How many times have we said, or heard someone say, we want to make things better so that future captured service personnel and their families will not follow the paths of our World War II, Korea, Cold War, Vietnam or Gulf War I families? How many times have we said, or heard someone say, that we wanted to leave things better then we found them.

Just this past week one of our reader's wrote us saying: "I know how many of us, desperate about the lack of anything real being done on behalf of the live Vietnam POWs, used to say, "Well, at least I hope that what we're doing now will prevent the same thing from happening in the next war."

As you all know, we have strenuously objected to the ambiguous designation of "Missing/Captured" to classify captured American Service Personnel. Why would our Defense Department "domestically" classify captured Americans with a designation inferior to International Law and the Geneva Conventions.

If International Law and the Geneva Conventions recognize Capt. Scott Speicher and Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin as a POW, why doesn't our own Government?

A Petition Drive, a joint effort launched under the banner of Rolling Thunder® Inc. National, with the full support of the National Alliance of Families and Operation Carry the Flame, begins today.

The petition calls upon the President and Congress to "direct the Department of Defense to recognize and designate as "Prisoner of War" (POW) not "Missing/Captured" (MIA-C) any member of the U.S. Armed Forces, paramilitary, militia, U.S. citizens employed by a U.S. agency or under U.S. Government contract who are captured and held against his/her will . . . "

The petition concludes; "To ensure that the classification of U.S. Military and Civilian Personnel is not inferior to that provided for under the Geneva Conventions, we ask that you direct the Department of Defense to eliminate the designation Missing-Captured and reinstate the designation "Prisoner of War."

The one thing the Government counts on above all else is that POW/MIA groups never unite behind one effort. The differences between groups and individuals over the years has made a split camp and the Government counts on this. That is why we are so pleased that Rolling Thunder® Inc. National, Carrying the Flame and the National Alliance of Families have united in this effort.

We are now asking each group and each and every one of you to put aside any differences you may have with any organizations or individuals and unite behind this Petition Drive. Let's show the Government, in this effort, we can work as one, to leave things better then we found them.

On April 6th a Military Review Board met to review the status of now Sgt. Matt Maupin. At issue, will he continued to be carried in the "domestic" status of Missing/Captured or be declared Killed in Action/Body not Recovered (KIA/BNR). The Boards findings are expected in the next week.

This same week the Secretary of the Navy directed a Board of Review to determine if Capt. Scott Speicher should, again be declared KIA/BNR.

Should these Military Boards determine that one or both men are KIA/BNR, U.S. Government records will show that no Prisoner of War was left behind during Gulf Wars I or 2. So, we ask the question, who among us wants to tell Matt Maupin his government doesn't consider him a Prisoner of War.

In an effort to draw attention to the Petition Drive Operation Carry the Flame will carry the petition cross country gathering signatures as they head for Rolling Thunder XVIII. Their ride begins May 17th at the USS Hornet in California. At the kind invitation of Operation Carry the Flame, Dolores Alfond, National Alliance of Families Chairperson, will attend ceremonies to kick off the cross country ride. For more on the itinerary visit Operation Carry the Flame

Petitions are available for downloading at www.nationalalliance.org and www.rollingthunder1.com If you have a problem downloading the petition, contact us and we will either fax or mail you a copy.

Download and print these petitions, get as many signature as you can. Take them to your monthly meetings, and family gatherings. Take them to work if you can, without getting fired. Take them anywhere you can get a signature.

We urge you all to follow the route of Operation Carry the Flame, come out to show your support and present signed petitions to be carried to Washington D.C. If you are not on the route, mail your signed petitions to:

Remember, this isn't about organizations or individuals, it's about Scott Speicher, Matt Maupin and any Service Member who might end up in the hands of the enemy.

The petition drive culminates May 29th at Rolling Thunder XVIII. On that day, we hope to have many thousands of signatures calling for the "domestic" reinstatement of the Prisoner of War designation.

Special thanks - to Artie Muller and the members of Rolling Thunder® Inc. National and King Cavalier of Operation Carry the Flame for their support of this effort.

We're not finished........

As of this date, H.Res 123 has 2 co-sponsors, Representative Anna G. Eshoo of California and Ron Paul of Texas.

This Resolution, introduced by Representative Peter King (R-NY), calls for the establishment in the House of Representatives, a Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. The purpose of this Committee is to "conduct a full investigation of all unresolved matters relating to any United States personnel unaccounted for from the Vietnam era, the Korean conflict, World War II, Cold War Missions, or Gulf War, including MIA's and POW's."

This legislation was previously introduced in the 108th Congress. It died in committee with 54 cosponsors. Of the 54 cosponsors from last year, 50 still serve in Congress. These 50 Representatives are our prime target! As previous cosponsors of the legislation, they should be willing to sign on to the new legislation.

The Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs concluded in 1993 that; "In 1976, the Montgomery Committee concluded that because there was no evidence that missing Americans had survived, they must be dead..... This Committee has uncovered evidence that precludes it from taking the same view. We acknowledge that there is no proof that U.S. POWs survived, but neither is there proof that all of those who did not return had died. There is evidence, moreover, that indicates the possibility of survival, at least for a small number, after Operation Homecoming...."

Information recently provided, by former DPMO Intelligence Research Officer Warren Gray, details a string of failures within DPMO to actively pursue information relating to our POW/MIAs. One of his many concerns was the DPMO failure to investigate a report, known in house, as the "185 Report." Could the 185 POWs referred to in this report be the "small number" of POWs mentioned in the conclusion of the Senate Select Committee's 1993 Report? We don't know because DPMO buried the report.

With the recent release of the 5th Edition of the Gulag Study, this legislation has never been more important. According to the study; "Americans, including American servicemen, were imprisoned in the former Soviet Union . . . "

We ask you all to contact your congressional representatives and request that they co-sponsor H.Res 123. We've posted a list of all 435 congressional representatives on our web site. The list also indicates previous co-sponsors. We've also posted sample letters. Use the samples, alter them to make them more personal, or write your own letter. Make sure you contact your congressional representative, asking them to co-sponsor H.Res 123.

Visit http://www.nationalalliance.org/legis/index.htm to view the Congressional list and get your sample letters.

Remembering a World War II POW Held 53 Years in the Soviet Union – from the Hungarian News Agency, March 30 2005 - "A tombstone honouring the last World War II prisoner of war to return to Hungary was placed on Andras Toma's grave on Wednesday, on the first anniversary of his death at age 79. "

"Toma, who is buried in Nyiregyhaza, E Hungary, was sent to the war front in 1944, at the age 19, where he was captured by the Red Army in early 1945, and taken back to the Soviet Union. In 1947 he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in the town of Kotelnich about fifteen hundred kilometers east of Moscow, where he spent the next 53 years of his life, his identity forgotten. A newspaper article triggered a television documentary, which sparked Hungarian interest and an investigation was begun. Toma was returned to Hungary in 2000 and lived with his sister Anna and her family until his death in 2004....."

"Americans, including American servicemen, were imprisoned in the former Soviet Union . . . " From the Gulag Study 5th Edition.

New Section on Our Web Site – We've added an "Upcoming Events" section to our web site. If you are conducting a POW/MIA event in your area and would like it posted on our site, let us know. Provide detailed information and a flyer, if available. ONLY POW/MIA events will be posted. No Exceptions!

Cast Your Vote – Do you believe the DOD should reinstate the Prisoner of War designation for captured Service Members? To vote click here

If You Had $800,000.00 – How would you best spend this money if you were the head of DPMO? E-mail your ideas to lynn@nationalallianc.org

National Alliance of Families 16th Annual Forum is scheduled for June 16th - 18th, 2005. Our forum is conducted to coincide with the Governments annual Vietnam POW/MIA Family Briefings. We urge all family members to attend this years government briefings. The government will provide free airfare to two family members to attend the government briefings. There is no charge or registration fee to attend the government briefings and you do not have to belong to an organization to attend these briefings. This year we will meet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel located at 1489 Jefferson Davis Highway. The Crowne Plaza is a short walk from the Doubletree Hotel, site of the government briefings. Room rates for the Alliance are $109.00 per night plus tax. Parking is $7.00 per day. Call 1-800-2CROWNE. Reservations can be made after March 16th. The deadline for reservations is May 20th. 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: