Was He... or Wasn't He.... Is It or Isn't It – Conflicting reports surfaced, in the last week, stating that remains of Capt. Scott Speicher were recovered and are currently undergoing DNA testing.

Florida's First Coast News reported they were "told by several sources, remains are being tested to determine if they are Scott Speicher’s. We also know remains have been tested before, but there seems to be a stronger sense this time it could be him."

The story also stated "There are no further details available as to exactly where the remains were found, only to say not near the crash site. As to who found the remains, our sources are not telling us that. They also declined to tell us who is doing the testing."

The Navy responded, in a story carried by the Virginian-Pilot, stating: "There's nothing to substantiate the story, and we've communicated that to the Speicher family," said Cdr. Conrad Chun, a Navy spokesman."

Comments reported to us, from the offices of Senators Pat Roberts and Bill Nelson, say.... it's not Speicher. A third source has also told us, it's not Speicher. First Coast News stands by its story..... so we'll have to wait and see.

Seven Months – That's how long it's been since Army Spec Matt Maupin was taken Prisoner. Alive or dead, we need to bring him home. In her first interview since her sons capture, Carolyn Maupin was asked by Shannon Kettler of WCPO-TV, "how long is she prepared to wait for her son's return, Maupin replied, "I think, myself at this moment, as long as it takes because I'm not going to give up.... Even on my bracelet that I have, I picked out with one of the charms that says 'Never give up' and I look at that every now and then when I start thinking other things.... and I think 'No, I'm not going to give up,' and I'm going to hold onto my faith in God and hold onto that, and it helps get through the day."

We Said We'd Believe It When We Heard It From Jenkins Himself – On Nov. 2nd Charles Robert Jenkins pleaded guilty to charges of desertion and aiding the enemy by teaching English to North Korean spies. Jenkins denied charges he advocated the overthrow of the United States in propaganda broadcasts, and pleaded innocent to charges of making disloyal statements. The Military dropped these charges.

As a result of the plea, Jenkins was reduce in rank to private, forfeited all pay and allowances, dishonorably discharged and sentences to 30 days in the brig.

In spite of the guilty plea, questions remain. Specifically, did Jenkins have contact with other American's in North Korea beside the three other accused deserters?

In August, Jenkins Attorney filed request for discharge offering information on other American's in North Korea in exchange for an administrative discharge.

According to a Washington Times Article published this week, the Military rejected to offer.

The article by Jeremy Kirk stated: "But before the trial, Jenkins had offered the U.S. military critical details about how North Korea uses foreigners in its spy program in exchange for an administrative discharge."

"A formal request for the discharge filed in August said Jenkins was "absolutely willing to confirm a suspicion long held by U.S. intelligence agencies that a number of Americans were used, most often unwillingly, by North Korea to arm spies with English-speaking skills so they could target American interests in South Korea and beyond."

"The request also said Jenkins could confirm that "at least three other Americans who are suspected of deserting to North Korea were allowed to marry East European and/or Middle Eastern women who had been brought to and held in North Korea against their will. In two of the cases, the Americans had multiple children who are now young adults who appear to be American or European themselves."

How valuable is Robert Jenkins? According to Eric Heginbotham, cited as an expert on Korean studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and quoted in the Washington Times article.... "In general, defectors have kept their value for years after the fact.... In the North Korean case, we know so little about the society and the whole system...... I think they'll want to have access to him indefinitely."

What about the number of American’s used “most often unwillingly” by North Korea? Who are they? How did they come to be in North Korea? Has anyone asked..... When will we know what Robert Jenkins has to say about the “number of Americans” in North Korea, used “most often unwillingly.....” What will happen to the information Jenkins provides.....

Will the information Jenkins provides get to the JCSD, where we have full confidence the information will be properly investigated.... Or, will it go to DPMO and be buried along side the 185 Report.......?

Questions..... Questions.... Questions.....

Phonies – It’s hard for us to understand why someone would lie about being a POW, but many do. This week two stories surfaced regarding individuals who claimed to be POW’s but weren’t. In both cases the media reported their outlandish stories, and subsequently issued retractions.

We wonder why the phony tall tales don’t trigger red flags with these reporters, but they don’t. After a Presidential campaign, which questioned the three Purple Hearts of one candidate, a reporter actually accepted the claim of one of these phonies that he had 17, that’s right seventeen Purple Hearts and was about to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

There are so very many honest to gosh hero’s. Hero’s who suffered in Japanese POW camps, German Stalags, the frozen POW camps of North Korea and China, at the hand of the North Vietnamese, Viet Cong, Lao, and Iraqi’s. You would think the media would write about the real hero’s.

Maybe it’s harder to write about the real hero’s because real hero’s don’t brag, about themselves, their actions, or what they endured.

Conflicting Statements From DPMO – When the media involved in the “Phony POW” stories ran their retractions, each carried a quote from a DPMO official.

One article stated: “Larry Greer, a retired Air Force colonel and public affairs officer for the Pentagon's POW/MIA office, said Friday that the database includes all POWs and MIAs, including "people who worked for the CIA, people on black or classified operations and those who didn't wear dog tags or uniforms and people who were missing for only one day."

The other article stated: “On Friday, John Horn, division chief of document management at the U.S. Defense Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Personnel Office, said neither Gloria Fuller nor Webster Knowlton are on the POW list. Only those individuals on this list are officially recognized by the Department of Defense as having been a POW or missing in action. "Unless it's someone like in the CIA, we have almost 100 percent confidence" in the list's accuracy, he said.

Which is it?

Remains Identified... Brother Not So Sure – In a story reported by Aaron Saykin of WGRZ News 2, “Robert Kryszak of Angola has a thick binder full of evidence. Written on the pages inside is the military's final word on what happened to his brother nearly four decades ago. The military's word, he says, but not his.”

"Is my brother in that grave? You haven't proven it to me pal," Kryszak said.”

“The grave he mentioned is at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. Last Friday, the military buried what are thought to be the collective remains of Robert's brother, Ted Kryszak, and five other men, who crashed during a dangerous mission in June of 1966.”

“The mission was so perilous that Ted made an ominous prediction to Robert before he left. "He said, 'You know I'm not coming back,'" Robert recalled. "I asked, 'Wadda you mean?' He says, 'I fly too slow, too low and they gotta get me.'"

“Witnesses saw Ted's plane on fire, and no parachutes. It would be another 30 years until the crash site was found. Searchers at the site dug up one of Ted's dog tags along with his captain bars. But the military could only verify the remains of one crewmember, not Ted.”

"All of this modern technology and they can't prove part of him was there?" Kryszak wondered.

Yet last week the military concluded the entire crew died during the crash. The funeral went forward, but Robert was unwilling to accept his older brother was gone until he's absolutely certain. "It's closed," he said, adding "But down here (in my heart), I don't think so."

Vietnam Group Burial - Buried as a group were Lt. Col. Harding E. Smith, Col. Theodore E. Kryszak, Lt. Col. Russell D. Martin, Master Sgt. Ervin Warren, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Harold E. Mullins, of Denver and Chief Master Sgt. Luther L. Rose. The individually identifiable remains of CMS Rose were buried last summer.

Why does Johnie Webb still have a job?????????????

2005 Remains Recoveries in North Korea ---- from Stars and Stripes Pacific Edition, Nov. 9^th, by Joseph Giordono, “U.S. and North Korean representatives will meet next week in Thailand to negotiate next year’s remains recovery missions, officials said this weekend. “Radio Free Asia, the U.S.-funded radio network, reported that top officials from the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) want to build on the success of 2004’s five joint missions.”

“In an October interview with Stars and Stripes, JPAC commander Maj. Gen. W. Montague “Que” Winfield called this the “most successful year we’ve ever had.” In the same interview, he laid out his priorities for negotiating the 2005 missions.”

“The top priority is for JPAC teams to get permission to search former North Korean POW camp sites, he said. “We have not been allowed to go there but we know where they were. And we know there are lots of remains there,” Winfield said.”

“Negotiations with the North Koreans — set to begin this year on Nov. 15 — often end with both sides giving concessions, he said. For example, this year North Korea allowed remains to be repatriated by land over the Demilitarized Zone for the first time. In return, the North Koreans demanded changes that gave the U.S. search teams less flexibility in movement.”

“Still, teams operating near Chosin Reservoir and in Unsan County north of Pyongyang recovered more than 40 sets of remains this year, Winfield said. In recent years, the negotiating teams have secured more access to former North Korean soldiers and other eyewitnesses who can help locate remains.”

We’re Still Waiting – DPMO still has not provided the Directive governing the conditions under which a captured American service member would be designated a POW. At recent family update meetings, in Denver and Portland, Dolores Alfond asked the question, again. We’re still waiting......

We said that if DPMO didn’t answer us, either providing the directive or admitting what we all know, that the Department of Defense has eliminated the POWs status/designation, we would find some one they would answer.

We guess it’s time to do just that........

We’re Still Waiting – DPMO still has not answered our 8 questions. You’ll remember DPMO asked us to submit a list of questions our members would like to be briefed on during our annual meeting, this past June. Not only were we not briefed on the topics outlined, our repeated requests for a response to those questions have been ignored.

If they’re not going to answer us, we’ll find someone they will answer.