The National Alliance of Families mourns the passing of Jean Hall Press, daughter of POW/MIA T/Sgt. Willis R. Hall and our dear friend the late Mary Hall. To Jean's husband Fred, her children Keith and Laura, and her brother Steve, we offer our deepest sympathy.

Memorial donations may be made to: The Rockville Church of the Nazarene, 47 East Street, Rockville, CT 06793 or The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (www.ovarian.org) 500 NE Spanish River Boulevard, Suite B, Boca Raton, FL 33431.

POW Status - For the last several years, we have written about the fact that the Department of Defense (DOD) quietly eliminated the designation/status Prisoner of War as it applies to captured American service personnel. DOD representatives, specifically those from the Defense POW/MIA Office (DPMO) have told us we are wrong. They say the POW status still exists. We've asked representatives of DPMO, on more than one occasion, to provide us with a copy of the controlling directive governing and describing the conditions under which a member of the Armed Forces would be listed POW. Needless to say, they have been unable or unwilling to provide this directive. This leads us to believe, in spite of their statements to us and the media, that there is no directive under which a member of the Armed Forces would be listed as POW.

DOD Controlling Directive 1300.18, issued Dec. 18, 2000, does not provide for a Prisoner of War designation/status. Under this directive, the most a captured service member can hope for is the ambiguous designation/status Missing/Captured or MIA-C.

Section E2.1.1.24. of the Directive reads, in part: “Missing. A casualty status applicable to a person who is not at his or her duty location due to apparent involuntary reasons and whose location may or may not be known....”

Subsection E2.1.1.24.3 deals with captured personnel stating: “Captured. The casualty has been seized as the result of action of an unfriendly military or paramilitary force in a foreign country.”

Thus the new status “Missing-Captured” or “MIA-C.) No where in the December 20, 2000 directive will you find the phrase Prisoner of War or its acronym POW.

When the Navy changed Capt. Scott Speicher's status from Missing to Missing/Captured, then Secretary of Navy Gordon England wrote, "This category denotes that a service member has been seized as the result of action of an unfriendly military or paramilitary force in a foreign country..... if the government of Iraq is holding Captain Speicher he is entitled to Prisoner of War status under international law and the Geneva Convention..... Although the controlling missing persons statute and directives do not use the term "Prisoner of War," the facts supporting a change in Captain Speicher's category from Missing in Action to Missing/Captured would also support the conclusion that, if alive, he is a Prisoner of War."

In other words if the status existed, the Secretary of Navy would have designated Capt. Speicher a POW.

We realize that our enemies violate the rules of international law and the Geneva Conventions regarding the care and treatment of captured American Service Personnel. Terminology will not change that. Terminology does change world perception regarding the value we place on our captured personnel. In the eyes of the enemy, doesn't it downgrade the worth of a battered American service member, displayed on television worldwide, for the Department of Defense to designate him or her Missing/Captured rather than Prisoner of War?

The status Missing/Captured fails to provide this nation’s service members the moral dignity and international recognition provided by the Prisoner of War status.

Call To Action - We're asking your help to get the Prisoner of War status reinstated. DOD isn't going to do it. Elimination of the POW status is part of their overall plan to end the POW issue. With no POW status, they will never again leave a POW behind.

We're asking all who read this to contact their Senators and Congressional Representative, informing them that the POW status has been eliminated and state your opposition to this move by the Dept of Defense. We're betting that most if not all Senators and Congressional Representatives are unaware of this.

We've set up a web site listing all Senators and Congressional Representatives along their addresses, phone and fax numbers. There are also samples of two letters that you can download, to send to your representatives. You can also adapt these letters to send to your local newspapers. This issue needs to be brought to the attention of all Veterans groups and the public at large.

We can't do it without you. For the list of Senators, Congressional Representatives, and sample letters visit http://www.nationalalliance.org/powstatus.index.htm

Why Is This Important - Neither International Law or the Geneva Conventions recognize the status Missing/Captured. Our captured service personnel must be designated with a status recognized by the International community and it’s conventions.

Those of us involved in the POW/MIA issue have often stated that one of our goals is to make sure that no POW is ever left behind, again. With the elimination of the Prisoner of War status, the Dept of Defense has taken care of that, the easy way. They simply eliminated the designation/status Prisoners of War.

We’re going to make the issue of the elimination of the Prisoner of War designation/status a priority for 2005.

However, we can’t do it alone. We need every POW/MIA and Veterans Group and each individual to write the letters. Once the letters are written, we need follow-up. We can not let the Dept of Defense strip our captured service personnel of the designation/status POW and the legal and moral protection that status implies.

A Little Late But Here It Comes - In early 2000, we obtained a copy of DPMO briefing slides detailing long range plans and goals. List among DPMO goals was the plan to "Transition the accounting process from active operations to reactive efforts triggered by new information by FYE 2004."

We created quite a stir with our statements that DPMO was preparing to end recovery operations. DPMO even accused us of spreading misinformation, until we posted the briefing slides on our web site. Well, we are now in FYE 2005 and unfortunately more and more cases are being categorized "No further Pursuit."

This past week we received an email from Chris Rich, husband of Diane Moore. Diane is the daughter of confirmed POW, CMS Thomas Moore. Chris informed us that DPMO is ready to declare this case "No Further Pursuit."

Thomas Moore, Samuel Adams, Charles Dursing and Jasper Page were captured by the Viet Cong on October 31, 1965. Two days later, on November 2nd, while being transferred to detention camp, the four attempted escape. Only Page succeeded. When the war ended, the Vietnamese government listed Moore, Adams and Dursing as having Died in Captivity.

In recent years investigations conducted led to excavations in an attempt to recover remains. Unfortunately, the excavations were unsuccessful.

There is no question that the three were Prisoners of War. There is no question that the fully cooperating Vietnamese government know what happened to these men. They admitted in 1973 that the three died in their custody. Yet, they have failed to lead investigators to a successful recovery of remains.

If cases of confirmed POWs are now being declared "No Further Pursuit" what chances do other case have as we approach the DPMO goal to "Transition the accounting process from active operations to reactive efforts triggered by new information ...."

A letter to President Bush is needed asking how we can continually certify the Vietnamese government as "fully cooperating" on the POW/MIA issue when they have failed to account for men they admit died in their custody.

Candlelight Vigil - Friends Working to Free Scott Speicher will mark the 14^th year since the shootdown with a Candlelight Vigil. The Vigil will be held on Monday, January 17th, 2005, at 7:30pm at Lake Shore United Methodist Church, 2246 Blanding Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32210. The group will also remember PFC Matt Maupin during the Vigil. Scheduled speakers include for MIA-C Ron Young, (Who wants to tell Ron Young he was never a POW) and Carolyn & Keith Maupin, parents of PFC Maupin.

If you are in the Jacksonville area, please come out and show your support for Capt. Speicher and PFC Maupin, while remembering all our POW/MIA’s from World War II, Korea, the Cold War, and Vietnam.

For more information contact Georgia Davis at Georgiand@aol.com.

If You Can’t Make It to Jacksonville - Make a call to the White House on Monday January 17^th and let the President know we haven’t forgotten Scott Speicher. Call the White House Comment Line at 202-456-1111 between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM EST.

REMEMBER - Speicher and Maupin are only one stroke of the pen away from the fates of our World War II, Korean War, Cold War, and Vietnam POWs and MIAs.

No So Sure - In the Nov. 13th edition of "Bits" we reported on the group burial of 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.

We also printed several quotes from a story aired on WGRZ News 2. In that story Col. Kryszak's brother Robert was quoted as saying ""Is my brother in that grave? You haven't proven it to me pal," "All of this modern technology and they can't prove part of him was there?" Kryszak wondered. "It's closed," he said, adding "But down here (in my heart), I don't think so."

Several weeks later, while going through some documents, we found a report that mentioned Ted Kryszak. The CIA Intelligence Information Cable dated 21 May 1968 reported on a late 1966 early 1967 propaganda display of four captured American's in Laos. The source identified Ted Kryszak as resembling one of the four pilots he saw.

We have also learned that the family of the family of Lt. Col. Russell D Martin objected to the no remains identification and burial. With two more POW/MIA families dissatisfied with the identification process, we must all be very careful when pointing out identifications as successful case resolutions.

Why does Johnie Webb still have a job?

Order Your Copy Now - "MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD: THE SEARCH FOR AMERICA's POWs" formerly known as "The Eagle Cried" is a documentary, produced by Bill Dumas. Bill is the nephew of Bob Dumas, who has spent the last 50 years trying to bring his Korean War POW brother Roger home. The documentary chronicles Bob's search for his brother and the government's cover-up of abandoned POWs.

While primarily focused on the Dumas case, the production deals with the broader aspect of the POW/MIA issue as it relates to Korea and Vietnam. The film contains interviews with many well known figures in the issue, some of whom haven't spoken publically in years.

The special pre-release special price is $25. You have your choice of DVD or VHS. We recommend the DVD as it contains over two hours of video extras. Remember to add $3.00 for shipping and handling, for a total of $28.00. Make check payable to: Hygienic Art, Inc in the amount of $28.00. On the check be sure to reference "The Eagle Cried." The check should be mailed to: Bill Dumas Productions, 91 Arlington Dr. #7 Pasadena, CA 91105. This is the DVD or Video to own.