearly be part of the agenda and it will clearly be part of a priority issue that we keep pressing. "Nevertheless, with Vietnam viewed as a key regional economic player and political power, she said: "I think people know the importance that has to be attached to dealing with Vietnam as a country."

"So we can not forget the POW/MIA and at the same time I think we have to move ahead," she added. The missing servicemen issue has diminished as an irritant in U.S.-Vietnamese relations in part because Hanoi is cooperating significantly with Washington in its search efforts. Chase told Albright that "overall my assessment is that the Vietnamese are giving a full-faith effort" to meet U.S. demands in four areas, adding: "Cooperation has gotten steadily better since normalization" of ties. He asked Albright to push Vietnamese leaders to assign more personnel to the effort and give Americans more access to historical documents, and she agreed....

If the Vietnamese are cooperating "fully" why must they be pressed to " to assign more personnel to the effort and give Americans more access to historical documents." A five year old could figure out that answer. The Vietnamese are not fully cooperating! We know it and they know it.

Also in Vietnam, this month was former Secretary of Defense Robert Mc Namara. Mc Namara participated in a conference on lessons learned from the Vietnam War. As old enemies met, the theme was "healing old wounds."

As for us, instead of "healing old wounds," we'd like to "wound old heels."

Remains Identified -- The remains of five servicemen were identified this week, according to the Pentagon. All were identified through the use of mt-DNA testing. Those identified are Lt. Col. Lewis H. Abrams of Montclair, N.J.; Maj. Robert E. Holdeman of Winchester, Ind.; and Capt. John N. Flanigan of Winter Haven, Fla. The three were members of the Marine Corps. Lt. Col. Abrams and Major Holdeman were shot down over North Vietnam on Nov. 25th, 1967. Capt. Flanigan and his pilot disappeared over North Vietnam on August 19th, 1969. The names of two Air Force pilots, also identified, are not being released at the request of their families.

To the families of these men, we offer our prayers and hold you in our hearts during this difficult time.

Korea - Robert Burns of Associated Press reports "U.S. investigators will resume searching in North Korea in mid-July for remains of American servicemen missing from the Korean War and will be given access to North Korea's war museum archives in early August...."

...In talks in May, North Korea had agreed in principle to allow three recovery operations this year, and the Pentagon had agreed to pay $316,500 as reimbursement for North Korean expenses such as food and fuel for the three searches.

....Five American researchers will spend the first week of August reviewing archival materials in the Fatherland Liberation War Museum in Pyongyang, the capital. The museum houses artifacts and other materials that Pentagon investigators believe may provide clues to the fate of some missing U.S. soldiers."

DPMO - What are you going to do with information obtained in the North Korean Museums? -- Last December, Mark Sauter shot a video tape taken inside a North Korean War Museum. The tape clearly showed the identification cards of a number of servicemen missing in the Korean War. The names of those servicemen were provided to DoD so that the families involved could be notified.

Wrong --- two weeks prior to our annual meeting, and 6 months after the names were provided, Dolores Alfond tracked down the families involved. None of the families had been notified of the developments on their loved ones cases.

Picture this -- The resources of the United States Government vs. The resources of the National Alliance of Families. We found the families. The government, for one reason or another couldn't or wouldn't. What is wrong with this picture?

Eight Annual Meeting of the National Alliance of Families -- where to begin?

Col. Tom Mc Kenney

Years ago, at a POW event, Capt. Red Mc Daniel asked Lynn O'Shea the programs starting time. She replied 1:00 P.M. To that Capt. Mc Daniel smiled and asked "is that real time or POW time." That sums up scheduling problems that plagued us throughout the meeting. We thank all our guest speakers for their patience.

The program opened, Thursday afternoon, with a presentation by retired Navy Commander Chip Beck. Cmdr. Beck provided us with an insiders look at the DPMO. It wasn't pretty. He painted a picture of bureaucrats who looked upon the families as a nuisance, to be laughed at. Cmdr. Beck related how those within DPMO would hang up the phone, after speaking with a family member, and laugh at them.

Cmdr. Beck also stressed the importance of contacting the embassies of former Eastern Bloc countries requesting they release all the POW/MIA documentation. These nations are now seeking admittance to NATO. No nation should be admitted to NATO unless they turn over their POW/MIA intelligence. No recriminations.. just give us the truth. Only then should they be admitted to NATO.

Cmdr. Beck was followed by Alliance Board member and former POW Mike Benge. Mike spoke honestly about our chances of stopping MFN for Vietnam. According to Mike, we don't have a chance of stopping MFN for Vietnam. Instead, he recommended using what leverage we have and dealing on MFN. The deal, MFN for the Missing Service Personnel Act. Mike made some excellent points.

Thursday evening opened with a prayer by Michael Mc Daniel, son of former POW Capt. Eugene "Red" Mc Daniel. Inspirational, as always, Michael set the tone for the night. Scheduled for Thursday evening were Senator Bob Smith and Congressman Bob Dornan and congressional aide, Al Santoli. Due to Senate voting, Senator Smith had to cancel.

Congressman Dornan spoke at length on the POW/MIA issue and specifically on the memo written by Dr. Timothy Castle. For those who have not seen it, the "Castle Memo" as it has come to be known deals with the investigation of the "Lima Site 85" case and specifically the actions of Bob DeStatte and Lt. Col. Jeanie Schiff.

Congressman Dornan updated us on his effort to have the election results that unseated him, overturned. He committed to holding POW/MIA hearings, if he is returned to the House of Representatives. Congressman Dornan is a great friend to the POW/MIA issue and we look forward to the day he is returned to his seat in congress.

Al Santoli, staffer to Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Ca.,) followed Congressman Dornan. Al outlined what needs to be done to get HR 409 through the House.

Unscheduled speaker, Ann Holland, wife of T/Sgt Melvin Holland missing from "Lima Site 85" concluded the program. With Mary Hall, wife of T/Sgt Willis Hall, at her side, Ann requested time to explain her reasons for not immediately circulating the "Castle Memo." Ann pointed out that we had to find a way to protect Dr. Castle, from possible reprisals which would damage his career. She told how Dr. Castle had been nominated for a prestigious award and how his nomination was withdrawn when the memo prematurely went public. She explained how efforts were made to assure Dr. Castle was protected, with the aide of friends on Capital Hill. Information and documentation was provided to authorities, in an effort to initiate a formal investigation.

Ann also explained how the last time Dr. Castle "crossed" Bob DeStatte, his wife and daughter were harassed, with late night phone calls when Dr. Castle was out of town. As Dr. Castle is in the process of changing jobs, his family is once again alone, in De Ceit.

For these and other reasons, Ann asked that no one take any action on the "Castle Memo" until she gives the all clear. This should also explain why the National Alliance of Families was unusually silent on the "Castle Memo."

Friday morning began with an opening prayer by Mary Hall. Mary quoted a particularly appropriate passage from Luke chapter 12, verse 2 & 3. Unfortunately the point of Luke 12 verse 2&3, went right over the heads of most of the DPMO briefers, who followed Mary.

Representing DPMO were Major Steven Batts, Lt. Col. Greg Man and Mr. Al Graham. We assume General Wold had something more important to do than address the Alliance membership. When originally planned, we were told that our DPMO briefing would start at 8:45 A.M. and last till 11:30 A.M. Once in De Ceit, we were notified that the briefing would have to end at 11:00 A.M. Upon arrival, of the DPMO representatives, we were told they would leave at 10:45 A.M.

During their presentations both Major Batts, and Lt. Col. Man spoke only of remains and the number of men "accounted" for. We probably shouldn't point this out, because it will probably cost him his job, but Al Graham was the only one of the three who spoke of Live POWs.

Overall, no new information was provided by the DPMO briefers. Few questions were asked due to the shortened briefing. One question, however, did sum up the mood of the audience.

The last question was posed by Ann Holland. Ann asked two short yes or no questions, followed by a brief comment. The first question was: "Has Bob DeStatte resigned." The answer was "No." The second question was: "Has Bob DeStatte been fired." The answer to that question was "No," also.

To that Ann responded: "Then his ass is mine." As the audience wooped and applauded, they missed the end of Anns' comment which was "I'll see you in court.." So ended the DPMO briefing.

The next speaker was Mr. James Canick of the Armed Forces Identification Laboratory. Mr. Canicks' presentation on mt-DNA testing and the identification process was most informative. During the question and answer session Mr. Canick confirmed everything we have ever written in Bits 'n' Pieces about mt-DNA testing. The high points are:

1) mt-DNA testing is NOT 100% conclusive in proving a match. It offers only a statistical probability.

2) the data base categorized in racial and ethnic backgrounds does not meet guidelines set forth by the Dept. of Defense, i.e.: 500 base compared to a base of 90 for Hispanics

3) There is no data base for native Americans or Southeast Asians. Again this does not meet guidelines set forth by the Dept.of Defense.

As we knew the answers to all questions asked beforehand, we can say that Mr. Canick answered all but one of our questions as expected. Someday, in a future edition of Bits, we will be able to discuss that unexpected answer. It should also be noted that two staff members from AFIDL, sitting in the back of the room, were heard to mutter the phrase "son of a bi*ch" when some of our questions were asked. Guess we hit a nerve with some of our questions.

Some may wonder why we spend so much time on the use of mt-DNA testing and its use to identify remains from Southeast Asia. The answer is simple. The government is using a faulty technology to bury men that may still be alive.

After lunch, Ted Sampley opened our afternoon session. He rallied the group as he impressed us all, once again, with his knowledge of the POW/MIA issue. At the conclusion of his remarks, Ted introduced former Vietnam POW Frank Anton, Jr.

Mr. Anton held the group spellbound as he recounted his time in one of the worst POW camps in South Vietnam. More shocking than the tales of horror and death at the hands of the enemy, were Mr. Antons' recollections of American soldiers watching the prisoners from outside the camp. He told how American artillery would fire all around the camp but never hit the camp. He spoke of a chopper coming so close to the camp that he could see the face of the man in the doorway. He told of being shown photos of himself, during his debrief, as a prisoner in the camp and on the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos, as he was being moved North to Hanoi.

His question to debriefers was "Why didn't you get me out?" Indeed, why didn't they? Mr. Antons book also confirms, once again, how good U.S. intelligence was regarding our POWs and their location in captivity.

Following Mr. Anton, we were updated on the progress of research by Roger Hall. Roger explained the need to taking FOIA appeals to court and the costs involved.

Then, the schedule went out the window as most schedules for POW/MIA events do. A call came from Senator Smiths' office saying he would be able to address our group at 6:15 P.M. Billy Hendon called asking if we'd be interested in a briefing. As the object of our forum is to present as much information as possible, we immediately said yes.

Gunny Fallon, scheduled to speak about "Operation Just Cause" got pushed back to the evening session. This necessitated Gunny changing his travel plans. We appreciate his willingness to adjust his schedule.

Jay Veiths' presentation got cut short. In fairness to Jay, we owe him unlimited time next year when his book "Code Name Brightlights" comes out. It is very hard to discuss intelligence as it was used in the book when no one had the opportunity to read it beforehand.

The last presentation, of the afternoon, was by Mr. Jim Ginther. Mr. Ginther represented Texas Tech University and came to the Alliance meeting at his own expense. Texas Tech is housing the "Archives of the Vietnam Conflict." Mr. Ginther spoke of their efforts to gather all records relating to the war and the POW/MIA issue. Their goal is a central repository of all Vietnam era records and documentation. Mr. Ginther also said they would accept any POW/MIA documentation anyone wishes to donate. We assured him, that once the men are home, we'd all be looking for a place to send our documents.

Senator Smith arrived promptly at 6:15 P.M. He spoke of his upcoming trip to Russia, and several former Eastern Bloc countries, as head of the Vietnam Working Group of the U.S./Russian Joint Commission. Senator Smith entertained questions. His answers were not always what we wanted to hear, but they were honest. We appreciate an honest politician and are proud to call Senator Bob Smith -- Friend.

Gunny Fallon briefed the families on "Operation Just Cause" and its success on the internet. Through "Just Cause" every POW/MIA has been adopted at least once and most twice. Pages devoted to adopted POW/MIAs are springing up all over the internet. "Operation Just Cause" has brought the POW issue to a new level of public awareness in cyberspace.

What can you say about Billy Hendon? As usual, his presentation was outstanding. He spoke of the reward offered by the U.S. government and the POW Publicity Fund.

Those who read the new book by Monika Jensen Stevenson, "Spite House" were very familiar with our next speaker, Col. Tom Mc Kenney USMC (Ret.) Col. Mc Kenney spoke of the "Phoenix Program," his experiences in Vietnam. He spoke of a downed flier, in a raft off the China coast and the U.S. government refusal to rescue him and the orders to "get Garwood." Col. Mc Kenney told how, over the years, his opinion of Garwood had changed and how they had made their peace.

Our "surprise guest" was Mr. Tracey Usry, former investigator for the minority staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The audience welcomed Tracey with a standing ovation. This was Tracey's first appearance at a POW event since he and others on Senator Helms staff were unceremoniously fired "for the good of the country." Tracey did not give a formal speech. Instead he answered questions posed by the audience.

When Tracey finished, Col. Mc Kenney returned to the podium and graciously answered additional questions. The evening ended late but when it was over everyone was pleased, in spite of the schedule juggling.

Saturday morning a tired but eager group arrived for our last meeting, dealing with Korea. Our Korean experts included investigative reporter Mark Sauter and Larry Jolidon author of "Last Seen Alive" (Ink-Slinger Press.) A Video shot last December, by Mr. Sauter, in a DPRK War Museum was shown for the first time. The video contained identification cards of several Korean War MIAs. All information on the MIAs were turned over to DoD in December, so the families involved could be notified.

Also shown was new footage from the North Korean film "Nameless Heroes." A short discussion followed on live Americans in North Korea and their status. As Mark Sauter pointed out --- let's get them back and then we'll sort them out. We couldn't agree more.

Going Fishing - as we did last year we are suspending Bits 'N' Pieces for a one month vacation. We're just not sure when. If you don't see us July 12th our next scheduled fax date, look for us in August.