The following is an excerpt from the August 26, 1995 edition of the National Alliance of Families Newsletter "Bits 'N' Pieces.
"VIETNAMESE EMBASSY - The new Charge D'Affaires, Desaix Anderson takes up his position this Monday, in Hanoi. In the last BITS 'N' PIECES we mentioned that Mr. Anderson had an extensive background in Southeast Asian Affairs.
Now, we know how extensive. A joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) "MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD DATED 11 AUGUST 1980, PUTS MR. ANDERSON AT A "PW/MIA IAG (INTER AGENCY GROUP) MEETING ON 30 July 1980. The memo lists him as representing the State Department and describes him as "DIRECTOR, SRV/LAOS/KAMPUCHEAN AFFAIRS."
Another memo, puts Mr. Anderson at the 7 November 1980 IAG meeting, again representing the State Department.
The real kicker is a Dept. of State Memo dated 27, January 1981. The memo is directed: To "JCS - VADM Thor Hanson, From: EA/VLK - Desaix Anderson." The subject: "CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR LIVE AMERICANS INDOCHINA."
The newsletter continued with extensive quotes from the memo, and ended with the following comment:
"Mr. Anderson, is now charged with representing the interest of our POWs in Vietnam. Let's hope any information he receives on live American POWs deals with hundreds of men and not twenty, ten or even one.
As Mr. Anderson so clearly stated back in 1981, any action depends on:
"THE NUMBER OF PERSONS HELD PRISONER"
"IN WHICH THE NUMBER OF POWS WAS LARGE"
We wonder how many reports of men alive from 1981 to today are ignored because it does not fit the government's numbers criteria.
What of that one man who wonders, why no one has come for him? How can our government explain the number wasn't "large" enough? How many abandonments must our POWs suffer? Whose son, husband, brother or father is the solitary soul, our government would not look for or retrieve, because the number was not "large" enough.
Of all the documents intelligence reports and memos uncovered, we think this is the most shameful. In black and white, for all to read the government admits, only large numbers of prisoners are worth any effort of rescue. Those held in small groups, well... we guess they are on their own. But then... weren't they always?"
Mr. Anderson's bumper sticker must read "One American is Not Worth the Effort to be Found."
