From the Deposition Summary of Eugene F. Tighe, Jr. - Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs February 27, 1992 --

Pages 45 - 48 - "Tighe does not remember exactly how many personnel PACOM had on their list but he does recall that their were dramatically fewer returnees than expected (perhaps about half), Tighe estimates that there may have been 900 to 1,000 names on his 'list.'"

Pages 54 - 56 - "Tighe noticed immediately the lack of men coming back that were lost in Laos. Tighe read the papers about the Laos saying that no negotiations have been held with them so people thought additional men might come back froM Laos. Tighe says that he and others had "convictions for photography and other sources that there were quite a large number of live Americans in Laos."

Pages 76 - 78 - "In June 1974 Tighe was confirmed as Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Tighe did not have very high regard for Roger Shields and had a very negative reaction in April 1973 when Shields said that all the POWs were back. Tighe did not believe Shields statement at the time."

Pages 141 - 206 - "CODEWORD Section of the Deposition" ---- This is the one of the highest forms of classification. Wonder what the General had to say!

Pages 233 - 234 - Tighe's opinion on live Americans has not changed. He thinks more information may come out of Russia and the whole issue of separate handling of prisoners who may have been taken from Laos because of special talents the Russians may have been interested in. Tighe thinks that the Vietnamese don't have the same aversion to lying that Judeo-Christian nations have and would not be embarrassed to admit they are still holding prisoners if it was politically beneficially to admit it."

Pages 236 - 237 - It does not make sense to Tighe that because you went down on the Vietnam side of the border you were returned but because you went down on the Laos side of the border you did not return. This is why Tighe thinks there were two sets of prisoners. He also can't understand why the Soviets and Chinese would not have been involved

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This past Tuesday, January 27th, 1998, marked the 25th Anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, ending the Vietnam War. On February 12th, 1998, we will mark the return of the first group of American POWs released from Hanoi. We thank God for the return of the 591 Prisoner of War.

HOWEVER, ALL THE POWS ARE NOT HOME.

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All the POWs are not home. Don't believe us. Listen to the words of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. From their report dated, January 13, 1993 "We acknowledge that there is no proof that U.S. POWs survived, but neither is there proof that all of those who did not return had died. There is evidence, moreover, that indicates the possibility of survival, at least for a small number, after Operation Homecoming."

There is "no proof" that the sun will rise, tomorrow morning. Yet, the probability of its raising is very good.

The report continued "...Information collected by U.S. intelligence agencies during the last 19 years, in the form of live-sighting, hearsay, and other intelligence reports, raises questions about the possibility that a small number of unidentified U.S. POWs who did not return may have survived in captivity...."

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One of the many questions left unanswered by the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs is --- What is a "small number?"

What would happen, if we could identify one of that "small number" of POWs left behind?" What if.... or are we bluffing?

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Jackson-Vanik Waiver - In a letter dated January 30, 1998 to President Bill Clinton, Senator Bob Smith writes "As your Administration also knows Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974, which provides you authority for waiving Jackson-Vanik freedom of emigration requirements, further provides authority for you to withhold non-discriminatory trade treatment to countries based on cooperation with efforts to account for American POWs and MIAs."

The letter continued "Let me also say that the other key issue in the 1974 Trade Act - POW/MIA accounting -- also compels me to object to any further movement toward non discriminatory trade treatment for Hanoi any time soon..."

"...For my part, based on my long involvement with this issue on behalf of the POW/MIA families, I believe there is still very credible evidence that Hanoi is holding back critical information which would answer many questions about the fate of missing American personnel from the war."

The letter concluded "As you will recall, in response to Congressional concerns in 1997, Mr. Berger requested the U.S. Intelligence Community to conduct a National Intelligence Estimate to measure whether Vietnam is meeting U.S. Intelligence expectations on the disclosure of information or remains associated with captured and missing American servicemen from the Vietnam War. I would hope that you will take this estimate into account this year, in addition to the views of Members of Congress, POW/MIA family members and our veterans, when you consider whether to certify Vietnam's cooperation on the POW/MIA issue, and whether to remove the legal condition for the trade benefits for communist Vietnam referenced above (i.e.: Jackson-Vanik)."

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Please contact the President by letter, fax, phone and e-mail expressing your opposition to a waiver of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment as it relates to Vietnam. Write the President at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington D.C. Call: 202-456-1414, or Fax: 202-456-2461. Send e-mails to president@whitehouse.gov

What would happen, if we could identify one of that "small number" of POWs left behind?" What if....

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Marine Corp., CIL-HI, AFDIL - at the National Alliance of Families mt-DNA briefing June 1997 AFDIL representative James Cannick discussing the use of mt-DNA testing stated -- "We can often use it better as an exclusion than sometimes as an inclusion."

Simple terms - mt-DNA testing is better at telling us who the remain are not, than who the remains are. this shows that mt-DNA testing should only be used as a confirming tool and not as primary means of identification.

We've got more.... How does one set of remains go from "older, shorter" to "younger, taller?" If you think we are bluffing... continue your harassment of Mary Jellison.

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Update - Within hours of last weeks fax we were contacted by another family in the DNA process. They were kind enough to provide us the updated AFDIL data base. With the increase in blood samples our estimated overall accuracy rate is now at roughly 31%. The Asian database previously at zero is now 57 or 11% of the required 500. We will publish the full database in a future "Bits N Pieces."

It should be noted that this increase in the database does not change the findings in the case of CIL-HI remains once thought to be Mark Judge.

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Unknown Soldier - As of this writing no decision has been made to exhume the remains of 1LT. Michael J. Blassie from the Tomb of the Unknowns.

In our last "Bits N Pieces," we quoted extensively from the DPMO Comprehensive Case Review. We wondered if the Blassie family received their copy of the Review as required by law. We weren't the only one wondering.

In a letter dated January 23, 1998, to Secretary of Defense William Cohen, Senator Bob Smith referred to the Case Review. He reminded Secretary Cohen that "...the above-referenced analysis was completed on July 21, 1995 and was to be sent to the primary next of kin of 1Lt. Blassie "on or about December 11, 1995" according to a letter I received from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs on December 5, 1995."

The letter continued by asking "Was the information I referenced above made available to 1LT. Blassie's family in December, 1995?

According the the Blassie Family the answer to that question is NO! The first time they saw the Comprehensive Case Review was when it was given to them by CBS.

In closing Senator Smith stated "... in view of your Department's comprehensive analytic judgment reached in July, 1995, it seems to me that the remains in the Tomb of the Unknowns should be subjected to DNa testing immediately to determine once and for all if they, in fact, can be associated with 1Lt. Blassie. that is the least we can do for the family at this point."

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It is our opinion that DoD continually does the least it can do for our POW/MIA family members.

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Tourist Attraction - From Reuters - January 26th, 1998 "North Korea has turned the Pueblo, a U.S. Navy Intelligence ship captured 30 years ago, into a tourist attraction to attract badly needed foreign exchange, a Japanese scholar said on Monday...."

"...Shinobu Oe, professor emeritus of contemporary history at Ibaraki University, told Reuters he visited the North Korean port of Wonsan, where the vessel is docked, on October 29...."

"...The capture of the Pueblo and its crew by North Korean patrol boats off Wonsan in January 1968 held the administration of then U.S. President Lyndon Johnson at bay for months...."

"...Japan's Asahi newspaper on Monday published a photograph Oe took of the ship, which showed it bristling with antennae and wires. The professor said he could only view the ship from the dock. "It sure looks like the Pueblo," said a U.S. Embassy Naval Attache in Tokyo who saw the photograph...."

"...The crew was finally released in December 1968, but the ship stayed in North Korean hands.

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The National Alliance of Families Ninth Annual Meeting is scheduled for June 18 - 20th, 1998 in Washington, D.C. Once again, we will meet at the Sheraton City Centre Hotel in Washington D.C. Room rates are $103.00 per night double occupancy. To make reservations, call 800-526-7495.

Remember our meetings are open to all, at no charge. In order to make this Forum a reality, funds are needed. Please consider a contribution to The National Alliance of Families. The Alliance is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a charitable organization. All donations are tax deductible. Contributions may be mailed to The National Alliance of Families, P.O. Box 40327, Bellevue Washington 98015-4327.