NBC Reports - On April 24th, NBC quoted a Pentagon spokesman as stating that remains in the Vietnam Tomb of the Unknown may not be Michael J. Blassie. According to information supplied by the Pentagon, the remains may be those of Army helicopter pilot Rodney L. Strobridge lost on the same day, in the same area, as Michael J. Blassie. The Pentagon spokesman said hair recovered more closely matches blood grouping of Strobridge.

The Pentagon expects to make a decision on exhumation within the next several weeks.

Convenient Memory Loss -- Perhaps the Pentagon can explain the following.... What was Rodney L. Strobridge doing with Michael J. Blassie's identification card? When did helicopter pilots start wearing nomex flight suits? When did the military start equipping helicopters with one man survival life rafts? Finally, when did helicopters start carrying parachutes?

This story of another possible identity for the Vietnam Unknown is a smoke screen. It is designed to take the focus off the fact that the certain officials of the United States Government from CIL-HI all the way up to the White House, knew or suspected the identity of remains entombed as the Vietnam Unknown.

South Korean POW Escapes the North - We reported on this in the January 17th, 1998 edition of Bits 'N' Pieces. Now, United Press Internation is reporting additional and very interesting information. Dateline: "SEOUL, April 24 (UPI) - A 72-year-old South Korean soldier has been exempted from military service 45 years after he was captured by the Chinese communist army during the 1950-53 Korean War. Yang Soon-yong ("YANHG soon-yong"), who defected from North Korea with two of his six daughters last Christmas Eve, was the second prisoner of war to defect to South Korea."

"Yang's 45-year military service began on July 11, 1953, when he enlisted as private second class in the South Korean army's 8th Division, 10th Regiment. He was captured by the Chinese just three days after losing consciousness in the mountainous region of Kangwon-do, bordering North Korea."

"Yang said, "I was taken to the Aoji coal mines and spent three years there with about 500 other South Korean soldiers and three American prisoners. Everyone got released from the prison camp in June of 1956, but the majority stayed behind, as most were posted to dig coal at Aoji...."

"Prisoner of War Not for Direct Repatriation" -- On May 16th, 1954, the Chief of the Army's Legal Division, Col. John K. Weber submitted a memorandum regarding statements made by Lee Sang Cho. The National alliance of families believes Mr. Lee represented the north koreans. The memorandum is written on the letterhead of "Headquarters United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission."

According to the memorandum Mr. Lee made the following statement, during the 42nd meeting of the Military Armistice Commission.

"The prisoners of war of your side once held by our side were already completely repatriated in accordance with the Armistice Agreement. The prisoners of war not for direct repatriation are held by our side pending the final disposition of the entire prisoner of war question."

In providing an opinion of Mr. Lee's statement, Col. Weber writes:

"Two things must be borne in mind in getting at the meaning of this statement. First, it was not a 'prepared-in-advance' statement; rather it was an 'on the cuff' reply prepared during the meeting' and, secondly it was intended as a reply to our demand for an accounting for more than three thousand of our prisoners which we had just leveled at the enemy."

"The enemy has always contended:

a: It has returned all prisoners entitled to be repatriated.

b: That as to prisoners of war 'not for direct repatriation' the final disposition of the status of such prisoner yet remains for 'the political conference provided for in the Armistice Agreement, or at any other related internation conferences'. (See Letter 26 January 1954 from Lee Sang Cho to Chairman of the Neutral Nationals Repatriation Commission.)"

"...It is significant that such letter was occasioned by and was concerned with the 347 non-repatriated prisoners of war."

"The enemy has consistently contended that under the language of the Armistice Agreement, the status of non-repatriated prisoners of war is a matter reserved to the political conference. Under these circumstances the enemy may be charged with a wrongful 'interpretation' as distinguished from a breech of an undisputed covenant...."

"There is one feature about the language used by the enemy which definitely should be explored by us. In all the communications and statements made by the enemy, a singular phrasing has been used. That expression in substance is: 'prisoners of war not for direct repatriation.'"

"The Armistice Agreement refers to such prisoners as 'those prisoners of war who have not exercised their right to be repatriated.' It is here pointed out with much emphasis that the expression 'prisoners of war not for direct repatriation could included not only such prisoners who had not exercised their right to be repatriated, but others whom the enemy had decided were not for direct repatriation."

"It is my thought that the Chinese and Korean language versions used in the Armistice Agreement should be compared with the Chinese and Korean language versions used by Lee Sang Cho in his letter of 26 January 1954, and in the Lee Sang Cho statement at the 42nd meeting of the MAC. If the Armistice language is found to be substantially different from these later statements we have a very substantial and embarrassing opening to follow-up on the more than three thousand prisoners who have not been returned."

Looking For -- If you are faxing under the title "Truth In Action," please contact: Lynn O'Shea at 718-846-4350, after 6:00 p.m..

Inaccuracy in Media - All of us who have dealt with the media have experienced the dreaded misquote. A recent article published by the Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale contained several misquotes and inaccuracies. Unfortunately, the subject of the article was not allowed to review the final draft before publication, or the errors most certainly would have been corrected. If you read the article, you might now be under the impression that remains belonging to Earl Hopper, Jr., had been recovered. You might also be under the impression that the identification of those remains would be a slam dunk. WRONG!!!!!!

The following facts, of the case, are provided by Col. Earl Hopper Sr. "This is the THIRD crash site location USG personnel have identified as belonging to my son with JTFFA personnel now having been to this last crash site 3 times in the last 2 1/2 years or so. It is located 1 klick (just over half a mile) north of the North Vietnamese/Lao border inside extreme western North Vietnam and is the wreckage of an F4 aircraft."

"The aircraft, which did not burn when it pancaked in, was never scavenged primarily due to the fact that it is located in an area that is extremely rugged, remote and unpopulated. Further, it was tentatively identified a Earl's F4 based on 1 engine identification plate bearing the engine number from one of the engines from his aircraft. That data plate was found ON THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND in the general area of one of the engines, not attached to it. Those data plates are riveted in place and are NOT KNOWN TO JUST FALL OFF even under the most severe conditions. You will also be interested to know both engines are sitting intact on the ground and not in any way burrowed into it."

"The only remains recovered to date are 2 teeth - neither one of which shows any restorations, fillings, etc., which could be used for identification. They are the #11 (upper left) eye tooth and the #29 (lower right) pre-molar. Both of these teeth are generic in nature and could belong to anyone of any nationality. According to several dental experts, there is no way to prove who those teeth belong to. Further, to close any POW/MIA case based solely on a tooth or teeth is ludicrous."

"This excavation site is still open. JTFFA informed the family they intend to return to it again in the future to continue the excavation because they have not come anywhere near concluding it. Likewise, since finishing the third trip to the site last November, they have not notified the family they have recovered any additional 'possible remains' - a requirement JTFFA closely adheres to when possible material evidence is recovered from any excavation. For the reporter of the Sun Sentinel, or anyone else, to imply otherwise to the public is dead wrong."

"From my experience, both as a career military man and 30 years active involvement in the POW/MIA issue, I have learned there are two entities who you cannot trust or believe - the US Government and the News Media. From within hours of my son's shootdown, the USG knew he was live on the ground escaping and evading the enemy. That fact was well documented through U.S. intelligence. Also, well documented through US intelligence is the FACT that Earl was alive and in enemy hands well into the 1980's. Is he still alive? I don't know, but I do know that someone's son, someone's father, someone's brother is alive in Southeast Asia, today. I have no intention of writing my son off, or anyone else for that matter, for political expediency. IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN."

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. Time is running. Make your reservations.

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