Keep The Pressure on - Bring Michael Scott Speicher Home, NOW!

S 1339 - Needs Co Sponsors. Amendment to the Bring Him Home Alive Act of 2000,

would include Persian Gulf War POWs and MIAs, like Speicher.

Speicher - History Repeats Itself.

All this and more:

On September 11, 1999, we told you the story of Army Capt. John McDonnell an American serviceman seen in a POW camp in February 1973. We said he was one of the men left behind. Of course, the government dismissed the reports of Capt. McDonnell's sightings.

Today, we are going to tell you about another American serviceman left behind. However, this story is different because the governments own documentation admits Navy Lt. Clemie McKinney died AFTER 1973 and probably NO EARLIER than 1975. The forensic evidence proves Clemie McKinney was a POW held back by the North Vietnamese.

Mc Kinney and his pilot John Greenleaf were shot down, on April 14, 1972. They were part of Squadron 114 off the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63). The U.S. government considered any chance of survival for Mc Kinney or Greenleaf as extremely remote. Their wingman reported seeing the aircraft take a direct hit and saw no parachutes.

In February 1988, remains from an August 1985 repatriation were identified as Clemie Mc Kinney. According to the biography prepared by Homecoming II, the Mc Kinney family originally disputed the remains identification. The bio states:

"On August 14, 1985, the Vietnamese government returned remains purported to be those of Lt. Clemie

Mc Kinney. Although Mc Kinney's family disputed the finding, the Navy determined the remains to be those of Mc Kinney's in February 1988. One of the objections of the family is the apparent discrepancy of having received a direct hit in the cockpit, precluding the possibility of recovering any identifiable remains. Other problems involving the configuration of the feet bones were questioned."

In his deposition before the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, Garnett "Bill" Bell, then head of the U.S. POW Office in Hanoi, discussed intelligence report of an African - American held in the area of McKinney's loss. One refugee report discussed the escape of the American, and the pursuit of his Vietnamese captors. The refugee continued that the Vietnamese shot the American in the leg, killing him. According to Bell's deposition remains identified as Clemie Mc Kinney "was missing the lower portion of his right leg."

Bell also stated; "According to the anthropologist at CILHI and the commander of the Central Identification Laboratory, Lieutenant Colonel Webb, the remains they received on Lieutenant McKennie, (sic) the date of death could not have been prior to 1975."

The January 28 1992, Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC) interim response to the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) POW/MIA analysis of Mr. Bell's testimony to the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, addressed the Mc Kinney identification. While DIA attempted to discredit Bell's testimony regarding Mc Kinney's survival in captivity, JCRC stood firm. According to the JCRC Interim Response: "The DIA analyst has described Mr. Bell's opinion regarding this case as a "theory." The fact is an anthropologist with many years of experience rendered a professional opinion that based on the condition of Lt. Mc Kinnie's (sic) remains, he was alive subsequent to Operation Homecoming...."

Let that last sentence sink in. "..Based on the condition of Lt. Mc Kinnie's (sic) remains, he was alive subsequent to Operation Homecoming." "... He was alive subsequent to Operation Homecoming..." Mc Kinney was alive when Dr. Roger Shields said all the POWs were home or dead. Mc Kinney was alive and Mc Kinney was left behind.

The message continued: "...What the analyst has failed to address is the importance of the information regarding the condition of returned remains..." "...the condition of Lt. McKinnie's (sic) indicate he was out of the aircraft prior to impact."

Message traffic dated 17 December 1996 confirms the condition of the remains stating; "Forensic examination of Lieutenant Mc Kinney's remains did not show any signs of high speed impact."

Records show that the Vietnamese state that Mc Kinney died in November 1972, some seven months after captured. Yet, forensic evidence show his death occurred after "Operation Homecoming" in 1973 and probably considerably later. Where was Mc Kinney held? None of the returned POWs knew of Mc Kinney. Why didn't the Vietnamese list Clemie Mc Kinney as a POW, in 1973, who Died in Captivity?

The answer is simple. In 1973, Clemie Mc Kinney was still alive, and held outside the main prison system.

Of Navy POW Clemie Mc Kinney , Joint Task Force - Full Accounting states, in a message dated May 23, 1993: "On 14 August 1985, the Vietnamese returned remains which were later identified as those of Clemie Mc Kinney a Navy Aviator who, along with his crewmate John Greenleaf, was originally believed to have perished in the crash of his aircraft. Analysis of the remains, along with minimal information provided by Vietnam led to the conclusion that Mc Kinney had ejected from his aircraft prior to the crash and had survived in captivity for a period of time prior to his death. Further investigation into the fate of Greenleaf will be possible only if additional leads can be developed. It is believed that information contained in Vietnamese files relating to Mc Kinney and/or his remains will provide such investigative leads, specifically needed are any indications in the documents of units/personalities involved in the capture of Mc Kinney, his specific place of capture, and any mention of a unilateral investigation of the fate of Mc Kinney a complete chronology of Mc Kinney's capture, movement, death and burial essential to resolve ambiguities associated with other unresolved cases in the same general geographic area. We also ask your assistance in locating information on this case."

Forensic evidence shows death occurred "not earlier than 1975 and probably several years later," thus proving that all the POW's did not come home in 1973.

Clemie Mc Kinney was a Prisoner of War, in a POW camp unknown to returned POWs and unknown to the United States Government.

and Michael Scott Speicher........

We Need To Keep The Pressure On - To do that, we need YOUR help. We know you have been making those calls to the White House. As one White House operator stated to caller, Vincent Darcangelo, of Pennsylvania "...Michael Speicher, we are being bombarded with telephone calls about him..."

We can't let Speicher be forgotten and he will be if WE don't keep his name out there. So, we are asking everyone who hasn't made their call, to make a call this week. If you have made your call, make another one. Have your husband or wife, mother and father, aunt and uncle, brother and sister, sons and daughters make that call. We are asking everyone, from now until Scott Speicher gets home to spend $1.00 per week on long distant calls to the White House.

We need to show the White House that the American public will not accept the abandonment of our service personnel, POW or MIA.

Call the White House at 202-456-1414 or Fax the White House at 202-456-2461. They pay the most attention to calls, and faxes. Once your call or fax for the week are made, email the President at president@whitehouse.gov

Remember, we are asking everyone who reads this to spend $1.00 per week on phone calls or faxes. A dollar a week is not a high price to contribute to the effort to bring Scott Speicher home.

Look at the price Speicher has paid to serve his country.

You can also help by signing the online petition to Bring Michael Scott Speicher Home. The petition, started by Nikki Mendicino, can be accessed at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/Speicher/petition.html

DIA Head Testifies Before Congress - From the Washington Times, March 20, by Bill Gertz, - "The director of the Defense Intelligence Agency told Congress yesterday that his agency is tracking down every possible lead concerning a U.S. pilot lost in combat over Iraq in 1991. Vice Adm. Thomas Wilson, the DIA director, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Scott Speicher, who has since been promoted to captain-select, could be a prisoner of Saddam Hussein...."

"Our conclusion is that we don't know for sure what happened to him, but the Iraqis do know, and we certainly do not exclude the possibility that he could be alive and still be held captive, Adm. Wilson said. "We simply do not know for sure, but continue to pursue with vigor to try to resolve this case, the three-star admiral said."

"Sen. Pat Roberts, Kansas Republican, questioned Adm. Wilson and CIA Director George J. Tenet about the case during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. U.S. intelligence officials told The Washington Times last week that new intelligence information gathered over the past several months indicates Cmdr. Speicher is being held prisoner in Iraq and has been limited to a few visitors in his cell."

"Mr. Roberts said during the hearing that the Pentagon is considering whether to change Cmdr. Speicher's status from missing to prisoner of war."

"Recent war movies like "Black Hawk Down, "We Were Soldiers, and "Saving Private Ryan, highlight the idea that "we leave no one behind, Mr. Roberts said, noting "that is what we did with reference to a young man by the name of Michael Scott Speicher. "I've been saying that ... we did leave somebody behind, and mistakes were made; that's probably the nicest way I can put it, Mr. Roberts said."

"Mr. Roberts took issue with recent statements by unidentified Pentagon officials who said it is not likely that Cmdr. Speicher is alive and that Saddam would not keep someone prisoner for 11 years. The senator said that contrary to those claims, the Iraqi leader held an Iranian pilot as a prisoner for 17 years before releasing him."

"To try to determine what is in Saddam's head, I think, is rather foolhardy, Mr. Roberts said. "I will tell you what's in his head: It's a dark center of evil, representing man's inhumanity against man with self-preservation stuffed in there with all of that. He compared the Iraqi leader to Stalin and Hitler."

"Adm. Wilson said the Pentagon last summer set up a new "cell within the intelligence service devoted to prisoner-of-war and missing-in-action issues. "That cell has been up and running since summer and has done enormously good work in preparing for combat operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere, taking all the steps that we can to try to lay the framework so that something like the unresolved case of Cmdr. Speicher doesn't happen again, Adm. Wilson said."

Doesn't Happen Again - Isn't that what they said after Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War.... Speicher is the Again! Remember there was no DPMO when Speicher went missing. The POW/MIA issue was handled by DIA back then.

S 1339 Needs CoSponsors - Call your Senators and demand passage of Senate Bill 1339 "To amend the Bring Them Home Alive Act of 2000 to provide an asylum program with regard to American Persian Gulf War POW/MIAs, and for other purposes."

Among the bills provisions is to grant "ELIGIBILITY- Refugee status shall be granted under subsection (a) to-

`(1) any alien who-

`(A) is a national of Iraq or a nation of the Greater Middle East Region (as determined by the Attorney General in consultation with the Secretary of State); and

`(B) personally delivers into the custody of the United States Government a living American Persian Gulf War POW/MIA; and

`(2) any parent, spouse, or child of an alien described in paragraph (1).

"Any living American Persian Gulf War POW/MIA.... Folks that's Speicher. If you want to be a part of the effort to bring Scott Speicher home. Call your Senators at 202-224-3121 now. You can find your Senators email address at http://www.senate.gov

We must pass this legislation NOW!

Speicher wasn't the only POW abandoned by the U.S. government

World War II - Korea - Cold War - Vietnam - Gulf War

Different War... Same...... You Fill In The Blank - From The Washington Times, by Joyce Howard Price - "Sen.John McCain yesterday expressed skepticism about reports that Iraq is holding Navy pilot Lt. Cmdr. Michael Scott Speicher 11 years after his plane was shot down during the Persian Gulf war."

"Although the Arizona Republican said there was sufficient evidence to investigate the pilot's fate, he wondered in an interview on "Fox News Sunday" why Saddam Hussein still would be holding Cmdr. Speicher. "The Iraqis did give us back all the other prisoners they held," Mr. McCain said. "Why would they hold one?"

"Nevertheless, "there is enough evidence to bring this whole situation into question," said the senator, a Vietnam-era prisoner of war. The United States should "pursue every avenue we can to find out

what happened ... that's an American tradition....."

"... Sen. Richard C. Shelby, Alabama Republican, said on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" that while everyone is uncertain about the pilot's fate, he has no doubt that Saddam would be capable of secretly holding a man hostage for years for potential deal-making later. "You don't know what a man with such a diabolical mind as Saddam Hussein is thinking about," said Mr. Shelby, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence."

"Both Mr. Shelby and Sen. Bob Graham, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said there are Middle Eastern precedents for holding a hostage for lengthy periods. "He could be alive because we know from the history of the [Middle East] that people are held prisoners for years," Mr. Shelby said. "I've been told of some Israeli prisoners of war being held for, you know, chips for later, perhaps negotiation. This could be another such case."

"But we need to find out. If he's alive, we need to rescue him. We need to find him. We need to bring him home. If he's not alive, we need to put that to rest. We need to know beyond any reasonable doubt. We need to know, and we don't know specifically today."

"Mr. Graham said he agreed. "And it also illustrates one of the many cultural differences between ourselves and the people of this region," the Florida Democrat said. "They think in very long terms, and they might be holding

this man 11 years later on the expectation that there will be a point in time when they can use his imprisonment as a means of achieving some political objective...."

"...The Pentagon initially said he was killed in action but last year changed his status to missing in action. Last week, President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the pilot still could be alive in Iraq. Mr. Graham agreed yesterday, saying, "It is possible, and there continue to be periodic reports of some sightings of Cmdr. Speicher. "We've made a diplomatic request through the State Department to the Iraqi government. Thus far, [we] have not gotten a satisfactory response," the chairman said."

"The fact is, there continue to be reports from what would have some degree of credibility that he's still alive," he said."

Can We Bring Capt. Paul Lorence Home? - You will not find the name of Paul Lorence on the list of Prisoners or Missing from World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam or the Gulf. Yet, Air Force Capt. Paul Lorence is a missing American serviceman.

Normally, we do in depth research before we bring the story of a missing serviceman to our readers. That is not the case here. While the limited information provided is factual, it is sketchy. More information is needed and we will get it but for now, we felt that everyone should know of Capt. Paul Lorence.

On April 14, 1986, President Ronald Reagan gave the order to launch Operation El Dorado Canyon. Among those participating on the bombing raid over Libya was Capt. Paul Lorence. He and his pilot were shot down during that mission.

After doing some quick internet research, we learned Libya returned the remains of the aircraft pilot, only after intervention by the Pope. So far, we have been unable to find out how long the Libyan's held the pilots remains or when they were returned. We also do not know at this point what information, if any, the Libyans provided on Capt. Lorence, when the pilots remains were returned.

The fact that the Libyans recovered the remains of the pilot might provide indications that they know what may have happened to the backseater, Capt. Lorence.

Can We Bring Capt. Paul Lorence Home? Is anyone asking?

Vietnam Servicemen Identified - We do not have the circumstances for recovery and identification for all the servicemen identified. We do know some identification were based on mt-DNA. Other were based on association, meaning no remains were recovered for the individual.

From the Air Force - Col. Peter M. Cleary, Col. Leonardo C. Leonor, Maj. Claude Silva, Col. William C. Coltman, Lt. Col Robert A. Brett, Jr., and Lt. Col Lawrence G. Evert

From the Army - Capt. Jon E. Swanson, (recently awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor), Sgt Larry G. Harrison, Sgt. Larry G. Kier, and Sgt. Rufugio T. Teran,

From the Navy - Lt. David E. McRae, and Lt. Gene R. Gollahon,

Also "identified" were Army members, Warrant Officer Barry F. Fivelson, Spc. Willis C. Crear, Spc. Donald E. Crone, Spc. John L. Powers. The bodies of Chief Warrant Officer Leonard, and 2nd Lt. James H. Taylor were not recovered. As for the "identification" of the remaining crewmembers.... well you decide.....

From the Orange County Register, March 2, 2002, by Jeff Collins and Laura Copeland "... Accepting his death or not, a brother and three sisters from Orange County stood beside a chilly grave at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, watching as Crone was buried in a common crypt with three others who disappeared Feb. 15, 1971. Thirty-one years after war had claimed Spec. 4 Donald Crone, he finally got a funeral."

"The only reason I'm here ... is my brother volunteered. He was fighting for his country," Fullerton resident Arlene Teske said. "I'm here to honor my brother and his fellow crew members."

"... a single, flag-draped casket bearing the "commingled remains" of Crone and three others -- Warrant Officer Barry Fivelson and Spec. 4 Willis Crear and John Powers -- was lowered into one grave. A solitary granite headstone bore their names, along with those of their two still-missing pilots, Lt. James Taylor and Warrant Officer Marvin Leonard."

"Family members said the casket is nearly empty. Crone's Army dress uniform and at least one other are in there, along with six, fingernail-sized bone fragments recovered two years ago from a field in rural Laos. "It's more symbolic than it is realism," said Crone's younger brother, David, 49, of La Habra. "(But) I think overall, it's probably a good thing. ... The government needs closure. It needs to put this to rest."

".... Crone wasn't supposed to be aboard that ill-fated CH-47 Chinook flying fuel across the Vietnamese border to an outpost in Laos, relatives said. But when a friend got sick, he volunteered to fill in as crew chief. A fuel tank was loaded onto a sling beneath the twin-rotor helicopter. Somewhere over Laos' Xepon District, Army documents say, the Chinook strayed into enemy territory, then exploded, possibly from enemy fire, records state. Two sections of the helicopter flew in different directions."

"Enemy activity in the area of the crash precluded a ground search," an Army report said. "However, an aerial search was launched a few minutes after the crash. ... No survivors were seen."

"... Friday's burial "might be the end of a chapter, but it's not the end of the book. They didn't bring Don home," Teske said. "That would be closure for me."

"... Three expeditions to southwest Laos from 1988 to 1994 failed to find any sign of Crone's crew, hampered in part by monsoons that apparently flooded a crash site, Army records and family members said. In 1996, however, searchers found a site strewn with bits of Plexiglas, metal, a Chinook data plate and the piece of a boot sole, records show."

"Army officials told family members that they had to send Laotian workers ahead to clear dense vegetation from search sites. One area had to be abandoned because it was infested with poisonous snakes, relatives said. Teams returning in 1998 and 1999 found a personal effect and data plates tied to Crone's mission, records show."

"Then, in early 2000, a joint U.S.-Laotian search team found a second crash -- the spot where the helicopter's aft section fell, along with Crone, Crear, Powers and Fivelson. The second site, about two miles from the first, yielded human remains, crew-related artifacts and personal effects -- including Crone's dog tags.

"In November, officials informed Crone's relatives that the Army's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii had tied the human remains to crew members in Crone's aft section, although it's unclear to whom or how. Family members say they were told the bone fragments were so badly burned, DNA testing couldn't be done. Since no remains were recovered from the site where the pilots were believed to have crashed, Taylor and Leonard remain missing, officials said."

"As far as the Crones are concerned, Donald Crone remains missing too. "I have very little faith that anything in that coffin belongs to my brother -- other than that uniform that I put in there," David Crone said. Still, they were impressed at that "the Army's (providing) all the bells and whistles and full military honors 31 years later," Teske said. "It's kind of bizarre. I don't understand it," David Crone added. "But if I get a chance to honor my brother and get a little closure, I'll do it."

Six, fingernail-sized bone fragments.... fragments were so badly burned, DNA testing couldn't be done... 4 men identified and accounted for ....

Why Does Johnnie Webb still have a job????????????

The National Alliance Of Families Thirteenth Annual Forum is scheduled for June 20th - 22nd, 2002. Our forum is conducted to coincide with the Governments annual POW/MIA Family Briefings. We urge all family members to attend this years government briefings, for Vietnam family members. The government will provide free airfare to two family members to attend the briefings. There is no charge or registration fee to attend the government briefings.

This years meeting will be held at the Crown Plaza Hotel (same as last year) Room rates are $106.00 + tax, per night for a single or double room. Parking is $5.00 per night. Transportation to the government briefings will be available. To make your reservations call 703-416-1600. Remember to say you are with the National Alliance of Families to get the special rate.

The Alliance is an all volunteer organization. Our meetings are open to all, without charge. At this time of year, we actively seek contributions to finance our forum. If you wish to contribute, donations may be mailed to:

National Alliance Of Families

P.O. Box 40327

Bellevue, Wa. 98015.

Remember all contributions are tax deductible.