Another Secret Goes to the Grave - The National Alliance of Families recently learned of the passing of Mateo Sabog. Sabog died, at the age of 84, on November 14, 2007. His obituary described him as a "retired U.S. Army master sergeant." But, there was so much more to Mateo Sabog. Sadly, whatever he was and whatever he knew went to the grave with him.

In 1970, Mateo Sabog was an Army Master Sergeant with 24 years in service. He had just completed a tour of duty in Vietnam and had orders for his next duty station, Fort Bragg N.C. That is when Sabog simply disappeared. Unfortunately, no one, in Vietnam or at Fort Bragg, noticed. It was not until 1973 when his family made inquiries as to he whereabouts that it was determined that Sabog was missing. No evidence could be found that Sabog had ever left Vietnam.

The Army declared Sabog AWOL and eventually listed him as a deserter. His family fought this designation. Why would an individual with enough time in service to retire, with full pension, desert. Additionally, Sabog had purchased land for his retirement and had been making monthly payments on the property. This indicated a man with a plan for the future. Not someone planning to disappear.

Eventually, the Army after a re-evaluation of the case declared Sabog as missing presumed dead in Vietnam. His name is among the 59,000 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Remains recovered in Vietnam had tentatively been associated to Sabog and mt-DNA testing was pending.

In 1996, an elderly gentleman walked into a Georgia Social Security office to apply for his benefits. He gave the name Mateo Sabog. His identity was confirmed by fingerprints. Working under an alias, Sabog had spent the last ten years as a caretaker for an elderly woman. With his employer now in a nursing home, Sabog needed an income. It was at this point he applied for his social security benefits.

In all of the stories published at the time, we never found a reference to what exactly Mateo Sabog did from 1970, the time of his disappearance, until 1986 when he began working as a caretaker for an elderly woman. One article reported "Sabog remained on the West Coast for a number of years before moving to Georgia."

Once his identity was verified Sabog was reactivated into the Army and moved to a military hospital. An Associated Press article published March 9th 1996 reported; "We are treating Master Sergeant Sabog like a long lost soldier returned," Col. Don Maple, an Army spokesman, said Thursday. He's not only returned, but back in the fold; though in frail health the Army is putting him back on active duty. Because he was never properly discharged, Army rules require that the paperwork be done to put him on the active duty rolls before he can be let go, Maple said. "Being in the Army is more than a state of mind," Maple said."

Another Army spokesman was quoted as saying; "This is not another Bobby Garwood situation, we are not going to hardball this case. Here is a guy, for whatever reason, disappeared. He's been somewhere for the last 26 years. But he served his country honorably. We will treat him with dignity."

Mateo Sabog was honorably discharged from the United States Army with restoration of full benefits. He moved to Hawaii, living with a family member.

Mateo Sabog, Dead Man Walking but Never Talking….. The unanswered questions raised by the disappearance and re-appearance of Mateo Sabog remains a question for speculation.

4th Year of Captivity Approaching -- April 9th will mark the 4th year of captivity for Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin. Assigned the ambiguous designation "Missing/Captured" few Americans realize that Maupin, three other soldiers and a Navy pilot are actually Prisoners of War in Iraq. Maupin along with Ahmed Altaie, Alex Jimenez, and Byron Fouty were captured during the current war. Navy pilot Scott Speicher was captured during the first Gulf War.

The lack of a POW designation allows the media to forget that these men are actually Prisoners of War. How often do we see Maupin, Altaie, Jimenez and Fouty described in media report as "missing" in Iraq? The lack of a POW designation allows these brave men to slip from the American consciousness.

Recently, two incidents, once again, brought home how damaging the ambiguous "missing/captured" designation is.

On March 8th, the St. Petersburg Times quoted Keith Maupin, father of Sgt. Matt Maupin, as he spoke before "veterans groups in Hernando and Pasco counties." Mr. Maupin stated; "Matt's my buddy. He's my friend. He's my hero and I'm not going to give up on him."

The St. Petersburg Times described Sgt. Maupin as "missing and presumed captured in Iraq." Folks, take a look at this photo. Presumed captured…. Are they kidding…?

The second incident is personal. While leaving a restaurant recently, Lynn O'Shea was stopped by another patron who commented on the silver dog tag attached to her purse. Asked why she wore the dog tag, Lynn responded that it bore the name Sgt. Matt Maupin who was a Prisoner of War in Iraq. The response was "I didn't know we had Prisoners of War in Iraq."

We guess that is just the way the government wants it. There will be no POW issue when this Gulf War ends because there are no POWs.

Of course, DPMO claims there never was a POW designation. We've more than adequately disproved that lie in our Bits n Pieces of May 5, 2005. To view visit www.nationalalliance.org/bits/naf2005/050507.htm

We continue to find documents that prove a POW designation existed. One of the documents found, dated 7 Feb. 1972, is from the Defense Intelligence Agency. It reports a status change for one soldier. According to the document "The status of Sp4 Walter Cichon, USA, has been changed to PW as of 26 January 1972."

From World War II to Vietnam captured servicemen were classified as Prisoners of War. Yet, DPMO claims the status never existed.

265 Co-Sponsors for H.Res 111, But We're Still Stuck In The Rules Committee - Please keep the pressure on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rules Committee Chairperson Louise McIntosh-Slaughter. Remind them that that H.Res 111 enjoys overwhelming bi-partisan support. With 265 Co-Sponsors passage of H.Res 111 is clearly the will of the people.

Please continue to make the calls. The toll free number for Congress is 866-727-4894. Not sure if your Congressional Representative is a cosponsor, visit www.nationalalliance.org/legis/110congress.htm If your Representative is highlighted in red, he/she is a cosponsor. And, remember if your Congressional Representative is not a cosponsor, keep working on them!

World War II Remains Mis-Identified - Joining the list of Ridgway, Tichenor, Degnan, Judge, Berry, Plumadore, McGarvey, Adams, Parrish and Heaven knows how many others, the family of World War II pilot Wesley Raymond Stuart was shocked but not surprised to learn that the remains returned to them after the war were not those of their loved one.

From day one the family had doubts. Those doubts increased when it was learned that Stuarts' plane was located about three years ago, with remains inside. With little answers coming from the government, the family had the remains privately exhumed at their own expense. The story was reported by Dan Adams of News 10 California, on February 12th 2008.

[Begin Story] A mystery that has haunted a San Joaquin County family for 60 years is only growing deeper after the family has exhumed the remains of a relative killed in World War II. When Navy airman Wesley Raymond Stuart was shot down in September, 1944, in the South Pacific, it took nearly four years for the Navy to return his body to his parents who live in French Camp. That happened only after his mother repeatedly begged the military to provide her with the remains so the family could perform a proper burial.

Now, there is growing doubt that the remains provided to the family are those of Wesley Stuart. "Every time I go by my brother's picture I think of it," said Mary Ellen Roberts, Stuart's sister who now lives in Stockton. "Is that him in the mausoleum or is it somebody else?"

Roberts said her mother, who died ten years ago, always felt that the Navy shipped someone else's remains just to quiet the family. Because of the time between his death and the return of the remains, four years, the casket was never opened once it made it back to California.

"My mother always said, I know that isn't my son, but it is somebody's son, and I will treat it as if it was my own," said Roberts. Three years ago, those doubts intensified when members of the Bent Prop Project, who investigate W.W.II crash sites, came across the wreckage of the plane Stuart and two other airmen were in. A section of the plane with identifying numbers was found on a hillside on the island of Peleliu. The remains were shipped to a military facility in Honolulu, and Mary Ellen Roberts sent a vial of her blood to military pathologists to determine if there was a DNA match. "I thought then I would get an answer, but they haven't done a thing," said Roberts.

Faced with few other options, Roberts decided to act on her own. With her own $10,000, she had the remains which were interred at Park View Mausoleum in French Camp in 1944 exhumed. Her plan was to have DNA from those remains compared to hers to see if it is her brother or somebody else.

Though she did not want to be there as the copper colored casket was removed from its resting spot, her two sons, Richard and Steven Roberts did attend. As cemetery workers removed the top from the casket, the Roberts' were aghast. "We might have a problem trying to find what we need," said Richard Roberts.

In the casket, several small bundles of straw were placed where the legs should have been, a blanket instead of a body, a pillow but no head. "There's not much there," said Richard. Under the blanket, forensic pathologist Bob Lawrence found several small bone fragments including parts of a tibia, femur, vertebrae, and shoulder blade.

Combined, the pieces did not even fill a small zip lock freezer bag. Lawrence said there is about a 50-50 chance scientists will be able to get a good DNA sample. "I'm hoping but the problem is it's so degenerated, I'm not sure the DNA will be extractable," said Lawrence. Steven Roberts said the discovery lends more credence to his grandmother's belief that in 1948, she never did get the remains of her son. "To me it just seems like there's been somewhat a cover up."

Lawrence said it will be a minimum several weeks, perhaps several months before the DNA results are available, if it is extractable. For Mary Ellen Roberts, it's just one more delay is a sixty year mystery. "I want to know and I want to know soon."

News 10 has been in contact with the U.S. Navy. A representative was checking on the status of the investigation, but has yet to return our phone calls. [End Story]

On March 11th, Bobby Caina Calvan, of the Sacramento Bee followed up on Mary Ellen Roberts and her story. The remains exhumed from the grave of Wesley Stuart were not Stuarts' remains. According to Calvan; "While DNA tests solved one mystery - the remains weren't her brother's - new mysteries emerged. Whose remains did the Navy hand over to the Stuart family all those years ago? Whose bones were discovered three years ago? Will Wesley Stuart ever be brought home?

"I spent $11,000 of my own money. Now, at least I have my answer. I grew up wondering: 'Are you my brother, or are you not?" said Roberts, who now lives in Stockton. On a hallway wall, she hangs the American flag, neatly folded into a triangle, that the military gave her family. There are pictures of her brother, including one of him with his three-man crew posing in front of a Navy warplane. The remains discovered three years ago in Palau have yet to be identified."

Why does Johnie Webb still have his job?

National Alliance of Families 19th Annual Forum is scheduled for June 19th - 21st, 2008. Our forum is conducted to coincide with the Government s annual Vietnam POW/MIA Family Briefings. We urge all family members to attend this year's government briefing. The government will provide free airfare to two family members to attend the government briefings. There is no charge or registration fee to attend these briefings and you DO NOT have to belong to an organization to attend the government briefings.

We are in the process of arranging meeting space and special room rate, which will be announced when finalized. 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: