We Did It! - The Joint Commission Support Directorate (JCSD,) with Norman Kass as its leader, is safe, for now. In a our 2/5/99 "Bits," we said we needed at least 300 congressman and 60 senators making calls on our behalf or we will have failed. Well, we don't know if we hit those numbers, but it doesn't matter -- we didn't fail. Maybe those DPMO employees who consider us nothing more that a sound bite will think again.
we've won a battle in a very long war. Our next battle is legislation, to make the JCSD truly independent. Our battle cry -- "Free the JCSD." As soon as we have details, we will let you know how you can help.
Can The U.S. Government Identify X-656? On March 14, 1951 remains designated X-656 were interred at the United States Military Cemetery, Tanggok, Korea. Based on information contained in official military records, the family of Army PFC Louis P. Mutta believes X-656 is their loved one. They have requested an exhumation of X-656 for the purpose of mt-DNA testing. That request has fallen on deaf ears.
Louis P. Mutta was the only unaccounted for member of a patrol ambushed at Kumyangjang-Ni, on January 18, 1951. Witnesses last saw PFC Mutta laying near his jeep, gravely wounded. A recovery operation was conducted on January 28, with one set of burnt remains recovered. No personnel effects or identification tags were recovered with the remains.
The remains were tentatively associated to Pfc Mutta based on interviews conducted with local residents, by the Companies Executive Officer - Lt. Leach. According to the Resume of Case History "Lt. Leach's statement indicates, in part, that an attempt was made by him to recover the bodies of the men of his company who were KIA 19 January 1951." (Note: date of 19 January appears in records, correct date is 18 January).
The Resume of Case History continued; "He states that all of these bodies were recovered with the exception of PFC Mutta. Further search resulted in the recovery of Unknown X-656...."
"Civilians in the area stated that on the 20th January 1951, the enemy returned to Kumyangjang-Ni, removed the body of a UN soldier from a vehicle and placed the body in a nearby house which burned to the ground, 27 January 1951. Lt. Leach associated subject remains with Pfc Mutta thru the description of the body and the location of wounds. These factors led Lt. Leach to 'believe it was Mutta.'"
The report continues "...Since the remains are incinerated, physical and dental characteristics cannot be determined, with the exception of age estimate of 18 to 20 years which is in agreement with the age of Pfc Mutta (20 years, 1 month, 1 day) when reported MIA."
Based on the above information, American Graves Registration Service Group submitted, on November 2nd, 1951, a recommendation that X-656 be identified as Pfc Louis P. Mutta. That recommendation was rejected, on January 14, 1952. Identification Branch Memorial Division stated; "It is the opinion of this investigator that there is insufficient evidence to establish conclusive identification of the remains in question as those of Pfc Mutta."
The report also stated; "it appears that a very definite means of identification is necessary."
As stated above, the family has requested exhumation for the purpose of mt-DNA testing. While mt-DNA should never be used as a primary means of identification, we believe there is circumstantial evidence to indicate X-656 may be Louis P. Mutta. Certainly, mt-DNA testing can either rule out that possibility or offer an indication as to the identity of X-656.
How can we get U.S. government officials to stop telling this lie? How many times do we have to repeat this? During the 1997 Alliance meeting in Washington D.C. AFDIL representative James Cannick stated "By looking at a bone, if you would bring a bone into us and say, Hey, can you get DNA from this, I would not say yes or no. We really don't know until we try."
In later questioning, Mr. Cannick stated that the condition of the bone does not determine the ability to extract mt-DNA. Referring to bone samples, Mr. Cannick said: "We've had some that often look really bad where we've gotten results and other that, you would expect to get results where you don't."
We contacted our own mt-DNA expert, Dr. William Shields. Many of you met Dr. Shields at our 1998 Alliance meeting. Here is what he had to say: "Cannick was correct- CIL-HI mistaken. Burned bone can produce enough undamaged tissue from within to allow for successful mtDNA analysis. Such tests have been successfully done on actual cremated remains- so one will not know until the extraction is performed and the amplification attempted whether good DNA can be had from such samples. The smaller the remain, the less likely the success. Hope this helps. Bill"
Imagine, mt-DNA extracted from "actual cremated remains." The ability to extract mt-DNA can not be determined until the test is run and only AFDIL can run the tests. If CIL-HI, Army Casualty or any other government agency makes a determination, regarding the use of mt-DNA, they are perpetrating a fraud on the POW/MIA families. But, what else is new?
Is X-656 Louis P. Mutta? Does he rest in the United States Military Cemetery, Tanggok, Korea (Plot M, Row 5, Grave 1336.) Or, is Louis Mutta still among the missing. His family deserves an answer.
Family Members, Veterans Organizations and Concerned Citizens, we need you on this one. Let's find out if Louis Mutta is X-656. If he is, let's bring him home! Contact Secretary of Defense William Cohen, at the Dept. of Defense, The Pentagon, Washington D.C. 20301 - Call 703-695-5261 or Fax 703-697-9080. Ask that Plot M, Row 5, Grave 1336 at the United States Military Cemetery, Tanggok, Korea be exhumed for the purpose of an identification review. Let's help the Mutta family get their answers!
We wonder how many other records of Korean War POW/MIA's indicate a name association to remains currently buried as Unknown?
Decision Due on Tomb of The Vietnam Unknown - A N.Y. Times article, by Steven Lee Myers, published Feb. 25th, 1999, states; "Secretary of Defense William Cohen, who by law oversees the tomb of the Unknowns, has not made a final decision on the tomb's fate. But in the weeks ahead, Cohen is expected to select one of a variety of proposals for what to do with the now-empty crypt that for 14 years held the "unknown" remains of Blassie...."
"...We really don't have another candidate for the tomb," Rudy De Leon, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said in an interview. "Potentially, all the remains are identifiable..."
The National Alliance of Families opposes the internment of any remains as the Vietnam Unknown, at this time. We believe the crypt should remain empty until such time that a truly unidentifiable set of remains is located. In order to insure that there is no rush to inter a Vietnam Unknown, as in the Blassie case, we further propose that no decision on internment be made for at least ten years. We set this time frame in order to give CIL-HI ample opportunity to identify all remains. We agree with American Legion spokesperson, Phil Budahn, who was quoted in the N.Y. Times article as saying "It was certainly a high priority for the Vietnam generation to have somebody there," he said. "At the same time, for every person in the tomb, there's one more American family that doesn't have a set of remains to lay to rest. That can be a high price to pay for symbolism."
The Same New York Times Article referred to Johnie Webb stating; "Johnie E. Webb Jr., the deputy commander at the Army's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, said the law requires any remains that might be a candidate for the tomb be absolutely unidentifiable. But almost all the remains from Vietnam have at least some biographical or forensic evidence that could, eventually, help identify them, he said...."
"...We start with a pretty good idea of who the remains might be," Webb said.
Just like in the Blassie case, but that didn't stop Webb and company, from stripping Michael Blassie of his identity because Washington needed a Vietnam Unknown. This brings us to the question, Why Does Johnie Webb Still Have A Job?
Like the Mutta Case.
Bring Him Home Alive Act of 1999 - S-484 Needs Co-Sponsors - This legislation, introduced by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Co) provides an incentive for anyone delivering to the United States a live POW/mia from Vietnam or Korea. Under this legislation asylum would be granted to any foreign national who personally delivers an American listed on the official POW/MIA list.
"If this bill leads to even one long-held POW-MIA being returned home to America alive, this effort would be well worth it," Campbell said in a statement issued Thursday."
Contact you Senators, ask that they co-sponsor S-484
the Bring Him Home Alive Act of 1999.
Money Talks - Last year, we, along with Vietnamese refugee organizations and some Vieterans groups testified before the House SubCommittee on Trade against the waiver of the Jackson Vanick Amendment, as it applied to Vietnam. With the five minutes allotted each organization we tried to impress the one congressman who sat through the hearings, with the fact that Vietnam's human rights record was abysmal and that there was no true Vietnamese cooperation on the POW/MIA issue. We wasted our time.
Prior to our testimony, Senator John (Hanoi) Kerry was allowed to testify for almost 2 hours on how much improved Vietnamese human rights record was and given the opportunity of additional trade with the U.S. that records would improve further. His statement was backed up by a written statement from Senator John (have you hugged a Communist, today)
Mc Cain. In spite of our best efforts congress voted for and the president approved the Jackson-Vanick Waiver.
Last week the State Department issued its annual report on Human Rights. This is what the State Dept. says about Vietnam's human right record. "The government continued to repress basic political and some religious freedoms and to commit numerous abuses,"
The following is excerpted from a Feb. 27th Reuters article - "Vietnam's human rights record was poor last year despite some improvements, the U.S. State Department said in an annual report on human rights worldwide...."
"...It highlighted beatings by security officials, harsh prison conditions, arbitrary arrests and restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, assembly and association. People had been detained for peaceful expression of political and religious views, the report added...."
"It said the lack of an independent judiciary enabled Vietnam's ruling communist party to exert considerable influence over the country's law courts. In political hearings, defendants had been denied access to government evidence and been unable to cross-examine witnesses or challenge statements...."
"...government regulations control religious hierarchies and organized religious activities, in part because the party fears that organized religion may weaken its authority and influence," it said.... It added that there were reports of continued harassment of ethnic Hmong Protestants in northern areas and that a number of Hmong evangelical Protestants had been imprisoned...."
Doesn't sound like much progress to us!
The National Alliance of Families Tenth Annual Forum is scheduled for June 17th - 19th, at the Sheraton Center City Hotel, Washington D.C. (same as last year.) Room rates at $105.00 per night. To make your reservation call 800-526-7495 or 202-775-0800. Remember to say you are with the Alliance. contributions are needed to keep the Alliance going. Donations may be mailed to:
National Alliance of Families
P.O. Box 40327
Bellevue, Wa. 98015
Remember all contributions are tax deductible.
