Message to Any Surviving Prisoners of War - Sorry guys, you are on your own. Grab a spoon and start digging that tunnel. Build that raft and take your chances. Don't bother with the Escape & Evade codes, the Walking K or USA. Forget about your authenticator codes. No one is coming to get you.

No one within the Department of Defense, specifically the Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) is interested in recovering a live POW. They don''t want to hear about them. And, most sadly, they don't even want to seriously consider the possibility they exist.

Any evidence of incident survival, even for those believed to have died in captivity prior to Operation Homecoming is brushed away, misrepresented or outright lied about. Reports of pre and post-Homecoming survival are dismissed using a logic that defies comprehension.

We wrote the above shortly after we returned from our annual meeting in Washington D.C. In re-reading our message to surviving POWs, we thought perhaps we were a bit harsh on DPMO. So, we spent the month of July and most of August thinking about what we wrote and decided that perhaps we were not harsh enough.

Our regular readers are quite familiar with the "Tourison Memos." In the first memo, written July 22 1992, Tourison named 9 servicemen stating; "This is the first admission from Vietnam that these nine were captured alive." The second memo, written August 1, 1992, named an additional 10 servicemen saying; "My review of POW/MIA case files disclosed DIA/JTFFA message traffic referring to individuals DoD now has information survived into captivity."

In the year since we made the "Tourison Memos" public, DPMO has consistently maintained that the memos expressed Mr. Tourison's "opinions." They ignore Tourison's statement that he based his memo's on a review of POW/MIA case files. They ignore Tourison's statement that "Vietnam has acknowledged they were captured alive...."

How is it an opinion that the Vietnamese acknowledged capture? They either did or didn't. It is not open to interpretation. Referring to Lt. James Egan, Tourison wrote; "Vietnam has now acknowledged that Lieutenant Egan was captured alive and has reported the he died in captivity in December 1968." Tourison did not pick the date of December 1968 out of thin air. It is not his opinion that Egan died in December 1968. That date was provided by the Vietnamese. On another note, where was Egan held? No returned POW reported being held with Egan, so where was he for the 2 years, 11 months and odd number of days of his captivity?

Tourison even drafted a letter, to Alan Ptak at the Department of Defense, recommending it be sent over the signatures of Committee Chairman John Kerry and Vice Chairman Bob Smith. The letter stated; "It has come to our attention that over the last several years, the Joint Casualty Resolution Center and/or Joint task Force Full Accounting (JTFFA) have received information from witnesses in Vietnam that some American servicemen declared dead while in a missing status actually survived into captivity. In some cases this information has come from Vietnamese officials who are acknowledging for the first time that some Americans not previously confirmed captured alive did in fact survive into captivity but later died."

During the DPMO briefing at our meeting, we asked a very simple question; "Has anyone at DPMO contacted Sedgwick Tourison to ask what he based his memo's on?"

We're sure you can guess the answer.... it was "No."

Wouldn't you think that someone in DPMO would have picked up the phone to ask Tourison how he came to write these memos, and on what they were based. After all, some of the people at DPMO worked with Tourison at DIA. He is not a stranger to the folks at DPMO.

We happen to know it wouldn't even require a long distance call. But, no the minds at DPMO are made up and there will be no changing them, no matter what the evidence, including admissions of capture by the Vietnamese themselves.

Recently a May 10 2006 article by Kathleen T. Rhem for the American Forces Press Service was brought to our attention. The article described the mission of the U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Personnel Recovery Agency. The article describes JPRA's involvement with the Speicher case stating: "The longest-isolated person the agency tracks is in the case of Navy Capt. Michael Scott Speicher. Speicher's F/A-18 Hornet fighter was shot down by enemy fire during the first day of the air war over Iraq, Jan. 17, 1991, during Operation Desert Storm."

The article also discussed the 20 active cases currently (as of May 2006) tracked by JPRA. "Of the 20 active cases the agency tracks, 11 are of DoD personnel and nine are non-DoD civilians. Not all cases the agency tracks are focused on Iraq. Three U.S. contractors are reported captured in Colombia, and several non-DoD civilians are reported kidnaped in Colombia and Panama."

Referring to DPMO the article states; "Unlike the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office, which seeks full accounting of service members missing in past wars, the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency monitors activities in cases where individuals are believed still to be alive."

If DPMO is not responsible for monitoring activities in cases where the "individuals are believed still to be alive" who do we speak with regarding live POWs in Southeast Asia, North Korea, China and the former Soviet Union?

Correction to our June 9th Bits N Pieces – In the June 9th edition of Bits we provided a list of POWs and those taken Prisoner and subsequently executed in Iraq. Among those listed as executed was PFC Johnathon Millican.

On January 20th 2007, the military base at Karbala was attacked. Media reports, including a Feb. 1, 2007 article on Capt. Brian Freeman funeral service reported he died in the compound while four other soldiers, Lt. Jacob Fritz, and Spc. Johnathan Chism, PFC Shawn Falter, and Johnathon Millican, were captured, transported and executed.

A recently released Army report now states that Capt. Freeman was among those captured. PFC Johnathon Millican died in the compound during the attack. For his heroic action at Karbala, PFC Millican was awarded the Silver Star.

Rescue Dawn, Hollywood Playing Fast and Loose With the Facts – for reasons unknown the makers of the movie "Rescue Dawn," the story of POWs held by the Pathet Lao and their daring escape, felt the true story needed the Hollywood touch. As a result a courageous American POW, Eugene DeBruin was badly maligned.

A joint statement issued by Jerry DeBruin, brother of Eugene Debruin, Stevan Smith - Documentary Producer - Vietnam War Veteran, Fred Rohrbach - Vietnam War Veteran, Pisidhi Indradat - Thai Escapee and returnee from Pathet Lao Prisons and Malcolm Creelman - Vietnam War Veteran, states;

"...The movie is vaguely based on the book, "Escape From Laos" written by Dieter Dengler. However, the movie takes liberties that are offensive to anyone who is familiar with the events surrounding the prison break from Ban Houei Het Pathet Lao Prison in June, 1966. These liberties may be the stock and trade of Hollywood but they are an insult to the brave POWs and their families."

"We, the friends and family of Dieter Dengler, Eugene (Gene) DeBruin, and Pisidhi Indradat wish to provide the truth for the record. Although the truth clearly doesn't matter to Werner Herzog, the producers and many who may review "Rescue Dawn," the truth does matter to many veterans and POW/MIA family members."

For more on this and the truth about Rescue Dawn visit www.rescuedawnthetruth.com

Misrepresentation and Information Withheld – Three case came to our attention during this years meeting where information was misrepresented or withheld from families. Today, we will deal with the case of Cpl. Gregory J. Harris (Project X, 119 Discrepancy List, and Tourison Memos.)

When the Harris family received their case summary or "scrub" at this year's meeting there was a reference to a report never provided to the family. The summary, prepared by DPMO, described the report this way:

"IIR 6 024 0149 06 - This report is derived from an open source book "remembering the Resistance," published in Vietnamese. It includes an excerpt from the memoirs of Luong Van Thu entitled "In Search of the Meaning of Life," in which the writer talks about being sent to take over the provincial general staff in Quang Ngai. The writer says that on 12 May 1966 he joined the 83rd battalion in a surprise attack on enemy troops killed, including eight American advisors. He also claims they captured two RVN officers and one American advisor, but furnished no additional information on those captured. Although the date is off by one month, and eight Americans were not killed in this battle, this account relates to the loss of CPL Harris and he is probably the one referred to as captured. (The lack of detail suggests the author had only hearsay on the capture of the American.) While at some point CPL Harris may have been isolated by communist forces, the evidence demonstrates he did not survive the day."

Another "Hearsay" report... NOT! The actual report, provided to the Harris family via private research, is four pages. The summary, which begins the actual report, says it all....

"This is a Stoney Beach Report. Firsthand account of the capture of an American advisor during a 12 May 1966 attack....."

When the DPMO case analyst was confronted with the actual document and asked to explain why the case summary referred to the report as "hearsay" when the actual report stated "firsthand" the response received was, "Well, it says firsthand but it doesn't really mean first hand."

No explanation given as to why this report was never provided to the family.

Later on when discussing a discrepancy in coordinates the family was told by the same analyst "Coordinates, coordinates don't matter."

Missing entirely from the case summary is a 1993 report provided to the Harris family in the summer of 2006, shortly after the Tourison memos became public. Dated 10 June 1993, the report describes three dog tags on display at the Military Region Five Museum. The report reads "I.D. tags, aluminum, names printed in English, Harrison (sic) Scaeffer, Schwenk.... belonged to American soldiers killed at Dien Hoa, Dien Ban, Quang Nam in 1966." One individual Harris (Refno 0358-0-01) is still unaccounted for. The province, Quang Nam, also correlates with the province loss for Refno 0358-0-01. The other two names do not appear on the JTF-FA Roster of missing personnel." According to the report the three were killed by village guerrillas and notes that Dien Hoa village is "approximately 25 KM (kilometers) from the Refno 0358 incident location." Again, no explanation was provided as to why 13 years had passed before the information was provided to the Harris family.

If the enemy moved Greg Harris 25 KM from his loss location that would make him a Prisoner of War. This would certainly support Tourison's memos. However, this report dated 1993 came almost a year after the memos were written. This indicated that additional information exists on which Tourison based his memos.

The Other Two Names Do Not Appear on the JTF-FA Roster of Missing Personnel – Remembering that the Vietnamese often use a phonic method of spelling American names, we took a look at the list of the unaccounted for. Note in the report Harris is referred to as Harrison. Could "Scaeffer" be Shafer as is Philip R. Shafer?

One of five aboard a CH54 helicopter shot down on April 19 1968, in South Vietnam, was Philip R. Schafer U.S. Army. What happened to Philip Schafer? The answer to that question is... we don't know. However, we did find one interesting fact. Philip Schafer is on the list of 82 individuals named on the "Kissinger List."

The Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs described the Kissinger List, prepared in 1973, this way; "... on January 31 and February 1, the Defense Intelligence Agency prepared a list of American POWs not identified on DRV-PRG-PL lists."

Henry Kissinger described the importance of the list in his memoirs stating; "We knew of at least 80 instances in which an American serviceman had been captured alive and subsequently disappeared. The evidence consisted either of voice communications from the ground in advance of capture or photographs and names published by the Communists. Yet, none of these men were on the list of POWs handed over after the Agreement. Why? Were they dead? How did they die? I called special attention to the 19 cases where pictures of the captured had been published in the Communist press."

Among the 82 names on the Kissinger List was Philip Schafer, United States Army captured in South Vietnam.

You Won't Believe Who The U.S. Considers a Prisoner of War – On August 16th Reuters reported; "The U.S. military will soon release the last Iraqi held as an enemy prisoner of war, leaving former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega as the country's only formally recognized POW."

Eliminating the POW Designation – The title of at least one Casualty Officer changed recently. No longer is this Casualty Officer described as "Head, POW/MIA Affairs." Instead, they are referred to as "Head, Repatriation." No POWs and no MIAs.

Attention Korea - Cold War Family Members - the annual DPMO briefing for Korea - Cold War families is scheduled for October 18 –20th, at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City VA. To attend contact your service casualty office. Remember the government will provide airfare for two family members to attend this meeting. You are responsible for all others costs.

If you find the rate at the Doubletree too steep, the Korea-Cold War Families of the Missing have negotiated lower rates at both the Comfort Inn and Best Westerns, a short distance from the Doubletree. For more information on this visit; www.nationalalliance.org/alliance_files/upcoming.htm

Gearing Up for the Final Push on H.Res 111 – As of this writing, H.Res 111, calling for the formation of a House Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, had 115 co-sponsors. We anticipate more co-sponsors when the House resumes its session after Labor Day. That is when we have to focus our full efforts on the House Rules Committee. H.Res 111 must be voted out of the Rules Committee before it can be voted on by the full House of Representatives.

For a full list of Rules Committee Members visit www.nationalalliance.org/legis/index.htm In additional to a list of Rules Committee members, you will find sample letters and everything you need to know to contact your congressional representative to co-sponsor H.Res 111.

The Following Groups Endorse H.Res 111

POW/MIA Family Groups: the Korea-Cold War Families of the Missing, World War II Families for Return of the Missing, Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs, and the National Alliance of Families

Veterans Groups: American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Tri-County Council Vietnam Era Vet, Rolling Thunder National, VietNow National, Vietnam and All Veterans of Florida, Inc., State Coalition

POW/MIA Organizations: Colorado POW/MIA Coalition, Help Free Our POW/MIA's Now, POW Network, Northeast POW/MIA Network, Lima Area MIA/POW, and Solutions Results, Inc: T/A POW FOIA Litigation Acct's.

Misinformation Campaign Against H.Res 111 – Opponents of H.Res 111 mounted a misinformation campaign stating among other things that "When these committees convene, the entire search process grinds to a halt. All time is lost in the field and pushes the return to the issue as far back as two years . . . " This statement is simply not accurate. For the proof visit www.nationalalliance.org/legis/fieldreports.htm