• Have you thanked a Veteran  for the Freedoms you enjoy Today?

   

   May you all have many things to be thankful for and may each day bring bountiful blessings to you and yours!

  Gypsy

   

   

   

   

  GO PATRIOTS!!

   

   

   

  

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

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http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler/article/236259/58/Pro-pot-vets-group-changes-name-but-keeps-logo

Pro-pot vets group changes name but keeps logo

 10:16 AM, Feb 3, 2012 | 0 comments The Veterans For Weed group changed its name to Veterans For Weed United after drawing complaints from the VFW. The VFWU will continue to use an altered POW/MIA logo, however.

Written by Gannett News Service

(ArmyTimes) - Veterans For Weed is becoming Veterans For Weed United in a retreat after the nation's largest organization for combat veterans raised objections to the use of the acronym VFW.

"We have chosen to remove all current artwork using the VFW sign," said a statement on the group's website. "We respect the Veterans of Foreign Wars and apologize for any inconvenience this caused them with the similar abbreviation."

However, the VFWU group - which it now wants to be known as - isn't backing down from appropriating a modified version of a POW/MIA logo as a symbol of its campaign.

Veterans of Foreign Wars, which owns the copyright to the acronym VFW, sent a cease-and-desist order to the Milwaukee-based pro-pot organization demanding it stop using the name.

Joe Davis, a spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars, said the marijuana group has taken a small step.

"We would prefer their new acronym be something different, like VWU (Veterans for Weed United) but at least it helps eliminate some confusion," Davis said.

Davis added that continuing to use the POW/MIA logo is wrong.

"They should be ashamed," he said. "What they have done is a total insult to their memory and sacrifice, and to their families who still grieve."

The original POW/MIA logo, designed for the National League of POW/MIA Families but never copyrighted, features a silhouette of a prisoner of war with a prison camp guard tower in the background.

The altered version, called the "Pot POW" logo by VFWU, shows the soldier smoking a joint and adds marijuana plants to the foreground.

"We love veterans. And the POW flag has just as much meaning to us as anyone else," the VFWU statement said. "POW logo is not copyrighted, and is an art piece for all people. This may offend some of you. We apologize that you take offense, but we will not be changing our symbol."

Pot POW is the group's name for someone who is jailed for marijuana use.

"We did not alter the POW flag lightly, or because we were high. We take it very seriously. As far as fighting the good fight, we fight for the legalization of marijuana, and we use the tools available to us."

"The day that marijuana is legalized, we will pull this logo down ourselves and delete it from our servers," the statement said.

Another change the group made was to close its online store where it sold shirts, caps, buttons and mouse pads with the name Veterans For Pot or with the Pot POW logo.

"The store did not make any profit, but was merely a device to help publicize the site and offset some of the costs of hosting. However, in the spirit of good faith, we decided that the store isn't needed," the statement said.

VFWU's statements come from someone identifying himself as Hemp Solo, a Marine veteran who has refused to give his real name.

Solo said in a statement that his organization was dedicated to veterans who use marijuana, a habit that may have come from service in Vietnam when troops were "often encouraged to smoke weed."

"Pot's ability to reduce stress is a treatment for stress disorders resulting from traumatic events that occurred during war while they are at home," Solo said. "However, veterans who chose to smoke weed to help with stress are condemned for doing it now."

He is not the only person to say that.

"We believe in the use of medical marijuana for those suffering from PTSD and other ailments," said David Apperson, an Army veteran and spokesman for the advocacy group Vets Helping Vets. "We are totally against the use of or modifying of the POW/MIA logo."

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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/01/military-pro-pot-group-draws-ire-for-name-pow-logo-013112/

Pro-pot group draws ire for name, POW logo use

By Rick Maze - Staff writer Posted : Tuesday Jan 31, 2012 19:38:27 EST

A website advocating on behalf of legalized marijuana has offended some veterans by using the acronym for the nation’s largest group of combat veterans and by modifying a famous logo showing a soldier being held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam as smoking a joint.

A representative of Veterans for Weed, a Milwaukee-based organization with a website and Facebook page, said they have no plans to stop using the altered logo created for the National League of POW/MIA Families that shows a silhouette of a soldier and a prison tower. The altered logo, which the group is selling on hats, T-shirts and other items, shows the soldier smoking a joint.

The image is not copyrighted, so there is no legal reason why the organization has to stop using the altered image, a Veterans for Weed representative said in an email.

“It was not our intention to offend anyone. We apologize to those we did offend,” said the spokesman, who identified himself as Hemp Solo, and said he was a Marine veteran.

Both the website and Facebook page for the marijuana group have many complaints asking them to stop using the POW/MIA logo and VFW name.

A message posted on the website says: “We did not alter the POW flag lightly, or because we were high. We take it very seriously.”

Solo, who did not provide his real name, did not address the issue of using VFW, an acronym that is copyrighted, according to a statement provided by Randi K. Law of Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Law said the legal counsel of the Veterans of Foreign Wars “immediately mailed a cease and desist letter to the group. In an effort to avoid further legal action by VFW, Veterans for Weed must immediately cease using VFW on any communication, products, and etcetera.”

“The Veterans of Foreign Wars is not affiliated with, nor does it support Veterans for Weed or its initiatives,” Law said.

Use of the altered POW/MIA logo and use on the website of terms such as “stoner soldier” and “semper high” are also offensive, according to Law’s statement.

However, the statement agrees that the POW/MIA logo was never copyrighted and is in the public domain.

Ann Mills-Griffiths, chairman of the National League of POW/MIA Families, said in a statement that offenders usually stop using an altered logo when asked.

“In most instances, intervention by veterans and family members have succeeded in halting further use,” she said. “That is all we can legally do, calling upon them to do what is right and responsible.”

Solo said Veterans For Weed concentrates on trying to change laws that put marijuana users in jail. Use of the VFW name and the altered POW/MIA logo are a way of getting attention, he said.

“It was meant to get vets and non-vets to recognize the issue (of) vets jailed and lives ruined because of a little pot,” Solo’s statement said. “Some have even killed themselves cause of the persecution.”

Acknowledging there may been complaints from veterans on the group’s website and Facebook page, Solo said there also have been many positive comments.

“We get positive feedback from around the world. We will not remove it. It is stirring up conversation. When you are in prison because you smoked, or possessed some pot , then you are a POW, prisoner of weed,” Solo said.

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http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-02-02/marijuana-group-pow/52928042/1?csp=34news

Pro-marijuana group changes name but keeps POW logo

By Rick Maze, Military Times

The group formerly known as Veterans For Weed has agreed to slightly alter its name after the nation's largest organization for combat veterans raised objections to the use of the VFW acronym.

The newly named veterans group will now be called Veterans For Weed United.

"We have chosen to remove all current artwork using the VFW sign," said a statement on the group's website. "We respect the Veterans of Foreign Wars and apologize for any inconvenience this caused them with the similar abbreviation."

STORY: Pro-marijuana group draws ire for name, logo However, the group isn't backing down from appropriating a modified version of a POW/MIA logo as a symbol of its campaign.

Veterans of Foreign Wars, which owns the copyright to the acronym VFW, sent a cease-and-desist order to the Milwaukee-based pro-pot organization demanding it stop using the name.

Joe Davis, a spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars, said the marijuana group has taken a small step.

"We would prefer their new acronym be something different, like VWU (Veterans for Weed United) but at least it helps eliminate some confusion," Davis said.

Davis added that continuing to use the POW/MIA logo is wrong.

"They should be ashamed," he said. "What they have done is a total insult to their memory and sacrifice, and to their families who still grieve."

The original POW/MIA logo, designed for the National League of POW/MIA Families but never copyrighted, features a silhouette of a prisoner of war with a prison camp guard tower in the background.

The altered version, called the "Pot POW" logo by VFWU, shows the soldier smoking a joint and adds marijuana plants to the foreground.

"We love veterans. And the POW flag has just as much meaning to us as anyone else," the VFWU statement said. "POW logo is not copyrighted, and is an art piece for all people. This may offend some of you. We apologize that you take offense, but we will not be changing our symbol."

Pot POW is the group's name for someone who is jailed for marijuana use.

"We did not alter the POW flag lightly, or because we were high. We take it very seriously. As far as fighting the good fight, we fight for the legalization of marijuana, and we use the tools available to us."

"The day that marijuana is legalized, we will pull this logo down ourselves and delete it from our servers," the statement said.

Another change the group made was to close its online store where it sold shirts, caps, buttons and mouse pads with the name Veterans For Pot or with the Pot POW logo.

"The store did not make any profit, but was merely a device to help publicize the site and offset some of the costs of hosting. However, in the spirit of good faith, we decided that the store isn't needed," the statement said.

VFWU's statements come from someone identifying himself as Hemp Solo, a Marine veteran who has refused to give his real name.

Solo said in a statement that his organization was dedicated to veterans who use marijuana, a habit that may have come from service in Vietnam when troops were "often encouraged to smoke weed."

"Pot's ability to reduce stress is a treatment for stress disorders resulting from traumatic events that occurred during war while they are at home," Solo said. "However, veterans who chose to smoke weed to help with stress are condemned for doing it now."

He is not the only person to say that.

"We believe in the use of medical marijuana for those suffering from PTSD and other ailments," said David Apperson, an Army veteran and spokesman for the advocacy group Vets Helping Vets. "We are totally against the use of or modifying of the POW/MIA logo."

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http://theveteransforweed.com/index.shtml

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THE WAR DOGS

When U.S. President Barack Obama went to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, for a highly publicized,

but very private meeting with the commando team that killed Osama bin Laden,

only one of the 81 members of the super-secret SEAL DevGru unit was identified by name:

Cairo, the war dog. Cairo, like most canine members of the elite U.S. Navy SEALs, is a

Belgian Malinois. The Malinois breed is similar to German shepherds but smaller and

more compact, with an adult male weighing in the 30-kilo range.

German shepherds are still used as war dogs by the American military

but the lighter, stubbier Malinois is considered better for the tandem

parachute jumping and rappelling operations often undertaken

by SEAL teams. Labrador retrievers are also favoured by

various military organizations around the world

Like their human counterparts, the dog SEALS are highly trained, highly skilled,

highly motivated special ops experts, able to perform extraordinary

military missions by Sea, Air and Land (thus the acronym). The dogs

carry out a wide range of specialized duties for the military teams to

which they are attached: With a sense of smell 40 times greater than a human's,

the dogs are trained to detect and identify both explosive material and

hostile or hiding humans. The dogs are twice as fast as a fit human,

so anyone trying to escape is not likely to outrun Cairo or his buddies.

The dogs, equipped with video cameras, also enter certain danger zones first,

allowing their handlers to see what's ahead before humans follow.

As I mentioned before, SEAL dogs are even trained parachutists, jumping

either in tandem with their handlers or solo, if the jump is into water.

Last year canine parachute instructor Mike Forsythe and his dog Cara set

the world record for highest man-dog parachute deployment,

jumping from more than 30,100 feet up - the altitude transoceanic

passenger jets fly at. Both Forsythe and Cara were wearing oxygen masks

and skin protectors for the jump. Here's a photo from that jump,

taken by Andy Anderson for K9 Storm Inc. (more about those folks shortly).

As well, the dogs are faithful, fearless and ferocious - incredibly frightening

and efficient attackers. I have seen it reported repeatedly that the teeth of

SEAL war dogs are replaced with titanium implants that are stronger,

sharper andscare-your-pants-off intimidating, but a U.S. Military spokesman

has denied that charge, so I really don't know (never having seen a canine

SEAL face-to-face). I do know that I've never seen a photo of a war dog with

anything even vaguely resembling a set of shiny metal chompers.

When the SEAL DevGru team (usually known by its old designation, Team 6)

hit bin Laden's Pakistan compound on May 2, Cairo's feet would have been

four of the first on the ground. And like the human SEALs, Cairo was

wearing super-strong, flexible body Armour and outfitted with high-tech

equipment that included "doggles" - specially designed and fitted dog

googles with night-vision and infrared capability that would even allow

Cairoto see human heat forms through concrete walls. Now where on

earth would anyone get that kind of incredibly niche hi-tech doggie gear?

From Winnipeg, of all places. Jim and Glori Slater's Manitoba hi-tech

mom-and-pop business, K9 Storm Inc., has a deserved worldwide reputation

for designing and manufacturing probably the best body Armour available

for police and military dogs. Working dogs in 15 countries around the world

are currently protected by their K9 Storm body Armour.

Jim Slater was a canine handler on the Winnipeg Police Force when he crafted

a Kevlar protective jacket for his own dog, Olaf, in the mid-1990s.

Soon Slater was making body Armor for other cop dogs, then the Canadian

military and soon the world. The standard K9 Storm vest also has a load-bearing

harness system that makes it ideal for tandem rappelling and parachuting.

And then there are the special hi-tech add-ons that made the K9 Storm

especially appealing to the U.S. Navy SEALs, who bought four of K9 Storm Inc.'s

top-end Intruder "canine tactical assault suits" last year for $86,000. You can be sure

Cairowas wearing one of those four suits when he jumped into bin Laden's lair.

Here's an explanation of all the K9 Storm Intruder special features:

Just as the Navy SEALS and other elite special forces are the sharp point of the

American military machine, so too are their dogs at the top of a canine

military hierarchy. In all, the U.S. military currently has about 2,800 active-duty dogs

deployed around the world, with roughly 600 now in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Here's the link to a photo essay about U.S. war dogs that just appeared in the

journal Foreign Policy. Several of the photos I have included here are from

Foreign Policy, as you will see. Other photos are from K9 Storm Inc.

these dogs are treated just like all US military personnel

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/jerry_miller_army_veteran_n_1247447.html

Jerry Miller, Army Veteran, Mistakenly Declared Dead 4 Times

The Huffington Post Harry Bradford First Posted: 02/ 1/2012 3:22 pm Updated: 02/ 1/2012 5:05 pm

 Being falsely declared dead once could provide enough existential uncertainty and financial hardship to last a lifetime. But how about four times?

10-year Army veteran Jerry Miller of Brevard County, Florida has been declared deceased by the U.S. Veterans Administration four times in the span of less than two years, Orlando NBC affiliate WESH reports.

Every time the VA declares him dead, Miller's military pension benefits are cut off, which, in addition to his social security, account for the bulk of the retiree's income. The interruptions may put Miller's ability to keep his home in jeopardy, according to the International Business Times, so after receiving a payment request for $94,000 from the VA this month, Miller said he's had enough.

"To me, it's stupid," he told WESH. "I can't die but one time. They have killed me four times."

As it turns out, being mistaken for dead is fairly common and often has dire consequences for the victims' financial standing. In fact, about 1 in every 200 deaths reported is false, totaling about 14,000 per year, CNNMoney reports.

The errors can have serious financial repercussions; in some cases, victims have had their pensions, disability or unemployment benefits stopped. In others, a false death can destroy credit ratings. The errors can take months of paperwork to fix, but are usually caused by simple clerical mistakes during the process when Social Security numbers are transcribed to death certificates, according to CNNMoney.

But it's not only the Social Security Administration that's been known to make a mistake. Wrenella Pierre, also of Florida, was declared deceased by her bank, JPMorgan Chase, in November 2010, The Orlando Sentinel reports. She's now suing the bank on claims that the mistake ruined her credit rating and kept her from refinancing her mortgage.

In some cases though, a fake death can be used to gain benefits, rather than lose them. A Manhattan school worker lied to her employer last month, saying that her daughter had a fatal heart attack in order to get more vacation time. Likewise, in order to miss three days of work, a New York teacher claimed her mother had died. She was actually spending that time bowling with her Mom, the NY Post reports.

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http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/27/world/asia/north-korea-mia/?hpt=us_c2

U.S. to send MIA team to North Korea for first time since '05

By the CNN Wire Staff updated 10:27 PM EST, Fri January 27, 2012 STORY HIGHLIGHTS The mission aims to recover the remains of missing U.S. veterans of the Korean War It is expected to be conducted this spring Such missions have been on hold since 2005 due to tensions between the U.S., North Korea Editor's note: A team dedicated to finding, recovering and identifying every missing U.S. service member opens its doors to CNN International. Watch "World's Untold Story" Friday January 27 at 2330 ET, Saturday at 1630 ET and Sunday at 2330 ET.

Washington (CNN) -- The United States will send a team to North Korea this year to search for the remains of missing U.S. veterans of the Korean War, the Defense Department announced Friday.

The search -- the first such mission in seven years -- will be conducted sometime this spring by members of the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command.

"We're always grateful for the opportunity to recover the remains of our fallen heroes from past wars," Pentagon spokesman George Little said. "And we are hopeful that this process will occur sooner rather than later. I don't have a specific time frame to give you, but this is something that is very important to us and we'll clearly focus on."

Beginning in 1996, North Korean and U.S. military teams conducted 33 joint recovery missions looking for remains inside North Korea. More than 225 sets of remains were located, and brought out of the reclusive country. But all that changed in 2005 when then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld suspended the work, saying that due to rising nuclear tensions at the time, he felt the safety of the U.S. teams could not be guaranteed.

U.S troops killed in action have a last ally

Following talks between the two sides in October, officials agreed to resume the searches this year, according to Air Force Maj. Carie Parker, spokeswoman for the POW/Missing Personnel Office.

The mission, which will include both U.S. and North Korean military personnel, will search two areas of North Korea: Unsan County and near the Chosin/Jangjin reservoir, according to the Defense Department.

About 8,000 U.S. service members are listed as "unaccounted for" from the Korean War, the 1950-1953 conflict often referred to as the "forgotten war."

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http://www.greatreporter.com/content/war-games-treat-traumatised-veterans

War games to treat traumatized veterans

 Teri Berg and Jennifer Lai, 6 June 2007 Iraq war veterans are revisiting the combat zone with the help of virtual-reality; helping researchers understand how post-traumatic stress disorder develops...

Virtual reality therapy has been used to treat combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since the late 1990s. Now a researcher in New York City is using it to see how the problem might develop.

Loretta Malta, a psychologist who teaches at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan, is conducting a study that focuses on soldiers who served in the Iraq and Gulf wars.

Each veteran watches a clip from a digital simulator called “Virtual Iraq” while heart and respiratory rates are monitored. Afterward, participants talk about their emotional responses to the scenes.

“We’re trying to find out what might contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder, and what might predict its onset,” Malta said.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can develop after someone has endured a terrifying ordeal in which she is physically harmed or threatened with harm. Sufferers have scary flashbacks, become numb, irritable and disconnected, and may have violent outbursts.

Studies have shown a genetic susceptibility to PTSD, though not everyone develops the condition after a traumatic experience.

For the current study, each subject wears a headset wired with headphones that block out noise and immerse its wearer in sounds typical of combat zones—machine-gun fire, men yelling orders, the rapid footsteps of soldiers running for cover.

The connected goggles look like hardware right out of Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”—a wired assemblage of two plastic boxes hooked to suction-cup eyepieces. Those boxes hold small screens that give the patient a 3-D view of the virtual battle scene.

Similar headgear is used in treatment, but there a therapist works with software that features a variety of combat scenarios. The latest programs rely heavily on recycled graphics and audio from the military training video game “Full Spectrum Warrior.”

A scene might unfold at a military checkpoint, a building’s interior or the ruins of a desert town where ambushes might occur—scene choices abound, as do the number of ways each can be tinkered with.

Patients see the blasted wreckage of tanks and Jeeps. They might scour minefields or run into wounded civilians crying for help. Also, inevitably, each will encounter battle-torn corpses, including those of American soldiers.

Treatment programs often feature bass shakers that set the patient’s chair trembling, echoes of a Humvee or helicopter ride. Also, a USB-driven Scent Palette releases war-zone odors such as gunpowder, diesel fuel, body odor and even a whiff of Iraqi cooking spices.

In these sessions, replaying simulated battle scenes helps patients dredge up memories of their combat experiences in order to get to the bottom of what haunts them.

For Malta’s study, subjects watch one virtual scenario. Then, half of the group is asked to talk about the scenes while the others are asked to suppress them.

According to Malta, when a soldier tries to forget about a traumatic experience, whatever he felt at the time also gets tamped down, rather than examined and let go.

"Theories of PTSD propose that initially suppressing thoughts about the trauma maintains the level of fear and anxiety associated with the trauma," Malta said. “If they can’t access their memories, then they can’t work through them and get better.”

Sometimes access isn’t the problem—it’s not having control of that access.

Previous research suggests that patients who suppress memories tend to have “rebound” thoughts. That is, if a soldier kills someone in battle, then later tries not to think about it, sometimes those censored images end up intruding anyway.

Symptoms of PTSD usually pop up within months of the traumatic event. However, years have been known to pass before something – a flashback, say, or a visceral image or even a certain odor – sets those symptoms in motion.

Malta hopes to verify this hypothesis in her study as well as examine how initial emotional reactions play a part in the onset of PTSD. She said she expects to publish the study’s findings by the end of 2008.

..

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http://www.uscatholic.org/blog/2012/01/missing-action-guilt-us-war-crimes-iraq-and-afghanistan

Missing in action: Guilt for U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 By Bryan Cones

As I listened to the president frame his address last night around the "successful" wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I couldn't help but ask myself: What about the war crimes? What about torture, Abu Ghraib, drone strikes, "collateral damage," Guantanamo Bay? What about the Haditha massacre, which resulted in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians? What about the most recent video of U.S. Marines desecrating the bodies of the Taliban they had presumably killed? What about the estimated 100,000 dead Iraqi civilians, and the millions more displaced?

I shouldn't be surprised that our politicians are unable to lead us in a national examination of conscience for our war-making these past 10 years. But it is a further sin to deny the moral mistakes our nation has made. While the vast majority of U.S. service women and men have conducted themselves honorably, some have not, and some have failed spectacularly. No commander has accepted responsibility for the atrocities committed under his or her command, nor have any of our intelligence agencies or operatives been charged for what are surely violations of the Geneva Conventions and U.S. law. The fact that Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich received a merely suspended 90-day sentence and a demotion (without reduction in pay) for the deaths of 24 people in Haditha is breathtaking, and It sends a troubling message to the rest of the world: We expect everyone else to adhere to the laws of war, but when we break those same laws, we won't be held accountable.

War is always morally degrading, and the "war on terror" has been no different, if not worse. As always, most victims are the youngest of adults, men and women often barely out of high school. Their youth relieves them of some culpability, but what about the rest of us?

We are doing ourselves no favors by quickly rewriting history, as the president did last night, papering over the diminishment of our moral standing in the world. The now-general acceptance of the moral legitimacy of torture, which has penetrated even primetime television, is a serious and profound blow to a hard-won common commitment to human dignity and human rights. Just war theory, designed to be a major obstacle to the use of force, has been grossly contorted to justify it instead. More common than ever is the morally revolting claim that if a "terrorist" does something wicked to "us"--the murder of innocents, torture--we are morally free to do it to the broadest possible definition of "them," whether "they" are guilty or not. In the minds of many, "they" don't even deserve access to the due process of law.

As the remaining tens of thousands return to our shores (thousands fewer than we sent), we must begin the long process of facilitating their healing--physical, emotional, and spiritual. But we must all do some work of our own, beginning with a serious examination of conscience, lest we again make the same mistakes and commit the same sins, and so wound the world further.

To quote the late Pope John Paul II when he warned against the invasion of Iraq: "War is always a defeat for humanity." This war has been a defeat for all of us--American, Iraqi, Afghan, British, French, whomever--no matter who leaves the battlefield "victorious."

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http://news.yahoo.com/history-pow-mia-flag-203621644.html

..The History of the POW/MIA Flag .

.By Lauren Finnegan .PostsWebsite .By Lauren Finnegan | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Wed, Feb 1, 2012

The well-known symbol that graces the flag representing prisoners of war and those missing in action has been altered by a pro-marijuana legalization group called "Veterans for Weed," according to the Army Times.

The original image, which shows a soldier with a prison tower in the background, has been changed to show a soldier smoking weed and the image also uses the acronym VFW. The VFW acronym is famously used for the group "Veterans of Foreign War," but in this instance it is being used to represent "Veterans for Weed."

The VFW and the National League of POW/MIA Families have a long history; here is some more information about them.

* The POW/MIA flag was the idea of Mary Hoffa, wife of a service member who is MIA and also a member of the National League of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, according to Task Force Omega.

* When Hoffa read an article about a company, Annin and Company, making a flag for the People's Republic of China when it joined the United Nations, she decided to contact the company to see if they would make a flag for POW/MIA.

* Newt Heisley, who worked for Annin and Company, is the artist behind the image that was designed for the POW/MIA flag.

* He used the silhouette of his son who had come back from Marine boot camp with the effects of hepatitis and designed the image in black and white because that is how all advertising sketches start, according to Homeofheroes.com.

* The flag was made the symbol for POW/MIA on Aug. 10, 1990, by Congress.

* Congress made the third Friday of September POW/MIA day, which is a day of national observance, according to timeanddate.com.

* There is also a POW/MIA toast that is usually done at military functions. The toast involves a table set for one that symbolizes the service members who are missing from the celebrations, according to the Air Force Association.

* As of Dec. 1, there are 1,679 Americans still missing, according to "The National League of POW/MIA Families."

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http://www.military.com/veterans-report/veterans-win-ptsd-settlement?ESRC=vr.nl 

Veterans Win PTSD Settlemen

t

Week of January 23, 2012

A federal judge has approved a settlement that will deliver better benefits to nearly 2,100 veterans who have been medically discharged since 2002 with post-traumatic stress disorder. Under the settlement, affected veterans discharged with PTSD willget lifetime health care and post-exchange privileges. The affected veterans had been dischargedwith disability ratings that were too low to receive such benefits. The class action lawsuit was Sabo v. United States. Similar legal efforts are currently underway. For more information, visit the National Veterans Legal Services Program website and the ptsdlawsuit.com website.

For complete guides to all veterans benefits, visit the Military.com Benefits Center.

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http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/5813/usa-today-perpetuates-erroneous-%e2%80%9cticking-bomb%e2%80%9d-view-of-veterans/

Perpetuating the Erroneous “Ticking Bomb” View of Veterans

 January 27, 2012 by Alex Horton

A few weeks ago, we warned against an increasingly prevalent narrative in news: That war Veterans are violent, unstable, and dangerous. I explained why that simply isn’t the case, and how those aspersions can hurt Vets and deepen the divide between us and civilians.

Thursday, the national media moved a step closer to establishing this unfortunate characterization as conventional wisdom in the newsroom. USA Today, a national newspaper second to only the Wall Street Journal in distribution, published a story with a headline brimming with violent imagery:

Police get help with vets who are ticking bombs In an age where millions of people get news from sources like Twitter, or simply glance at newspaper ledes during morning coffee, headlines often inform readers what they need to know. In this case, it’s that police officers need reinforcement in a growing battle with “ticking bomb” Veterans. It doesn’t matter that the program might be useful in helping law enforcement recognize issues facing some folks after returning from combat. The headline paints the story of Veterans—any Vet, really—as a ticking bomb, primed to explode.

USA TODAY publishes stories on Veterans issues all the time—and typically they’re balanced and informative. On the same day this article ran, they published a story on the status of homeless Veterans. We could be talking about that story, but unfortunately, we have to refute that Vets are violent, unstable psychos.

From the article:

“We just can’t use the blazing-guns approach anymore when dealing with disturbed individuals who are highly trained in all kinds of tactical operations, including guerrilla warfare,” said Dennis Cusick, executive director of the Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute. “That goes beyond the experience of SWAT teams.” That brings up important questions: Who are the disturbed individuals and how prevalent are they? Is this threat common enough to justify such a response? USA TODAY continues:

There is no data that specifically tracks police confrontations with suspects currently or formerly associated with the military. This is an issue. After noting the perceived problem, the reporter acknowledges that data on the topic is sparse—or non-existent.

But an Army report issued this year found that violent felonies in the service were up 1% while non-violent felonies increased 11% between 2010 and 2011.

During that time, however, crime in much of the nation declined. While understanding the relation to crime dropping “in much of the nation,” the significance of a one percent increase in service-related violent felonies in the last year seems unclear.

Ultimately, the story hinges on bizarre statistical framing. The reporter acknowledges that the kind of data used to make a claim about military-wide increases in violent crime does not exist. Instead, we are presented with a minor uptick in violence—which may or may not be indicative a large or even growing problem.

USA TODAY continues by highlighting the story of a single incident in Fayetteville, North Carolina in which a Veteran exchanged gunfire with local police. Coupled with two recent news reports out of Washington State and Los Angeles, a shallow conclusion could be that this represents the trend of “ticking bomb” Veterans. But isolated cases do not a trend make. And while it’s easy to make that presumptive connection, it’s irresponsible to do so without hard evidence.

Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities (Police) Chiefs Association, said the type of training proposed by the Justice Department represents “one piece of the challenge” in dealing with an increasing number of mentally ill suspects. Again, we have the assertion of “an increasing number of mentally ill” Veteran suspects, but no empirical data to back that up. (And now others have begun to take note. Ron Capps, a contributor to TIME’s Battleland, called the headline “absurd.”)

The ticking bomb metaphor, as inflammatory and unacceptable as it was, is a perfect term for this perception of an “increasing number of mentally ill suspects.” The melodramatic language conveys a surprising and violent event. A bomb is bad enough, but a ticking bomb? You never know when a ticking bomb will go off; that’s what’s so heinous, so destructive about it. You may not even now there’s a bomb at all. The only thing you do know is that it will explode at some point. The reader of this story, then—given a story so devoid of context and facts and appropriate measurements and statistics—is left to conclude all Veterans are walking powder kegs. They have always ticked, and it’s only a matter of time before an explosion.

If Veterans are ticking bombs, we at least owe it to them to provide non-anecdotal evidence before making such an accusation. And in this case, USA TODAY failed to do that.

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http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2012/01/should-you-worry-about-pay-benefit-cuts-in-2012/

Worried About Pay and Benefit Cuts in 2012?

January 23, 2012 | Terry Howell 5 According to Military.com’s DoD Buzz, members of both parties in Congress are gearing up for a protracted game of political chicken over the potential threats to the future of DoD’s budget.

Although we will surely hear threats and warnings of the looming sequestration and its impacts on military personnel and weapons programs, DoD Buzz reports that lawmakers probably won’t act until after Election Day – and may not even do anything until the new Congress is seated next year.

Since the impact of the sequestration will not go into effect until January 2, 2013, military servicemembers, retirees, federal employees, and their families are not likely to see any changes in benefits or pay in 2012.

While the threat is real and sequestration will likely happen as planned, the basic political strategy appears to be to avoid making any cuts or take action this year. The plan on both sides seems to be to win big in November, as each party assumes they will win the White House and enough congressional seats to undo the $500 billion in reduced budget – even if they have to do so after the cuts go into effect.

So, it appears benefits and pay will be safe in 2012, but that doesn’t mean 2013 won’t bring huge changes to TRICARE, military Retirement, and military pay programs.

Read more: http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2012/01/should-you-worry-about-pay-benefit-cuts-in-2012/#ixzz1lXBXosQB MilitaryAdvantage.Military.com 

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http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2012/01/pay-raise-signed-in-the-nick-of-time/

Pay Raise Signed in the Nick of Time

Terry Howell 3 President Obama signed the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act on the last day of 2011. The new law includes a 1.6 percent raise for active-duty and reserve – the raise went into effect the following day. This was the last pending pay and compensation issue to impact pay and allowances for 2012 . View the 2012 Military Pay Charts to see what you will earn this year.

This year’s defense bill also includes several other provisions that will potentially affect active-duty and retired servicemembers and their families. The following is a list of those changes:

•The law will extend authority for the DoD to continue to offer voluntary separation pay and benefits to those facing involuntary separations through 2018. •The $100 a day high-deployment allowance for those deployed more than 400 days out of the preceding 730 days, will no longer be “mandatory.” The wording now authorizes the DoD to pay this compensation rather than mandating it; this change may give the DoD the opportunity to phase-out this allowance. •Future annual TRICARE enrollment fee increases for retirees and their family members will be limited to the annual Retiree COLA percentage.

Read more: http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2012/01/pay-raise-signed-in-the-nick-of-time/#ixzz1lXCvxMhe MilitaryAdvantage.Military.com

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TRICARE for retirees targeted as Defense budgets fall

 By Tom Phillpott Special to Stars and Stripes

Published: February 2, 2012

As defense budgets grew over the past decade, Congress shrugged off complaints of runaway military health costs and blocked every proposal from the Bush administration to raise TRICARE fees sharply on retirees.

Defense budgets have stopped rising, however, and Defense officials today are sounding more confident that Congress will follow last October’s $5-a-month bump in TRICARE Prime enrollment fees for working-age retirees with more substantial fee increases for retirees of all ages.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Arm Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, outlined plans Jan. 26 to lower defense budgets over the next 10 years by $487 billion in compliance with the Budget Control Act passed last spring to dampen growth in federal debt.

Though Panetta and Dempsey withheld full details on proposals to curb personnel costs, until President Obama presents his 2013 budget request to Congress Feb. 13, they said the personnel saving initiatives would include: -New enrollment fees, co-pays and deductibles on retirees under 65, phasing them in over five years and using a “tiered approach” so that senior-grade retirees pay higher fees than lower ranking retirees.

-A new annual enrollment fee for the TRICARE for Life insurance supplement to Medicare, used by retirees 65 and older. This fee also would be tiered so retirees drawing smaller retirement checks pay less.

These changes, Defense leaders said, still would leave military retiree health care fees significantly below “comparable civilian equivalents.”

-TRICARE pharmacy co-payments would be increased again in ways to discourage use of the more convenient but more costly retail outlets and encourage greater use of base pharmacies and the home delivery program.

-Persons medically-retired by their service, and surviving spouses of members who died on active duty, would be exempt from the higher fees.

On active duty pay raises, Panetta said starting in 2015 they would be capped in some unspecified way though no member see a drop in pay.

The budget also will ask Congress to establish a “BRAC-like” commission to recommend cost-saving reforms to military retirement. Any retirement changes, however, would impact only future recruits, not the current force or retirees. BRAC refers to Base Realignment and Closure commissions. They were given broad authority to recommend base closings, which Congress could accept or reject but not modify. The retirement commission would have similar powers regarding compensation changes.

Coincidently, Panetta said the budget will seek two more rounds of base closings to help to trim infrastructure costs.

Defense background papers explained that personnel costs make up a third of defense spending today but the planned cuts to personnel accounts would represent only one ninth of total funding to be stripped from future budgets, a concession to the importance of keeping a quality force.

“This budget recognizes that [people], far more than any weapon system, far more than any technology, are the great strength of the United States military,” Panetta said. “For that reason, we focus first on every other area of the defense enterprise for savings, in order to minimize any impact on the quality of the troops and their families.”

Five days later, when the Military Healthcare System held its annual conference at National Harbor, Md., across the Potomac River from Washington D.C., the keynote speaker for 3000 attendees was Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

He spoke about new “fiscal realities” impacting the health system but avoided mention of the planned fee increases. Woodson predicted, however, that smaller defense budgets “will shine an even brighter light on military health costs, which could exceed 10 percent of the Department of Defense budget if reforms are not made.”

He noted too that, “for years, experts and non-experts have been saying that the growth of healthcare costs is unsustainable. Everyone nods their head and says ‘Yes, we need to control healthcare costs.’ And somehow, despite all this head nodding in solemn agreement that costs cannot keep rising, the costs nonetheless have continued to go up.”

Explosive growth in military health costs from 2000 to 2005 eased, Woodson said, so that the pace now matches inflation for civilian health care at about five percent a year. “But that is dangerously higher than the overall inflation rate,” he added. When defense budgets were growing, “this was a cause for concern but it still seemed manageable. Not anymore. In order to meet the overall military readiness imperatives, and our moral obligation to the American taxpayer, we must slow down our growth rate.”

Woodson pointed not to TRICARE fees increases but to “a new commitment to collaboration between the services…to reduce redundancy and waste.” He listed four major initiatives to lower costs and improve population health including: a new patient safety campaign; renewed efforts to reduce smoking by service members and obesity among families including retirees; expansion of the Patient-Centered Medical Home concept to enhance delivery of preventive services and lower costly emergency room visits by patients who only need primary care; an effort to encourage greater innovation throughout the military health system.

On TRICARE fees, associations representing beneficiaries, particularly retirees, are preparing for a fight on Capitol Hill while waiting for fuller details on the TRICARE proposals. Opponents are sure to argue that TRICARE for Life beneficiaries were promised free lifetime health care, even though the courts ruled such promises, by recruiters and career counselors, are nonbinding because they were not backed by written law.

They will argue too that deeply discounted lifetime health care is a benefit earned by all retirees through unique hardships of military careers.

The daunting challenge for sympathetic lawmakers will be finding budget dollars to shield retirees from higher TRICARE fees as overall defense spending falls.

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http://www.military.com/military-report/masters-degrees-for-marines?ESRC=miltrep.nl

Fisher House Opens in Alaska

Week of January 23, 2012

The Fisher House of Anchorage, Alaska officially opened its doors recently to family members of military patients. Fisher Houses serve patients and families from all branches of the military receiving active medical treatment at a base hospital or local area hospitals. There are over 40 Fisher Houses nationwide, plus two in Germany. To arrange a stay at the Anchorage Fisher House, visit the Fisher House of Alaska website. For more information on Fisher Houses, visit the Fisher House Foundation website.

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http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Opposes-reclassification-in-absence-of-evidence-2638734.php#ixzz1k2OYhE7s

Opposes reclassification in absence of evidence

 Published 05:21 p.m., Thursday, January 19, 2012

Jan. 27 is the 39th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accord, which ended active U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Yet, POW/MIA families still await word of the fate of their loved one.

We believe there are still unrecovered prisoners of war awaiting repatriation from Southeast Asia, based upon evidence of survivability decades after the cessation of hostilities.

Sadly, the emphasis has only been the retrieval of remains and crash-site excavations. DNA is now used in the process of identification, particularly when dealing with comingled remains. However, that doesn't mean that each individual has been accounted for when the remains are comingled, then buried in a common grave in Arlington.

We believe families must have the right to keep their loved ones listed as missing in action if there has been no physical evidence of their death. If families have waited about 40 years for the truth, why should the case be closed when the truth still has not been uncovered? If there was no physical evidence at the time of the incident, and there is still no physical evidence of death after the crash site investigation, what has changed? Why should the status change?

There have been recent news reports of an attempted escape from the Taliban by Pvt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured in June 2009. He was recaptured after three days. His family hopes that discussions between the Taliban, which wishes to open an office in Qatar, and government officials will lead to his ultimate release.

We must find an honorable resolution to the POW/MIA tragedy.

Kathy Shemeley, president, POW/MIA CT Forget-Me-Nots Inc.

New Milford

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SAVE THE DATE

March 15, 2012

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)

and partners are pleased to announce

OPERATION HOMEWORK

Veterans Expo

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

University of Connecticut, Stamford Campus

About the Event

OPERATION HOMEWORK is intended to provide veterans, both returning from recent conflicts and those already here, with information about employment and business opportunities in New England and New York. It will be more than a “job fair.” It will provide veterans with the opportunity to explore a wide range of training, employment and business opportunities.

Employer participants will include government contractors, federal, state and local agencies. Training participants will include government agencies, regional vocational training programs, colleges and universities.

This is a great opportunity for your company to meet its government contracting obligations, for small business subcontracting and Veteran employment outreach, as well as meet some great Americans!

For planning purposes, if you are interested in attending/participating, please RSVP Samir Randolph by Monday February 6, 2012. Samir’s email address is samir.randolph@gsa.gov and his phone number is 617-565-5860.

THANK YOU

Please Note: All GSA programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. This email is for informational purposes only and does not imply any contract, promise of business or obligate the Agency or participating organizations to any future course of action.

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FLORIDA:

Family's bittersweet tribute for lost POW

Wartime letters a legacy of Saratoga man who will be honored on Tuesday

Times Union Copyright 2012 Times Union. All rights reserved.

By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer Updated 09:50 p.m., Saturday, January 14, 2012

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The world was at war in 1942 when the Army granted Harold Stevens an overnight pass home on Christmas Eve to see his family. The 19-year-old private arrived in Saratoga Springs wearing a uniform, his bright blue eyes gleaming like they always did.

Stevens' sister, Betty Butterfield, was 14 when her brother suddenly showed up at the family's door on Jackson Street.

"It was just wonderful, the biggest surprise we ever could have had," the Saratoga Springs woman recalled Friday. She was one of five children in the family.

Stevens was the second born and the family's first son. He joined the military just months after graduating from Saratoga Springs High School. Just hours after welcoming him, the Stevens family said goodbye to their stocky but baby-faced tank gunner on a white Christmas Day at the city's train station. It was the last they would ever see him.

Stevens finished boot camp and deployed to northern Africa in May 1943. The soldier fought in the battle for Sicily, and in June 1944 took part in the invasion at Normandy in France, where the Allies gained a foothold in Europe on their way to defeating Germany.

The ground war ensued. Weeks after the beach invasion, during the devastating battle for St. Lo, France, German troops wounded Stevens and took him as a prisoner of war. The Army reported to the family that Stevens had gone missing in action. For a year, they held out hope for his return. That ended with a knock on their door from another uniformed soldier after the war ended. Stevens had died in a German POW camp in France on Aug. 22, 1944, they were told. He was 21.

The family received the news in Center Brunswick, where they had moved after their son enlisted. For that reason, many people who knew Stevens never learned of his death. His story went mostly untold.

But in recent years, Stevens' niece, Barbara Hefter of Saratoga Springs, researched dozens of letters her uncle penned from the front lines. She shared his story with the Saratoga County Veterans' Service Agency.

At 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, about 35 of Stevens' relatives, including most of his brothers and sisters, will meet at a flagpole outside the county office building in Ballston Spa to honor the soldier 66 years after his death. Officials will dedicate a flag to Stevens, which they will fly until Feb. 21, when it will be given to the family.

"It's emotional, bittersweet," said Hefter, 60, who never met Stevens. "It's sad, but I'm glad that it is happening."

Harold Louie Stevens lived most of his life in Saratoga Springs. He played sports and loved ice skating and his motorcycle. He worked for the General Electric Co., before he joined the Army Tank Corps, mostly out of a sense of duty, Butterfield said.

"He was very handsome, very handsome and very friendly," Butterfield said, her eyes moistening. Stevens acted like his jocular self during his last Christmas, happy to be home and mostly unaware of what the future would bring, Butterfield said.

The soldier landed in Casablanca with Company G of the 66th regiment of the 2nd armored division. He furloughed to England after fighting in Sicily and before the beach invasion at Normandy.

Stevens was a steadfast writer and his family kept each of the notes and envelopes he sent home. "How is every little thing back home" he would write, Hefter said. The Saratoga Springs man often inquired about his brothers and sisters, father's trucking jobs and friends. He always sent money home, Hefter said.

German fighters had occupied St. Lo, located near Normandy, in June 1940. Combat and bombing destroyed the town in World War II. As Americans penetrated the town lines in the summer of 1944, Stevens rode in the first tank. Citing an account from another soldier who witnessed what happened, Butterfield, 83, said that enemy soldiers surrounded the tank Stevens was in and forced him and another American out of it. Stevens was last seen running with his gun into an old shack during a street battle, Butterfield said.

Stevens survived for at least 22 days in the German POW before dying from his wounds. The family does not know what caused his death. "We probably don't even want to go there mentally," Hefter said.

Stevens was buried in France. His family moved to Candor, Tioga County. They displayed a Gold Star flag in their home's window until it fell apart.

The U.S. delivered Stevens' body to his family in April 1949. It arrived at the train station in Owego, Tioga County, in a flag-draped casket. Butterfield can be seen in a photo of the military escort. Members of a local American Legion laid Stevens to rest with military honors in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor. The military posthumously awarded the lost POW a Purple Heart.

"It was a terrible blow," Butterfield said. "He was everything a brother could be."

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http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120129/LOCAL12/301299891/1002/LOCAL

Initiatives in Indiana honor new warriors, alive and dead

Angela Mapes Turner | The Journal Gazette The last time the U.S. ended a controversial, lengthy war, a generation of veterans was treated to what President Obama has called “a national disgrace.”

While service members focused on the daily tasks in front of them in Iraq, others at home were trying to make sure that what happened to the veterans of the Vietnam War era didn’t happen to the men and women who would be returning from Iraq – being stereotyped, demonized and abandoned to deal with mental- and physical-health issues.

Listening to the survivors

The post-9/11 conflicts presented new challenges in how Americans see and interact with the military, said Emmy Hildebrand, Veterans History Project director for Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar’s office.

“The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are different than any other conflict we’ve been in, because we can watch them in real time,” Hildebrand said.

The Veterans History Project collects multimedia interviews of veterans sharing their stories and submits them to the Library of Congress for archival.

The project has seen huge participation from aging veterans but much less from younger ones who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than 10,000 veterans’ histories have been collected in Indiana in the past 10 years, but only about 1 percent of those interviews were with Iraq veterans. Hildebrand isn’t sure why.

Many aging veterans of the World War II and Korea generations have felt an urgency to tell their stories while they can. Hildebrand imagines that younger veterans returning to busy lives either don’t have time or don’t feel the pressure to tell their stories while they’re young.

“It’s not really a priority,” she said.

And there’s that real-time factor. Hildebrand said some veterans of the most recent conflicts may think the public already knows what they did because they’ve seen it or read about it for the past decade.

But occasionally, that can motivate, not dissuade, younger service members. They want to set the record straight, or paint a broader picture, Hildebrand said.

Memorializing the fallen

While Hildebrand has been focused on the veterans who survived, David L. Davis has been preoccupied with those who didn’t.

Next to a small cemetery in Westfield, in central Indiana, on ground where a Quaker church that was part of the Underground Railroad once stood, rows of handmade white crosses honor the fallen of the post-9/11 era.

Davis is chairman of Fallen Hoosiers, an organization begun by his stepfather, Donald E. Peed, a Vietnam War-era veteran who died in 2005.

Already, the Indiana War Memorial Museum in Indianapolis enshrines Hoosiers who participated in World War I and all Hoosiers killed or missing in action from World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Peed felt moved to do something to honor those who were falling in Afghanistan and Iraq, so he began placing crosses in his yard. When he died in 2005, there were 66 crosses, Davis said.

Davis decided to make the memorial permanent in 2008, but he said he didn’t receive support from the state in his effort to make it an official memorial. State officials told him Indiana would wait until both conflicts, Iraq and Afghanistan, were over before creating its official memorial.

He has his own theories on the reason for the lack of support. The crosses are unapologetically Christian, and Davis is unapologetically opinionated. His memorial also includes non-combat losses and Hoosiers who died in the Pentagon attack on 9/11.

Davis found the state’s response unacceptable and secured the Westfield land on his own, dedicating the memorial to the families of the fallen in 2009.

He holds out hope that his memorial – any memorial – will be embraced and that more Vietnam War-era veterans will bridge the gap the way his stepfather did.

The end of the Iraq War, to Davis, only adds to his drive.

“It’s time to start honoring our fallen, because that part of the war is over,” he said. “If we wait any longer to honor these men and women, they will be forgotten.”

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http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120202/GJCOMMUNITY03/702029779/-1/SANNEWS

Veterans' Corner New 'Red Tails' movie shows WWII airmen in action

By Dale Midgley

Thursday, February 2, 2012 A movie named "Red Tails" is currently playing in theaters across the country. This movie depicts some of the adventures and events that are associated with the Tuskegee Airmen.

The name "Red Tails" is derived from the identification markings on the tails of the fighter planes the airmen flew during World War II in Europe and North Africa. If you get a chance, take in the movie and see the exploits of the famous Tuskegee Airmen in action.

Some of you may have met Staff Sergeant James Sheppard, the Tuskegee Airman who attended Rolling Thunder's annual bowl-a-thon last year. In 2010, Sheppard was the event's honorary chairperson. He is an extraordinary man, and I have had the good fortune of hearing him talk about the organization, development and deployment of this exemplary group of Army Air Corps pilots.

This is not just any group of pilots but the nation's first all-black unit of fighter pilots named for the city in Alabama where they were trained. The story is one of great courage, determination and patriotism displayed by an incredible group of men who overcame tremendous odds and prejudice to prove to a doubting military that it is not what is outside that counts, but what is inside a man that does.

150 YEARS AGO ...

Another coincidence is that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and the beginning of the end of slavery in the United States.

The diversity of our culture is what makes this country the envy of every nation in the world. We are not perfect, but there is no other place where you have such a mix of cultures all striving for the same thing — a place where people can raise their families and enjoy the freedoms that men and women of all nationalities and cultures have fought for and maintained through the years.

We are truly the Home of the Brave and the Land of the Free.

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE

Looking for stores and services that offer a military discount? Go to www.BradsDeals.com, where you will find more than 175 companies that do just that.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The following services, activities and special events are planned for this month in the Sanford-Springvale area.

q Sunday, Feb. 5: The Southern Maine Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America will hold its general meeting at the Sanford Elks Lodge at 13 Elm Street from 1 to 3 p.m. Also on this day, the VFW post on School Street will host Bingo games at 6 p.m. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. (The game is played here every Sunday.)

q Tuesday, Feb. 7: The Sons of the American Legion will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. at their School Street headquarters.

q Wednesday. Feb. 8: VFW Post 9935 will hold a general meeting at its School Street headquarters at 7 p.m.

q Wednesday, Feb. 8: AMVETS Post 3 and Auxiliary will hold their general meeting at their School Street headquarters at 7 p.m.

q Saturday, Feb 11: The Marine Corps League will hold a "Sweethearts Dance," complete with dinner, from 6 to 11 p.m. at the American Legion Hall on Main Street in Springvale. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $15 per person, and $20 per couple. Tickets can be purchased in advance by contacting John at 207-651-0469, Sherri at 608-1061 or Phil at 324-9625; they also will be sold at the door. There also will be a Valentine's Day Dance at the AMVETS Post 3 on School Street from 8 p.m. to midnight for members and their guests.

q Sunday, Feb. 12: Rolling Thunder will hold a general meeting at AMVETS Post 3 on School Street from noon to 2 p.m. Also on this day, a "Four Chaplains Ceremony" will be held at American Legion Post 19 on Main Street for members and their guests.

q Monday. Feb. 13: The American Legion Auxiliary will hold a meeting at its Main Street headquarters at 6 p.m.

q Wednesday. Feb. 15: The Marine League Detachment will hold a general meeting at the AMVETS Post 3 on School Street at 6 p.m.

q Monday. Feb. 20: American Legion Post 19 will hold its general meeting at its Main Street headquarters at 6 p.m. The VFW Auxiliary will hold a meeting at the VFW Post on School Street at 6:30 p.m.

q Saturday, Feb 25: Rolling Thunder of Maine will host its "Famous Family Buffet" at the AMVETS Hall on School Street from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The public is invited to this all-you-can-eat meal. Adults can eat for $5; children ages 12 and younger, for $2.50.

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http://bangordailynews.com/2012/01/27/news/bangor/boy-scout-to-build-veterans-memorial-in-eddington/?ref=latest

Boy Scout to build veterans memorial in Eddington

By Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN Staff

Last modified Jan. 27, 2012, at 5:57 p.m.

EDDINGTON, Maine — Boy Scout Josh Baillargeon, 14, has decided to build a veterans memorial to earn the rank of Eagle Scout as a way to honor the men and women — including his father — who have served the U.S. in the military.

He became a Cub Scout in the first grade and has been in the Scouts ever since. His father, Scott, has been part of the U.S. Air Force for Josh’s entire life.

“I knew when I started Scouts I really wanted to so something worthwhile for the Eagle Scout project,” Josh Baillargeon said Friday. “With my dad being in the military … I wanted to show I am really thankful for the the men and women soldiers out there.”

Another big influence was the Veteran Interview Program, offered through the Cole Land Transportation Museum, which puts students in touch with military veterans to help teach the youngsters about history.

“That was definitely a factor,” Baillargeon said. “Just talking to them and hearing about their own experiences [meant more] with me being a son of a military veteran.”

His father retired as a master sergeant at the end of the year.

The Holbrook Middle School student approached the town in the fall with his idea, and town leaders gave him the thumbs-up to put the memorial on land near the town office and fire department. He hopes to finish the memorial this summer.

Brewer and Holden both have recently built veterans memorials created as Eagle Scout projects.

Baillargeon designed the Eddington memorial himself with a star at its center surrounded by an American flag, a state of Maine flag and a Prisoner of War-Missing in Action flag — with a freedom garden off to one side.

The project is expected to cost about $20,000, said his mother, Marie Baillargeon. She said a local man has provided her son with a donation of granite to help reduce the cost.

The middle school student said he’s looking for people to help with donations to get the flagpoles, all-weather flags, lights and landscaping supplies.

“I know I’m going to need people for landscaping and different stuff like that,” he said.

To kick off the project, Baillargeon will hold a spaghetti dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Eddington Elementary School. A dessert auction also will be held.

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http://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/534688/Vet-of-the-Month-nominations-sought.html?nav=5001

Vet of the Month nominations sought

February 4, 2012 Daily Press Save | RAPID RIVER - Nominations are being sought for the Veteran of the Month program sponsored by Rapid River Legion Post 301. Program chairman, Dan Duncan, is seeking names for future honorees.

The program is open to all deceased honorably discharged veterans and those who died while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, and those who remain Missing In Action.

There are no specific service dates for honoree eligibility. It is not mandatory that the honoree be a former resident of the community where the service are conducted. Out of town veterans are welcome.

For more information about the Veteran of the Month program or to nominate a deceased veteran, call Duncan at 233-9587.

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http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=15463#ixzz1lRIKyRHG

Prayer and Patriotism: Vietnam prisoner of war shares inspiring message

Retired Air Force Col. Carlyle Smith “Smitty” Harris speaks Thursday morning during the annual Town and Tower Club Community Prayer Breakfast at the Columbus Country Club in Columbus about his ordeal as a prisoner of war.

Carmen K. Sisson (contact) February 3, 2012 11:55:00 AM

On Sundays, they knelt in their dirty prison cell and prayed. At the end of every service, they pledged allegiance to the country no enemy could make them betray.

Their North Vietnamese captors tried everything to silence the prisoners of war and thwart their weekly worship. They told them to stop. They threatened them with tear gas and bayonets. Finally, they dragged three men out to be tortured. As rifle butts struck already-bruised flesh, the men heard a song rising on the wind: "The Star Spangled Banner," sung so loudly by their cell mates that it could be heard from blocks away.

The POWs clung to each other and they clung to their faith, retired Air Force Col. Carlyle Smith "Smitty" Harris said. They risked death to pray -- a privilege nearly 200 people openly shared at the Columbus Country Club Thursday morning during the 12th annual Town and Tower Club Community Prayer Breakfast, where Harris was the guest speaker.

Harris, a resident of Tupelo, was held prisoner in Vietnam for nearly eight years after his F-105D Thunderchief fighter-bomber was shot down over North Vietnam on April 4, 1965 -- a week before his 36th birthday.

He had just dropped eight 750-pound bombs, destroying the Thanh Hoa Bridge, which spanned the Song Ma River in the Thanh Hoa province of Vietnam. When he ejected from his plane, he immediately landed in enemy territory.

For the next week, they interrogated him, but his answers were always the same: Name, rank, service number, date of birth. Nothing more.

When ordered to write a letter to Ho Chi Minh, president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, apologizing for the United States military's actions, Harris refused. He was promised leniency and possible release in return for cooperation. He was threatened with "the ultimate punishment" for disobedience. But he just bowed his head and prayed.

He spent a lot of time praying during years punctuated by solitary confinement, mistreatment, malnourishment and torture at several prison camps, including Hoa Lo -- sarcastically called "Hanoi Hilton" by prisoners.

"Not only did my life change instantly -- it made me a different man," Harris said.

As time wore on, the prisoners became emotionally and physically broken. When their minds and bodies failed them, they turned outside themselves for help. They turned to God.

They prayed for themselves and for fellow POWs. They tapped on the walls of their cells, sending secret messages of encouragement to one another by way of a private code, which Harris is credited with introducing.

His imprisonment taught him the power of prayer, Harris said. It taught him that God answers all prayers, but it is according to His wisdom, not our own. It taught him the gifts of love, acceptance, peace and faith.

"I stand before you one of the most fortunate people," he said. "Every prayer will be answered, and the answer will be grander than you would ever expect."

Columbus resident Jo Shumake said she was surprised at how uplifting Harris' message was, given the experiences he faced as a POW.

"It was a very inspiring story," she said Thursday afternoon. "I'm very proud to have actually had a chance to meet him. I think he hit just the right tone in how important your beliefs are in keeping you whole when you're under an unbelievable amount of stress. The torture, the mind games -- it's just amazing how he can see that as a life-changing, almost positive event in his life."

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MISSOURI:

.S. Korean War soldier's remains identified after nearly 60 years

 Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles A. Roy had ties to Eastern Jackson County

By Adrianne DeWeese -

 The Examiner Posted Jan 12, 2012 @ 08:28 PM Last update Jan 12, 2012 @ 10:54 PM

 Independence, MO —

More than 60 years after he went missing in action from the Korean War, the remains of a member of the U.S. Army with Eastern Jackson County connections have been identified and will return to Independence for a memorial service.

The U.S. Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced Thursday that Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles A. Roy, who was 42 when he was reported missing in action on Nov. 5, 1950, will be returned to his family with full military honors, solving a mystery more than six decades in the making.

According to an obituary from Speaks Suburban Chapel in Independence, memorial services for Roy will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at 18020 E. 39th St. A government news release also states that a memorial ceremony will take place on Tuesday in Blue Springs, where a granddaughter of Roy’s lives, according to Speaks Chapel officials. Roy’s residence was listed as Henderson, Ky., at the time he went missing.

A government news release states that Roy was reported missing in action after Chinese forces overran his unit, Battery A, 61st Field Artillery Battalion, near Pakchon, North Korea.

Several returned U.S. prisoners of war in August 1953 reported Chinese forces had captured Roy and that he had died in April 1951 from malnutrition and lack of medical care while in the POW camp, “Camp 5,” near the Chinese/North Korean border.

In 1954, communist forces returned the remains of more than 3,000 servicemen who had died in POW camps and on the battle field. Due to a lack of technological advancements, Roy, along with many other men, went unidentified. Their remains were buried as “unknown” in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.

Roy’s remains were officially identified on Nov. 7, 2011, after a process that lasted several years. In 2009, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command re-examined Roy’s records and concluded that his remains could be exhumed and identified due to advances in identification technology. JPAC scientists used radiograph records, along with forensic ID tools and circumstantial evidence, to identify Roy’s remains, according to the federal government.

More than 7,900 Americans still remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.

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http://m.military.com/news/articlerss/st-louis-parade-on-iraq-wars-end-draws-thousands.xml/1/0/0 

St. Louis Parade on Iraq War's End Draws Thousands

January 30, 2012 Associated Press | Jim Salter

ST. LOUIS -- Looking around at the tens of thousands of people waving American flags and cheering, Army Maj. Rich Radford was moved that so many braved a cold January wind Saturday in St. Louis to honor people like him: Iraq War veterans.

The parade, borne out of a simple conversation between two St. Louis friends a month ago, was the nation's first big welcome-home for veterans of the war since the last troops were withdrawn from Iraq in December.

"It's not necessarily overdue, it's just the right thing," said Radford, a 23-year Army veteran who walked in the parade alongside his 8-year-old daughter, Aimee, and 12-year-old son, Warren.

Radford was among about 600 veterans, many dressed in camouflage, who walked along downtown streets lined with rows of people clapping and holding signs with messages including "Welcome Home" and "Thanks to our Service Men and Women." Some of the war-tested troops wiped away tears as they acknowledged the support from a crowd that organizers estimated reached 100,000 people.

Fire trucks with aerial ladders hoisted huge American flags in three different places along the route, with politicians, marching bands -- even the Budweiser Clydesdales -- joining in. But the large crowd was clearly there to salute men and women in the military, and people cheered wildly as groups of veterans walked by.

That was the hope of organizers Craig Schneider and Tom Appelbaum. Neither man has served in the military but came up with the idea after noticing there had been little fanfare for returning Iraq War veterans aside from gatherings at airports and military bases. No ticker-tape parades or large public celebrations.

Appelbaum, an attorney, and Schneider, a school district technical coordinator, decided something needed to be done. So they sought donations, launched a Facebook page, met with the mayor and mapped a route. The grass-roots effort resulted in a huge turnout despite raising only about $35,000 and limited marketing.

That marketing included using a photo of Radford being welcomed home from his second tour in Iraq by his then-6-year-old daughter. The girl had reached up, grabbed his hand and said, "I missed you, daddy." Radford's sister caught the moment with her cellphone camera, and the image graced T-shirts and posters for the parade.

Veterans came from around the country, and more than 100 entries -- including marching bands, motorcycle groups and military units -- signed up ahead of the event, Appelbaum said.

Schneider said he was amazed how everyone, from city officials to military organizations to the media, embraced the parade.

"It was an idea that nobody said no to," he said. "America was ready for this."

All that effort by her hometown was especially touching for Gayla Gibson, a 38-year-old Air Force master sergeant who said she spent four months in Iraq -- seeing "amputations, broken bones, severe burns from IEDs" -- as a medical technician in 2003.

"I think it's great when people come out to support those who gave their lives and put their lives on the line for this country," Gibson said.

With 91,000 troops still fighting in Afghanistan, many Iraq veterans could be redeployed -- suggesting to some that it's premature to celebrate their homecoming. In New York, for example, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently said there would be no city parade for Iraq War veterans in the foreseeable future because of objections voiced by military officials.

But in St. Louis, there was clearly a mood to thank the troops with something big, even among those opposed to the war.

"Most of us were not in favor of the war in Iraq, but the Soldiers who fought did the right thing and we support them," said 72-year-old Susan Cunningham, who attended the parade with the Missouri Progressive Action Group. "I'm glad the war is over and I'm glad they're home."

Don Lange, 60, of nearby Sullivan, held his granddaughter along the parade route. His daughter was a military interrogator in Iraq.

"This is something everyplace should do," Lange said as he watched the parade.

Several veterans of the Vietnam War turned out to show support for the younger troops. Among them was Don Jackson, 63, of Edwardsville, Ill., who said he was thrilled to see the parade honoring Iraq War veterans like his son, Kevin, who joined him at the parade. The 33-year-old Air Force staff sergeant said he'd lost track of how many times he had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a flying mechanic.

"I hope this snowballs," he said of the parade. "I hope it goes all across the country. I only wish my friends who I served with were here to see this."

Looking at all the people around him in camouflage, 29-year-old veteran Matt Wood said he felt honored. He served a year in Iraq with the Illinois National Guard.

"It's extremely humbling, it's amazing, to be part of something like this with all of these people who served their country with such honor," he said.

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NEBRASKA:

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NEVADA:

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NEW HAMPSHIRE:

hi everyone -- i wanted to thank everyone who donated towards the valentine's day pops -- we mailed all of them out with the messages and i am sure the troops will be enjoying them on valentines day -- thanks so much to amanda for making them!!!

======================== we will be having a group of soldiers coming home to mass. very soon, more details when we know the date and time =============================

do you or anyone you know have any extra religious pamphlets -- lenten ones are great, but any would be helpful -- we will be mailing these out for easter and would like to mail pamphlets (for any religions) to the chaplains for them to put out for the troops to take as they please. please let me know if you have any extra booklets or leaflets or religious magazines -- we would greatly appreciate having them to mail.

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one of our soldiers is returning home and he gave me the name of a replacement. the address was not APO or FPO -- it was DPO which i have never seen -- so i wrote to be sure it was not a typo -- here is the response --------------- Alice,

Thank you for this kind email. We have approximately 20 folks here (6 female 14 male). The DPO is correct. The Iraq mission was assumed by the State Department so the D stands for Diplomatic Post Office (DPO). While your thoughts and prayers are the most important thing you do for us if would like to send something coffee seems to be the most popular and frequently used commodity and some sweets with it are always appreciated.

Thank you again, Tommie

---- so as you can see we do still have troops in iraq -- this is not the only group -- there are others but they fall under the State Department now so we don't really hear too much about this. i was very surprised by this and sure enough when i went in to do new customs forms DPO was listed -- it had not been listed before this. so please continue to pray for our troops in iraq and also all the troops who thought when they left iraq they were coming home, but are now in kuwait and of course all our other troops.

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most of you know that i write letters to the families of the fallen and i received this email the other day from one of the families that i wrote to -- it is very humbling to receive a letter from someone who has lost a family member and you just send them a letter expressing your condolences with a cross in the pocket -------

Dear Alice,

I received a beautiful card, letter & cross from you yesterday. Your words have truely touched my heart. The loss of xxxxxxx was very devastating and I have a huge hole in my heart. I know I am getting better everyday because I have God and wonderful people like you in my life. I want to thank you so much for the love and prayers. I am going to carry the cross in my purse to remember God, xxxxxxxx and You. You taking the time to write to a perfect stranger and giving me words of encouragement has truly meant so much to me. I hope you know how special you are, and you will always be in my heart and prayers. Thank you Alice God Bless You and Yours -----------------

and finally i wanted to share a picture of one of our newest chaplains with you -- we have 3 new chaplains right now -- as the rotation seems to be taking place at this time. please keep them in prayer as they are very short-handed, a couple of the chaplains we had are not being replaced and our men and women need their guidance

this is chaplain jeff preaching his first sermon -- he told me he was very nervous -- but it looks like he had things in control and was doing a good job!!!

and also on battlefield

========================

we mailed out 15 boxes of valentines cards and candy and hats this week.... we had over 1000 handmade valentines cards given to us and i want to thank each and everyone who made a card -- they were from both adults and children and i know the troops are going to like them -- they were all beautiful and showed a lot of love towards our troops - something they all need to hear about. =========================

please don't forget we are still collecting old cell phones to get more phone cards for the troops --- if you need a bag to put your phone in and mail it off, please just email me your mailing address and i will get one to you. also please remember to save those pennies for us! we always need them for our shipments. we will be doing another shipment for easter with cross in the pockets and other lenten materials.

thank you everyone for all your help. God Bless and take care, alice and chris, soldiers helpers

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. Psalm 139:17-19

********************************* Alice and Chris Greenleaf Soldiers Helpers 21 Fox Lane Rochester, NH 03867 603-781-4195 pudgyaunt99@aol.com http://soldiershelpers.blogspot.com  Soldiers Helpers on Facebook

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troop mailing list was sent out yesterday. i have since been notified that several of our troops will be having their mail shut off as of 2/1/12 - they are noted on the attached list. so if you want to send them a valentines note or whatever, you need to do it before this deadline.

also, i have received most of these names from members of soldiers helpers -- please look the list over and let me know if there is anyone you see that should be removed or changed. also if you know of anyone who is deployed and their name is not on this list, please let me know and we will add their name asap (with their permission of course). i appreciate your help with this. thanks so much and God Bless, alice

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hi everyone... amanda (the daughter of our president, john mitchell) has been making chocolate lollipops and we are planning to include them in our valentines day boxes to the troops. so again we are asking for your help. we are asking that if you are interested, if you could donate $1.25 for each one you would like to send -- we can include your name (and address if you want) on a sticker or card so the soldiers will know who they came from wishing them a happy valentines day -- another holiday away from home -- so a good day to do something a little special. half of the money will go to soldiers helpers to help with shipping and the other half will go to relay for life (which amanda is involved with) -- so 2 good causes for one small price.

if you would like 1 or more lollipops, please email me and let me know and also what you would like the message to say and then you can mail me a check (made out to alice or chris greenleaf, since we will be splitting the proceeds) or if you have a paypal account you can do a paypal payment to pudgyaunt99@aol.com == please let me know in your email how you plan to pay.

if you would like to do this, please let me know asap so i can get everything ready as we need to get these out in about 1 week so they will arrive in time. we still have people making valentines cards to include in our boxes, if you are interested in doing this, please let me know.

all my contact information is shown below and i am attached 2 pictures of the lollipops amanda has made - thank you amanda.

hope to hear from a number of you! thanks so much, God Bless, alice

please feel free to pass this on to others that you think may be interested! thank you!

Alice and Chris Greenleaf Soldiers Helpers 21 Fox Lane Rochester, NH 03867 603-781-4195 pudgyaunt99@aol.com http://soldiershelpers.blogspot.com  Soldiers Helpers on Facebook

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NEW JERSEY:

nj.com Wall of Heroes: First Lt. Thomas C. Lafferty Published: Monday, January 02, 2012, 4:00 AM Gloucester County Times By Gloucester County Times Gloucester County Times WoH-Lafferty-Thomas.jpgView full size1Lt. Thomas C. Lafferty

First Lt.Thomas C. Lafferty, of Newfield, served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War.

Lafferty was a pilot of an F-51D Mustang with the 39th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 18th Fighter Bomber Group.

On Jan. 31, 1952, he was reported missing in action, over North Korea, while making a strafing run on enemy positions. His aircraft was shot down by ground fire.

His name appeared on the list entitled "The Transfer of U.S. Korean War POW's to the Soviet Union" in September 1993. His remains were not recovered.

Lafferty's name appears in Appendix B of the report: "31 Missing USAF F-86 Pilots Whose Loss Indicates Possible Capture."

Lafferty was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal. A memorial headstone was placed in Arlington National Cemetery on 27 October 2005 in memory of First Lieutenant Thomas C. Lafferty.

The Wall of Heroes honors the Gloucester County men and women who were killed in action or missing in action while serving in the military protecting our freedoms and rights. The freeholders unveiled The Wall of Heroes on Nov. 11 at the Gloucester County Justice Complex featuring the likeness of 100 Heroes.

There are at least 350 Gloucester County residents who never made it home so there is more work to be done. The community’s assistance in identifying those residents who may be eligible to be placed on the wall is crucial.

The Wall of Heroes consists of framed 5 by 8 inch translucent artistic renderings portraying reasonable likenesses of the persons whom the County is honoring. The Wall represents all branches of the military and they are arranged by era.

Because The Wall of Heroes features an artistic rendering of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, photographs are of particular importance. If there is no photograph that can be found of the person to be honored, only the name and other key information of the military personnel will be framed on the wall.

Information, applications and eligibility can be found at http://www.co.gloucester.nj.us/depts/v/vaffairs/heroapp/wallofheros.asp  or by contacting the Gloucester County Office of Veterans Affairs at 856-401-7660.

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http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20120125/NEWS01/301250032/Soldier-s-remains-way-home-from-North-Korea

Soldier's remains on way home from North Korea

12:03 AM, Jan. 25, 2012

VIDEO

POW Remains: The remains of 21-year-old Army Pfc. George A. Porter came home today after being a POW/MIA from the Korean War since 1951. Written by CAROL COMEGNO Courier-Post Staff

 A T-shirt worn by Charles Crain Jr. honors soldiers of the Korean War. / AL SCHELL/Courier-Post

Korean War veteran Charles Crain Jr. of Runnemede holds George A. Porter’s dog tag. Porter’s remains were recently recovered near an old prison camp in North Korea. / AL SCHELL/Courier-Post KOREAN WAR MISSING More than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War. Identifications continue to be made from the remains that were returned to the United States, using forensic and DNA technology. For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

More GIBBSBORO — Senior citizen Robert Hawkins cannot remember meeting one of his uncles, George A. Porter.

Hawkins was barely 3 years old when his 19-year-old uncle enlisted in the Army in 1949 in Philadelphia. Two years later, Porter was declared missing in action in the Korean conflict following a battle in Hoengsong, South Korea. Today — 60 years later — Porter is coming home after some of his remains were unearthed by the North Koreans at a prison camp, sent to the U.S. military in Hawaii and then positively identified through DNA recently supplied by Hawkins and his mother, who is Porter’s sister. The body of their 21-year-old relative is to arrive today from Hawaii at Philadelphia International Airport. Hawkins will have a military escort for the arrival. Also accompanying him will be his daughter, Bobbi, 28, and members of the Korean War Veterans Association, Chapter 54, of Gibbsboro. Arrangements are being handled by the Giosa Funeral Home, Route 561 in West Berlin. A funeral will be held close to noon Friday with a graveside service at Sunset Memorial Park, 333 W. County Line Rd., Huntington Valley, Pa. “It makes me feel good he is back home with his loved ones and that his spirit is up with his mom and dad and his brother,” the 65-year-old Hawkins, who lives in Gibbsboro, said as he held his uncle’s identification dog tags during an interview Tuesday. Hawkins said his only regret is that his 96-year-old mother Sarah is ill and will never be aware of this development. “I was shocked to be honest with you. I never thought we would hear from the military until they contacted me last year for my mother and I to give our DNA,” said Hawkins, whose family moved to South Jersey years ago. Army Pfc. George A. Porter was taken prisoner between Feb. 11 and 13, 1951, said the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office. He was serving in the 2nd Infantry Division — B Battery, 15th Field Artillery Battalion — in support of the Republic of (South) Korea in a major offensive near Hoengsong east of Seoul. (Page 2 of 2) On Feb. 11, Chinese forces launched a massive counteroffensive that became known as the Hoengsong Massacre. That offensive buckled the allied line and forced a retreat to the south that became a rout of allied forces over the next two days. Porter’s battalion suffered more than 200 casualties, including more than 100 men taken prisoner. Porter was reported missing in action on Feb.13. Two years later the military declared him dead because he was never found, according to U.S. military documents sent to Hawkins. He remained unaccounted for until the North Koreans returned 208 boxes of co-mingled remains of what was believed to be more than 400 soldiers. North Korean documents sent with the boxes indicated some of the human remains were recovered in Suan County, which had been the location of the Suan Mining and Bean camps where Porter was believed to have been held. An identification tag bearing Porter’s name was included among the remains. In identifying the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, as well as mitochondrial DNA that matched that of Porter’s sister and nephew. Hawkins said much of Porter’s skeleton was found and that the military lab reconstructed the skeleton during the identification process. He said he was notified just before Christmas that an identification had been made. He said he was contacted by the military in 2010 and asked to give DNA samples from the family. He said he sent both his DNA sample and one from his mother to the military. Not only does he not remember his uncle, he said his family has not been able to locate a picture of him. “About the only thing I was told other than about his military service is that he loved sports,” he said. “He gave everything and we don’t want him to be forgotten,” said Korean conflict veteran Charles Crain Jr., 80, of Runnemede and a Chapter 54 member. Hawkins said his grandmother, Mary Jane Porter, kept trying to help the military find her son. In the book of documents the military sent him was one of the letters she had written to the Army when they were looking for her son’s medical records in case his body was found. “She did not want to give up and had a feeling someday he would come home,” Hawkins recalled.

On Feb. 11, Chinese forces launched a massive counteroffensive that became known as the Hoengsong Massacre.

That offensive buckled the allied line and forced a retreat to the south that became a rout of allied forces over the next two days. Porter’s battalion suffered more than 200 casualties, including more than 100 men taken prisoner. Porter was reported missing in action on Feb.13. Two years later the military declared him dead because he was never found, according to U.S. military documents sent to Hawkins. He remained unaccounted for until the North Koreans returned 208 boxes of co-mingled remains of what was believed to be more than 400 soldiers. North Korean documents sent with the boxes indicated some of the human remains were recovered in Suan County, which had been the location of the Suan Mining and Bean camps where Porter was believed to have been held. An identification tag bearing Porter’s name was included among the remains. In identifying the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, as well as mitochondrial DNA that matched that of Porter’s sister and nephew. Hawkins said much of Porter’s skeleton was found and that the military lab reconstructed the skeleton during the identification process. He said he was notified just before Christmas that an identification had been made. He said he was contacted by the military in 2010 and asked to give DNA samples from the family. He said he sent both his DNA sample and one from his mother to the military. Not only does he not remember his uncle, he said his family has not been able to locate a picture of him. “About the only thing I was told other than about his military service is that he loved sports,” he said. “He gave everything and we don’t want him to be forgotten,” said Korean conflict veteran Charles Crain Jr., 80, of Runnemede and a Chapter 54 member. Hawkins said his grandmother, Mary Jane Porter, kept trying to help the military find her son. In the book of documents the military sent him was one of the letters she had written to the Army when they were looking for her son’s medical records in case his body was found. “She did not want to give up and had a feeling someday he would come home,” Hawkins recalled.

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NEW YORK:

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NORTH CAROLINA:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/23/2950729/soldier-killed-in-n-korea-returns.html

Soldier killed in N. Korea returns at last

Catawba County man's body brought home after almost 62 years. By Larry Clark Hickory Daily Record By Larry Clark Posted: Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 Modified: Monday, Jan. 23, 2012

NEWTON James Fishe remembers Willie Hill as "an easy-going guy. He was quiet, not loud or anything like that. He was a nice young man." Now, Fishe is happy that his first cousin, Sgt. Willie Dennis Hill, will finally get the burial he deserves. Hill was killed in action in the Korean War, but his body was never recovered until North Korea allowed Americans into that country to search for missing soldiers. "We are very happy that we were able to bring him home," Fishe said. "We used to play together. I was in the 12th grade when he joined the Army and went away." Hill had already graduated from Catawba Rosenwald High School. After fierce fighting with the Chinese army in 1950, Hill was listed as missing in action. Soon, the Army notified his family that Hill was presumed dead. The family didn't think they would ever know where their hero fell in North Korea. Friday, Hill's remains were flown to Charlotte, where a procession led by Patriot Guard Riders transported them to Newton. He was to have been buried Saturday in Concord Cemetery in Catawba. The family will gain some peace Hill is no longer in an unmarked grave halfway around the world in a country Americans still consider an enemy.

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OHIO:

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OKLAHOMA:

February 4, 2012 MIA bracelet finds its way home

http://www.edmondsun.com/local/x318439884/MIA-bracelet-finds-its-way-home

Patty Miller The Edmond Sun The Edmond Sun Sat Feb 04, 2012, 12:43 AM CST

EDMOND — A silver Missing In Action bracelet found its way to the mother of a Vietnam veteran recently.

It was through the tenacity of another veteran that Laverne Ransbottom was united with her son Fredrick Ransbottom’s memory yet one more time.

The bracelet with Capt. Fredrick Ransbottom stamped on it had been worn on the arm of Mary Milley for 39 years prior to her recent death. During the Vietnam conflict, it was common for Americans to wear silver bracelets stamped with the names of those missing in action.

“Mary never knew that Fredrick’s artifacts had been found, sent home and buried with full military honors,” said Peter Gauthier, himself a Vietnam veteran who lives in Northbridge, Maine.

Gauthier had come in possession of the bracelet when Mary’s daughter Catherine brought it to the local American Legion post.

Gauthier, a member on the executive board of the local Dudley Gendron American Legion Post 414 for the past 13 years, placed the bracelet on his arm while he tried to find any information he could about the soldier.

Gauthier located Laverne Ransbottom, Maj. Fredrick Ransbottom’s mother, through The Edmond Sun after reading one of a series of stories about her son that published starting August 2006 about his remains being brought back to the United States.

Capt. Fredrick Joel Ransbottom had been promoted to major while he was reported MIA.

“I told her about the MIA bracelet that had been worn for the past 39 years by Mary M. Milley, a woman in Sutton, Maine,” Gauthier said. “She passed away Dec. 12, 2011.”

Milley’s daughter Catherine gave the bracelet to a Legion member who brought it to an American Legion Post meeting where Gauthier took over responsibility for the bracelet.

“Laverne was very moved and thanked me for doing some research on finding her. She told me about her husband passing away and not knowing what had happened to their son Fredrick.

“She also said that God connects people together in many different ways and that she believes that is how I found her — through God’s intervention.

“It was His plan,” Laverne Ransbottom said recently. “I have experienced so many miracles over the past five years regarding Freddy Joel.”

From the family’s now retired Air Force connection to the casualty officer who helped the family reach the right people and look into classified records, to the priority dig that had logistics to be worked out and money appropriated for, to the lead anthropologist who would not give up hope of finding her son, to the ordinance group at the site who found a medicine bottle and kept digging, Ransbottom said it was one miracle after another leading to the area where her son’s billfold, class ring and dog tags were found in Vietnam.

Ransbottom had been missing in action, his fate unknown, since 1968. His remains and artifacts were found in 2006 at a military outpost near Kham Duc, Vietnam.

The final step home for the young soldier was a funeral with full military honors at Edmond’s Henderson Hills Baptist Church and interment at Memorial Park Cemetery in January 2007.

Laverne said she received a phone call in early January from Peter Gauthier telling her he was wearing the bracelet with her son’s name stamped on it.

“He asked if I would like him to send it back to me and I said, ‘Yes.’”

“Mary was my mother’s name,” Laverne Ransbottom said. “I can picture Mary Milley being devoted to this man she didn’t know and would never meet.

“Her children also bonded with Fred. This is such a great story that her daughter Catherine wanted to find out about my son, the man her mother took time out every day to remember and say a prayer for.”

Ransbottom said she thanked Gauthier for his service and sacrifice to our country.

“She told me that I will never know how ‘special’ this call and the information that I shared with her was,” Gauthier said.

“It was a great call and tears were flowing down my checks when we hung up. Everyone that I share this story with comments on how special this story is, and some have a tear in their eye as I tell it.”

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PENNSYLVANIA:

Remains of Korean War soldier from Phila. identified

January 23, 2012|By Robert Moran, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The remains of a Philadelphia soldier declared missing in action during the Korean War have been identified and will be buried this week, the Defense Department said Monday.

Army Pfc. George A. Porter, 21, was taken prisoner Feb. 11, 1951, during the battle of Hoengsong, said the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office.

Porter, of Battery B, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, was unaccounted for until the 1990s, when North Korea gave the United States more than 200 boxes of remains from the war.

Documents delivered with some of the boxes indicated the remains came from a place in the area of the Suan Bean Camp and Suan Mining Camp, where war prisoners were held. Porter was believed to have been held in Suan.

A metal identification tag with Porter's name was included with the remains.

DNA from remains matched DNA from Porter's sister and nephew, and a positive identification was made last year.

The Defense Department said Porter's burial is scheduled for Friday in the Somerton section of Northeast Philadelphia.

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http://articles.philly.com/2012-01-23/news/30655999_1_remains-of-korean-war-department-of-defense-pow-missing-personnel-office

Remains of Korean War soldier from Phila. identified

January 23, 2012|By Robert Moran, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The remains of a Philadelphia soldier declared missing in action during the Korean War have been identified and will be buried this week, the Defense Department said Monday.

Army Pfc. George A. Porter, 21, was taken prisoner Feb. 11, 1951, during the battle of Hoengsong, said the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office.

Porter, of Battery B, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, was unaccounted for until the 1990s, when North Korea gave the United States more than 200 boxes of remains from the war.

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http://www.allmilitary.com/board/viewtopic.php?id=31618

Korean War MIA Returns

Jan. 23, 2012

SOLDIER MISSING IN ACTION FROM KOREAN WAR IS IDENTIFIED

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Pfc. George A. Porter, 21, of Philadelphia, will be buried Jan. 27, in Somerton, Pa. On Feb. 11, 1950, Porter and the Battery B, 15th Field Artillery Battalion were supporting South Korean forces in a major offensive near Hoengsong, South Korea when Chinese forces attacked in what became known as the “Hoengsong Massacre." Porter and more than 100 men were taken as prisoners. Following the war, Porter’s remains were not accounted for.

Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered in Suan County, which had been the location of the Suan Mining and Bean camps, where Porter was believed to have been held. A metal identification tag bearing Porter’s name was included among the remains.

Scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, as well as mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Porter’s sister and nephew – in the identification of the remains.

Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted-for from the Korean War. Identifications continue to be made from the remains that were returned to the United States, using forensic and DNA technology.

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http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/01/25/missing-korean-war-vets-remains-returned-to-his-family-in-pennsylvania/

Missing Korean War Vet’s Remains Returned To His Family

January 25, 2012 6:30 PM

(Credit: Robin Rieger at Goisa Funeral Home in West Berlin)

Reporting Robin Rieger

Filed under Local, Philadelphia, Seen on, Syndicated Local, Watch + Listen Related tags Army, Feasterville, George Porter, Korean War, Philadelphia International, Robert Hawkins Check Out Real Or Wax? Hollywood Ink Soul Tryouts Conservative Celebs Victoria's SecretBy Robin Rieger

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A military salute for Army Private George Porter, formerly of Philadelphia, is something his now 65-year-old nephew Robert Hawkins says his family has always hoped for over the last 60 years. Porter’s casket arrived at Philadelphia International Airport on Wednesday morning for his final journey home.

“I feel good; now we have the whole family together,” said Robert Hawkins, of Gibbsboro, NJ.

Hawkins says he was only three when his uncle, George Porter, enlisted in the Army. Not long after, he was sent to Korea.

“The only thing I really knew about him was he liked sports,” said Hawkins.

Porter was declared missing in action two years later following a battle in Hoengsong, according to the Department of Defense.

“[My family] would talk about him at holiday times, wishing he was there,” Hawkins remembered.

Some remains found at a POW camp matched DNA Hawkins and his 96-year-old mother had sent in a year and a half ago. Hawkins got the news just before Christmas.

“They said, ‘We matched up a body.’ They didn’t have all of the remains, but it was [my mother’s] brother,” Hawkins explained.

Unfortunately, due to Alzheimer’s disease, Hawkins’ mother remains unaware of the discovery

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http://www.neagle.com/topstories/x842385954/LOCAL-HISTORY-Paupack-brothers-meet-in-WWII-Germany

Paupack brothers meet in WWII Germany.Zoom Photos. George Coutts.From left: Lt. Harold K. Coutts and Lt. George “Bud” R. Coutts, of Paupack,Pa.

 Paupack brothers meet in WWII

Paupack, Pa. — (See the related photo gallery)

Providence? Luck? Ask either of these two brothers, Harold K. Coutts, age 89, and George “Bud” R. Coutts, age 90. They were raised on the family farm in Paupack, and both went off to war. Forward to April of 1945. The Germans were close to defeat. Bud, a 2nd Lieutenant, was a pilot in the Army Air Corps, busy flying in supplies. His brother, also a 2nd Lieutenant, was listed as “missing in action.” The family -including Bud- had no idea Harold was captured by the Germans. No one had any idea that it would be Bud who would find him and bring him on his first leg of his journey home. The sons of George E. and Anna (Gumble) Coutts, they both attended Hawley High School and were each studying at Penn State University when the U.S. entered World War II in 1941. A large family, George and Anna raised eight sons and one daughter. Another of their sons, Robert C. Coutts, was an Army private in the Spring of 1945, studying diesel engineering in anticipation of deployment. Bud graduated in 1939 from Hawley High School and entered Penn State University. Brother Harold followed; they were in college together one year, when the United States entered World War II. Harold was drafted into the Army. Bud was taking the advanced ROTC course which exempt him from the draft. Piloted a C-47 Bud went on to Officer Candidate School (OCS) and started at Fort Benning, Georgia in the infantry as a second lieutenant. There was a great need in the Army for pilots, and that intrigued him. He switched to the Army Air Corps and became a pilot for a C-47 troop carrier. The C-47s and their crews were vital to the success of the US Army in stopping the advancing Third Reich. 2nd Lt. George “Bud” Coutts was among the legion of sky angels bringing ammo, food, parts, blankets, fuel and other supplies to General Patton’s forces in Europe, once Normandy was breached in June 1944. From the C-47s also dropped legions of paratroopers. Bud and another pilot had been assigned their own plane, which carried the designation M-2, and a snappy looking Bugs Bunny below the cockpit and the carrot-munching rabbit’s famous line, “What’s up, Doc?” Describing the experience of commanding a C-47, the veteran said from his kitchen table overlooking Lake Wallenpaupack that his plane was in a line of hundreds. He had another pilot aboard, a crew chief and a radio operator. There was no gunner. All they had was their personal weapons. Were there fighter planes accompanying them? “I never saw any,” he said. They flew low to the ground, sometimes barely over the tree line. Weather was perhaps their greatest danger. There were a couple times, he said, that he was almost killed due to low visibility. They flew in formation, with two planes following the running light of a lead ship. He recounted one incident where the clouds hung so low, they had no idea there was a mountain straight ahead until they almost hit it. Bud pulled up hard just in time. “I thought we’d have brush through the window,” he said. Another day they flew over the Rhine and were over German territory. They dropped paratroopers and pulled around fast. Bud’s C-47 took enemy small arms flack with some bullet holes in the fuselage. Thankfully, no one was hurt and they were able to fly back to base in France. “I saw one go down,” he said of another plane. Paratroopers were sitting ducks. “They had a rough deal,” Bud said. On a lighter note, one time he was sent to Italy with other planes, to bring back comedian Bob Hope and his entourage for a USO show. “It was interesting,” Bud spoke of his piloting a C-47. “I loved it, really.” Front page news in The Hawley Times 2nd Lt. Harold Coutts a co-pilot, of a B-17 Flying Fortress. It was April, 1945. It wasn’t the Luftwaffe or German ground fire that brought him down to earth. The B-17 developed engine trouble. “We lost one engine, then two more,” Harold said, on the phone from the Air Force retirement community where he and his wife Janet reside, in San Antonio, Texas. “I had flown 26 bombing runs before I bailed out.” Back home, The Hawley Times was published weekly, and was carrying news on the front page practically every issue of service members from the community. A headline in the May 10, 1945 edition declared, “2nd Lt. Harold Coutts Former Paupack Boy Missing in Action.” The story, citing a bulletin from the War Department stated that Harold, age 22, became missing in action over Germany April 18. The news had come from a telegram received by his parents. Harold had been inducted into the service Feb. 27, 1943, and was based in England with the 8th Air Force. News was slow getting home. “It was Harold” The date was April 25, 1945. Bud was aboard his C-47 and was one of many flights taking in supplies to occupied areas of Germany. Hitler’s campaign was in its death throes. That day he landed with fuel supplies on a captured German air strip, like so many others. They were in Bavaria, near the town of Ulm. “I came onto the airfield,” Bud remembered. “Lo and behold, it was Harold. He knew my plane.” The two brothers previously had a reunion in England, where Harold had a chance to see the Bugs Bunny painted on the side. Harold and his crew mates had been captured by a German patrol and turned in. “I became a POW for seven days,” Harold said. He said they were put up in a prison in a bombed-out town and had not been taken to a prisoner camp. The Germans treated them well, he said. “They knew it was almost over.” Food was scarce, however, and the town water system was no longer operating. With him were two medics, a navigator and another pilot, a captain of a P-47 that had also crashed. The town was liberated by the 44th Infantry 10th Armored Division, and he and his mates were taken back to headquarters at the air strip. They were only there 10 minutes, when the Bugs Bunny plane landed. “I knew his plane,” he said. Seeing the “M-2” and the cartoon, Harold went up to the plane and inquired. The Hawley Times reported on May 17, 1945, “Reported Missing: Liberated Prisoner Meets Brother.” Then on June 7, 1945, complete with a page one photo of Coutts brothers Harold and Bud, was an account of how they found each other. It tells: “... the cargo doors opened and someone yelled, ‘Hey Lieutenant, how about a ride to France?’ “Lt. [Bud] Coutts, without turning, replied with a question, ‘Any orders?’ “’No,’ came the retort. “The C-47 pilot asked, ‘What’s your name?’ “’Lt. Coutts,’ the answer came. “’Not Harold Coutts!’ “’Yes, why?” “’Bud, how did you get here?” In a letter to his parents, published in The Hawley Times, Bud said he “nearly fell out of the cockpit” upon seeing Harold. He described his brother as “a rough looking character with a week’s growth of beard, blood-shot eyes, and carrying a huge Nazi flag. On either side he carried a pistol for war trophies.” Bud went on to write, “He was a cocky, scrappy little cuss, and I’m just now able to handle him in the old way.” Side by side The reunited brothers from a farm in Paupack, Pennsylvania flew out side by side in the cockpit, with the other liberated POWs eager to go home. They flew to Reims. They were supposed to have official orders to leave on the plane, but the captain who was liberated with Harold only had his own orders he scratched out himself. Once back in France, the situation was questioned, and Harold asked if he was expected to go back to Germany. The matter was passed over, and instead, Harold went on to England on his journey home for a 60 day leave. Before that, however, Harold and Bud flew up to Paris to meet with the well-known NBC broadcaster Ted Malone, who interviewed the two pilots about their story for Blue Network radio listeners back in the States. The Germans, however, surrendered on May 7, and as far as they know, the tape was never broadcast. While their reunion was going on, their folks back home still had no word on Harold’s fate. From France, Harold sent a letter home to his mother. Bud related, “My sister said that was the only time she saw my mother cry.” The Hawley Times published letters from Bud and Harold, sent from France to their parents. Bud wrote in his letter of the happy reunion, “So all of you had better kneel right down on your knees and do some genuine, first class praying, for the Pilot of all of us was doing the navigating. Never have I felt so humble in the face of such mercy and goodness. It has practically overwhelmed me...” Coincidence? After the war, Bud stayed in the Reserves two or three years. He and his late wife of 63 years, Christine, raised three girls and a boy, and made their home in Paupack. Both Bud and Harold pursued construction careers. Harold stayed in the Army Reserves 20 years and retired as a major. Both reflected that they made out well from the war. Harold stated that he did not receive the brutal treatment some POWs found in Japanese camps, or later in Vietnam. Bud stated that so many others had a bad experience. “I was lucky,” he said. Harold said it was the only time either of them had been on that airfield. With planes coming and going so quickly on the captured German air strip, both Harold and Bud said they feel it was more than a coincidence that they had met. Just 10 minutes sooner or later, Harold added, and they would have missed each other. “It was a miracle,” Bud said.

(See the related photo gallery) Providence? Luck? Ask either of these two brothers, Harold K. Coutts, age 89, and George “Bud” R. Coutts, age 90. They were raised on the family farm in Paupack, and both went off to war. Forward to April of 1945. The Germans were close to defeat. Bud, a 2nd Lieutenant, was a pilot in the Army Air Corps, busy flying in supplies. His brother, also a 2nd Lieutenant, was listed as “missing in action.” The family -including Bud- had no idea Harold was captured by the Germans. No one had any idea that it would be Bud who would find him and bring him on his first leg of his journey home. The sons of George E. and Anna (Gumble) Coutts, they both attended Hawley High School and were each studying at Penn State University when the U.S. entered World War II in 1941. A large family, George and Anna raised eight sons and one daughter. Another of their sons, Robert C. Coutts, was an Army private in the Spring of 1945, studying diesel engineering in anticipation of deployment. Bud graduated in 1939 from Hawley High School and entered Penn State University. Brother Harold followed; they were in college together one year, when the United States entered World War II. Harold was drafted into the Army. Bud was taking the advanced ROTC course which exempt him from the draft. Piloted a C-47 Bud went on to Officer Candidate School (OCS) and started at Fort Benning, Georgia in the infantry as a second lieutenant. There was a great need in the Army for pilots, and that intrigued him. He switched to the Army Air Corps and became a pilot for a C-47 troop carrier. The C-47s and their crews were vital to the success of the US Army in stopping the advancing Third Reich. 2nd Lt. George “Bud” Coutts was among the legion of sky angels bringing ammo, food, parts, blankets, fuel and other supplies to General Patton’s forces in Europe, once Normandy was breached in June 1944. From the C-47s also dropped legions of paratroopers. Bud and another pilot had been assigned their own plane, which carried the designation M-2, and a snappy looking Bugs Bunny below the cockpit and the carrot-munching rabbit’s famous line, “What’s up, Doc?” Describing the experience of commanding a C-47, the veteran said from his kitchen table overlooking Lake Wallenpaupack that his plane was in a line of hundreds. He had another pilot aboard, a crew chief and a radio operator. There was no gunner. All they had was their personal weapons. Were there fighter planes accompanying them? “I never saw any,” he said. They flew low to the ground, sometimes barely over the tree line. Weather was perhaps their greatest danger. There were a couple times, he said, that he was almost killed due to low visibility. They flew in formation, with two planes following the running light of a lead ship. He recounted one incident where the clouds hung so low, they had no idea there was a mountain straight ahead until they almost hit it. Bud pulled up hard just in time. “I thought we’d have brush through the window,” he said. Another day they flew over the Rhine and were over German territory. They dropped paratroopers and pulled around fast. Bud’s C-47 took enemy small arms flack with some bullet holes in the fuselage. Thankfully, no one was hurt and they were able to fly back to base in France. “I saw one go down,” he said of another plane. Paratroopers were sitting ducks. “They had a rough deal,” Bud said. On a lighter note, one time he was sent to Italy with other planes, to bring back comedian Bob Hope and his entourage for a USO show. “It was interesting,” Bud spoke of his piloting a C-47. “I loved it, really.” Front page news in The Hawley Times 2nd Lt. Harold Coutts a co-pilot, of a B-17 Flying Fortress. It was April, 1945. It wasn’t the Luftwaffe or German ground fire that brought him down to earth. The B-17 developed engine trouble. “We lost one engine, then two more,” Harold said, on the phone from the Air Force retirement community where he and his wife Janet reside, in San Antonio, Texas. “I had flown 26 bombing runs before I bailed out.” Back home, The Hawley Times was published weekly, and was carrying news on the front page practically every issue of service members from the community. A headline in the May 10, 1945 edition declared, “2nd Lt. Harold Coutts Former Paupack Boy Missing in Action.” The story, citing a bulletin from the War Department stated that Harold, age 22, became missing in action over Germany April 18. The news had come from a telegram received by his parents. Harold had been inducted into the service Feb. 27, 1943, and was based in England with the 8th Air Force. News was slow getting home. “It was Harold” The date was April 25, 1945. Bud was aboard his C-47 and was one of many flights taking in supplies to occupied areas of Germany. Hitler’s campaign was in its death throes. That day he landed with fuel supplies on a captured German air strip, like so many others. They were in Bavaria, near the town of Ulm. “I came onto the airfield,” Bud remembered. “Lo and behold, it was Harold. He knew my plane.” The two brothers previously had a reunion in England, where Harold had a chance to see the Bugs Bunny painted on the side. Harold and his crew mates had been captured by a German patrol and turned in. “I became a POW for seven days,” Harold said. He said they were put up in a prison in a bombed-out town and had not been taken to a prisoner camp. The Germans treated them well, he said. “They knew it was almost over.” Food was scarce, however, and the town water system was no longer operating. With him were two medics, a navigator and another pilot, a captain of a P-47 that had also crashed. The town was liberated by the 44th Infantry 10th Armored Division, and he and his mates were taken back to headquarters at the air strip. They were only there 10 minutes, when the Bugs Bunny plane landed. “I knew his plane,” he said. Seeing the “M-2” and the cartoon, Harold went up to the plane and inquired. The Hawley Times reported on May 17, 1945, “Reported Missing: Liberated Prisoner Meets Brother.” Then on June 7, 1945, complete with a page one photo of Coutts brothers Harold and Bud, was an account of how they found each other. It tells: “... the cargo doors opened and someone yelled, ‘Hey Lieutenant, how about a ride to France?’ “Lt. [Bud] Coutts, without turning, replied with a question, ‘Any orders?’ “’No,’ came the retort. “The C-47 pilot asked, ‘What’s your name?’ “’Lt. Coutts,’ the answer came. “’Not Harold Coutts!’ “’Yes, why?” “’Bud, how did you get here?” In a letter to his parents, published in The Hawley Times, Bud said he “nearly fell out of the cockpit” upon seeing Harold. He described his brother as “a rough looking character with a week’s growth of beard, blood-shot eyes, and carrying a huge Nazi flag. On either side he carried a pistol for war trophies.” Bud went on to write, “He was a cocky, scrappy little cuss, and I’m just now able to handle him in the old way.” Side by side The reunited brothers from a farm in Paupack, Pennsylvania flew out side by side in the cockpit, with the other liberated POWs eager to go home. They flew to Reims. They were supposed to have official orders to leave on the plane, but the captain who was liberated with Harold only had his own orders he scratched out himself. Once back in France, the situation was questioned, and Harold asked if he was expected to go back to Germany. The matter was passed over, and instead, Harold went on to England on his journey home for a 60 day leave. Before that, however, Harold and Bud flew up to Paris to meet with the well-known NBC broadcaster Ted Malone, who interviewed the two pilots about their story for Blue Network radio listeners back in the States. The Germans, however, surrendered on May 7, and as far as they know, the tape was never broadcast. While their reunion was going on, their folks back home still had no word on Harold’s fate. From France, Harold sent a letter home to his mother. Bud related, “My sister said that was the only time she saw my mother cry.” The Hawley Times published letters from Bud and Harold, sent from France to their parents. Bud wrote in his letter of the happy reunion, “So all of you had better kneel right down on your knees and do some genuine, first class praying, for the Pilot of all of us was doing the navigating. Never have I felt so humble in the face of such mercy and goodness. It has practically overwhelmed me...” Coincidence? After the war, Bud stayed in the Reserves two or three years. He and his late wife of 63 years, Christine, raised three girls and a boy, and made their home in Paupack. Both Bud and Harold pursued construction careers. Harold stayed in the Army Reserves 20 years and retired as a major. Both reflected that they made out well from the war. Harold stated that he did not receive the brutal treatment some POWs found in Japanese camps, or later in Vietnam. Bud stated that so many others had a bad experience. “I was lucky,” he said. Harold said it was the only time either of them had been on that airfield. With planes coming and going so quickly on the captured German air strip, both Harold and Bud said they feel it was more than a coincidence that they had met. Just 10 minutes sooner or later, Harold added, and they would have missed each other. “It was a miracle,” Bud said.

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TENNESSEE:

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120127/NEWS08/301270010/Tennessee-POW-MIA-honored-traveling-wall-visits-Montgomery-County?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp

Tennessee POW/MIA to be honored as traveling wall visits Montgomery County

11:13 PM, Jan. 26, 2012 |

Written by Philip Grey Leaf-Chronicle

 CLARKSVILLE — The Clarksville/Montgomery County Public Library will display the Tennessee Vietnam POW/MIA Traveling Memorial Wall from Monday, Jan 30, until Feb. 6.

The display will be prominently featured on the first floor of the library The wall section, not to be confused with the much larger Vietnam War Memorial Traveling Wall, is specifically dedicated to honoring the Tennessee Vietnam service members still listed as missing in action by the Department of Defense. The wall was commissioned in 2010 by Vietnam Veterans/Legacy Veterans Motorcycle Club POW/MIA representative Anthony Perrone, who said the purpose of the display is not simply to honor, but to educate the public as well. “Being that the library is a place of education,” said Perrone, “I thought it would be appropriate to offer to display the wall there.” The POW/MIA Wall is part of a larger display that also includes the American flag, the National POW/MIA flag and a copy of a proclamation, signed last year by Gov. Bill Haslam, creating a POW/MIA Recognition Week, making Tennessee the first state in the union to take the step of expanding the period of honor beyond the Sept. 21 National POW/MIA Recognition Day. When Perrone first commissioned the memorial wall section, 33 Tennesseans were still listed as MIA, down from 48 at the end of the Vietnam War. In recent years, however, the remains of four more Tennesee MIA’s have been recovered, including Spc. Marvin Phillips, who was laid to rest in Gruetli-Laager, Tenn., on Sept. 24, 2011. The Tennessee Vietnam POW/MIA Wall was displayed at the Phillips funeral.

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TEXAS:

http://www.greatreporter.com/content/combat-us-texas-infantry-oss-and-french-resistance-during-liberation-france-1943-1946-dr

In Combat with the US ' Texas ' Infantry, the OSS , and the French Resistance during the Liberation of France, 1943-1946 By Dr Stephen J Weiss Presswire, 25 January 2012 Dr Steve Weiss (87) a London based, highly decorated World War Two (WWII) veteran launches his book SECOND CHANCE at Mappin & Webb (132 Regent Street, London) today. The book tells the harrowing story of his experiences during the war and his subsequent undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which could have crippled his life.

In his book Dr Weiss recounts his enlistment at age 18 to fight the Germans on the front lines in Europe during WWII. Private Steve Weiss of the 36th Texas Infantry,US Army served as a first scout in an American infantry rifle squad in Italy, France and Germany. He landed on the beaches of Southern France in 1944.

He and seven others became separated from their company during a ferocious battle in central France. Caught behind enemy lines and on the run from the Germans, they managed to evade capture and escape with the help of the French Resistance. Listed as 'Missing In Action' in France, he served with the French Resistance and an OSS Operational Group behind enemy lines.

For these exploits, he was awarded the French Resistance Medal (the only American ever so honoured), two Croix de Guerre, and the American Bronze Star. President Jacques Chirac presented him with the Legion d' Honneur in 1999. On 22 June 2007, he was elevated in rank to Officier de la Leigon d' Honneur.

Dr Weiss, who fought alongside the recently deceased Nancy Wake (known as The White Mouse) while he was in the French Resistance said; ‘I wanted to share the story of my generation with the next one, which had no direct experience of the magnitude and trauma of total war, the consequences of defeat and the price of victory.’

Noted author Charles Glass, who wrote Americans in Paris, said of SECOND CHANCE; ‘This is an exciting, astounding story of a young man who came of age through the crucible of battle and, more importantly, in coming to understand and know himself. This is the war that has, until now, been left out of history".

Dr Weiss confessed; ‘In coming to terms with my ordeals endured during the war, I became my own battlefield – but I achieved something that at times seemed impossible – I survived!’

SECOND CHANCE is not just a challenge to conventional military history but is a richly human story. Published by Military History Publishing, SECOND CHANCE is available to buy on Amazon Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chance-Resistance-Liberation-1943-1946/dp/178039232X

Dr Stephen J Weiss speaks extremely well, looks great and although he is 87 he still conducts lectures, travels extensively, gives historical tours in France. He is fun, personable and does a great deal to help combat soldiers suffering from PTSD. As he was tragically so young during the war (18) he is one of very few WWII veterans still alive today).

•The launch of this book coincides with Holocaust Memorial Day (which takes place on the 27th of January). •Steven Spielberg, who most recently directed the film adaptation of War Horse has first option on the film rights for Second Chance) •Steve recently completed a military training programme called TRIM (which ensures effective assessment of combat soldiers who may be at risk of suffering from PTSD) •Steve was 76 he achieved his PHD, 86 when he published his book and is looking forward to the future! •He is well informed about all subjects war related and can speak eloquently on WWI and WWII, PTSD etc. •He has a masters and a doctorate in War Studies from Kings College London and a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology He conducts tours and lectures on the subject of the French Resistance, PTSD and the psychology of soldiers.

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http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2012/jan/28/local-fallen-vietnam-veterans-honored/

Local fallen Vietnam veterans honored Small crowd marks day of peace accords

By Denise Morris San Angelo Standard Times Posted January 28, 2012 at 8:34 p.m. .DiscussPrintAAA.SAN ANGELO, Texas — While veterans around the world commemorated the 39th anniversary of the Vietnam Peace Accords, San Angelo held its own ceremony Saturday afternoon.

The sun shone brightly, but sharp, chill winds and many empty metal chairs made for a somber memorial.

"Sometimes you get a good crowd — sometimes you don't," said Jerry Lee, Marine Corps veteran. "It's kind of disappointing we had a low turnout today."

A couple dozen attended the event to honor those who served and remember the fallen, an event sponsored by VFW Fort Concho Post 1815 and other Concho Valley veterans organizations. The gathering was held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, under the Huey helicopter beside Mathis Field.

"We do this to recognize a generation of veterans who were largely pushed to the wayside," said Jason Guthner, VFW junior vice commander and master of ceremonies. "They came home to a less than welcoming America. We do this to saytour service to your country is not forgotten and thank you. "

The Peace Accords were signed Jan. 27, 1973, in Paris, officially ending the Vietnam War.

"There were more (American) dead than any other war, including World War II," Guthner said.

An estimated59,000 were killed in action, and 1,719 were missing in action. Thousands were injured.

Guthner is among veterans of recent wars, having made four deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. The airman now is serving as an active duty instructor at the 315th Training Squadron at Goodfellow.

"To me it's an essential part (of the VFW) to involve the younger generation of veterans," Guthner said. "We need to stop and look at those who came before, who went through a longer, much harder conflict than I have. This sort of event keeps their memory alive."

VFW chaplain Samuel Green made opening and closing prayers.

Veteran Charlie Dunn videotaped the event, something he does each year, to record history for his family.

"I signed up in 1965 but had an honorable discharge a year later because of my back," Dunn said. "I enjoy coming out here every year for every veterans event. It means a lot to me. The wind and cold don't bother me."

Dunn, a San Angelo native, said he comes to pay his respects to all veterans, and especially to his relatives who died in action.

"My younger cousin Jimmy Wheless was only 19 when he signed up and went straight to Vietnam," Dunn said. "He was there a year and a half and stepped on a land mine. It's so sad that he lost his life."

Wheless's father also died on the battlefield in World War II, Dunn said.

One by one, their names were read: 25 men from Tom Green County who died in the Vietnam War, and one who remains in Prisoner of War-Missing in Action status. A bugler played taps. As the ceremony closed, people silently viewed names inscribed in stone, sat still behind dark sunglasses or walked slowly to their cars.

Known Tom Green County residents killed or MIA in the Vietnam War:

John P. Bartely

James D. Brown

Leroy Burkes Jr.

Lorenzo Chapa Jr.

Harris L. Collins

Charles R. Crim

Rex W. Doyle

Loyd Evans Jr.

Charles M. Fitts

Mario Gonsalez

William Griffis III

Leslie Harris Jr.

Henry W. Hartman

George R. Henson

Louis F. Jones (POW/MIA)

Oscar R. Juarez

Robert S. Knadler

Norman E. Little

David D. Overstreet

David A. Parker

Michael Quinn

Robert P. Rios

Pedro Rodriquez

Albert Tijerina

William S. Watts

Jimmy R. Wheless

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UTAH:

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VIRGINIA:

http://www.timesnews.net/article/9041636/remains-of-korean-war-veteran-returning-home-to-scott-county

Remains of Korean War veteran returning home to Scott County

 By Wes Bunch

Published January 31st, 2012 9:53 pm Comments 24

WILLIAM RAY SLUSS

GATE CITY — Although it’s been over half a century since he was declared missing in action, the remains of a local soldier taken prisoner during the Korean War will return to Scott County later this month to be buried in the place he once called home.

The remains of Cpl. William Ray Sluss — a Korean war veteran and POW — are scheduled to arrive in Gate City by hearse on Feb. 16, nearly 60 years after he died.

Memorial services for Sluss will be held at noon Feb. 18 at the Gate City Funeral Home.

Sluss will receive full military honors during the service.

Music will be provided by Jamie Broadwater, Crawford Crossing and Trey Hensley.

Immediately following the memorial, military graveside services will be held at Holston View Cemetery in Weber City. The Military Funeral Honors Team of Fort Lee and American Legion Hammond Post No. 3 of Kingsport and Post No. 265 of Gate City will participate in the graveside service.

A flag line will be provided by Patriot Guard Riders.

Well-wishers are invited for the arrival and will be able to sign Sluss’ register book. The public is also invited to the memorial services for Sluss.

Born in 1929 to Otis and Zola Sluss, the Scott County native enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was 17 and served in the 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, during the Korean War.

Sluss was captured by enemy forces on Nov. 30 1950, near Kunu-ri, North Korea, and died at POW Camp 5 on April 30, 1951. According to a Military Times database, Sluss was among those prisoners not returned to the United States at the end of the war. His family was notified of his death in 1954.

Sluss was posthumously awarded a Prisoner of War Medal.

The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) was responsible for recovering Sluss’ remains from North Korea in 2007.

Sluss was officially accounted for Jan. 17, 2012.

The recovery involves several phases and can take several years to complete. The families of those missing also participate in the process.

Following the recovery and analysis, the recovery mission itself can take anywhere from 35 to 60 days to complete.

Once collected, the remains are taken to the JPAC Central Identification Laboratory where a variety of forensic tests — including matching DNA samples with those of family members — are performed to identify them.

Sluss is the second Scott County MIA/POW from the Korean War to be returned home recently for burial. Sgt. 1st Class Roy Earl Head was buried during a military ceremony held at his family’s farm in Scott County’s Grit Hill community in June 2011.

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WASHINGTON:

http://www.military.com/news/article/charges-against-final-kill-team-soldier-dropped.html?col=1186032320397

Charges Against Final 'Kill Team' Soldier Dropped

February 05, 2012 The News Tribune TACOMA, Wash. -- The Army on Friday dropped its case against the fifth and final soldier it accused of murdering Afghan civilians during a 2010 deployment with a Joint Base Lewis-McChord Stryker brigade.

The decision ends a 19-month ordeal for Spc. Michael Wagnon, 31, who came home early from his deployment in June 2010 facing charges that he murdered a noncombatant and tried to obstruct an investigation into wrongdoing among his platoon mates.

"The Army finally did the right thing in Wagnon's case," attorney Colby Vokey said. "We maintained that Wagnon is innocent all along, and this is just affirmation of his complete innocence in any killing or shooting."

Wagnon, a father of three who lives at Lewis-McChord, turned out to be the exception in a group of 12 Stryker soldiers who were charged with misdeeds in southern Afghanistan: He was the only to have his case dismissed.

"He is ecstatic," Vokey said. Wagnon "kept saying, 'This is such great news, this is such great news.'"

Wagnon was expected to go to trial in March, and he faced life in prison on the murder charge. Vokey said the Army dismissed the case as evidence mounted in Wagnon's favor.

The Army did not say why it dropped the charges. Lewis-McChord senior commander Maj. Gen. Lloyd Miles chose to dismiss the case "in the interest of justice," Army spokesman Lt. Col. Gary Dangerfield said in a written statement.

Vokey declined to make Wagnon available for an interview Friday night. Wagnon still could face discipline for infractions during his deployment, Vokey said.

Four of Wagnon's co-defendants are serving time in prison in connection with three civilian killings they carried out by manufacturing combat-like scenarios to cover up their crimes.

They were undone in May 2010 when seven soldiers assaulted then-Pfc. Justin Stoner after he complained outside his unit about drug use in their platoon. The beating drew attention to the platoon and revealed the civilian killings.

Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs is serving a life sentence for the three murders and his role in leading the so-called kill team. Spc. Jeremy Morlock, Gibbs' right-hand man-turned-informant, is serving a 24-year sentence for the killings.

The case against Wagnon appeared weaker than the others from the beginning. An Army investigating officer twice recommended that prosecutors dismiss the case after pretrial hearings over the past 15 months.

The Army's case hinged on Morlock, who has testified that Wagnon knowingly participated in a scheme to kill a civilian during a February 2010 patrol in the village of Kari Kheyl.

Morlock gave investigators two significantly different accounts of Wagnon's involvement that day. In one interview, he said Wagnon did not know the victim was set up by Gibbs.

Later, Morlock said Gibbs asked Wagnon if he wanted to join in executing the Afghan. Morlock said Wagnon complied, saying, "This isn't my first rodeo."

By Morlock's account, Gibbs then shot at a wall with an "off-the-books" AK-47 he was carrying before killing the Afghan with his own rifle. Morlock said Wagnon then shot at the Afghan to embellish Gibbs' story that the Afghan was a threat.

Wagnon has testified that he shot at the Afghan that day because he believed the man had fired a weapon on Gibbs. Gibbs insisted at his trial in November that the Afghan shot first, but a military jury sided with Morlock and found Gibbs guilty of murder for that shooting.

Wagnon was one of the most experienced soldiers to face charges in connection with the "kill team." He had served on two deployments to Iraq and was well-regarded by soldiers from his previous units. They came to his defense on a website they created and in letters they wrote to Army leaders.

"Thank you, Jesus," friend Adrian Stutzman wrote on a Facebook page for Wagnon's supporters. Stutzman is a former Army staff sergeant who served with Wagnon in Iraq.

"I am so happy I am crying," another friend wrote.

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WASHINGTON DC:

http://www.dailycommercial.com/News/LakeCounty/012612koreanvets

Pentagon helps to honor vets

Published: Thursday, January 26, 2012

LEESBURG

THERESA CAMPBELL | Staff Writer

Taps played in the background as a Pentagon official led a wreath-laying ceremony at Veterans Memorial at Fountain Park Wednesday afternoon, honoring 80 local Korean War veterans for their service.

The visit was part of the Department of Defense 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Committee's three-year program -- authorized by Congress -- to recognize the sacrifices of these veterans nationwide. Leesburg was the committee's first stop in Florida.

Bob Young, 83, was among the veterans in the crowd. He stood out, dressed in his brown wool military uniform that he received at 19, when he left his Umatilla home to join the U.S. Marines.

"I tried to go in at 17. I tried three times," Young recalled. "I wanted to serve my country."

He enlisted March 7, 1947, and went on to serve five years, working in communications.

Now a member of the Korean War Veterans of Lake County, Chapter 169, Young was proud Leesburg was the first Florida city to receive a Pentagon visit.

"The service secretaries and chiefs, the men and women of our armed services and a grateful nation, which owes you an unrepayable debt, we thank you for your service," U.S. Amy Col. David J. Clark said to the veterans. "It is my honor to share this memorable occasion with you and to be in the presence of so many distinguished veterans."

The committee's program is in its second year. Joined by Tom Thiel, president of Korean War Veterans of Lake County, and Leesburg Mayor Sanna Henderson, Clark saluted as the wreath was laid. Anthony Bobo and Howard Lin, from Leesburg High School Band, played taps, and Chaplain Harold Sievers, a Korean War veteran, gave the opening and closing prayers.

"We have been given the privilege to honor the sacrifice the Korean War veterans, to commemorate the key events of the war, and to educate the public about the onoging and lasting significances," Clark said, noting the Korean War was the first test of the United Nations' resolve to stand against tyranny in all its forms.

Twenty-one nations banded together with the U.S. and South Korea in a display of solidarity to turn back aggression and stem the tide of communism. The Armistice signed in 1953 remains in effect today.

"You kept the dreams of freedom alive for the grateful people of South Korea," Clark said, adding the war came at the cost of one million United Nation troops, including South Koreans, who were killed, wounded or missing.

"U.S. casualties alone were over 50,000 and more than 100,000 were wounded, and nearly eight thousands we still search for today," he said. "There are 106 that are still missing in action, but we have not forgotten, nor will be ever forget. The men and women who wear the uniform today stand on your shoulders and they are still taught the heroic stories about Korean War veterans."

He told the veterans that they can be proud to see South Korea.

"The Koreans have honored your sacrifices by establishing a dynamic, modern, Democratic nation with one of the largest economies in the world," Clark said. "It is an absolute miracle and it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for you. And in the words of one Korean-American, 'If it weren't for America, I wouldn't be alive today.'"

"That is your enduring legacy," Clark said to the veterans as he thanked them once more. "We are eternally grateful."

As a token of appreciation from the Department of Defense, the veterans received certificates signed by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-team-due-in-nkorea-in-march-to-resume-hunt-for-troops-missing-in-action-from-korean-war/2012/01/26/gIQAoyYuTQ_story.html

US team due in NKorea in March to resume hunt for troops missing in action from Korean War

By Associated Press, Published: January 26

WASHINGTON — U.S. military personnel will travel to North Korea in March to restart efforts to recover thousands of servicemen missing from the 1950-53 Korean War, the Defense Department said Thursday.

The U.S. and North Korean militaries agreed last October to restart recovery operations in what was seen a sign of easing tensions between the wartime enemies, but they did not announce a date.

1 Comments

Weigh InCorrections?

inShare..A letter from Republican Sen. Richard Lugar to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, however, notes that the agreement sets a March 1 start date. His Jan. 17 letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

Maj. Carie Parker, a spokeswoman for the Defense Department’s POW/Missing Personnel Office, confirmed by email Thursday the North’s military will begin preparations March 1 for the arrival later that month of a small U.S. advance team that will evaluate conditions and prepare for operations.

The Dec. 17 death of North Korea’s longtime ruler Kim Jong Il, and the succession of his untested younger son, Kim Jong Un, has led to a pause in U.S.-North Korean talks on its nuclear program and a possible resumption of U.S. food aid.

The Defense Department has described the recovery of war remains as a “stand-alone humanitarian matter not tied to any other issue between the two countries.”

The Pentagon estimates 5,500 U.S. servicemen are unaccounted for on North Korean soil. The administration of President George W. Bush suspended recovery operations in 2005 amid rising tensions with North Korea. The Americans said they were worried about the safety of U.S. recovery teams in the country.

Joint recovery missions began in 1996 and are the only form of U.S.-North Korean military cooperation. The two countries do not have diplomatic relations. The Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, so the conflict never formally ended. Some 28,000 American troops remain based in South Korea.

U.S. veterans organizations have long advocated an aggressive U.S. effort to recover remains from the war. Many U.S. war dead were left behind when Chinese forces overran U.S. positions in North Korea in late 1950. Most veterans are now in their 80s, and the chances of any survivors inside North Korea appear slim.

Lugar, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says that North Korean officials have an extensive set of information and records related to the war and Americans who served.

“Press for the full story about those American service personnel and for the release of any who may remain alive,” he wrote to Panetta.

The Defense Department periodically confirms the identity of missing U.S. service members based on documents and remains previously supplied by North Korea.

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http://hamptonroads.com/2012/01/senate-panel-oks-bill-honoring-war-dead

Senate panel OKs bill on honoring war dead

The Virginia War Memorial in Richmond contains the names of Virginia soldiers who died in WWII and in all wars since. (Bill Tiernan | The Virginian-Pilot) View full-size photo | Buy Pilot photos

Virginia Politics •Blog: Pilot on Politics •Assembly citizens guide •Politics channel Related •3 years on, no truce on Va. War Memorial dispute - Feb. 13, 2011 •Lawmaker calls on Virginia War Memorial to open up its wall - Dec. 11, 2008

By Bill Sizemore The Virginian-Pilot © January 31, 2012 RICHMOND

After four years of debate, it appears that an impasse over how to honor Virginia's war dead may finally be near a resolution.

Sen. John Miller's bill, SB194, provides that all active-duty Virginia military personnel who die in a combat zone under honorable conditions, or are declared missing in action, will be honored in the same way at the Virginia War Memorial, a glass-and-marble monument overlooking the James River in Richmond.

Approved in a near-unanimous vote Monday by a Senate committee, the measure provides that all those veterans' names be inscribed on the memorial's Shrine of Memory, where some 12,000 Virginia veterans have been so honored since the memorial was authorized in 1950.

Selection criteria for the memorial have been in limbo since 2009, when the General Assembly directed the memorial's governing board to develop consistent standards.

In recent years, the board has taken the position that only those Virginians killed in hostile action should be listed on the memorial. Service members killed in accidents and other noncombat circumstances are excluded.

That standard is stricter than those applied in the past. At least 1,900 veterans - roughly one in six - of those now listed on the wall died in training, plane crashes and other incidents outside of combat.

Miller, D-Newport News, has carried legislation similar to this year's measure since 2010. But it always ran aground in the House of Delegates, which insisted on a more restrictive two-tier standard. Under that plan, the Shrine of Memory would be limited to those who die as a result of hostile action. Those who die of other causes would be honored on a new, separate wall.

Presenting his bill Monday, Miller referred to the House plan as "an A wall and a B wall," suggesting that it treated veterans who die of nonhostile causes as second-class citizens.

Under those criteria, Miller said, Lance Cpl. Darrell Schumann, one of 31 Marines killed when a military transport helicopter crashed in the Iraq desert in 2005, would be listed on the "B wall."

"That simply isn't right," Miller said. "We ought to be as inclusive as possible."

He said his bill uses the same criteria as those used for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

Schumann's father, Rick Schumann, a constituent of Miller's, told the panel his son is one of 42 Virginians who have died of nonhostile causes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Do not let these faces be relegated to a wall inside a room," he said. "Let them be remembered for their sacrifice they gave willingly."

Miller said after the vote that two factors make him optimistic that, this year, the House will pass his bill.

For one, his inclusive approach has won the support of Gov. Bob McDonnell.

For another, former Del. Bill Janis of Henrico County, who was the chief proponent of the rival two-tier proposal, is no longer in the House and now works for the McDonnell administration.

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http://www.policeone.com/training/articles/4976283-Police-get-help-with-violent-vets/ 

Police get help with violent vets

Training geared to deal with ex-troops who are ticking bombs

Kevin Johnson USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is funding an unusual national training program to help police deal with an increasing number of volatile confrontations involving highly trained and often heavily armed combat veterans.

Developers of the pilot program, to be launched at 15 U.S. sites this year, said there is an "urgent need" to de-escalate crises in which even SWAT teams may be facing tactical disadvantages against mentally ill suspects who also happen to be trained in modern warfare.

"We just can't use the blazing-guns approach anymore when dealing with disturbed individuals who are highly trained in all kinds of tactical operations, including guerrilla warfare," said Dennis Cusick, executive director of the Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute. "That goes beyond the experience of SWAT teams."

Cusick, who is developing the program along with institute training director William Micklus, said local authorities have a better chance of defusing violent confrontations by immediately engaging suspects in discussions about their military experience — not with force.

The aim, Micklus said, is to try to reconnect them with "a sense of integrity" lost in the fog of emotional distress.

"You can't win by trying to out-combat them,'' Cusick said. "You emphasize what it means to be a Marine, a soldier to people who now feel out of control."

There is no data that specifically tracks police confrontations with suspects currently or formerly associated with the military. But an Army report issued this year found that violent felonies in the service were up 1% while non-violent felonies increased 11% between 2010 and 2011.

During that time, however, crime in much of the nation declined.

"What we're seeing is that the volume (of violent incidents involving military personnel off base) has ratcheted up to a level we have never seen before," Cusick said.

Much of the anecdotal evidence reads like the report of the Jan. 13 standoff between Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Eisenhauer, 30, a veteran of multiple combat tours, and Fayetteville, N.C., police and firefighters.

A 911 call from an apartment complex manager revealed that Eisenhauer was allegedly barricaded inside one of the apartments exchanging gunfire with police.

Although the suspect was not specifically identified as a soldier, the apartment manager told a policedispatcher that the suspect was "under psychiatric care," according to the 911 call.

According to Fort Bragg records, Eisenhauer had been assigned to the post's Warrior Transition Battalion, a unit for soldiers who have been wounded or suffered other illnesses as a result of their deployment, Womack Army Medical Center spokeswoman Shannon Lynch said.

Eisenhauer, who was wounded in the standoff along with two police officers, is charged with 30 criminal counts, including 15 counts of attempted murder.

Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities (Police) Chiefs Association, said the type of training proposed by the Justice Department represents "one piece of the challenge'' in dealing with an increasing number of mentally ill suspects.

"This has been a challenge for a number of years in our communities," Stephens said.

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Recovery Mission to Begin This Spring in North Korea

01/27/2012 11:53 AM CST

Recovery Mission to Begin This Spring in North Korea By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2012 - Members of the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command are preparing for their first mission to North Korea in seven years to search for remains of missing U.S. Korean War veterans, a defense official reported.

The mission, expected to begin this spring, will bring together U.S. and North Korean military members for the humanitarian mission, said Air Force Maj. Carie Parker, a spokeswoman for the Defense Department's POW/Missing Personnel Office here.

U.S. teams will work in two areas in North Korea: Unsan County, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang, and near the Chosin/Jangjin Reservoir, where more than 2,000 soldiers and Marines are believed to be missing, Parker said.

Of approximately 83,000 Americans missing from all conflicts, 7,967 are from the Korean War, she said. Of those MIAs, 5,500 are believed to be in North Korea.

U.S. specialists from the Joint POW/MIA Command had conducted operations in North Korea for 10 years, recovering remains believed to be more than 225 servicemen since 1996. However, the United States halted those operations in 2005 due to increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. and North Korean officials agreed following three days of talks in Bangkok last October to resume the recovery missions, Parker said.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs Robert J. Newberry led the U.S. negotiating team, which included representatives from DOD, the State Department, U.S. Pacific Command and United Nations Command-Korea.

Their agreement with the North Koreans includes details on logistics and other issues to ensure effective, safe operations for U.S. recovery teams operating in North Korea, Parker said.

Based on this plan, North Korean soldiers are expected to begin preparing the two sites that will serve as base camps for the operations.

A small advanced team from JPAC will then travel to North Korea to assess the sites, evaluate the conditions and determine what other preparations are needed before a full recovery team deploys there, probably in the late spring timeframe.

The recovery is considered a humanitarian mission, and North Korean military will assist with logistics, support and security, Parker said.

"They understand the importance of this mission," she said, emphasizing that the mission is not tied to any other issues between the two countries.

The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command has the sole mission of achieving the fullest possible accounting of all Americans missing as a result of the nation's past conflicts, command officials explained.

In support of that mission, the command sends teams that include forensic anthropologists, forensic archeologists and scientific directors to potential crash and burial sites around the world.

Once remains or other personal artifacts such as dogtags are repatriated to JPAC's headquarters in Hawaii, experts at the command's Central Identification Laboratory -- the world's largest forensic anthropology lab -- use the most advanced science available to match them to a specific missing service member. Among the tools they use is mitochondrial DNA, which includes unique signatures from the maternal line and helps the JPAC staff make identifications once not considered possible.

These capabilities, plus support provided by the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory in Rockville, Md., has enabled JPAC to identify 94 missing service members from Vietnam, Korea and World War II since January 2011, Parker reported.

Of those, 44 were from the Korean War, including five who were accounted for this month.

One, to be buried today with full military honors in Somerton, Pa., is Army Pfc. George A. Porter. The 21-year-old Philadelphian went missing Feb. 11, 1950, when he and his Battery B, 15th Field Artillery Battalion comrades were supporting South Korean forces in a major offensive near Hoengsong, South Korea.

Porter and more than 100 men were taken prisoner when Chinese forces attacked in what has become known as the Hoengsong Massacre. He was never accounted for following the war, officials said.

Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of human remains believed to be those of 200 and 400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the remains were recovered in Suan County. That, officials said, was the location of the Suan Mining and Bean camps, where Porter was believed to have been held.

A metal identification tag bearing Porter's name was included among the remains, they reported.

Scientists from the JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used forensic identification tools, circumstantial evidence and mitochondrial DNA that matched that of Porter's sister and nephew to make an official identification. DOD announced the identification Jan. 23.

Other previously missing Korean War veterans accounted for this month were:

• Army Pfc. Frank P. Jennings. He was lost near Jeon-Gog, South Korea, on April 25, 1951, while serving with E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment. Jennings was accounted for on Jan. 18.

• Army Sgt. 1st Class Edris A. Viers. He was lost near Pongam-ni, South Korea, on Aug. 12, 1950, while serving with Battery A, 555th Field Artillery Battalion, 5th Regimental Combat Team. Viers was accounted for on Jan. 17.

• Army Cpl. William R. Sluss. He was serving with Service Battery, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, near Kuni-ri, North Korea, when he was captured by enemy forces in late November 1950. Sluss died at POW Camp 5 in April 1951 and was accounted for on Jan. 17.

• Army Cpl. Chester J. Roper. The Battery A, 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, soldier was captured by enemy forces on Dec. 1, 1950, near Somindong, North Korea, and died in early 1951 in POW Camp 5 at Pyoktong. He was accounted for on Jan. 4.

Related Sites: Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command

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Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information.

Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more.

Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs.

This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/.

Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense

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News from the Library of Congress

 Contact: Jason Steinhauer (202) 707-0213 Contact: Monica Mohindra (202) 707-1071

January 30, 2012 Veterans History Project Launches Multi-Year Effort to Collect Vietnam War Stories The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP) has launched a multi-year campaign to preserve the stories of the nation’s Vietnam War veterans. Volunteers and veterans are needed to record these important stories for the Veterans History Project collection, accessible at www.loc.gov/vets/. 

"In the coming years, our nation will commemorate 50 years since the conflict in Vietnam," said VHP Director Bob Patrick, referring to the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration established to honor and pay tribute to Vietnam War veterans and their families. "The personal histories of those who served will help us heal, learn and remember, while leaving a powerful legacy for future generations."

The stories of former Sen. Chuck Hagel and his brother Tom Hagel, who fought side by side in the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong River Delta, are among the more than 13,000 Vietnam veteran collections already held by VHP. The brothers recently ushered in VHP’s new campaign by donating more than 20 hours of interviews and film footage to the Library. Originally collected by Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET), representatives from NET were on hand to commemorate the donation.

"When we think of wars – whether it’s Vietnam or any other war – we think of it as a unitary subject, the Vietnam War," Tom Hagel shared at the event. "But there are millions of Vietnam Wars. If you were a clerk-typist stationed in Saigon or up on the demilitarized zone, or some other unit with some other type of job, your Vietnam War would be totally different from ours. And that’s important to tell. It gives a more complete, realistic picture of that experience. That’s the value of this project."

The Vietnam Veterans Collections Initiative Kick-off can be viewed here.

Epitomizing that thought are the stories of Brian Markle and Jeanne Markle, who were among the first married couples to arrive in country. She was a nurse with an evacuation hospital, and he was an officer in charge of medical logistics. African-American truck driver Thomas Hodge didn’t expect to live long when he got to Vietnam; he heard that the life expectancy of a wartime truck driver was three days. He survived, as did nurse Rhona Marie Knox Prescott, though her friend and fellow nurse perished in a helicopter crash.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 as a national documentation program of the American Folklife Center (www.loc.gov/folklife/) to collect, preserve and make accessible the first-hand remembrances of American wartime veterans from World War I through the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. The project relies on volunteers to record veterans’ remembrances using guidelines accessible at www.loc.gov/vets/.  Volunteers may request more information at vohp@loc.gov or the toll-free message line at (888) 371-5848. Subscribe to VHP’s RSS feed on the VHP home page.

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http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/2012/01/marines-career-threatened-controversial-rules-engagement/2127401#disqus_thread#ixzz1kPgdfHt5 

Marine's career threatened by controversial rules of engagement By:Sara A. Carter | 01/23/12 8:05 PM National security correspondent | Follow on Twitter @SaraCarterDC

Marine Corps 1st Lt. Joshua Waddell, 25, in Sangin, Afghanistan, is executive officer with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Corps Regiment, from Twentynine Palms, Calif. (Courtesy photo)

Joshua Waddell, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marines, appeared on his way to a stellar career as an American military officer. The son of a retired Navy SEAL commander, Waddell had won a Bronze Star during his first tour of duty in Afghanistan and had returned for a second.

Then he made a decision in combat that military experts say has severely jeopardized his future in the corps.

But some military experts say the black mark on Waddell's record was undeserved, that he and other young American officers are being put in a difficult, if not impossible, situation by unreasonable rules of engagement foisted upon the military by politically sensitive commanders in the Pentagon.

The facts in Waddell's case are spelled out in Marine Corps documents. But how those facts should be interpreted is a matter of heated dispute.

On Nov. 1, Waddell, a 25-year-old executive officer with 3rd Battallion, 7th Marine Corps Regiment, was monitoring a surveillance camera in Sangin, Afghanistan, when he spotted a man who had been identified as a bomb maker working with area insurgents. Two days earlier, a sergeant from India Company had lost both legs and a hand when a bomb detonated in their area of operation. The man spotted on the camera was believed to be responsible.

After receiving permission from his battalion commanders, Waddell ordered Marine snipers to open fire on the man, and he was hit. A group of Afghans rushed to the man, put him on a tractor and attempted to flee. Waddell ordered the snipers to hit the engine block of the tractor, disabling it so the man believed to be a bomb maker would not escape. The tractor was hit but no civilians were injured.

Then, about three weeks later, the civilians who helped remove the wounded man from the area were found to be teenagers.

As a result, Waddell was demoted from executive officer, and the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Seth Folsom, determined he had violated rules of engagement that governed when Marines could fire, and at whom. Folsom said Wadell "is not recommended for promotion" and "in violation of [combat rules] during an engagement." The report stated that "noncombatant local nationals" were in the area of direct fire and that "the engagement resulted in a damaged local national vehicle."

A Marine brigadier general who reviewed the case was sympathetic to Waddell, whom he described as a "superb and heroic combat leader. But the general said the decision on whether Waddell should be promoted was "the commander's prerogative," noting that the battalion commander on the scene had lost "confidence in [Waddell's] abilities."

Marine Maj. Shawn Haney, spokesman for Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said Waddell's fitness report will go before a review board at the time of any promotion "and everything is under scrutiny, so Waddell will have a chance to defend himself against the accusations." Still, Haney conceded, Waddell's fitness reports play a "significant role in future promotions."

The upshot is that Waddell's career has been effectively blunted, his chance for promotion blocked.

Waddell is just one of hundreds of cases of troops who have suffered under stringent rules of engagement, said Jeff Addicott, a former senior legal adviser to U.S. Army Special Forces.

"We have hamstrung our military with unrealistic ROEs that do more harm to our soldiers than the enemy, and now a Marine's career is on the line because he disabled a tractor," Addicott said. "In many ways our military is frozen in fear of violating absurd self-imposed rules on the battlefield, How can you tell if it's a teenager or a man, a farmer or an enemy when you're fighting an insurgency?"

A Marine stationed in Afghanistan who does not know Waddell, but who has operated under the same rules, said, "The rules of engagement are meant to placate [President Hamid] Karzai's government at our expense. They say it's about winning the hearts and minds, but it's not working. We're not putting fear into the enemy, only our troops."

Waddell's father, Mark Waddell, who served more than 25 years in the military and retired as a commander of a Navy SEAL team, said his son and other Americans fighting in Afghanistan are being victimized by these rules.

"I feel what's happened to my son is a complete betrayal, and he isn't the only one," said Waddell, of Fort Worth, Texas. "Josh is a hero. We expect them to go out and make instantaneous combat decisions, then we Monday-morning quarterback their decisions. It's an outrage."

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It's with a heavy heart that I write to you today and tell you that we lost Tuskegee Airman, and Congressional Medal of Honor winner, Lt. Col. Luke J. Weathers Jr. (Read more about it HERE)

Buried with all military honors at Arlington National Cemetery this past Friday, January 20th, Lt. Col. Weathers was 90 years old at the time of his passing.

All who met Lt. Col. Weathers came to know his courageous spirit and steadfast willpower. It was this very spirit that helped push the empowering 1948 decision by President Truman to desegregate the military.

With the Tuskegee Airmen movie 'Red Tails' having ironically hit the big screen on the day of Lt. Col. Weather's burial, let us honor this hero and show our support by making it number one at the box office. So far, 'Red Tails' reached the number two spot in it's first weekend alone. But we think it can do better.

James, your support at the box office will not only help the CAF Red Tail Squadron spread the legacy of men like Lt. Col. Weather's, but will also draw attention to this inspirational story about the Tuskegee Airmen for Americans across the country. This attention will help encourage Americans young and old, far and wide, to check out this under-appreciated story themselves so that Airmen like Lt. Col. Weathers receive the recognition they so rightly deserve.

Don't miss out on your opportunity to honor Lt. Col. Weathers, and his brave fellow comrades, by seeing this action packed story of teamwork, dedication, and heroism while it's still on the big screen. And when you do this, you will also be supporting the CAF Red Tail Squadron, and their mission to preserve the legacy and stories of these unsung heroes.

In exchange for your generous donation, we'll send you a gift certificate to Fandango.com to buy tickets at a time, theater, and day convenient for you. Make your donation today so we can help people 'Rise Above' tomorrow. As always, thank you so very much for being a faithful friend to the CAF Red Tail Squadron. We hope to see you at the movies!

Bradford Lang CAF Red Tail Squadron Leader & Pilot of the P-51C Mustang

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Combat vets running for Congress - 2nd, 13th and 20th Congressional Districts:

Cong Chris Gibson, Col-USA (Ret) (R-NY-20) http://chrisgibsonforcongress.com 

Cong Michael Grimm, USMC/FBI (R-NY-13) http://www.grimmforcongress.com 

Lt. Col Stephen A. Labate, USAR (R-NY-2) http://www.labateforcongress.com 

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WEST VIRGINIA:

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WISCONSIN:

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WYOMING:

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POW/MIA PRAYERS NEEDED:

Please send a letter similar to the one below to Secretary of State Clinton.
If enough people write letters to her, she will have to take action. WE must
make Afghanistan POW Bowe Bergdahl an issue that must be resolved. It can be
resolved if she wants to bring him home alive.  Your letters will not only
show that you care but will let Secretary Clinton know that people will not
let POW Bergdahl be abandoned and forgotten as our POW/MIAs have been in our
past wars.

I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving. It will be better than
what POW Bowe Bergdahl will experience on Thanksgiving Day.

Danny "Greasy" Belcher, Executive Director
Executive Director, Task Force Omega of KY Inc.
Vietnam Infantry Sgt. 68-69
"D" Troop 7th Sqdn. 1st Air Cav.



November 8, 2011

The Honorable Hillary R. Clinton

Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20520



 

To  bring Afghanistan POW Bowe Bergdahl home!!

http://www.greasyonline.com/article232.html Letters To Save POW Bowe Bergdahl

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 US soldiers’ remains sent home

HA NOI — A repatriation ceremony of the remains of US servicemen who died during the war in Viet Nam was held at Noi Bai International Airport yesterday. Attending the ceremony were representatives from the Viet Nam Office for Searching Missing Personnel (VNOSMP), Commander of the US MIA Office in Ha Noi Patrick J Keane, and representatives from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC).

The Vietnamese side handed over two boxes of remains which were recovered during the 105th Joint Field Activities from October to December 2011 and turned over by Vietnamese citizens.

Those remains were jointly examined by Vietnamese and US forensic specialists who concluded that they might be associated with US servicemen missing during the war in Viet Nam. The search for the remains of US servicemen missing during the war in Viet Nam is a humanitarian co-operation between the Vietnamese and US Governments. This is the 121st hand-over of American servicemen’s remains since 1973.

Addressing the ceremony, the US Government Representative expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for the steadfast humanitarian policy, good-will and the increasingly efficient co-operation of the Vietnamese Government and people. — VNS

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LINKS TO SHARE:

http://www.greatamericans.com/video/Portraits-of-Valor-Tibor-Rubin GREAT VIDEO!!

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READERS SHARE:

http://www.allostaticoverload.com/

What is the Allostatic Load/ Overload Paper research funded by DVA all about?

That paper is a first attempt to draw together a comprehensive analysis of the international and national literature on Allostatic Load/ Overload with an Executive Summary that would attempt to crystallize what is a very complex subject down to a layman�s understanding in order to encourage debate and research.

When it first began using discretionary funding from CMVH and I believe later University of Queensland resources, I the originator was actively involved. I then sought and obtained funding from DVA however, I have been excluded from the outcome- raising the obvious question why? As a self help victim, private researcher, concept originator, organizer and being involved for over thirty frustrating years I could be considered the closest thing to an expert on the subject around. I have had to fight and upset a few egos to get this far, not to mention many brain snaps of my own due to sheer frustration of trying to get authorities to take action on what will probably be one of the most important issues of mankind.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the role Del Heuke played in getting this concept up. Del was a RAAF nursing sister who was involved at the beginning of CASEVACS from South Vietnam on DC 3�s would you believe. She has been giving talks when requested on the subject, the latest being to 1 RAR association using her wide experience as a platform. They are especially interesting due to the fact she is a veteran herself.

Two others who deserve a mention are Dr Rod Bain who after I had gathered a team of eminent people got the then Minister of DVA the Hon Alan Griffin to listen to me. I may have done the hard negotiations but without those two it may never have happened so both have my undying gratitude and take credit where credit is due.

In simplistic terms Allostatic Load is the measurement of what happens to the body and brain adapt to the normal stressors of life. As in many things a little stress is good for us it stimulates our body to action a process that is called �Allostasis�.. More stressful situations we can tolerate if we get a break in between doses which gives our bodies time to adapt. Adaptation if overstretched long term becomes toxic and causes changes to the operation of the human system. Sometimes those changes go unnoticed but if circumstances continue to put the human under chronic or long-term toxic stress then the ability for the human to adapt will be compromised. We have no research to tell us how long that takes.

When we are confronted with a threat our brain and body releases chemicals that give us the ability to fight or flee. You will all be aware of the sensation when you have a close shave in traffic � the heart pumps and breathing increases sometimes we tremble but after a short time the feeling passes. That is how the system is designed � for short burst of life saving energy then normal function returns. However if the stressful stimulus is long term and the human body is in the fight or flee mode for a long time things start to go wrong.

This situation is called Allostatic Overload.

Very little research has been done in this field and that is the basis for my 30 years of research and request for a literature review by DVA to finally get all the threads together to identify where further research needs to be done.

For after all as Jonathan Shay M.D., Ph.D. writes in Achilles in Vietnam says, �No one has ever drawn a syringe of blood or cerebrospinal fluid from a berserk warrior nor mapped the electrical activities of his nervous system. No one knows how much of the large literature on the physiology of extreme stress can be applied to berserking, on which there is no established literature. It is plain that the berserkers brain and body function are as distant from everyday function as his mental state is from everyday thought and feeling.�

Now for the nitty gritty Bruce S McEwen Ph. D. From Rockefeller University New York whose presence made them ALL sit up and take notice and is a debt I can never repay sent the following;

Levels of stressful experiences:

Their causes, consequences and why we experience them!

Good Stess

-Result: Sense of mastery and control

--HEALTHY BRAIN ARCHITECTURE

--good self esteem, judgment and impulse control

Tolerable Stress

-Adverse life events buffered by supportive relationships

-Result: Coping and recovery

-HEALTHY BRAIN ARCHITECTURE

--good self esteem, judgment and impulse control

Toxic Stress

-Unbuffered adverse events of greater duration and magnitude

-Result: Poor coping and compromised recovery

- Result: Increased life-long risk for physical and mental disorders

-COMPROMISED BRAIN ARCHITECTURE

-Dysregulated physiological systems

I am only interested in Toxic Stress so let�s try and put it in very simple terms by starting at Allostasis which is normal and is the process by which the body adapts to stressors.

Tolerable Stress, and Allostatic Load is a measure of the cumulative effects of stress and for want of a better terminology could be regarded as closely related to �good stress,� essentially it is part of an evolutionary process that helps us to adapt to changing environments etc which have been recognized over the centuries of human development. You will note that Bruce highlights self esteem as a good defence mehanism and I can only stress SELF ESTEEM not bloody arrogance that disappears faster than cigarette smoke when confronted with any real challenge.

It operates in part through the HPA Axis that supplies those extra chemicals delivered in short spurts to see us through danger commonly known as the fight or flight process, put simply �any� stressor can affect this process. Those previously mentioned chemicals can be quite lethal if the stress is of such a chronic nature that they are produced beyond their design limits and puts the HPA Axis process out of whack in such a way that victims are getting large doses beyond design of those performance enhancing chemicals.

We are now in the realms of Allostatic Overload or Toxic Stress, the problem is we don�t know what it is actually doing, we recognize certain results, but how they come about is a mystery other then we know that stress is the cause.

Take for example Elizabeth Blackburn an Australian of Nobel Medicine fame, she discovered that stress in pregnant women and in another study between normal mothers and those who had to cope with handicapped children caused Telomeres to permanently shorten thereby accelerating the aging process, what they did not explain was how stress did this, they think it is due to oxidative stress, i.e. free radicals, which are increased by chronic stress. The reason is simple they don�t know and nor has it been researched, you would think that this �cause� although well known would have been as a first priority not only in this but all of the other results of Allostatic Overload researched that do not address the same a nominally.

Now for the paper I am told DVA has now decided that my expertise, for want of a better word, may be of use and it has been suggested that I do a report �after� I have seen it, which is nice of them considering I was the originator. I believe I don�t have to see it because I already know many of the weaknesses and short comings through my discussions with Peter Nasveld the person responsible for producing the report at CMVH Brisbane.

Now let�s be quite clear Peter had a responsibility to produce the paper using the most reputable resources available and I believe it is quite a large document. Bruce S McEwen from Rockefeller University New York; the senior consultant who I also introduced to the project assures me it has everything I wanted in it- I am doubtful.

In some cases the reasoning is valid because of the huge scope, but the fact that in animal, insect and vegetable studies the concept of Allostatic overload causing epigenetic change is PROVEN and yet I believe there is either very little mentioned if any at all. Blood samples have a history of unexplained anominalies that are never investigated and although mentioned it is very weak as confirmed by Peter Nasveld. Pathologist I have questioned about this say they only look for and at what is requested by the doctor any other strange anomalies are ignored. Other results I wanted investigated included were not mentioned because they could find no current or �reputable� results due to the overall lack of human research on the subject.

Intergenerational is another area that needs addressing, it is no surprise to me that the ratio of veterans having problems is climbing especially so because many current soldiers are children of past soldiers. Coupled with this is the ways wars are fought since Vietnam, they have no safe havens to withdraw to, so there is never any real relief from the on going pressures.

There seems another fallacy arising from this so called self reporting �science� and that is education. I would suggest it has more to do with socio economic circumstances, because the way things are set up the higher the education the better socio economic situation and the further from the action they are, there are of course exceptions to that rule of thumb. A classical example taken from my book No Boxes; Mac met up with an artillery officer who was the FOO (forward observation officer) for the company he was with in Vietnam, who made the comment that all this PTSD was �bullshit.� After all, he had been there, too, and suffered no ill effects. Yes, he was there, with his own personal bodyguard of thirty or a hundred men protecting him at all times. He never stood sentry on the perimeter. He was never a forward scout. He never undertook clearing patrols. He never did recces. He never had to be in direct contact with the enemy. He certainly never took part in five-man, three day TAOR patrols. Add to that that every piece of ground on which he walked had already been trodden on and cleared by those people he thought were not traumatized. Yes, he was �there," but not in the same way the men protecting him were. It should also be remembered that Mac regarded that particular tour as more of a walk in the park. Although for first timers it still had all the elements to traumatize people.

So there you have it, something known about since WW 2 as a medical problem and a known cause of many of the health issues inflicting the world yet science and governments have chosen to ignore it. Despite the fact without that knowledge they have NO HOPE of correctly treating the many stress induced diseases. Without that knowledge their treatments have failed or have damaging side effects on other parts of the human bio system. The human body is a whole integrated system and anything affecting one part has influence and action on the whole system.

You will note that PTSD is never mentioned, the reason being it is �just� another result not a cause. Plus the fact there are two types of PTSD one psychological the other biological yet in our society they are treated as being the same thing and there are light years of difference, which makes a mockery of the whole thing, because they have not even identified the markers for biological PTSD, let alone distinguish fake, real, associative, psychological, biological and or even heredity PTSD so how can you use it as a factual base starting point.

It does not make sense to link any of the results of Allostatic Overload including PTSD as it will corrupt the knowledge of the base cause, because the results are as different as the human species, so I do not accept the argument that any of the results be linked in anyway other than that they show proof of cause. By the way this affects EVERYBODY just not soldiers and PTSD is not a requirement because many other biosystems are vulnerable without the presence of PTSD.

It is also necessary that I point out the failure in assessing these people, in Australia and I believe in the United States of America the assessors concentrate on �incidents� which only focuses on psychological issues, the real problem is the overall unrelenting pressure of chronic stress which causes biological changes, so it is the overall experience which is the main problem. Soldiers may well have both but it is the biological aspect that is destroying him and until that is addressed they have no hope of addressing the psychological aspects. Hence the failure of that approach

Finally in everything we do, there is a biological action, later there can be certain results which due to their nature need treatment to blame it on psychology is an opinion and not a very good one seeing as it ALL started from a biological process in the first place. So if you don�t understand that process all those opinions dressed up to be science is worthless. And that is what Allostatic Load/Overload is all about understanding the biological process to see HOW it causes all these problems. Nothing else.

So we either continue down the road of relying on opinions or come to grips with the real thing and base our treatments on what is really happening rather than opinions largely based on verbal reporting.

Footnote

The opinions expressed in this document are mine. However, I wish to acknowledge friends and colleagues who have contributed to my thinking, and yet who may or may not agree with some of what I have written. In order of participation, they are the following:

Assoc. Professor Peter Nasveld CMVH Brisbane. Army

Retired RN Del Heuke. RAAF

Professor Alexander McFarlane University of Adelaide. RAAF Reserve

Dr. Rod Bain National Medical Advisor of the RSL of Australia. Navy

Professor Bruce S McEwen Rockefeller University of New York City. World eminent scientist.

Dr Kenneth J. O'Brien. Families after Trauma Foundation

Robert Sapolsky Professor Biology Stanford University California.

Syd McLeod 87 Edison Street Wulguru Q 4811 Australia Ph: 61 07 47781976 Mob: 0400193552 Skype: sydmcleod Email: sydneymcleod@bigpond.com Web: http://www.allostaticoverload.com/

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Finally, an actual hearing on eligibility --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For four long years, compelling evidence has been available that challenges the constitutional eligibility of Barack Obama to occupy the White House.

In fact, I would say the evidence that he does not meet the simple requirements of the law is overwhelming.

But it was not until Thursday that the evidence – any of it – was heard in a single courtroom in America.

Not until very recently has any of it been examined by any official public proceeding or reviewed by any agency of government.

They say the wheels of justice grind slowly, but this is ridiculous.

The good news for the rule of law is what happened in a Georgia courtroom this week and what is happening in the office of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department in Arizona. Justice may yet prevail.

In the courtroom of Judge Michael Malihi of the Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings, sworn testimony was delivered rapid-fire over two hours to the effect that Obama is not qualified to have his name on the 2012 presidential ballot because his father was not a U.S. citizen, which precludes him from being a "natural-born citizen," a clear, unambiguous requirement of the Constitution.

Find out everything Corsi has uncovered in "Where's the Real Birth Certificate".

Obama refused to honor a subpoena to attend the hearing, produce records answering the charges or even send legal representation to dispute the evidence. Instead, they sent a letter to Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp suggesting the judge was letting attorneys "run amok."

In response, Kemp warned Obama and his counsel that if they chose not to participate in the proceedings, "you do so at your own peril."

The judge is expected to rule in the case shortly. However, he has little choice but to issue a default judgment in favor of the challenge – potentially removing Obama from the ballot in Georgia in November.

That would be an astonishing development to the major media in this country that have collectively scoffed at and caricatured the notion that there is any doubt as to Obama's eligibility.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio

And that's not the only eligibility worry for Obama. Sheriff Joe Arpaio's "Cold Case Posse" has been investigating Obama's eligibility for months and is expected to issue preliminary findings soon. This is the very first official law enforcement probe of the evidence.

Unlike the other major contestant in the 2008 election, John McCain, who faced a U.S. Senate investigation over his eligibility, no agency of government, no branch of government – local, state or federal – ever investigated Obama's bona fides to be on the ballot or to serve in the White House, despite the fact that his own life story, as recounted in his autobiography, more than suggests he is not legally qualified.

Then, of course, there's the matter of the much-debated birth certificate – first withheld by Obama for years, then produced just as a book titled "Where's the Birth Certificate?" by two-time No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and WND senior staff writer Jerome Corsi hit the top of the bestseller charts weeks prior to its actual release.

Click here to read more about "Where's the REAL Birth Certificate?", the result of three years of exhaustive research, which establishes the case not only that Barack Obama isn't legally qualified to be president, but that, aided by his media co-conspirators, he has conducted one of the most audacious cover-ups ever perpetrated at the highest level of American politics.

Again, overwhelming evidence points to that document's fraudulence. But, even in the highly unlikely event that it is genuine and accurate, it represents further evidence of Obama's ineligibility because it would represent documentation that his father was a non-citizen of the U.S.

Image released by the White House as PDF April 27, 2011

All of these details have been meticulously and thoroughly reported only two places – here in the pages of WND over the last four years and in Corsi's "Where's the Birth Certificate?" and in an e-book sequel titled "Where's the Real Birth Certificate?"

Meanwhile, for our trouble, we have been systematically vilified for providing the facts – a classic case of "killing the messenger."

Thank the Lord there are still Americans somewhere in government who care more about justice and the rule of law than being popular in the media and "politically correct."

I wonder what all those scoffers and mockers are going to say if and when Obama's name does not appear on the ballot in Georgia and perhaps other states?

Will they report it? Will they label these actions "racist"? Will they continue to misrepresent the facts and the truth?

Things are about to get very interesting.

Joseph Farah Editor and Chief Executive Officer WND.com

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Founder and Historian David Ramsay Defines a Natural Born Citizen in 1789 Founder and Historian David Ramsay Defines a Natural Born Citizen in 1789 by: Mario Apuzzo, Esq.

In defining an Article II “natural born Citizen,” it is important to find any authority from the Founding period who may inform us how the Founders and Framers themselves defined the clause. Who else but a highly respected historian from the Founding period itself would be highly persuasive in telling us how the Founders and Framers defined a “natural born Citizen. ” Such an important person is David Ramsay, who in 1789 wrote, A Dissertation on the Manners of Acquiring the Character and Privileges of a Citizen (1789), a very important and influential essay on defining a “natural born Citizen.”

David Ramsay (April 2, 1749 to May 8, 1815) was an American physician, patriot, and historian from South Carolina and a delegate from that state to the Continental Congress in 1782-1783 and 1785-1786. He was the Acting President of the United States in Congress Assembled. He was one of the American Revolution’s first major historians. A contemporary of Washington, Ramsay writes with the knowledge and insights one acquires only by being personally involved in the events of the Founding period. In 1785 he published History of the Revolution of South Carolina (two volumes), in 1789 History of the American Revolution (two volumes), in 1807 a Life of Washington, and in 1809 a History of South Carolina (two volumes). Ramsay “was a major intellectual figure in the early republic, known and respected in America and abroad for his medical and historical writings, especially for The History of the American Revolution (1789)…” Arthur H. Shaffer, Between Two Worlds: David Ramsay and the Politics of Slavery, J.S.Hist., Vol. L, No. 2 (May 1984). “During the progress of the Revolution, Doctor Ramsay collected materials for its history, and his great impartiality, his fine memory, and his acquaintance with many of the actors in the contest, eminently qualified him for the task….”http://www.famousamericans.net/davidramsay/. In 1965 Professor Page Smith of the University of California at Los Angeles published an extensive study of Ramsay's History of the American Revolution in which he stressed the advantage that Ramsay had because of being involved in the events of which he wrote and the wisdom he exercised in taking advantage of this opportunity. “The generosity of mind and spirit which marks his pages, his critical sense, his balanced judgment and compassion,'' Professor Smith concluded, “are gifts that were uniquely his own and that clearly entitle him to an honorable position in the front rank of American historians.”

In his 1789 essay, while not using the phrase “natural born Citizen,” Ramsay described the original citizens that existed during the Founding and what it meant to acquire citizenship by birthright after the Founding. The Constitution itself shows that the Framers called the original citizens “Citizens of the United States” and those that followed them “natural born Citizens.” He said concerning the children born after the declaration of independence, “[c]itizenship is the inheritance of the children of those who have taken part in the late revolution; but this is confined exclusively to the children of those who were themselves citizens….” Id. at 6. He added that “citizenship by inheritance belongs to none but the children of those Americans, who, having survived the declaration of independence, acquired that adventitious character in their own right, and transmitted it to their offspring….” Id. at 7. He continued that citizenship “as a natural right, belongs to none but those who have been born of citizens since the 4th of July, 1776….” Id. at 6. Ramsay did not use the clause “natural born Citizen.” Rather, he referred to citizenship as a birthright which he said was a natural right. But there is little doubt that how he defined birthright citizenship meant the same as "natural born Citizen," "native," and "indigenous," all terms that were then used interchangeably.

Here we have direct and convincing evidence of how a very influential Founder defined a “natural born citizen.” Noah Webster, 1828, in explaining how an American dictionary of the English language was necessary because American words took on different meanings than the same word in England, placed David Ramsay among great Founders such as “Franklin, Washington, Adams, Jay, Madison, Marshall,Ramsay, Dwight, Smith, Trumbull...” Given his position of influence and especially given that he was a highly respected historian, Ramsay would have had the contacts with other influential Founders and Framers and would have known how they too defined “natural born Citizen.” Ramsay, being of the Founding generation and being intimately involved in the events of the time would have known how the Founders and Framers defined a “natural born Citizen” and he told us that definition was one where the child was born of citizen parents. In giving us this definition, it is clear that Ramsay did not follow the English common law but rather natural law, the law of nations, and Emer de Vattel, who also defined a “natural-born citizen” the same as did Ramsay in his highly acclaimed and influential, The Law of Nations, Or, Principles of the Law of Nature, Applied to the Conduct and Affairs of Nations and Sovereigns, Section 212 (1758 French) (1759 English). We can reasonably assume that the other Founders and Framers would have defined a “natural born Citizen” the same way the Ramsay did, for being a meticulous historian he would have gotten his definition from the general consensus that existed at the time. Ramsay’s dissertation presents valuable evidence of how the Founding generation defined the original citizens and the future generation of citizens which the Framers called “natural born Citizens.” It is valuable because it is evidence of the public meaning of these terms at the time they were framed and ratified.

Ramsay’s article and explication are further evidence of the influence that Vattel had on the Founders in how they defined the new national citizenship. This article by Ramsay is one of the most important pieces of evidence recently found (provided to us by an anonymous source) which provides direct evidence on how the Founders and Framers defined a “natural born Citizen” and that there is little doubt that they defined one as a child born to citizen parents. While Ramsay did not require that the child be born in the country, the Framers, with the exception of children born abroad to parents who were serving in the armies of the state or were engaged in other government service (see Vattel, Sec. 217), did as is evidenced by the Naturalization Acts of 1790 and 1795. This time-honored definition of a "natural born Citizen" has been confirmed by subsequent United States Supreme Court and lower court cases such as The Venus, 12 U.S. (8 Cranch) 253, 289 (1814) (Marshall, C.J., concurring and dissenting for other reasons, cites Vattel and provides his definition of natural born citizens); Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60 U.S. 393 (1857) (Justice Daniels concurring took out of Vattel’s definition the reference to “fathers” and “father” and replaced it with “parents” and “person,” respectively); Shanks v. Dupont, 28 U.S. 242, 245 (1830) (same definition without citing Vattel); Slaughter-House Cases, 83 U.S. 36, 21 L.Ed. 394, 16 Wall. 36 (1872) (in explaining the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment clause, “subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” said that the clause “was intended to exclude from its operation children of ministers, consuls, and citizens or subjects of foreign States born within the United States;” Elk v. Wilkins, 112 U.S. 94 (1884) (“the children of subjects of any foreign government born within the domain of that government, or the children born within the United States, of ambassadors or other public ministers of foreign nations” are not citizens under the Fourteenth Amendment because they are not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States); Minor v. Happersett, 88 U.S. 162, 167-68 (1875) (same definition without citing Vattel); Ex parte Reynolds, 1879, 5 Dill., 394, 402 (same definition and cites Vattel); United States v. Ward, 42 F.320 (C.C.S.D.Cal. 1890) (same definition and cites Vattel); U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898) (quoted from the same definition of “natural born Citizen” as did Minor v. Happersett); Rep. John Bingham (in the House on March 9, 1866, in commenting on the Civil Rights Act of 1866 which was the precursor to the Fourteenth Amendment: "[I] find no fault with the introductory clause, which is simply declaratory of what is written in the Constitution, that every human being born within the jurisdiction of the United States of parents not owing allegiance to any foreign sovereignty is, in the language of your Constitution itself, a natural born citizen. . . . ” John A. Bingham, (R-Ohio) US Congressman, March 9, 1866 Cong. Globe, 39th, 1st Sess., 1291 (1866), Sec. 1992 of U.S. Revised Statutes (1866)).

The two-citizen-parent requirement would have followed from the common law that provided that a woman upon marriage took the citizenship of her husband. In other words, the Framers required both (1) birth on United States soil (or its equivalent) and (2) birth to two United States citizen parents as necessary conditions of being granted that special status which under our Constitution only the President and Commander in Chief of the Military (and also the Vice President under the Twelfth Amendment) must have at the time of his or her birth. Given the necessary conditions that must be satisfied to be granted the status, all "natural born Citizens" are "Citizens of the United States" but not all "Citizens of the United States" are "natural born Citizens." It was only through both parents being citizens that the child was born with unity of citizenship and allegiance to the United States which the Framers required the President and Commander in Chief to have.

Obama fails to meet this “natural born Citizen” eligibility test because when he was born in 1961 (wherever that may be), he was not born to a United States citizen mother and father. At his birth, his mother was a United States citizen. But under the British Nationality Act 1948, his father, who was born in the British colony of Kenya, was born a Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) which by descent made Obama himself a CUKC. Prior to Obama’s birth, Obama’s father neither intended to nor did he become a United States citizen. Being temporarily in the United States only for purpose of study and with the intent to return to Kenya, his father did not intend to nor did he even become a legal resident or immigrant to the United States.

Obama may be a plain born “citizen of the United States” under the 14th Amendment or a Congressional Act (if he was born in Hawaii). But as we can see from David Ramsay’s clear presentation, citizenship “as a natural right, belongs to none but those who have been born of citizens since the 4th of July, 1776….” Id. at 6. Hence, Obama is not an Article II "natural born Citizen," for upon Obama's birth his father was a British subject and Obama himself by descent was also the same. Hence, Obama was born subject to a foreign power. Obama lacks the birth status of natural sole and absolute allegiance and loyalty to the United States which only the President and Commander in Chief of the Military and Vice President must have at the time of birth. Being born subject to a foreign power, he lacks Unity of Citizenship and Allegiance to the United States from the time of birth which assures that required degree of natural sole and absolute birth allegiance and loyalty to the United States, a trait that is constitutionally indispensable in a President and Commander in Chief of the Military. Like a naturalized citizen, who despite taking an oath later in life to having sole allegiance to the United States cannot be President because of being born subject to a foreign power, Obama too cannot be President.

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I was sitting down with highly decorated Vietnam veteran and retired Army General Barry McCaffrey to discuss the Education Center at The Wall campaign. During our conversation, a friendly challenge came up and it’s something I wanted to share with you:

“Army supporters are the ones who are going to raise the most funds and get this Education Center built. My goal is to encourage those who love the U.S. Army to join me and get actively involved. And I challenge the leaders of the other branches to step up and try to catch us.”

In response, we decided to launch a Service Branch Challenge campaign to actively reach out to veterans, active-duty service members and others with a direct appeal to personal loyalties, connections and pride in a particular branch of military service.

General McCaffrey's goal is pretty clear. How will you answer his challenge?

Let me tell you how some people are answering this challenge and setting their own.

The U.S. Military Academy Class of 53' wanted to raise $1,000 for each of the 13 classmates whose names are on The Wall. In less than two weeks, they met their goal, But instead of stopping, they kept on going…and are now nearly double their original goal. The 349th Military Airlift Wing challenged each of its members to make a $100 gift to honor those who served in the Air Force during Vietnam. Danielle Sydorenko signed up to be an advocate and set a goal of raising $1,111 from family in friends in memory of her father, USMC Cpl. Daniel J. Clevenger. As of today, she is only $182 short of her goal. I hope you will accept this challenge and set your own goal.

My goal is pretty straightforward: to honor those who served our country by building the Education Center at The Wall.

I want future generations to see the faces and hear the stories of those who served, those who sacrificed and those who supported our service men and women. But in order for the Education Center to become a reality, we need your support.

We've got $40 million left to raise. I know that sounds like an overwhelming amount, but let me tell you, it isn't. There were nearly 9,000,000 of us who served in the military during the Vietnam War. A $5 donation in honor of everyone who wore the uniform during that time would finish the job.

Veterans, veterans supporters, family members, loved ones and millions of others who simply felt that serving our country is something to be honored, built The Wall back in 1982. It's the same type of support that will build the Education Center.

I know you're one of those people, and I hope you'll share this with others just like you.

Sincerely,

Jan C. Scruggs

Founder and President

P.S. If you'd like to make a donation right now to the branch of service you support, simply click on the branch seal below.

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SAPPER ATTACK IN THE A SHAU Fire Support Base Cunningham dominated the A Shau Valley. The sappers of the North Vietnamese Army’s 812th Regiment were ordered to destroy it.

By Michael R. Conroy

The mission of Operation Dewey Canyon was clear – disrupt and destroy enemy logistics in the A Shau Valley, particularly in the North Vietnamese Army’s (NVA) Base Area 611. As described by Samuel Lipsman and Edward Doyle in Fighting for Time, Part of Boston Publishing Company’s multivolume Vietnam Experience, Base Area 611 “straddled the Vietnamese-Laotian border just north of the A Shau Valley and south of the Da Krong River…More than threequarters of the base area was believed to lie in Laos, along Route 922. This route later joined Route 548 to provide easy access for the NVA into the Da Nang-Hue coastal region.” NVA engineering units, inactive for months, had reopened several major infiltration routes. This included increased enemy activity along Route 922 as it enters the A Shau Valley in the Republic of South Vietnam from Laos. The intelligence reports brought additional scrutiny on the border areas.

Combat during Dewey Canyon Enemy forces laid down heavy volumes of anti-air-craft fire against U.S. helicopters and other responding high-performance reconnaissance aircraft. Surveillance reported sightings of sophisticated wire communications networks and major engineering works throughout Base Camp Area 611 with, at times, more than 1,000 trucks per day on the move south. Evidence strongly indicated that major elements of the 6th and 9th NVA Regiments were attempting to work their way eastward through the A Shau Valley. There they could be reinforced by three battalions of the 812th Regiment, which after the Tet Offensive of 1968 had pulled back into the jungle sanctuary on the border for resupply and infusion of replacements, and by elements of the 4th and 5th NVA Regiments, which had withdrawn into the A Shau Valley and Laos under constant U.S. and ARVN pressure during 1968.

The bodies of half buried Marines at Dewey Canyon

It seemed obvious that the NVA intended to launch a Tet offensive of some kind in 1969, although probably not of the devastating magnitude of the 1968 Tet. Any form of victory, even one of minor or only temporary tactical value, could have a significant influence upon the civilian population of South Vietnam and the United States, with a more far reaching effect upon bargaining positions at the Paris peace talks then underway. The enemy’s jungle logistics system. Would therefore have to be destroyed before it could be used. No longer content to simply hold ground and fight insurgent forces within South Vietnam, U.S. commanders decided that it was time to take the battle to the North Vietnamese Army. To address the threat of a North Vietnamese invasion from Laos they would strike at NVA headquarters and logistics element in the border areas, thereby denying the enemy access into the critical populated areas of the coastal lowlands of Quang Tri, Thua Thien and Quang Nam provinces. General Creighton Abrams, the MACV (Military Assistance Command Vietnam) commander, wanted an operation to be conducted during the winter period of 1968-1969, believing that it had great tactical promise in advancing the issues of the war. General Raymond G. Davis, the 3rd Marine division commander, had discussed such an operation with General Richard Stilwell, XXIV Corp commander. It would not be easy, for the enemy had chosen the site of their base camp well. The terrain in the A Shau Valley. Because of its experience operating in the rugged mountains and thick jungle canopy of western Quang Tri province, the U.S. 9th Marine Regiment was selected to conduct Operation Dewey Canyon.

The men of the regiment were mentally and physically prepared for the rigors of Dewey Canyon’s terrain. They brought to the operation experience in jungle survival and landing zone construction, as well as skills in the conduct of mountain warfare, including heliborne operations and the fire support base concept. During the five-day planning period allowed for the operation, an XM-3 Airborne Personnel Detector picked up evidence of enemy troop concentrations atop a 2,100-foot-long ridgeline 41/2 miles from the Laotian border which would be developed into Fire Support Base Cunningham, the eventual command center for the operation.

Phase One (1/19/1969 – 1/30/1969), of the operation, including all pre-D-day activities dealing with getting the artillery support established in the area, began with the opening of three fire support bases (Henderson, Tun Tavern, and Shiloh) on January 19. After the area had been mostly cleared by aviation ordnance, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines (I/3/9), and Company M, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines (M/3/9), conducted heliborne assaults into landing zones (LZs) India and Mike 1700 meters apart on Co Ca Va Ridge. This is a boomerang-shaped ridge approximately a half-mile long, running linearly east to west, with its southern flank an almost sheer cliff to the valley below. Meeting no resistance, the way was clear for Company K, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, and engineers to sweep in and begin construction of the fire support base. There was no secrecy involved in the creation of a fire support base. It was an anthill of activity, a major engineering feat and the scene of massive organized confusion as chain saws bit into the huge jungle hardwoods. Numerous explosions sent rocks, splinters, tree limbs, and even whole trees, raining down through clouds of choking, rising dust.The rapid buildup of support facilities at FSB Cunningham was impressive, essentially turning the fire support base into a mini-combat base. When place atop a dominant terrain feature, the fire support bases were defensible but, as “fixed” forward positions established in the enemy’s territory by forcible entry, they were beacons and targets quickly place under constant observation by the enemy.

From the moment the Marines landed on Co Ca Va Ridge and began their construction efforts they were under constant enemy surveillance. It was soon obvious to the NVA observers that this was the operational command center for all Marine operations in the area. Accordingly, and NVA sapper unit was ordered to do a feasibility study upon which to formulate assault plans against the fire support base. The Marines knew the enemy’s tactics well. Accordingly, the infantry dug their fighting holes, usually two-man positions, no more than 50 feet apart. As much barbed wire as could be obtained was strung in several different configurations all around the outpost, with additional barriers, such as flares, trip-wire booby traps and anti-personnel mines, placed at what were perceived to be the most likely avenues of enemy approach. Interlocking field of fire for individual and crew-served weapons were established so that the defenders achieved a 360-degree integrated pattern of defensive fire. Outposts with good vantage points were established. Listening posts were also established that would intercept attacks or attempt at infiltration before allowing enemy forces to approach close to the defensive lines. Because of their forward and exposed natures, the location of those outposts was continually changing. Additional protection for the fire support base was provided by constant patrols around the position. The fire support bases in no way resembled a secure area with all the trappings of a permanent installation. As operations proceeded, empty ammunition crates were broken down and utilized as footpaths. Garbage disposal, although a problem, was never a highalley was as inhospitable and formidable as any in Vietnam. utilized as footpaths. Garbage disposal, although a problem, was never a high priority. Plastic and cardboard wrappings, expended artillery shells and empty C-ration cans quickly stacked up. Due to the proximity of large stores of ammunition, engineering explosives and powder charges, trash fires were not allowed. The trash pits and bunkers were almost immediately infested with legion of mice and rats. Te bunkers were dark and musty. Beds were made of whatever could be scrounged or improvised. There were no windows. Available electricity was reserved for communication and equipment. New men soon learned that peanut butter, when burned, made a dim candle. Inside the bunkers the men attracted hordes of voracious gnats and mosquitoes. Insect bites became ulcerated wounds constantly irritated by salty sweat. Every sore turned into jungle rot. Mail was infrequently delivered. Hot meals were a thing of the past. Supplies were low and, for several days at a time, non-existent. The men found themselves eating cold C-ration spaghetti for breakfast and being thankful to have it. There was little water for cooking or shaving and not much more for drinking. Then there was the constant enemy fire. There was nothing routine about being on the receiving end of an artillery barrage, even when the attacks came daily or hourly and there were no casualties. Nerves were constantly frayed. Marines in underground positions held their breath and cast nervous eyes to straining timbers as loose dirt sifted through their accumulation of timers, runway matting, sandbags and logs overhead. Equipment was damaged and efficiency impaired. The effect was cumulatively debilitating. Finally, there was the danger of ground attack. A sapper unit of the NVA 812th Regiment had been assigned the mission of attacking FSB Cunningham. Its primary objective was to penetrate the Marine defenses and inflict maximum casualties, destroy equipment, ordnance and installations, and then withdraw. A sapper attack was not designed to seize and hold or occupy a prominent terrain feature. The sappers took the time to professionally and skillfully plan their attack. A week was devoted to executing a detailed reconnaissance of the fire support base. The terrain was minutely analyzed, defensive patrol patterns studied, crew-served weapons’ positions plotted, obstacles sketched and estimates made of the time that would be required to breach defensive barriers.

By February 16, 1969, the NVA sappers were ready to commence their attacks on FSB Cunningham. The period between their final reconnaissance and the commencement of their attack was allocated to briefings and rehearsals. Sand tables had been prepared from detailed sketches made of all the Marine installations. All possible approach routes had been carefully reviewed and the concept of terrain appreciation utilized in developing the plan of attack. The natural and man-made obstacles had been plotted. The marines’ flares and detonation devices had been located. Each sapper was given precise instructions on his mission. Supporting fire concentrations had been planned, checked and rechecked. The attack signal, passwords, and withdrawal and rally point signals were memorized by all hands. The sappers used a flare system as a source of communications: red-area hard to get into; white-withdrawal; green-victory; green followed by white-reinforcements requested. Personnel, ammunition and weapons were carefully checked.

The sappers were organized into five groups. Group 1, led by Comrade An, consisted of 16 men divided into four-man teams. The first team was assigned to attack the command operations center and mortar positions. The second team was to attack to the right and link up with Comrade Bong’s Group 2 at the helicopter-landing zone. The third team was to attack to the left, assault through the landing zone and link up with Group 3, led by Comrade Tan. The fourth team was to attack to the front toward the landing zone. Group 2 consisted of 15 men divided into four teams led by Comrade Bong. His first four man team was assigned to attack and destroy the artillery fire direction control center and other battery facilities on the east end of the fire support base. The second team was to attack artillery positions to the right while the third four-man team attacked artillery positions to the left. The remaining three-man team was designated the group’s reserve force. Comrade Tam’s Group 3 consisted of 12 men divided into four three-man teams concentrating on the west end of the fire support base. The first team was assigned to attack artillery positions to the left. The second team was to attack to the right, advancing and exploiting contact with the Group 1 leader, Comrade An. The third team was to attack directly forward and then link up with a fourth group, led by Comrade Pha, for the mop-up operations. The fourth team would be held in reserve. Pha’s group was organized to function as the extraction force to assist in the withdrawal of the groups assaulting specific objectives. A fifth group of over 100 men would provide the assaulting forces with a base of fire utilizing RPG’s, mortars, automatic weapons and small-arms fire.

The attack forces moved out from their various base camps at 7:30 a.m. Using previously reconned routes, they executed a covered approach to their final assembly areas. Movement was initiated many hours prior to the assault phase as the sappers had deliberately chosen the most difficult avenues of approach to the target in order to avoid observation. By 6 p.m. all the NVA sapper groups were only 100 meters outside the concertina-wire obstacles surrounding FSB Cunningham. The NVA sappers slowly crept to assault positions just outside the defensive wire, aided by reduced visibility. There was little moonlight and a thick blanket of fog enveloped not only the fire support base but all routes of entry to it. Although the approach was slow and cautious, the assault itself would be made with utmost speed. The sappers assumed that the majority of the defenders would be driven into their bunkers by the mortar attack that would precede their assault. The sappers knew that once the defensive obstacles were breached under this covering fire, the bunkers would become death traps for the Marines. In anticipation of the Lunar New Year (or Tet) cease-fire, the roaring of the big artillery pieces on FSB Cunningham fell silent at midnight, although the allied countrywide 24-hour truce went into effect a 6 p.m. on February 16. At precisely 2 a.m., the NVA mortar sections commenced placing accurate supporting fire on previously plotted primary targets, mortar positions, the command bunker, artillery positions and communications bunkers. The Marines could hear the mortar rounds as they were tubed. The devastatingly accurate mortar fire forced the Marines into their bunkers where they felt safe due to a minimum overhead cover of at least four layers of sandbags.

In the midst of the noise, damage and confusion, it was immediately obvious that key installations were the target of the intense barrage. The Marines in fighting holes on the perimeter kept their heads down. The Marine defensive positions were manned on the northern slope by the men of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. Defensive positions on the flanks and along the southern edge of the ridge were manned by a combination of Marines from the artillery units and Colonel Barrow’s headquarters group. In addition, a reaction force of 50 Marines from the communications, engineer and staff sections of the headquarters group were on standby as a reserve defensive force. The mortar barrage reached a crescendo a 2:15 a.m. as the NVA assault groups began their efforts to breach the defensive obstacles. The initial assault wave came from the northeast. The sappers made liberal use of Bangalore torpedoes fashioned from half-pound blocks of TNT lashed together between bamboo sticks.

Captured NVA soldier found with marijuana The ingenious attack route lay through one of the many trash dumps with well-worn paths leading to every major battery facility. Mats, brush and other local materials were thrown across the barbed wire obstacles. As the mortar fire was lifted, rocket-propelled Chicom grenades, satchel charges and the Bangalore torpedoes created the impression that the mortars were still firing, serving to keep the defenders on the perimeter positions inside their bunkers. The Marines were suffering from too may head ringing explosions to notice the difference. For hours before the cease-fire began, the artillery batteries at the fire support bases had been hammering away in direct support of other defensive positions. The cacophony of noise was deafening.

The NVA sappers who broke through the defensive wire barriers tossed concussion grenades and satchel charges into every open hole they could find. The RPG’s (rocket-propelled grenades) and automatic weapons fire of the NVA base group was concentrated on the firing slits and ports of the bunkers. Although the situation was confusing, the Marines quickly realized that they were under ground attack and responded ferociously, organizing an effort to clear the base in the face of heavy enemy mortar and recoilless rifle fire. The sapper attack was an unforgettable experience for Navy Lt. Cmdr. (chaplain) David Brock, who later told the division chaplain: “During the early moments of the attack, and NVA soldier stuck his head into the tent where I and two others were rising, but fortunately, did not throw a grenade inside. A grenade was thrown into a small bunker a few feet away, killing two men.” Chaplain Brock remembers: “The firefight lasted until almost 7:45 a.m. and during this time I stayed with the doctor in the Aid Station in order to administer last rites and to help with the wounded. For two hours it looked as if the Aid Station would be made a last stand. During the firefight various thoughts went through my mind, such as: Would we live through this? Will the men be able to hold out? How were the young men on the lines doing? I must admit that I was scared but the feeling soon passed because we were too busy. The others were afraid too but not one of them showed his fear. As a matter of fact, it warmed one’s heart to see just how well these young men did in the face of death.” Lieutenant Commander Brock was one of the regiment’s rather unique lot of chaplains, who almost seemed as if they were handpicked to serve with this particular group of hard-nosed Marines. Brock had seen action in the European Theatre of Operations as a U.S. Army Sergeant in World War II. He earned a Navy Commendation Medal with combat “V” and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with a silver star in Vietnam.

This NVA POW Wouldn't Answer Questions! He Took his own Flight! The officer in charge of the fire support base was partially buried in a caved-in bunker during the mortar attack. As he crawled out, he came face to face with one of the sappers. The Marine had a grenade in his hand but was too close to the enemy soldier to use it. He leaped on the surprised enemy soldier and bludgeoned him to death with the heavy base of the grenade. Using his personal knife as his primary weapon, the Company Gunnery Sergeant killed several of the sappers in hand-to-hand combat. Marines from the 106mm battery, who had manned a machine gun in the southeast portion of the fire support base, assaulted and killed six NVA soldiers who were attempting to organize a strong point inside the perimeter. The cooks from India battery counted for 13 enemy killed when they manned a 50-caliber machine gun.

Horrible Weather on Dewey Canyon The defensive perimeter had been penetrated by several dozen sappers wearing only olive green shorts and skullcaps. They all carried pack full of explosives and were armed with shoulder fired RPG’s, satchel charges, bamboo mines, small arms and grenades. The artillery battalion’s fire direction control center was put out of action, as was one howitzer. During the period from 4:10 a.m. to daylight only one of the Marines’ mortars remained in action. The mortar team stayed with their weapon throughout the assault, re-establishing communications with the commander in the fire direction control center and firing a total of 380 rounds. Corporal Jim Best recalls the attack as a blur of indistinct memories. “There were red and green tracers flashing overhead, men screaming and explosions everywhere. I lay there hugging the ground thinking I may not get out, wondering if we'd been overrun.”

Although penetrated, the Marine lines held and at times only a scant five feet separated the combating forces. Men not actively engaged in direct confrontations with the enemy forces were busy coordinating HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) and illumination artillery fire or providing other support services. Artillery officers were coordinating fire missions while at the same time an air officer was on the radio requesting helicopter gunship support. Lieutenant Raymond C. Benfatti, Commanding Officer of Company L, was severely wounded by an impacting rocket-propelled grenade during the initial moments of the attack. Ignoring his painful injuries, Benfatti steadfastly refused medical evacuation and boldly shouted words of encouragement to his men. He directed their fire against the infiltrating sappers and two supporting infantry companies until the hostile sapper unit was ejected from the perimeter. Despite the enemy rounds impacting all around him, Lieutenant Benfatti quickly organized a reaction force and supervised his Marines in evacuating the casualties and replacing wounded Marines in defensive emplacements. As the enemy support units pressed their attack upon the perimeter, Benfatti continued his determined efforts, repeatedly exposing himself to intense hostile fire as he directed the efforts of his men in repulsing the enemy attack. A flare ship was called on station to provide illumination outside the perimeter wire. It would remain on station throughout the night as the battle raged until dawn. With flares lighting up the night, a group of clerks, radio operators and engineers began a systematic drive to eliminate the enemy forces within the perimeter. Throughout the battle, Benfatti called for artillery fires from the batteries located on the mutually supporting fire-bases to surround FSB Cunningham in a curtain of hot steel.

This supporting fire prevented enemy reinforcements and exploitation of breaches in the wire and also rendered impossible the retreat of the sappers already inside the compound. At about 5:30 a.m. the Marines completed the reorganization of their positions and began slowly but methodically to break up the sapper attack. As dawn broke, the spirited defenders were mopping up the remnants of the enemy assault force. Contact, however, was not broken until 7 a.m. Jim Best describes the end of the battle; “The fighting slowed and it was a few moments before I realized that the fire support base was dead silent. There were no sounds, only the fear of not knowing the exact situation.” AS the sun rose, the light and warmth it brought created a calming sense of temporary peace at FSB Cunningham. When it became apparent that the NVA had withdrawn for good, the counting began. Lieutenant Benfatti, who would win the Silver Star Medal for his actions during the attack, supervised the medical evacuation of casualties and ascertained the welfare of his Marines, resolutely refusing medical attention for his own wounds until all the other wounded men had been cared for. The Marines found a total of 25 NVA bodies inside their defensive wires. One of those bodies was that of a sapper officer. Documents found on his body were examined, translated and analyzed by the 15th Interrogator/Translator Team, revealing the detailed planning of the attack described above. Searching the enemy bodies, the Marines captured 26 RPG rounds, 25 Chicom grenades, 253 bamboo explosive devices, seven rifle grenades, 12 packs, two radios, 11 AK-47 rifles and numerous signal flares. The packs contained large quantities of marijuana and other drugs.“The use of narcotics,” “The use of narcotics,” platoon leader Milton J. Teixeira said, “made them a lot harder to kill. Not one of the gooks we had inside the perimeter had less than three or four holes in him. Usually it took a grenade or something to stop him completely.” A final tally of the battle damage revealed four Marines killed in action, 46 Marines wounded in action and 37 NVA killed in action. In “E” Battery, 2nd battalion, 12th Marines, had taken heavy battle damage. Surveying the smoke-shrouded fire support base, Colonel Barrow said: “They'll probably think twice from here on out before taking on another Marine headquarters group. These lads did a fantastic job in what could have been a nasty nasty situation. They were 100 percent professional fighting men; good Marines all the way.”

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http://www.dodbuzz.com/2012/01/24/report-army-cancels-humvee-recap-places-bets-on-jltv/

Report: Army cancels Humvee Recap, places bets on JLTV

By Michael Hoffman Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 11:47 am Posted in Land Spending millions to rebuild the Army’s aging Humvee fleet apparently stopped making sense up on Capitol Hill.

Defense leaders, especially those in the Marine Corps, had said it was fool hardy to spend slightly less to rebuild the old fleet rather than invest in new trucks that will last longer. However, Congress pushed back pointing out how each service has recently struggled to deliver new vehicles.

AOL Defense reported last night that Congress has finally listened to those pleas from the Pentagon and agreed to cancel the Humvee Recapitalization program in the forthcoming defense budget with those funds transferred over to the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program.

It took a last minute compromise between the Army and the Marine Corps to save JLTV from Congress’ ever sharpening budget axe. However, an agreement to ease off strict weight requirements sliced $80,000 off the per vehicle cost of the JLTV.

Defense officials intended to replace the entire Humvee fleet with the JLTV. Spiraling costs and missed deadlines caused Army and Marine Corps officials to amend those expectations. Army leaders now want to replace a third of its 150,000-Humvee fleet with the JLTV and Marine generals plan to buy 5,500.

Of course, the JLTV would never have had to compete with the Humvee recap if the program had run smoothly. But thus is life in the defense acquisition world where a program that meets a deadline is the outlier.

Stories about titanium mufflers on JLTVs allowed the Humvee recap to gain momentum as a hedge for what looked more and more like another doomed modernization program for the Defense Department.

Truck companies got creative as they tried to build a Humvee that could withstand the improvised explosive device blasts shredding Humvees in Iraq and Afghanistan. AM General, the original Humvee manufacturer, even installed a chimney system built by Hardwire LLC into its Humvee that funneled blast pressure through the vehicle rather than around it.

The fate of both programs always came down to per vehicle costs, though. Once Army and Marine Corps officials agreed to reduce the JLTV’s price tag below $300,000, it made investing $200,000 to rebuild each Humvee a tougher sell.

An official announcement from the Pentagon on the Humvee Recapitalization program will not come until the defense budget is unveiled. And companies involved in the Humvee Recap have plenty of friends on Capitol Hill.

If the Humvee recap is caneled it places all the pressure back on JLTV program leaders. The Defense Department would no longer have a back up plan to replace its fleet of trucks it started building in 1984.

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Author & Vietnam Vet Ralph Christopher Contact: rwchristopher@cox.net

Ralph William Christopher JR., volunteered to serve in the United States Navy from March 1967 to October 1970. He made three West Pac cruises to Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin, and Operation Market Time off the coast of South Vietnam. In 1970 he volunteered for duty in-country Vietnam and was assigned to the Brown Water Navy on Operation SEALORDS, on border interdiction operation’s Barrier Reef and Slingshot with Task Force 116. He participated in the Cambodian Incursion of May, 1970, by direct order of the President of the United States, Richard Nixon. He is one of the few men in the history of the United States Navy authorized to wear the Black Beret.

After service, he returned home to Richmond, Virginia and attended classes at Virginia Commonwealth University. In 1982, he graduated the Musician Institute of Technology in Hollywood California. As a lobbyist in Carson City, Nevada in 1992, he helped pass the Bill, HR 1147 in Washington D.C. with Senator’s Bryan and Reed’s help, releasing war records of all MIAs in the Vietnam War to their families. He is co-builder on the Nevada State Veterans Memorial in Carson City Nevada, located behind the Nevada State Capital. He was the secretary for the State of Nevada, for the Vietnam Veterans of America, and is an active member of Gamewardens of Vietnam, the oldest Vietnam veteran’s organization in America, formed in 1968 with over 900 River Rat members. He attended classes at Southern Nevada Community College under master writer Bob Cawley, and is author of the novel RIVER RATS, a true story of the River Rats of Vietnam. He is now a veteran performer and recording artist of over 30 years. He lives with his family in Nevada and works with young adults, music, and Veterans affairs.

Ralph Christopher

8516 Lansdale RD

Las Vegas, NV 89123

rwchristopher@cox.net

http://www.mrfa.org/Ralph.Christopher.htm River Rats by Ralph Christopher (Author) The United States Navy's fight for control of the waters of Southeast Asia By far the greatest contribution of the narrative is the insight it provides into the how's and whys of United States involvement in Vietnam, and the attempt of that involvement to bring freedom to those who were unable to achieve it by their own efforts. We see the United States more as a caretaker and less as a policeman in terms of motivation for its involvement half a world away. And . . . we see the tremendous price paid by those who served to ensure that freedom - ordinary men who, by fate, were thrown together in a strange land, and who fulfilled a part of their destiny, and their Nation's, on the brown water.

Riverine: Photo Album by Ralph Christopher (Author) The Riverine Photo Album is a tribute to those forces that served in the river coastal war of South Vietnam, which was made up of small units of sailors that manned forward firebases, floating detachments, and rode small fast patrol boats and the larger heavy riverine craft alongside South Vietnamese troops, mercenaries, and regional forces, who were fighting for their independence from communist rule. These Navy units were often the first to intercept communist forces trying to transport weapons and fighters into the Republic of Vietnam. Along with the 9th Infantry River Raiders, they severed communist lines and defeated their armies. And then their units were dis-established and sent home after turning over many of their beloved boats, bases, and responsibilities to the South Vietnamese Navy, whom they had trained. The River Rats and River Raiders fought for freedom and they fought with honor, but in the end they fought for each other. Praise is hardly enough.

Iron Butterfly by Ralph Christopher (Author) The true story of an elite group of men who wrote a page in Naval history. They patrolled the waterways in thirty-one foot river patrol boats powered by Detroit diesel engines with water jet-propulsion. Armed with machine guns and grenade launchers, as well as sheer guts and determination, these sailors faced danger around every bend in the river. Working together, they became one of the finest weapons in Admiral Zumwalt's arsenal for turning back the tide of communist infiltration into Saigon, taking control of the inland waterways. These are true accounts of their bravery, which they proved time and again by spearheading operations into enemy controlled territory. United together in brotherhood, they accomplished all their missions and won their part of the Vietnam War.

http://www.mrfa.org/Ralph.Christopher2.htm Duty Honor Sacrifice by Ralph Christopher (Author) For two-thousand years, the Chinese, French, Japanese and Republic of Vietnam forces tried to pacify the Mekong Delta and failed. The United States Ninth Infantry Division, and U.S. Naval Forces of Vietnam, did it in a little over three years, but at a high cost. They fought for freedom, they fought with honor, but in the end they fought for each other.

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From: rwchristopher@cox.net To: sydneymcleod@bigpond.com, rmcsusn@gmail.com, terry.s8er@yahoo.com, RStonerCRD21@msn.com, bseawolf28@aol.com, BernWei1@aol.com Sent: 1/23/2012 3:11:12 P.M. Eastern Standard Time Subj: Re: What is the Allostatic Load/ Overload Paper research funded by DVA all about?

Syd, I am not a doctor and would never challenge you so I except that you might be correct about minimized and believe I have accomplished some of that, but most of us do not have the time or will to continually go through all these treatments much less the money and my Doc at the VA has never spoken to me of any of this. I agree that way too many blame everything on Agent Orange which in most cases is not true. My guys are still lost and searching for answers that many will never find. I live with my wife, two daughters and 9 year old grandson and my PTSD is tested every day and I have learned to recognize warning signs and will not allow myself to touch any of them but they all recognize I have a problem and try to stay away from me at times like Veterans or Memorial Day at which time I lock myself up in a dark room and watch old John Wayne movies like I am a kid again. But while I watch the movies I am flashing back to Nam and the firebase reliving the old days. I have learnt to live within my own means and after 15 years of treatment for PTSD and Hep-C do not care to go back to the VA any more than I have to. Who has time for all that? Not me and I don’t care what anybody says those Vet rap sessions do not help, just the opposite, they just bring it all back up and I leave angry cause of something one of my twisted brothers said to me. Reminds me of what we River Rats used to say in Nam “I love the fucking world and the world loves fucking me. Ralph

From: Syd McLeod Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2012 3:22 PM To: Robert Tucker ; Terry Sater ; Robert Stoner ; Al Billings ; BernWei1@aol.com ; Ralph Christopher Subject: Re: What is the Allostatic Load/ Overload Paper research funded by DVA all about?

Hi Ralph, you are wrong PTSD can be minimized a great deal, I know I did it through my own self developed programs, because they involve self hypnosis and deep meditation techniques it is not available to most but it can be done with help from others but the underlying problem is much harder to address and it is affecting our bodies in ways no one can imagine. I would make the point of veterans not displaying PTSD but have an identifiable cancer the only difference being theirs is extremely aggressive then the person who has the same type cancer but was never healthy enough or fit enough to become a soldier. In the early days we blamed Agent Orange, but any investigation makes that ridiculous as it happened to 2 WW veterans also when there was no Agent Orange, so there is a whole range of illnesses veterans endure CHD probably the most prominent that have gone by the wayside because of the focus on PTSD, so you can see why I am so dismissive of it despite having being a chronic suffer myself. Two of my techniques are now being used (about bloody time) the first was what I called dream management and has been used so successfully in the UK for them to call it a cure; IT IS NOT! The other was what I called challenging therapy now being practiced by a woman at Monash University, when I tried to contact her she wanted nothing to do with me despite the fact I was doing it thirty years before her. Basic meditation is also helpful deep focused meditation can be extremely dangerous and I have no intention of going into the whys and wherefores here because until the underlying Allostatic Overload is understood nobody can even think about cures. I have attached another paper I wrote some time ago, technically it is incorrect in how I use Allostasis which I have not bothered to correct but you will get the idea. Regards Mac PS I have Bcced to the team that is involved as it may interest them.

Syd McLeod 87 Edison Street Wulguru Q 4811 Australia Ph: 61 07 47781976 Mob: 0400193552 Skype: sydmcleod Email: sydneymcleod@bigpond.com Web: http://www.allostaticoverload.com/ ----- Original Message ----- From: Ralph Christopher To: Syd McLeod ; BernWei1@aol.com ; Al Billings ; Robert Stoner ; Terry Sater ; Robert Tucker Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 8:10 AM Subject: Re: What is the Allostatic Load/ Overload Paper research funded by DVA all about?

Dear Syd McLeod, I was forwarded your letter and appreciate you taking the time to talk and try and explain the stresses of war and the after effects, primarily PTSD, which continues to be a very confusing and misunderstood illness that many of us Viet Nam, and other war, Vets suffer from and deal with on a daily bases in our lives. First off, please allow me to introduce myself.

I am Ralph Christopher and I served with the U.S. Navy off the coast of Viet Nam from 1967-69 and volunteered and served with the Black Berets of TF-116 River Patrol Force in the Mekong Delta in 1970. I and my unit were involved in the Cambodian Incursion of May 1970 by order of President Richard Nixon which I speak about in my first book “River Rats” which you can goggle and order from many different sources. And just so you know, the communists and Cambodians were slathering the Vietnamese that had moved into Cambodia for safety and we went in a humanitarian effort to stop the needless killing of civilians and history has never told that story correctly so I tried to do it myself in my book. I followed with three more books after receiving many letters of support and all on the Naval War in Viet Nam and we did have Australian and New Zealand troops and advisors serving alongside of us and this left a very favorable memory in my mind of fellow troops from all over the world and all fighting for freedom and to stop communist aggression. I also visited Australia last year and attended the ANZAC parade in Sydney and was surprised to hear your veterans received the same disgraceful treatment after returning from war that we GIs in America received and I believe that compounded the pain returning home to be sneered and heckled by some of the people we went off to defend, weather they recognized it or not, and this brought on many nightmares that sent way too many of my shipmates to a early grave drinking or drugging the pain away.

I have done a little study in PTSD since I suffer from it and was awarded a 100% disability from the VA and witnessed many of my brothers struggling to survive what I will call a hostile public and yes, many in our own ranks do not recognize or understand PTSD although I believe some of them suffer from it as well and I have tried to stand up and oppose them protecting the many that can not. My theory is that all of us young men that served in combat suffer from PTSD only at different levels. Why? I have no idea. But I assure you that most in my unit have never forgotten and still walk this earth in mental pain from a war they fought over 40 years ago. Our leaders need to remember if they send our young people off to war they will have another batch just like us.

We Brown Water Navy served alongside the South Vietnamese fighting for their freedom in small units scattered all over hell and back and I have always felt we deserted those little people and left them to the aftermath that followed. I do know that PTSD has always been with us fighting men and I am a Virginian with a long family tradition of fighting for what we considered right and during the Civil War we were defeated. However, we were not defeated by the North Vietnamese and hurt them badly while training the South Vietnamese Forces and turning over our war machines and then we came home as ordered. Two years later our congress and most of our country voted to cut off funding to Vietnam and if anybody lost a war, it was them, the press, and the protesters, not us troops. By 1970 we had defeated the communists in RVN but you would have never have known it by reading the papers or watching TV, and that compounded our PTSD.

George Washington called it Soldiers Heart for his men that fought the British and in the Civil War and WWI they called it shell shock and I believe that was the term they used in WWII and Korea and they did suffer from it as well but they say the long boat trip home helped them but some like Ira Hayes still drank themselves to death in pain and many cared the wounds of war with them to the grave. I had never heard the term PTSD until after Vietnam and no one ever talked or warned us young men of it, not that we were listening. We as many other generations, thought we would march off and defeat the communists in a year or so and in 1967 our country cheered us as we marched off. But after 1968 when we killed almost 200,000 communists delivering them a terrible defeat, our country, thanks to the liberal press, changed sides and we felt abandoned and questioned what the hell were we few doing so far from home fighting and killing a tough VC force that had tremendous support from around the world, and some of that support came from within our own country. Many of us still hate Jane Fonda and see her as a traitor to this day.

All combat veterans suffer from memories of friends hurt or killed in war, and some of us have memories of enemy atrocities where we witnessed civilians being killed it horrible ways and killing the enemy, face to face, is a terrible memory as well and some laugh to cover the nightmares and pain, but thanks to our mothers raising us to love our fellow man and our churches teaching God’s ways, it still hurt us and rightfully so because taking a life, even the enemy, should not be taken lightly. After all, they were young men fighting for their country and religions. In truth, it was the governments that were at war and we young men were tasked by JFK and many others to go off and put a end to communists aggression and I did believe, or hope, that Viet Nam would be the last stand for freedom and hopefully the last war. I have gone back and set down with the VC and many have confessed to me that they were lied to about us GIs and now they know we were never planning on becoming the French and ruling their country and they want desperately to be our friends. If Uncle Ho had used a diplomatic approach rather than troops the U.S. would have walked away in time, but that is another story. Mistakes were made by our leaders as well. The Virginians felt the same way about Lincoln and if he had not put troops together and invaded Virginia, Lee, Jackson and the Southerners might have never ended up in war. Everyone knew slavery was on its way out and there were southern black troops defending their homes as well, for your information.

I would like to describe my PTSD to you if I may, so you might better understand it mostly hurts us and our families and that is the worst when your grandson or daughter looks at you and feels sorry for you and there is no place to hide from them and I feel bad and work hard every day to do better for them for they were the real reason I marched off, hoping they would not have to face the communists as I and my generation bravely did. No one ever speaks of the PTSD that has passed from us to them and there is little to no treatment for family members that have been forced to live with a loved one that suffers from PTSD and sometimes their pain is as great as ours. I had a doctor that said she did not believe in PTSD and I told her “I’ll just bend you over the desk and fuck you up the ass and I assure you, you will understand PTSD.” On the other hand, I had another doctor that was a protester during the war and he started showing up in a boonie hat and Ho Chi Minh sandals and I looked at him one day and said Doc, I believe you have caught PTSD form us. It not only hurts us, but our family, friends and anybody we come in close contact with. Sure you know this fact.

I believe that is true of most veterans from all eras. We marched off to protect our families and to make the world a better place to live and returned with the tortured aftermaths of war. I do not feel I am dangerous as the movies have projected us and I own no guns which only represent war and bad memories that I no longer welcome. I see a little Mexican kid on a corner downtown in the ghetto and want to pull off and rescue him or buy him a meal, like I am still back in the village in the Plain of Reeds protecting the kids. I go by a American flag flapping over a gas station and a tear comes to my eye and I try to understand why. Guess it is because of all the good men that fought for it, but never saw that as a kid growing up in the old South. I walk around like a boiling volcano ready to erupt and spend many hours trying to control my emotions and keep my hands off the people that upset me and did attend anger management.

I am six foot and 200 lbs and I was a tiger killer and will not allow myself to become a tiger, although I can see how others might see me that way. After returning home I was the South's worst nightmare, a long hair hippy with a combat action medal and when the old timers called me little girl of faggit I turned and started swinging. But I was also in fights at college with long hairs that wanted to tell me what we did wrong in Nam. I told everybody to shut up and felt alone. If you were not there than I don’t care to hear your opinion who ever you think you are, and I do not trust any politicians and question most I read in the papers and what I hear on TV as well. The politicians and press lied and hurt us badly with their less than accurate stories and Hollywood shamed us for years and in many ways they continue to tell the story incorrectly. Makes you wonder did they do this to all the other men that marched of the fight for what is right. Again, this only compounded the PTSD and shame they tried to lay on us.

Why is it that when you tell some one you were in Viet Nam you are immediately branded a dope smoker, baby killer and loser and for most of us, it is not true. Sometimes I envy the Korean Vets, at least they were forgotten but not us, we will be recorded in history as one of the worst American forces to go off and fight. Why? All the kids back home were smoking pot and doing drugs and we see the Beatles, Elvis, Hendrix and many others as heroes yet they did far more drugs than we did, and aren’t they somewhat responsible for leading a generation into the drug era that killed many? And make no mistake, the protesters were not friends to us, although they said they were protesting to bring us home. We veterans did not like them back then and continue to have little respect for them today. I have many liberal and conservative friends and the hippies types were my buddies while I was a performing musician but I think they see me a little strange, if you know what I mean. I am no pacifist and would not allow anybody to hurt any of my friend's no matter what side of politics they fall under. Isn’t that what freedom is all about? And why would any Viet Nam Vet trust any politician after how they hug us out to dry? I never will.

Today, I live within my means and try to stay in control and have spoken at reunions and to the U.S. Navy on four occasions and I think most see me as somewhat well balanced and working in a positive way, and I never speak to the young people about PTSD. I am not a doctor and do not feel that is my job. In my books I tell of what we did correctly and what we did that was wrong or a mistake and all the names and stories are true and many helped me to put these important stories together and I feel for me, and have been told by others, that the books are therapeutic and helping in our healing process. But between you and me, there is no real cure for PTSD. You just make friends with your nightmares and learn to live with your short comings, and thank God everyday you were allowed to return home and have a family.

Respectfully, Ralph Christopher A proud River Rat

From: Syd McLeod Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 2:59 PM To: BernWei1@aol.com Subject: What is the Allostatic Load/ Overload Paper research funded by DVA all about?

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