For the Return of America's Missing Servicemen
"Poor is the nation that has no heroes... --- Author Unknown JerMIAh 31:16--17:
National Chairperson
(dolores@nationalalliance.org)
NYS Director (lynn@nationalalliance.org)
December 6, 1997
Shameful is the one that having them... forgets"
-unknown
Korean Peace talks start December 9th, 1997. Have you contacted your
Senators and Congressman yet? It is vital that repatriation of the live
POWs is part of the Geneva negotiations. The U.S. negotiators must bring
the release and exchange of Prisoners to the negotiating table. If the
United States government shows a willingness to negotiate, without
recriminations, Prisoners of War on all sides will be released.
Past negotiations always relegated the issue of the Prisoners and Missing
to a secondary position. We can not allow our POW/MIAs to be left behind
at the negotiating table, again. It happened 44 years ago at Panmunjom and
it happened 25 years ago in Paris. Today, we have a chance to correct the
mistakes of the past.
Please fax, mail and/or call your Senators and Congressman, ask that they
voice public support for a strong negotiations stance on the issue of
repatriation of all live POWs, an accounting of all MIA's and the exchange
of all POW/MIA related documentation.
Send letter to:
Congressman (insert name)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C., 20515
Senator (insert name)
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Or Call Toll Free at: 1-800-522-6721
We can not allow another peace negotiation to sell out and further abandon
America's servicemen. Nor, can we allow the perceived embarrassment of one
nation or another to further imprison servicemen on both sides.
LET'S GET THEM ALL HOME, THIS TIME!
If you support the National Alliance of Families position that the
repatriation of LIVE POWs must be part of the Geneva Peace Talks, please
sign the letter which follows and send it to your Senators and Congressmen.
For those who receive "Bits" by e-mail just print out the last page, sign,
fax or mail.
Remains Identified - According to the Pentagon, the remains of two
servicemen have been declared identified. The name of one serviceman, lost
in Laos, is being withheld at the request of the family.
Identified was Army Capt. Robert M. Young of New Alexandria, Pa. Young was
one of eight aboard a UH-1H lost May 2, 1970. Of the eight crew members
one evaded captivity, making it back to friendly lines. Three, Bunyon D.
Price, Rodney L Griffin and Dale W. Richardson are missing.
According to the Pentagon, these three died at the crash site. Four
others, Frederick Crowson, Daniel Maslowski, Michael Varnado and Robert
Young were captured. Crowson and Maslowski returned during Operation
Homecoming. The Provisional Revolutionary Government listed Michael
Varnado and Robert Young as "died in captivity."
Returnees Crowson and Maslowski reported that they witnessed Young's death
and believed that Varnado had also died although they did not witness his
death. The Vietnamese returned remains identified as Michael Varnado in 1989.
A Pentagon "Memorandum for Correspondents," released November 25, 1997,
states "In 1989, the Vietnamese unilaterally repatriated remains believed
to be those of U.S. servicemen. One of the boxes was determined to contain
the remains of the servicemember who died in captivity with Young. (This
was Michael Varnado.) Analysis of different remains by the Central
Identification Laboratory Hawaii resulted in a putative association with
Young, however, records were too limited to conclusively identify them as his."
"By 1996, through advances in mitochondrial DNA technology, the remains
previously turned over in 1989 were determined to be those of Young."
Folks, we're not ashamed to admit we needed a dictionary to find out what
"putative" as in "putative" association meant. According to Webser's
dictionary the definition of "putative" is "inferred" or "commonly accepted."
The Memorandum ended stating "The U.S. government welcomes and appreciates
the cooperation of the governments of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and
the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic which resulted in the accounting of
these servicemen. We hope that such cooperation will bring increased
results in the future. Achieving the fullest possible accounting for these
Americans is of the highest national priority."
Both Young and Varnado "died in captivity" why did it take the Vietnamese
16 years to "locate" their remains. Approximately 25 servicemen listed as
"died in captivity," by the Vietnamese, have yet to be returned.
As for the mt-DNA identification, in the days ahead, you might find out a
mt-dna identification is not worth the paper they are printed on.
C-Span - Sunday December 7th, 1997 at 7:00 P.M. (EST,) "Road to the White
House" profiles Senator Bob Smith.
This is the last edition of Bits 'N' Pieces, for 1997. When we come back
in January 1998, we hope to be able to share some very interesting
information with our members and friends.
We have reached the end of another year. Another year each of us, hoped
and prayed that this would be the year, we would bring our POWs home.
Instead, we prepare to carry the battle into 1998. The fight is getting
harder. We are all tired, but we are not giving up. For this holiday
season, we would like to share a favorite poem with you.
"Thought we've come a long way, there is much, much more to be done.
The deck is stacked against us. Our adversaries are well-entrenched
and well-financed and scared of any change in the status quo.
In the long run, we will prevail.
We hold the trump card, folks and when the dust clears, and
the dense morning fog burns off,
when we clear our wire of sappers, and the gunships go home,
by God, we'll still be there, because what we seek to do is right."
In closing, we repeat our standard Christmas greeting. The words are
Hallmarks, the sentiment belongs to the POW/MIA families and activists.
IF CHRISTMAS MEANS SHARING, then let us share together our hope for tomorrow...
IF CHRISTMAS MEANS GIVING, then let us give one another strength, encouragement,
and faith
IF CHRISTMAS MEANS LOVE, then let us love one another with the hearts of
children... in the spirit of peace.
Let us all work together in the New Year to make the words "I'll be home
for Christmas" more than just a dream for our POW/MIAs.
"Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping,
and thine eyes from tears;
for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord:
and they shall come again from the land of the enemy;
and there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord,
that thy children shall come again to their own border."
We thank you, for all your support and extend our very best wishes for a
very Merry Christmas and a healthy and successful New Year.
TRUTH, JOY, AND PEACE TO US ALL IN 1998.
Dolores and Lynn
Dear
Talks are scheduled to start on December 9th, 1997, in Geneva, to negotiate
the end of the Korean War. As these "Peace Talks" begin, I am concerned
about what priority the issue of our Prisoners of War and Missing in Action
will have in the negotiations.
I believe the repatriation of "live" POWs on all sides must be a top
priority. China and North Korea must be required to return all POWs
captured during the Korean War, including Americans and South Koreans. The
South Koreans must be required to return all North Korean and Chinese POWs
they hold. All sides must agree to an exchange of all POW/MIA related
documentation and an immediate return of remains.
It is up to the U.S. negotiators to bring the release and exchange of
Prisoners to the negotiating table. If the United States government shows
a willingness to negotiate, without recriminations, Prisoners of War on
all sides will be released. The United States government must take a vocal
and public stance on this issue. The Prisoners of War and the Missing in
Action must be a focal point of these negotiations.
Past negotiations always relegated the issue of the Prisoners and Missing
to a secondary position. We can not allow our POW/MIAs to be left behind
at the negotiating table, again. It happened 44 years ago at Panmunjom and
it happened 25 years ago in Paris. Today, we have a chance to correct the
mistakes of the past.
I ask you to voice public support for a strong negotiating stance on the
issue of repatriation of all POWs and an accounting of all MIAs.
Sincerely,
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