Prisoners of War or POW - That’s a phrase and acronym that is rapidly disappearing from American terminology. Speicher and Maupin are Missing-Captured. When the media reports on either, they refer to them as MIA-C. News accounts of recovery efforts in Southeast Asia, North Korea or the former Soviet Union report about the search and recovery efforts for missing, or accounted unaccounted for servicemen. Rarely, do we see a reference to Prisoners of War. Even rarer are references to search efforts for Prisoners of War.

That is why we were more than a little surprised when we came across an article dated July 13, 2005, from the Vietnam News Service. In the article the Vietnamese acknowledged the American search “for its prisoners of war and missing-in-action soldiers (POW/MIAs) in Viet Nam,” while glowingly reporting on their cooperation in those efforts. While the Department of Defense and the media have all but eliminated the Prisoner of War terminology, the Vietnamese have no problem acknowledging it.

Vietnam has denied the existence of American POWs on their soil, since 1973. Yet, today they easily acknowledge a search for these nonexistent individuals.

Revisiting A Very Important Piece of Information – In 1998, the Directorate of Operations within DPMO received an extremely credible report that American MIAs were still being held in Southeast Asia, and DPMO ignored the report! Not one single action was taken to determine if the report was true, the source was not interviewed further, the Governments in Southeast Asia were not asked to account for the report.... nothing.

1998.... An extremely credible report.... American MIAs....

still being held in Southeast Asia....

1998.... extremely credible... American MIAs....

still held in Southeast Asia......

1998.... MIAs.... held in Southeast Asia.....

Ask yourself how many of those MIAs held since 1998 may have died while that report sits, un-investigated, in some DPMO file cabinet?

 Is that a cry of outrage, we hear??????

Activists Arrested – During the recent visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Khai, two demonstrations were held in Washington D.C. The first was held June 18^th, the second June 21^st. On the evening of June 21^st a dinner was held in Khai’s honor. It was at that dinner, that POW/MIA activist Jerry Kiley was arrested after spilling a glass of wine in front of Khai and calling Senator McCain a traitor. Also arrested was Tuan Phuoc Le, 34, of Atlanta. On July 10^th the Washington Times carried an article by Gary Emerling titled “Punch May Cost Vietnamese Man U.S. Residency.” The following is excerpted from that article:

“A Vietnamese immigrant is facing deportation after punching a high-ranking Vietnamese official visiting Washington late last month. Tuan Phuoc Le, 34, of Atlanta, punched in the face Nguyen Quoc Huy, vice chairman of the Prime Minister's Office for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, during a protest at the Willard InterContinental Hotel on June 21, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the District. Mr. Le said Mr. Huy "was a communist" and "he killed my U.S. Marine father in Vietnam," court records show.

“Ernestine Fobbs, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said legal immigrants can face deportation if they commit a serious crime. "When you become a permanent resident, you swear you will adhere to regulations here in the U.S. and ... that you will be a lawful permanent resident," Miss Fobbs said. "If they commit a crime, since they're not U.S. citizens, they are subject to removal from the United States."

“....Mr. Le likely would be oppressed and imprisoned if he were sent back to the communist country, human rights advocates say. "Dissidents are harassed, isolated and in some cases imprisoned," said Minky Worden, media director for Human Rights Watch. "Critics of any kind don't really fare very well in Vietnam."

“ Mr. Le was a member of a group called My Voice, My Country that protested Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai's visit to Washington last month, court records show. The group staged a large demonstration, replete with waving flags and blaring bullhorns. Mr. Le spotted Mr. Huy, a member of the prime minister's delegation, in the rear of the hotel and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground, the criminal complaint states.”

“.... “Deporting someone to Vietnam can be difficult because the communist nation does not have an immigration agreement with the United States, Miss Fobbs said..... Mr. Le's case has attracted widespread attention via Web sites such as www.tin360.com and www.nam360.com.”

“Duc Tran, a Vietnamese immigrant in Philadelphia, has followed the case. Mr. Le's story has made him a hero to many American-Asians who suffered under Vietnam's communist rule, he said. "He broke the ice of fear for the first time," Mr. Tran told The Washington Times. "I want to see how the courts are going to interpret his act. In Vietnam we cannot protest, but here we can protest."

“ The Web site www.nam360.com carries comments from around the world in support of Mr. Le and Jerry Kiley, a Vietnam veteran facing simple assault charges after throwing red wine in Mr. Khai's direction at a banquet June 21. The Web site -- founded by Mr. Kiley, other veterans and members of the Vietnamese community -- has raised about $25,000 in legal fees for the two men, Mr. Tran said.”

“Mr. Kiley told The Times that he shared a holding cell with Mr. Le after their arrests. Mr. Le did not at first fully understand that he might be sent back to Vietnam until Mr. Kiley explained it to him. "If they ship him back to Vietnam, just do him a favor and shoot him here, because they'll torture him and murder him over there," he said.”

If you’d like to contribute to the Defense Fund for Jerry Kiley and Tuan Phuoc Le, please visit www.nam360.com for detail on how you can help.

It’s Time For Our Vacation – As is our custom, we suspend Bits N Pieces for about six weeks, starting in August. This allows us to catch up on research and case specific work. Before we go, there are several important matters that need your attention.

H.Res 123 - To establish, 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.”

As of July 29^th this legislation has 16 co-sponsors, far short of the 54 co-sponsors the bill had in the last session of Congress. During our 2005 annual forum, we debated H. Res 123, risk vs reward. At this point in time, we’ve decided the reward outweighs the risk.

If a new hearing allows one Congressman to ask one DPMO official to explain why an extremely credible report of American MIAs still being held in Southeast Asia was never investigated, sitting in DPMO since 1998, it will be worth it.

If a new hearing allows one Congressman to ask one DPMO official to explain why, reports of American POWs held in North Korea and the former Soviet Union are so easily dismissed, in spite of the excellent work of the Joint Commission Support Directorate, it will be worth it.

If a new hearing allows one Congressman to ask one DPMO official to explain why a report received in 1993, of 185 POWs held back, by Hanoi, at Operation Homecoming has never been investigated, it will be worth it.

If a new hearing allows one Congressman to ask one DPMO official to explain why, despite the receipt of a large number of intelligence reports from sources of varying credibility, DPMO has never made a credible effort to determine the fate of Captain Scott Speicher, it will be worth it.

If a new hearing allows one Congressman to ask one DPMO official to explain WHY.... it will be worth it.

A tremendous amount of information has been uncovered since the Senate Select Committee (SSC) published its report is 1993. It’s time that information goes beyond the POW/MIA community. Remember, the SSC stated:

There is evidence, moreover, that indicates the possibility of survival, at least for a small number, after Operation Homecoming....”

Is that “small number 185.... Isn’t it time we find out what happened to that “small number.”

We ask you all to contact your congressional representatives, at 202-224-3121 and request that they co-sponsor H.Res 123. Letters may be sent to your Congressional Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C., 20515. 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.

It’s time for Congress to take another look at the POW/MIA issue

and how it is handled by DPMO.

H.R. 3352 the “Stolen Valor Act of 2005" – Over the last several years, there have been an enormous number of individuals claiming to be either former POWs, Recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, holders of numerous Purple Hearts or various other medals of valor and courage. These phonies and wanna-be’s when caught, face little punishment for their actions.

H.R. 3352, introduced by Congressman Salazar of Colorado, the bill would “amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to protections for the Medal of Honor, and for other purposes.” According to the legislation:

“Fraudulent claims surrounding receipt of the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished-Service Cross, the Air Force Cross, the Navy Cross, the Purple Heart, or any other medal or decoration awarded by Congress or the armed forces damage the reputation and meaning of these medals; Federal law enforcement officers are currently limited in their ability to prosecute fraudulent claims of receipt of military medals; and changes to the current statute are necessary to allow law enforcement personnel to protect the reputation and meaning of these medals.”

“ False Claims About Receipt of Military Medals- Whoever falsely represents himself or herself, verbally or in writing, to have been awarded any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.'; and by adding at the end the following:

  `(d) Other Medals- If a decoration or medal involved in an offense under subsection (a) or (b) is a Distinguished Service Cross awarded under Section 3742 of title 10, an Air Force Cross awarded under section 8742 of section 10, a Navy cross awarded under section 6242 of title 10, a silver star awarded under section 3746, 6244, or 8746 of title 10, or a Purple Heart awarded under section 1129 of title 10, or any replacement or duplicate medal as authorized by statute, in lieu of the punishment provided in that subsection, the offender shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.'.”

We support this legislation and urge you all to contact your Congressional Representative, at 202-224-3121 and ask that they cosponsor H.R. 3352, the “Stolen Valor Act of 2005.” Letters may be sent to your Congressional Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C., 20515. You can find fax numbers for your representatives at http://www.nationalalliance.org/legis/index.htm

Introduced July 19^th, this bill has 46 cosponsors.

H. R. 3329 – “Civilian Prisoner-of-War Medal Act of 2005" – “To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for the issuance of a prisoner-of-war medal to civilian employees of the Federal Government who are taken captive, by armed forces or agents of a foreign government hostile to the United States, during war or under wartime conditions.”

Introduced by Congressman Davis of Kentucky the bill would “provide for the issuance of a prisoner-of-war medal to civilian employees of the Federal Government who are taken captive, by armed forces or agents of a foreign government hostile to the United States, during war or under wartime conditions.”

According to the bill; “The President shall issue a prisoner-of-war medal to any employee who – while such employee was serving in a position or performing one or more functions in support of military personnel under circumstances described in any paragraph of section 1128(a) of title 10 (as determined by the President), or under circumstances (other than those to which paragraph (1) applies) which the President finds to have been comparable to those under which members of the Armed Forces have generally been held captive by enemy armed forces during periods of armed conflict, was forcibly taken and held captive by armed forces or agents of a foreign government hostile to the United States.”

Specifying eligibility, the legislation sates; “ For a person to be eligible for issuance of a prisoner-of-war medal, the person's conduct must have been honorable for the period of captivity which serves as the basis for the issuance, and such captivity must not have been the result of any willful misconduct on the part of such person. If a person dies before the issuance of a prisoner-of-war medal to which the person is entitled, the medal may be issued to that person's representative, as designated by the President.”

This legislation would be effective as of April 6, 1917, allowing the awarding of the POW Medal to civilians, employees held during World War II, Korea, the Cold War and Vietnam.

We support this legislation and urge you all to contact your Congressional Representative, at 202-224-3121 and ask that they cosponsor H.R. 3329, the “Civilian Prisoner-of-War Medal Act of 2005." Letters may be sent to your Congressional Representative at U.S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C., 20515. You can find fax numbers for your representatives at http://www.nationalalliance.org/legis/index.htm

Introduced July 19^th, this bill has 0 cosponsors.

POW Petition Drive – We don’t have a count on the number of signatures gathered, yet. As soon as we get it, we’ll pass it along.

Why Does Johnie Webb still have a job.

Attention: Policy Makers and DPMO, Take A Lesson – “Israel Offering $10 Million for Info on MIA’s” One July 11^th IsraelNN.com reported: “Israel is offering a $10 million prize to any person providing relevant information relating to soldiers missing in action.”

“Announcement of the prize was made in the state’s response to a High Court petition submitted by the parents of Yehuda Katz, who has been missing in action since the Lebanon War in 1982.”

“The state originally had intended to award prize money only in regard to information relating to missing navigator Ron Arad. The Katz family submitted its petition in order to have the prize money applicable to all of Israel’s soldiers missing in action.”

We’re on Vacation till September 10^th. Of course, if anything happens we’ll bring it to you, immediately. While we’re gone, please, please write your letters and call your Congressional Representatives asking that they support H. Res 123, HR 3329 and HR 3352.

1998.... MIAs.... held in Southeast Asia.....

Ask yourself how many of those MIAs held since 1998 may have died while that report sits, un-investigated, in some DPMO file cabinet?

 Is that a cry of outrage, we hear??????