BOHICA - we're not talking the book. We are talking the acronym. The Department of Defense and DPMO are planning to do it to the POW/MIA families, again.
In December 1998, the National Alliance of Families was provided with a set of briefing slides
outlining the long term plans of DPMO. We first mentioned this in the February 5th, 1999 edition
of Bits 'n' Pieces. Notably absent, at year 2004, is any funding for the Joint Task Force - Full
Accounting (JTF-FA.)
Folks, those are the guys that, in DPMO's own words "conducts operations, to include, analysis, investigations, archival researh, and recovry of remains." Quite simply, no JTF-FA, more information, and no more remains recoveries. This impacts our World War II - Korean And Cold War - Vietnam - and Gulf War families and the overall POW/MIA issue..
Our fears were again confirmed, by a statement contained on page 4 of a DPMO booklet titled "POW/MIA Accounting," dated 1999. The statement, under the caption "VISION" reads;
"By the end of the year 2004, we will have moved from the way the US government conducts the business of recovery and accounting to an active program of loss prevention, immediate rescues, and rapid post-hostility accounting."
There it is folks, in black and white, in DPMO's own words "By the end of the year 2004, we will have moved from the way the US government conducts the business of recovery and accounting to an active program of loss prevention, immediate rescues, and rapid post-hostility accounting."
The government is planning to go from what they consider their active mode to a passive mode.
This means investigations will be made only if Vietnam, North Korea, China, or Russia decide to
provide information. Since all of the nations cited continue to withhold information, what makes
anyone think that they will decide to provide information when we stop asking?
We were further disturbed by the contents of the January 14th, 2000 DPMO Weekly Update
describing an "Extensive Study" that "Addresses Recovery and Accounting." The update reads; "The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office has initiated a broad study to examine the worldwide
mission of POW/MIA personnel recovery and accounting."
"The Department of Defense is charged by law with responsibility for policy and oversight of the
full range of recovery activity, from pre-combat training, to combat search and rescue to remains
recovery. In light of the evolving missions of the Department of Defense, this effort will help ensure that the most effective use possible is made of DoD resources."
"The analysis, called the Mission Area Analysis (MAA), is to help implement the best use of money, resources and technology across the wide range of DoD's responsibilities in personnel recovery and accounting." [Our comment: this means JTF-FA.]
"It will examine the entire range of personnel recovery, to include diplomatic, military, and other means of recovering isolated personnel. The examination will address recovery operations throughout the spectrum of conflict from small-scale contingencies to major theater war and
peacetime operations, both at a tactical and strategic level."
"The study will analyze the forces dedicated to personnel recovery as well as the structure of the organizations which carry out this mission."
"It will identify deficiencies and pinpoint where any changes are necessary in doctrine, policy, organization or technology. Interagency coordination (between the military and other branches of
this government, and other nations) is a critical element of effective planning for personnel recovery, and the MAA will examine all aspects of this coordination process."
"In the area of personnel accounting and remains recovery the MAA will analyze all facets of this
mission from operational activities to diplomatic effort to achieve the fullest possible accounting of past and future unaccounted-for Americans."
"It will look closely at the missions and structure and budgets of the Defense POW/Missing
Personnel Office; the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii; the U.S. Army Casualty
and Memorial Affairs Operations Center; the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory; the
U.S. Air Force Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory; and the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting; and
highlight areas where the Department can most effectively employ its resources to better accomplish the mission."
"The study began in late 1999 and is scheduled for completion in late 2000."
It is our opinion that this study will eventually provide the justification to end POW/MIA investigations, as we know them. While we have never been happy with the methods used to investigate and resolve POW/MIA cases, we can not allow DPMO to shift their methods of operations when so much more needs to be done.
The U.S. government has mishandled the POW/MIA issue since 1945. We left men in North Korea, China, the former Soviet Union, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. We mishandled every opportunity to gain information and gave away everything in our grab bag of incentives. These incentives, such as aid and trade, may have gained us our live POWs or valuable information on the fate of others..
Unless major effort is put forth between now and 2004, many known POWs and last known alive
cases will remain forever, unresolved.
Are we prepared to allow the United States government, represented by DPMO, to complete the abandonment of men like Charles Shelton, David Hrdlicka, Roger Dumas, Richard Deseautels, John McDonnell and the others like them?
What about John McDonnell - In the September 11th, 1999 edition of Bits N Pieces we carefully outlined the facts leading to the inescapable conclusion that John McDonnell was alive in a Ba To prison camp, in late February 1973.
He was alive, folks! When the freedom birds were leaving Hanoi, John McDonnell was still in the jungles of Vietnam and, he wasn't alone. DPMO has labeled all the sightings of McDonnell as fabrications. They aren't.
Are we prepared to allow the USG to complete the abandonment of John McDonnell? We're not done with this case. We've found other information that may correlate to this case. We've also found one live sighting that if not related to John McDonnell is a coincidence beyond statical probability.. Yet, DPMO refuses to request access to, or locate, the witnesses who saw and spoke with John McDonnell, at Ba To.
Time Is Running Out - What are we going to do? We could rant and rave, and provide you with a
list of officials to contact, to express our concerns. Quite frankly, a handful of letters isn't going to
do it. We need a massive movement and we need to know who is willing to stand by our
POW/MIAs from Korea, Cold War, Vietnam and the Gulf War (Let's not forget Scott Speicher.)
Bits 'N' Pieces has a direct distribution e-mail list of close to 1,000. This number is in addition to our fax distributions. In addition to our direct distribution many of our recipients forward "Bits" on through their own lists. We reach a lot of individuals and organizations.
We need each and every one of you to help. This is what we are going to do. If you WANT TO HELP, we ask that you contact us by email at lynn@nationalalliance.org note in the subject line I want to help! You can also contact us by fax at either 425-881-1499 or 718-846-4350 and say; I Want To Help.
We will get back to you with the outlines of the appropriate letters, and a list of addresses to send your letters.
Remember, DPMO reads Bits 'N' Pieces. They know exactly what we hope to do. If they receive
200 or 300 letters, they will write the whole thing off, as a nuisance. We need to bury them! We
need to make our voices heard!
If we can't mount this last ditch effort to insure ongoing investigations, we all better get used to the idea that the governments' active participation in POW/MIA investigation will end in 2004, and perhaps sooner.
It's up to you!
Clarification - What we are doing should in no way be interpreted as an effort to save DPMO, as it
currently operates. Their handling of the POW/MIA issue is a disgrace. Our efforts are to simply
insure that investigations continue without a time limit, until each case is truthfully resolved. In our
opinion, this means reopening many of the so called resolved cases.