"There was never a moment when I lost my Japanese identity," he was quoted as saying by Kyodo News upon arriving at Niigata International Airport, 160 miles northwest of Tokyo. The Japanese learned of his whereabouts only last November."

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For years now, both Korean and Japanese nationals, Prisoners of War, have been trickling out of the former Soviet Union. If the Soviets illegally held Korean and Japanese nationals why is it so hard for U.S. investigators to believe they held Americans? If Koreans and Japanese survived, why is it so hard to believe Americans also survive?

The burning question -- did Mr. Meguro see any American's during his 52 years in Siberia?

Will anyone ask? One family member informed us, DPMO was unaware of Mr. Meguro's release until she informed them.

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NATO and the Former Eastern Bloc Countries - What can you do to help? Take page 5 of this edition of Bits N Pieces, make copies and distribute, sign and mail to your Senators. Don't forget to include your address.

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Update - The Known - To our knowledge no decision has been made on the exhumation of Lt. Michael Blassie.

We did hear, by e-mail, from Major Darnell, who is actually Major Parnell. Mr. Parnell wrote:

"Regarding your request for information on the issue of 1Lt. Blassie. The information which DoD had regarding the name "Darnell", was indeed wrong. CBS News has been very resourceful in tracking me down and also other advisory team members from An Loc. The bottom line is that we recovered remains which we identified as those of Air Force 1Lt. Blassie in late 1972 and returned them to Saigon on the next available evacuation helicopter. We made the identification based on an ID Card, pieces of flight suit and other items which were found by the patrol making the recovery. It is my understanding that the ID Card and other materials were subsequently separated from the remains."

"I was not aware of the controversy surrounding this issue until contacted by CBS about two weeks ago. I have provided CBS and DoD with all the information I can remember, as well as having spoken with Pat Blassie. It is my hope and conviction that DoD will come to the proper conclusion within weeks. My own opinion is that the remains in question are those of 1Lt. Blassie.

Sincerely,

W. C. Parnell

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Update - What is DOD telling Senators about mt-DNA testing? -- According to a letter from Senator Patty Murray "...While the tests could not say without doubt the remains are Lt. Blassie, they could conclusively say if they are not."

We've been saying that all along.... mt-DNA testing is only 100% conclusive in proving a no match.

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Our thanks to Roger and Pam Young for providing this gem to add to our rapidly mounting evidence against the use of mt-DNA testing as the sole identifier.

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"CIA Acknowledges U.S. Pilots downed in Bay of Pigs Mission" - How many American Servicemen, Active Duty, Reserves or National Guard were lost during the ill fated CIA operation to invade Cuba on April 19, 1961? According to an L.A. Times article by Mark Fineman and Dolly Mascarenas at least two Americans recruited from the Alabama National Guard, were shot down over Cuba. Both crewmen, Capt. Pete Ray and flight Engineer Leo Baker survived the crash. Both men were shot and killed by Cuban soldiers. "Baker whose features appeared Latin was buried along with other unclaimed Cuban invaders..."

What happened to Pete Ray?

According to the article "Castro was so determined to prove the Americans were there he froze Ray's remains for more than 18 years."

Finally, in 1979, due to efforts of Ray's daughter, Janet Ray Weininger "and after 19 months of painstaking diplomacy with a U.S. government that still did not want to claim him as one of its own, Cuba returned the pilot's body to Alabama."

In 1978, agents met with Weininger "...the agents told the truth about Ray and handed over two medals and a citation posthumously awarding Ray the Distinguished Intelligence Cross, the agency's highest award for valor..."

"Last month, the CIA released a document confirming that U.S. pilots had in fact been shot down over Cuba in 1961. And last week, agency officials acknowledged publicly for the first time that the Alabama pilot was one of theirs."

"These were vortex people, the most important people in the world for a few moments, and then the government just cuts the strings and cuts them loose to drift," said Ray's cousin, Thomas Bailey an Alabama journalist"

"...Weininger said she harbors no animosity toward the Cubans for keeping her father's body all those years. "I blame my government... They led these men into harm's way and then turned [their] back on them." #############

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Declassification, think again -- from the associated press by By Jim Abrams "The CIA and other security-related agencies have declassified millions of pages of documents in the past several years but won't come close to the goal of reviewing all 25-year-old material by 2000, officials say."

"Edmund Cohen, CIA director of information management, said the CIA hopes to release 1 million pages of historically valuable material this year and 5 million pages next year...."

"But he said the agency would fall far short of President Clinton's target, set in a 1995 executive order on reducing government secrets, of reviewing all documents 25 years old and older by 2000...."

"Bill Leonard, the director of securities programs at the Pentagon, said the Defense Department would wade through less than half the 1 billion pages of secret documents in its files...."

"...Cohen said it costs $2 to $3 to review every page because the work is done by contracted experts and reviewed by CIA officials. In the interests of openness, the CIA is also trying to delete only the sensitive words on each page rather than classify entire pages because of one word or name. He said the CIA agrees with the findings of a congressional commission last year ``that too much is secret and that this excessive secrecy hurts.''

"...But he and the other officials voiced concerns about legislation, proposed by Sens. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., and Jesse Helms, R-N.C., that grew out of that commission and is pending before the Governmental Affairs Committee."

"The legislation would require agencies to do cost-benefit analyses of classification decisions, put a 10-year limit on most classified material and set up a national declassification center to oversee efforts to make information more open."

"I am convinced that the culture of secrecy created by the federal government to confront real and serious threats to our nation has been allowed to grow to the point where the government can use it to hide anything,'' said committee Chairman Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., who said legislation is needed."

"...But Cohen said the CIA was particularly concerned about legislation that might make it easier for people to go to court over classification decisions, saying this would lead to ``judicial second-guessing'' of the CIA director's decisions." ###############

We should all be contacting Senators Moynahan and Helms in support of their legislation. Of course, we could solve the whole problem by adopting a mandantory automatic declassification law similar to Britians and Austrialias.

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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.

If you have a suggestion as to who you would like to see at this years meeting, please let us know.

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Senator______________________

United States Senate

Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Senator____________________

Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungry, once members of the former Soviet Eastern Bloc hold a wealth of information on American servicemen, Prisoners and Missing. The former Eastern Bloc countries, now seeking NATO membership must provide information previously requested by members of the U.S./Russian Joint Commission, during their July 1997 trip to Poland and the Czech Republic. Hungry must also respond to requests made through their embassy in Washington D.C.

In a statement from the Senate floor, on March 19th, Senator Smith stated: "We should remember that the Eastern Bloc was an active ally and supporter of the communist North Vietnamese and North Korean regimes during those respective U.S. wars. They had a significant presence in Asia and were probably privy to information about communist policy toward the disposition of American POWs to include whether any were transferred to the territory of the former Soviet Union as we now suspect."

During hearings before the House Subcommittee on Military Personnel, evidence was presented clearly showing Czech involvement with American and United Nations POWs, during the Korean War. Evidence presented by former Czech General, Jan Sejna, indicated POWs from the Vietnam War were transported to Czechoslovakia.

Each former Eastern Bloc country must be asked to comply with the request of the U.S./Russian Joint Commission to; search their records for the location of any American's, former American citizens or united nations personnel, living in their country and make survivors available to U.S. investigators; open their archives and make available all documentation relating to American POWs, and make available all records and documentation of their involvement with American POWs on foreign soil.

These requests should be made with the understanding that no nation will be condemned or punished for involvement with American POWs. Rather, any nation coming forward with a live American POWs or information relating to Prisoners or the missing will be commended for their spirit of cooperation in the new age of democracy.

Someone has to ask!

Sincerely,

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