MOPH Region VI: 2013

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

FW: Wounded Warrior Golf Alta Vista - Images posted for download

Monday, December 23, 2013

FW: MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

>
> MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY
>
> On Christmas Day, 1878, the New York State
> Soldiers and Sailors Home in Bath, New York,
> opened its doors for the first time, serving
> Christmas dinner to Veterans of the Civil War.
> Around that Christmas table were 25 Soldiers, who
> had fought to preserve the Union during a difficult period of divisions.
>
> By all accounts, the Home was spectacular, built
> in large measure through the leadership of the
> Grand Army of the Republic, with charitable help
> from caring New York residents and the
> communities surrounding the facility. Similar
> festive Christmas meals followed as the number of
> Veterans at Bath grew. By 1907, over 2,100
> Veterans found comfort, care, and communion there among fellow Veterans.
>
> In 1928, Bath became the last of eleven
> installations to come under the Federal
> Government’s national system of Civil War
> Soldiers Homes, which President Abraham Lincoln
> authorized during the last weeks of the Civil
> War. In 1930, when the Veterans Administration
> was established, these eleven facilities
> represented the cradle of American health care
> for Veterans, a legacy the Veterans Health Administration continues today.
>
> The bonds of service around the table at Bath
> remain important. The compassion and devotion we
> owe our Veterans will never diminish, even as the
> services we provide them grow, evolve, and
> greatly transform. Today, the spirit of
> Christmas 1878 endures through Adult Day Health
> Care, Home-Based Primary Care, Community Living
> Centers, and many other options tailored to
> Veterans' needs and preferences. Every day, some
> 134 Community Living Centers across our country
> care for nearly 10,000 resident Veterans, who
> have sacrificed for our well-being as a Nation.
>
> So as we celebrate the Holidays, let us remember
> those who broke bread together around the first
> Christmas dinner table in Bath, New
> York. Remember, as well, all the men and women
> who, in an unbroken line of service since 1775,
> have found themselves on duty during a Holiday
> Season. We at the Department of Veterans
> Affairs, some 330,000 strong, thank them, salute
> their past and present valor, and we pray for
> them and their families and all of our Veterans,
> who have so selflessly given us the gifts of freedom and liberty.
>
> Eric K. Shinseki
>

Thursday, December 19, 2013

FW: POW/MIA 12/14/2013

Subject: FW: POW/MIA 12/14/2013

Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:04:23 -0800

Subject: Fw: POW/MIA 12/14/2013

I didn't realize how long this was but there is some good stuff.

MIA remains ID'd, to be buried on anniversary of disappearance

JPAC

The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and Armed Forces DNA Identification

Laboratory have identified the remains of an airman who went missing during

the Vietnam War.

Air Force Col. Francis McGouldrick Jr., of New Haven, Conn., is to be buried

Friday with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on the 45th

anniversary of his loss, according to a Pentagon statement Monday.

McGouldrick was listed as missing in action on Dec. 13, 1968, after his

B-57E Canberra aircraft collided with another aircraft over Laos�

Savannakhet Province during a night strike mission, the statement said. In

1978, a military review board changed his status from missing in action to

presumed killed in action.

Between 1993 and 2004, joint teams from the U.S. and Laos unsuccessfully

tried to locate the crash site, the statement said. On April 8, 2007, a team

found a promising site near the village of Keng Keuk.

From October 2011 to May 2012, joint teams excavated the site three times

and recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage consistent with a B-57E,

the statement said. JPAC used circumstantial evidence and mitochondrial DNA,

which matched McGouldrick�s great-nephew and niece, to identify the remains.

McGouldrick once taught at The Ohio State University. His daughters told The

Columbus Dispatch they were informed of the identification on Sept. 3. They

asked for burial on the 45th anniversary of the crash.

�This is all still a kind of pinch-me experience,� daughter Megan Genheimer

told the Dispatch. �But when we�re in Washington and at that grave, then we�ll

know: He�s home.�

There are 1,644 Americans who remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

news@stripes.com

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/motorcycle-groups-plan-north-dakota-pow-mia-memorial/article_1ef44c7a-5ec9-11e3-8895-001a4bcf887a.html

Motorcycle groups plan North Dakota POW-MIA memorial

December 08, 2013 10:00 pm � By Jenny Michael

BISMARCK, N.D. � Virgil Horst served in the Vietnam War. He made it back to

North Dakota. He didn't have friends taken as prisoners of war

http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x601930794/I-was-doing-my-fair-share-Peabody-woman-recalls-serving-at-POW-camp-during-Operation-Desert-Storm

Staff Photo/Kelly Burch

December 10, 2013

'I was doing my fair share' Peabody woman recalls serving at POW camp during

Operation Desert Storm

By Kelly Burch kburch@eagletribune.com

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/19969133/pyongyang-calls-for-china-to-return-n-korean-refugees/

Pyongyang calls for China to return N.Korean refugees

AFPNovember 22, 2013, 10:55 am

Pyongyang calls for China to return N.Korean refugees

AFP

Seoul (AFP) - North Korea on Friday called on China to return its citizens

recently caught trying to flee to South Korea, accusing Seoul of luring and

kidnapping its people.

The statement by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea

(CPRK) came after at least 13 refugees from North Korea were reportedly

arrested this month in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming while they

were trying to reach South Korea.

"The DPRK (North Korea) calls upon the countries concerned... to send back

its inhabitants as early as possible as required by international law", the

CPRK spokesman said.

He accused the South and the United States of abducting North Koreans in

order to use them for anti-North Korea smear campaigns.

The two nations were infiltrating "plot-breeding organisations under the

guise of religion and human rights and brokers blinded with money-making"

into a third country, he said, apparently referring to China.

Christian missionary groups are involved in helping people who flee from the

North into China.

They help them transit China to a third country, from where they can fly to

South Korea.

"This case is an unpardonable and unethical criminal act as it is another

organised and deliberate abduction of inhabitants" of North Korea, the

spokesman said.

Over the past 15 years, 25,600 North Koreans have fled famine or repression

at home to settle in the capitalist South.

Almost all cross the North's border into China. Many of them then secretly

travel through China to a third nation -- often in Southeast Asia -- where

they arrange to fly on to South Korea for resettlement.

China -- the North's sole major ally -- considers the fugitives to be

illegal economic migrants instead of refugees and repatriates those whom it

catches.

Rights groups strongly criticise Beijing's policy. The fugitives can face

severe punishment including a term in a prison camp once they are sent back

to the North.

When Christine Tron deployed to Saudi Arabia as an interrogator during

Operation Desert Storm, she was excited to put her training and experience

as a linguist to use.

When she arrived at the enemy prisoner of war camp where she would be

serving, however, she learned that the Saudi government had forbidden the

Americans to let women interrogate Iraqi prisoners.

�We had to go by their rules,� said Tron, of Peabody, who was also asked not

to wear shorts because they exposed too much skin.

Tron worked a 12-hour shift, taking care of all the prisoners� needs,

providing meals and dispensing comfort items like flip-flops and tea. She

was responsible for taking a count of the prisoners, referring to them only

by the number on their bracelet, never by name.

She wore what was known as a �sterile uniform,� one that did not reveal her

name, rank or even nationality, although all the prisoners knew she was an

American. Despite the lack of open communication, though, she got to know

the prisoners she was caring for.

�Because it was a relatively safe war, we earned their trust,� she said.

Most of the Iraqi prisoners had been told that they would be tortured and

killed if they were caught by Americans, so overall they were relieved and

grateful for the treatment they were receiving, Tron said.

Many of the prisoners spoke English. The captives and guards exchanged

stories, Tron said.

�They thought it was amazing that American women were allowed in the

military,� Tron said. �For me, it was a great learning experience to hear

about their military.�

However, some of the stories were hard to hear.

One Iraqi helicopter pilot was in the camp after defecting from the Iraqi

Air Force. Following orders, he dropped nerve gas on his own people. Because

he was flying so low in the helicopter, he was able to see firsthand the

scenes of suffering and was haunted by the images of death.

�He could see that he was gassing women and children,� Tron said. �He

defected, knowing that his own wife and child would be left behind, but he

didn�t want to be involved with those horrific deaths.�

Tron was in Saudi Arabia for three months, but �it felt like a lifetime,�

she said.

When she returned she continued her military career, serving a total of 32

years on active duty and in the reserves. She has been retired for five

years now and is enjoying dedicating her time to veterans� causes and

catching up with her comrades on Facebook.

�Through these hardships you form lifelong friendships,� she said. �One way

of another, I am still serving the vets.�

Tron is clearly proud to be a veteran. However, she does not expect any

special recognition as a female veteran.

�Being a woman vet doesn�t mean any more than being a soldier,� Tron said.

�The men saw me as a professional in my field. I was doing my fair share,

and that�s all they cared about.�

Benghazi; Leave No Man Behind, by Bill Bell, former Chief, US Office for POW/MIA Affairs, Vietnam

I recall that back during 1960, the Soviets shot down and captured Gary Powers, CPT, USAF, in the U-2 incident. At the time, my unit, the 327th Airborne Battle Group, 101st ABN DIV, was on heightened alert status. The Soviets moved CPT Powers to Moscow where they announced plans to charge him as a war criminal prior to his implied execution. In order to dissuade the Soviets from implementing their arrogant plan, and to make sure we were perceived as being serious about CPT Powers� situation, the 327th ABG (Above-the-rest/No Slack) moved by air from Fort Campbell, KY to Goose Bay, Labrador, and then on to the Azores Islands. After arriving in Libya, we established a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at a small airfield called �Wheelus Field�, located in the Libyan desert. After rigging for heavy-drop we loaded C-124 Globemasters and parachuted into the border area between Turkey and Russia near a village called �Uzunkopru�. We then continued on to the border of Greece. This was at a time when the Cuban Missile Crisis was developing and our parachute operation on the border between Russia and Turkey most likely put a proverbial burr under the saddle blanket of the Soviets.

The recent debacle in Benghazi, Libya has been hotly debated. I have watched several talk-shows that continue to raise the issue of timeliness in failing to rescue the four Americans trapped in an American Embassy annex in Benghazi. One important factor mentioned is the distance involved. Apparently, the closet air assets were located in Italy, several hours away. Back when I was in Libya I was told that the location of our FOB, Wheelus Field, was built by American taxpayer dollars. Thus far in the uproar over Benghazi I have heard no mention of Wheelus Field. Why is this? Am I mistaken concerning the name or location of Wheelus Field? Was the airbase built with U.S. Taxpayer dollars? Is Wheelus Field still operable today? If it is operational, whose forces occupy it today?

Our parachute operations in Turkey occurred prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis. This was at a time when the Soviets were dictating an ultimatum to U.S. Negotiators to the effect that they would not remove their missiles from Cuba unless we removed our missiles from Turkey. This is important from a historical standpoint, because the image made by U.S. Public Affairs at the time portrayed President JFK as being a sharp, intensive negotiator who would not yield, but to the contrary would stand his ground. In reality, however, President Kennedy simply accepted the demands of the Soviets wherein we agreed to remove our missiles from Turkey, which we did implement shortly thereafter. Accordingly, after we pledged to remove our missiles from Turkey the Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba. The only issue remaining was how much extortion we would be required to pay the Communist Party of Cuba in order to retrieve the hundreds of POWs captured by them during the �Bay of Pigs� fiasco. I recall that the U.S. Government was bullied into giving considerable aid to Cuba, primarily in the form of expensive heavy equipment, such as �Bulldozers� and the like.

All of this transpired not too long before our CIA controlled airborne and seaborne commando raids (OP 34, 34A, 35) from the Son Tra Peninsula, Danang launched into North Vietnam provoked the North into attacking U.S. Navy ships at sea, although according to the North Vietnamese view �counter-attacking� U.S. Navy ships in the South China Sea off the coast of Central Vietnam . This situation resulted in the �Maddox (DD-731) and Turner Joy (DD-951) incidents�. Based on these �unprovoked attacks�, the Tonkin Gulf Resolution was passed and the United States was involved in an Asian land war once again.

We are all extremely interested in the investigation into the Benghazi debacle. This was one of the most clear examples of failing to keep our sacred oath among warriors to: " Leave No man Behind�. Lay bare the facts and let the facts speak for themselves

Bill Bell,

former Chief, U.S. Office for POW/MIA Affairs, Vietnam

Bill, I received your book today, and, already, I can't put it down. Of course, that could be consideredas good news, in some ways. Thank you for writing it.
Dan.

�There is much more to the POW/MIA issue than riding around on a bike, wearing black leather and shouting �Bring �em home�! Bill Bell�s book �Leave No Man Behind� is the �first step� any American should take in fully understanding the nuances, the heretofore hidden incidents and complex situations of the long American War in Vietnam, and the plight of thousands of America�s still-unreturned veterans. There are many books available but this is the first priority for vets. Read it and pass it on to as many other vets as possible in order to lay bare the facts and let the facts speak for themselves. How we got there in the first place, why we stayed so long and whether or not we vets were able to accomplish our mission. Do yourself a favor, order this great book. You will soon agree that having done so is one of the wisest moves you ever made. For researchers, this book should be considered �PTSD 101�. Concerning research in compiling this great book you will be amazed when you visit the Vietnam Center Archives, Texas Tech University, Bill Bell Collection. (www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive). This is one of the nation�s premier collections on the American War in Vietnam and graciously donated by Bill�.

Mike DePaulo, Vietnam vet, USMC, National Service Officer, Rolling Thunder Inc.

5.0 out of 5 stars Americans in Vietnam, February 7, 2007

This review is from: Leave No Man Behind: Bill Bell and the Search for American POW/MIAs from the Vietnam 5.0 out of 5 stars absolutely necessary, April 27, 2013

By joefieldsalaska

This review is from: Leave No Man Behind: Bill Bell and the Search for American POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War (Semihardback)

Very simply, if you have not read this book, even if you spent years in Vietnam as I did, you don't know anything about the Vietnam War. Buy it, read it, give it to everyone you know who gives a damn about truth. Should be required reading for every college and university.
JNFIII

Bill,
I have began reading your book. It is amazing. I thought I'd read enough to be kind of proficient in the POW/MIA issue, but in just reading the first couple of chapters I realize I don't know jack. But I have talked to the parents of several of those still unaccounted, and looked into their eyes. And I do know one thing - I will do what I can to give them some type of closure, and let them know that they are not alone in missing their loved ones!
Your book is very educational, maybe a little too technical for the casual reader but should be required reading for anyone interested in this issue.
I thank you for the book, and I especially thank you for all you do and have done. You are a true American hero in my eyes! THANK YOU BILL!!!
In Brotherhood,
Greg Beck
VVA Texarkana, TX

Bill:

It amazes me the attention to detail and the "recall" of names, incidents, etc that you have. This book is sure eye-opening for the lay person!

My hubby has mentioned several skirmishes from the war, but not in the detail you've outlined in your book! I hate putting it down!

S/F
Gypsy (Betsy)

Signed copy available at billbell@pinncom.com for $20, or from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964766345?ie=UTF8&seller=A11WQVNRY0EIDW&sn=traslin

or from Ebay at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170946192354. Or on the websites of the 327th or 506th Airborne.

Proposed North Dakota POW-MIA Memorial

An artist's rendering of the proposed POW-MIA memorial for the North Dakota

Veterans Cemetery.

BISMARCK, N.D. � Virgil Horst served in the Vietnam War. He made it back to

North Dakota. He didn't have friends taken as prisoners of war or who were

considered missing in action.

But he and several other veterans in the Bismarck area always have

remembered the men who not only didn't come home from that conflict but

whose families did not get the closure of knowing what had happened to them.

For those families, there were no gravesites to visit, just questions left

unanswered.

"Where do they go for a POW-MIA?" Horst asked. "We forgot about a very

important group that never did come back to American soil."

The Vietnam Vets Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club, of which Horst is a member,

and the Second Brigade Motorcycle Club have been working for several years

on a plan to build a memorial at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery. It

would honor the 360 men from North Dakota held as prisoners of war or

considered missing in action from World War I, World War II, the Korean War,

the Vietnam War and the Cold War.

The groups have raised more than $140,000 toward the $200,000 cost of the

memorial. Now they are hoping the public can help with the remaining money

so they can begin construction after Memorial Day.

Horst said he, Rick Colling and John "Butch" Olson make up the board of

directors for the North Dakota POW-MIA Memorial and have been planning it

for about six years. But it was at a funeral almost three years ago that

they really began to push the plan into motion.

Air Force Maj. Tom Beyer was missing in action in Vietnam in 1968. He was

declared dead 10 years later, but his remains were not found until more than

40 years after he disappeared, when bone fragments were found and identified

as his through DNA testing. Beyer's funeral was held Dec. 18, 2010.

Some men came home after being prisoners of war, and some bodies of those

considered missing in action have been located over the years, like Beyer.

However, the final resting places of many remain unknown. Of North Dakotans

considered missing in action in the Vietnam War, eight are still unaccounted

for, according to the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office. Of those in the

Korean War, 28 remain unaccounted for.

Horst said he, Colling and Olson decided at Beyer's funeral that they needed

to work toward getting a memorial for the men who never came back from war

before their names are forgotten to time.

The group approached the North Dakota National Guard, which operates the

cemetery, about putting a memorial there.

"It wasn't a very hard sell," said Col. Steve Tabor, director of facilities

and engineering. He has reviewed � and made only slight tweaks to � the

design proposed by the groups.

"I think it's an appropriate memorial to have out at the Veterans Cemetery,"

Tabor said.

Fundraising for the memorial began in earnest on Memorial Day 2012. The

groups have held fundraisers, solicited businesses and accepted donations

for the cost, plus the $10,000 to $13,000 they have spent on advertising,

brochures and architectural designs. No federal or state money is being

sought or used for the project. A man who had been a prisoner of war during

World War II came to one fundraiser and was recognized for his service.

"You should have seen the tears flowing that night," Horst said.

The memorial will consist of granite walls etched with scenes from each

conflict and bearing the names of all 360 men considered POW-MIA from North

Dakota. It will be set back into the hillside north of the visitors center.

The names of people who give at least $100 toward the memorial's completion

will be listed on a kiosk at the cemetery.

Horst said the groups are thankful for those who have given and allowed the

project to continue. He looks forward to the day when there is a physical

reminder in the state of the sacrifice of those 360 men and their loved

ones.

"America should not forget about its prisoners of war or missing-in-action

people," Horst said.

To donate, contact Colling at 701-391-0032, Olson at 701-223-3353 or Horst

at 701-667-8802. Donations can be sent to Starion Financial, P.O. Box 848,

Mandan, ND 58554.

Reach Jenny Michael at 701-250-8225 or jenny.michael@bismarcktribune.com

POW/MIA Radio

All,

Our scheduled guests on POW/MIA Radio for Sunday, December 15, 2013 are:

2:00pm Mtn � News and Views: An hour of the latest POW/MIA and veterans issues.

3:00 � 5:00pm Mtn � Mr. Jerry Mooney: Among the many topics Jerry will be discussing are: Pardon and Parole today, men and women who serve - their rights, Benghazi: secret this and secret that, Special Operations from George to Barack to Hilary, one intercept - loss of insight, at the altar of immediacy, the battlefields of war: a great American cathedral, an aging vet finds opportunity, who is really �big time� nervous, mercenaries: CFL, CFB perhaps, is there a Vietnam II in the future, where is the wire-tap data, good old privacy - not a right but a political tool and the secret meaning of �God Bless! Jerry is a former Senior Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and analyst for the National Security Agency (NSA). Among his duties, he tracked many of our MIAs after they were lost and then into captivity. Jerry also compiled and maintained the Order of Battle for many North Vietnamese military units, especially Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) units and their operational records. Jerry has testified before congress, spoken before congressmen, family members and activists. Some others have tried to debunk his information to continue the cover-up of the POW/MIA Issue but none can deny his uncanny ability to accurately recall events. �It is not enough to be willing to fight and die for your country; you must be willing to fight and live for your country as well; for sometimes the greater enemy, threat and tyrant comes from within, not from the outside.� �It is not enough to be willing to fight and die for your country; you must be willing to fight and live for your country as well; for sometimes the greater enemy, threat and tyrant comes from within, not from the outside.�

An American In the Basement: The Betrayal of Captain Scott Speicher and the Cover-Up of His Death by Ms. Amy Waters Yarsinske is available at www.TrineDay.com as well as major booksellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This not just the story of the abandonment of Captain Speicher but an indictment of our government�s cover-up of the entire POW/MIA issue. Please visit Amy�s web site at http://www.amywatersyarsinske.com/ for additional information.

American Trophies: How US POWs Were Surrendered to North Korea, China and Russia by Washington's "Cynical Attitude" has been released on July 27, 2013 as an E-book. It can be ordered on http://www.Amazon.com for Kindle users. If you don�t have a Kindle, you may access a FREE app to download only Amazon purchased books. Please go to your browser and type in �Kindle download� app. The price of this Kindle e-book is $7.99. This book is now also available in paperback for $17.99.

The Keeping The Promise Alive DVD was also released on July 27, 2013. This is the story of USAF Pilot Captain Harry Moore, shot down over North Korea on June 1, 1951. His status went from Missing-in Action, to Killed-in-Action back to Missing-in-Action. In August 2002, his wife Lois, received notice that Harry may have survived his shoot down and taken to Russia. There is an order page on the web site http://www.keepingthepromisealive.com/ . The price of the documentary is $15.00.

Bill Bell has graciously offered to donate half the profits from the sale of his book, Leave No Man Behind, to POW/MIA Radio or The National Alliance of Families. You can purchase a copy of his book for $20.00 and Bill will arrange for a donation to be sent to either of the aforementioned groups. Please contact Bill at billbell@pinncom.com and tell him you heard it on POW/MIA Radio.

Abandoned Allies is a video documentary about the Montagnards who served as American allies during the Vietnam War. It explores the history of these tribal people, how they supported the U.S. Special Forces during the war, and what has happened since then. Now, more than 40 years after the war ended, both American and Montagnard soldiers open up about what took place and how it will affect future generations. For more information, please visit http://abandonedallies.com/ . This is a powerful video featuring Mike Benge, Roger Donlon. Hip Ksor, John Plaster and many others. You can order a copy of this video for $23.00 by writing Mr. Surry P. Roberts, 120 Woodburn Rd., Raleigh, NC 27605, SurryRoberts@adventure777.com . A portion of the price will be donated to POW/MIA Radio. Please mention this when you order. Thank you.

Please note: There will be no LIVE - POW/MIA Radio show on Sunday, December 22, 2013. We will be starting our Christmas time off to be with family and hope you will be doing the same. A previously broadcast show will be aired at that time.

Thanks to our sponsors for this sponsorship period:

The National Alliance of Families

Mr. Earl Wood � In honor of four missing Milwaukee area Soldiers and Marines

Mr. Surry P. Roberts and the producers of Abandoned Allies

Anonymous � In honor of SSGT John C. Keiper, USMC, lost in South Vietnam, November 15, 1966

Listen to POW/MIA Radio every Sunday, worldwide, on The American Freedom Network, http://www.americanewsnet.com . We also broadcast locally from KHNC-AM, 1360khz, Johnstown, Colorado. If you are unable to receive the show on the network's website as listed in your favorites, please delete that bookmark and re-enter the URL in your browser address line. Please note our call-in number, 1-877-254-7524.

Rod

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/at-long-last-a-wisconsin-wwii-veteran-receives-his-pow-medal-b99159313z1-234992661.html

At long last, a Wisconsin WWII veteran receives his POW Medal

By Meg Jones of the Journal Sentinel

Dec. 8, 2013

Union Grove � Dale Ellington was a prisoner of war during World War II, but

for almost seven decades the U.S. military didn't consider him a POW.

It was a long time to wait, but judging by the smile as bright as the shiny

Prisoner of War Medal pinned to his black fleece jacket on Sunday at the

Veterans Home at Union Grove, Ellington was thankful for the belated

recognition.

"It's about time," said Ellington, 91.

Ellington was on his fifth mission as a waist gunner on a B-17 crew when the

bomber was hit by German anti-aircraft flak on April 13, 1944. With the

plane's fuel tanks damaged and control cables severed, the crew couldn't

make it back to the home base in England, so the pilot turned toward neutral

Switzerland.

Because Switzerland was not an enemy combatant, downed allied airmen such as

Ellington were housed in resort towns far from the country's borders.

Switzerland was obligated to detain Allied troops, while soldiers and airmen

were obligated to escape to return to their units.

Which is exactly what Ellington did.

When he heard American forces were close to the French-Swiss border,

Ellington walked away from the remote town in the Alps where he had been

detained for five months. Dressed in civilian clothing, he got as far as

what he thought was the French border. But an alert Swiss soldier arrested

him.

Because he tried to escape, Ellington was now considered a common criminal

under Swiss law, which deemed him a foreigner who committed a crime under

military jurisdiction � of trying to return to his bomber unit. That meant

Ellington was not considered a prisoner of war because the Swiss government

during World War II did not afford internees the protections of the 1929

Geneva Convention for humane treatment of POWs, said Maj. Dwight Mears, a

history professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Ellington was sentenced to serve 75 days at Wauwilermoos prison, whose

commandant was a Nazi sympathizer later convicted of war crimes for the

horrible treatment of prisoners like Ellington.

"It was terrible. We had one bath in five weeks," recalled Ellington, who

graduated from South Division High School in 1940 and worked as a mail clerk

at The Milwaukee Journal before joining the Army Air Force.

Prisoners slept on lice-infested straw in poorly heated barracks. Latrines

were filthy slit trenches. Skin boils, lice and dysentery affected most of

the prisoners because no soap or warm water was provided for hygiene,

according to War Crimes Office reports. And many of the prisoners lost

weight from the skimpy food portions. Ellington said he lost 30 pounds.

Ironically, Ellington and other American troops probably would have gotten

better treatment in German POW camps run by the Luftwaffe, said Mears, whose

grandfather was one of 161 downed U.S. airmen imprisoned at Wauwilermoos.

When the number of Americans sentenced to Wauwilermoos began growing, the

U.S. government asked the Swiss repeatedly to release them or treat them

more humanely, but initially Switzerland refused. But by December 1944,

Swiss authorities relented and released Ellington and other American troops

to heavily fortified hotels.

Shortly after that, Ellington managed to escape Switzerland and return to

his Army Air Force unit. When he came home to Wisconsin, he testified about

his treatment for a war crimes tribunal.

And then he got on with his life.

He married his wife, Rose, in July 1945. They were classmates at South

Division High School, and she had read in the newspaper that he was missing

in action, assuming that meant he was killed. So she was startled to see him

walking on a downtown Milwaukee street. Rose called out to him. They

chatted. Three months later they got married.

They raised two sons. Dale sold printing presses, bought and ran a motel and

later opened an office supply store, D.C. Ellington Co.

Like many World War II veterans, he didn't talk much about his experience

and rarely spoke about Wauwilermoos prison.

"When he came back he was sworn to secrecy. I would ask him and he would

say, 'The war is over, I'm done with it.' He never applied for POW

benefits," said Rose Ellington.

Mears didn't think it was right that American prisoners of Wauwilermoos were

not eligible to get POW benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs

or to receive the POW Medal. So he worked through military channels and

Congress, and after a decade of effort, the government decided this year

that Wauwilermoos prisoners deserved the POW Medal. Only 12 of the 161

American prisoners of Wauwilermoos are still alive.

And so on Sunday afternoon at the Veterans Home in Union Grove where

Ellington lives, a ceremony was held for an American patriot who wanted to

return to the war so much that he tried to escape twice. When he was wheeled

into the dining room filled with family, friends and fellow veterans,

everyone stood. Ellington returned salutes from the New Berlin VFW honor

guard.

A flutist played the national anthem, Dave Chappell, a Vietnam veteran and

friend of Ellington's, read a short summary of Ellington's war record, and a

chocolate cake adorned with an American flag and "Congratulations Dale!" was

sliced.

Wearing a U.S. Army Air Corps hat, Ellington cried as his tearful wife

pinned on his POW Medal.

Looking at the well-wishers, Ellington said simply: Thank you.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/dec/10/americans-sacrifices-should-never-be-forgotten/

Americans� sacrifices should never be forgotten

By Kent Davy10:15 a.m.Dec. 10, 2013Updated9:29 a.m.

Don�t ever forget.

�Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 � a date which will live in infamy � the United

States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air

forces of the Empire of Japan.� � the first sentence of President Franklin

Roosevelt�s address to Congress the day after the attack.

Each of us probably has some tie to that black day of American history, to

Pearl Harbor, although the lines may be faint and the chances of tracing it

directly dim with each year.

On the day Japanese bombers struck the battleships lined up like sitting

ducks in Pearl Harbor, my then 16-year-old father was hunting on the farm on

Sunshine Bottom (a narrow strip of Missouri River valley just south of the

South Dakota line).

�I came home about dark and Dad told me the news,� my father said.

Eventually, he would join the other 16 million Americans who served in World

War II.

On that same day about a hundred miles or so away, my then 12-year-old

mother looked up to see her mother react to the announcer over the

battery-powered radio in the sitting room. She remembers my grandma running

in tears to the field to tell my grandpa.

And just like the terrible news delivered to so many other American families

throughout the way � 416,837 killed or missing � it hit close to home.

Two men, hardly much more than boys, from Central City gave their lives

(Central City is the little Nebraska farm town of 2,500 on the other side of

the river from Grandpa�s old place.)

Fireman 1st Class Lloyd Christensen, 20, served on the USS Arizona, which

sunk after being hit with a 1,760-pound armor-piercing bomb. The other man,

21-year-old Gerald Clayton, was aboard the USS Oklahoma, which was torpedoed

and rolled over.

�It shook the town,� my mother recalls. The Claytons were friends of the

family, she said.

The war was close to her family in other ways, too. Four uncles, two

brothers-in-law and a first cousin also went to war. One, Uncle Harold, was

a medic for a tank battalion and was captured while tending wounded soldiers

in Germany�s H�rtgen Forest, near the Belgium border. He ended up in a

German POW camp, where according to family lore, he was �starved, beaten,

and marched all over Germany.� After the war, Uncle Harold came home deaf

from the injuries.

On that dark December day in 1941, my dad was a senior at the little high

school in Lynch, Neb. � its graduating class a mere 36 students.

Through with high school by the spring of 1942, he left the farm and took a

few weeks of classes at the National Youth Administration machinists� school

in Bellevue before taking a job at a factory in Omaha that made machines for

the munitions plants.

But with fighting across the Pacific, he wanted to enlist.

Because he was only 17, my father had to win permission of my grandfather,

who was farming the old Prescott place in Sunshine Bottom.

Dad quit the machine shop, went home and gave Granddad the enlistment

papers. As unhappy as his father was at the risk, the elder man had little

room to argue. Granddad had been one of the thousands of farm boys who in

1918 joined Gen. John Pershing�s American Expeditionary Force to fight in

the trenches of France, where he survived the battles at St. Mihiel and

later in the Argonne Forest.

I asked my dad why he signed up. He replied, �Well, I was motivated by

patriotism.�

Why the Marines? �I don�t remember.�

But he has always been a proud Marine, Semper Fi, always faithful.

�They were the toughies,� my mother quipped. �That�s why.�

Like so many others both before him and afterward, my dad made it through

Marine boot camp in San Diego and the Aviation Supply School on North

Island.

He shipped out on the President Polk � a transport also carrying the famed

4th Raider Battalion under the command of President Roosevelt�s oldest son,

Col. Jimmy Roosevelt. It took 16 days in transit to Espiritu Santo in the

New Hebrides aboard the hot, stinky vessel where most of the men crowded the

deck to get fresh air.

There, he was an 18-year-old corporal unloading ships to support the First

Marine Air Wing. And with the Marines, he island hopped to Bougainville and

on through the war.

My family�s connections back to the war that defined the �Greatest

Generation� in Tom Brokaw�s phrase don�t carry with them remarkable and

harrowing tales, although I believe the evidence of valor is implicit. The

tales may be there, in shadows of history or memory, I don�t know.

But that�s OK, for these are my connections to great events.

What I think is important is for each of us to remember the sacrifices great

and small that the �Greatest Generation� made, and to honor those who served

then and in each of the other times the country has called.

We owe them to never forget.

Kent Davy is the former editor of the North County Times. Contact him at

kent2davy@gmail.com

http://csis.org/publication/north-korea-abducts-american-senior-citizen?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CSIS+%28NEW+%40+CSIS.ORG%29&utm_content=Yahoo+Search+Results

North Korea Abducts American Senior Citizen

Experts & Authors

Experts:

Victor Cha [1]

Q1: Merrill Newman: Who is he?

A1: Merrill Newman is an 85-year-old American citizen from Palo Alto, CA. A

retired financial executive and Korean War veteran, he was visiting North

Korea on a tourist visa as a participant of an organized nine-day tour.

Newman was traveling with friend Bob Hamrdla, who is not a Korean War

veteran, and two tour guides.

Q2: What were the conditions surrounding his reported detainment?

A2: On November 20, news outlets from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan began

reporting that Newman was removed from an Air Koryo flight departing for

China and detained in Pyongyang on October 26. The reason for Newman�s

arrest is unknown, but Newman�s son Jeff believes that Newman�s detention

may have something to do with an October 25 meeting that took place between

Newman, one of the tour guides, and at least one other North Korean.

Hamrdla, who did not attend the meeting, reported that Newman�s military

service during the Korean War was discussed.

Q3: What is the U.S. government doing?

A3: The U.S. State Department has largely remained mum on Newman�s detention

but sources say they have been working the issue now for some time. It has

since raised the travel warning for American citizens planning to visit

North Korea.

Publicly, State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki confirmed that the United

States has seen the reports regarding Newman, but cited the Privacy Act as

grounds for safeguarding any additional information. Nolan Barks, a

spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, similarly confirmed that the

United States is aware that another American has been detained in Pyongyang,

but declined to provide further details.

Q4: What is the significance of this action?

A4: Pyongyang has made a practice of detaining journalists and

missionaries � Current TV�s Laura Ling and Euna Lee on March 17, 2009 and

most recently Christian missionary Kenneth Bae, the first American civilian

to serve a 15-year sentence in a North Korean labor camp. But the abduction

and detaining of a random American tourist is a new level of truculence, and

represents a troubling trend of increasingly aggressive actions against

innocent Americans who travel to the country. It is hard to fathom how an

85-year-old senior citizen could pose any threat to the regime.

The incident requires the U.S. government to make a forceful and high-level

statement deploring such acts and promising consequences if Bae and Newman

are not returned.

Victor Cha is a senior adviser and holds the Korea Chair at the Center for

Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. Dana D�Amelio and

Shinji Ryu, interns with the Korea Chair, provided research assistance.

Critical Questions is produced by the Center for Strategic and International

Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international

public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS

does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions,

and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be

solely those of the author(s).

� 2013 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights

reserved.

Context of abductions by North Korea in 12 countries.

Cases of abductions by North Korea throughout the world are concentrated in the late �70s. 1978 is the confirmed year of the kidnapping of the young Thai, Lebanese, Chinese, Malaysian and Singaporean women. With regard to the abduction of the French, Italian, Dutch women and the Jordanian and Romanian woman, the evidence indicates that they were committed during the second part of the �70s, like the majority of Japanese victims. In South Korea, five high school students were kidnapped on the coast of South Korea between 1977 and 1978.

Ahn Myung-ji, a former North Korean agent has declared: � The abductions began in the �60s, but it became a serious issue in the mid �70s. In 1976, instructions were given that officers were to receive training to enable them to be considered locals during infiltration. The aim was to bring foreigners into North Korea to be indoctrinated. The Japanese were the first target, followed by South Koreans, Arabs, Chinese and Europeans.

Other former North Korean agents gave virtually the same testimonials as Ahn Myung-ji. Kim Jong-il, the despot who ruled North Korea, is the main instigator of the many abductions of men and women throughout the world. An unpardonable state terrorism.

--Forwarded Message Attachment--
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2013 08:31:34 -0500
From: lynn@nationalalliance.org
To: lynn@nationalalliance.org
Subject: Dec Bits n Pieces in word format

Attached is our December newsletter.
 
-- 
Lynn
 
Lynn O'Shea
Director of Research
National Alliance of Families
For the Return of America's Missing Servicemen
World War II + Korea + Cold War + Vietnam + Gulf Wars + Afghanistan
 
www.nationalalliance.org

--Forwarded Message Attachment--
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2013 08:27:29 -0500
From: lynn@nationalalliance.org
To: lynn@nationalalliance.org
Subject: Dec. Bits N Pieces

Attached is our December newsletter.
 
-- Lynn
Lynn O'Shea
Director of Research
National Alliance of Families
For the Return of America's Missing Servicemen
World War II + Korea + Cold War + Vietnam + Gulf Wars + Afghanistan
www.nationalalliance.org

--Forwarded Message Attachment--
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2013 07:37:01 -0500
Subject: Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs - Newsletter
From: coalitionoffamilies@gmail.com
To: rickdownes05@gmail.com

Hello Family Members and Friends,

The leaves have been raked and sent to wherever old leaves go. This means the Coalition's Fall newsletter is a little late. Or the Winter edition is early. We'll split the difference and call it the December edition.

Inside, you will find articles, news and insights on:

* Congressional POW/MIA Hearings

* The Cold War

* A UN Commission

* North Korea, South Korea, China, and Russia

* The role of nongovernmental organizations

* The Coalition's Washington DC meetings

* And, of course, a To Do list

There's also a membership/renewal application. Your participation and member donations make the Coalition's work on behalf of the missing men possible. We accomplish everything by working together. Thank you.

All the best for the Holidays.

Rick

Richard Downes, Executive Director
Coalition of Families of Korean & Cold War POW/MIAs
P.O. Box 4194
Portsmouth, NH 03802
818.259.9950
www.coalitionoffamilies.org

He that hath found some fledged bird's nest, may know

At first sight, if the bird be flown;

But what fair well or grove he sings in now,

That is to him unknown.

-Henry Vaughan

Monday, December 16, 2013

Fw: MOPH Weekly Report Region VI 12/6-11/13

Please see weekly reports generated by Region VI NSOs, 12/6-11/2013:

San Diego VARO:

Continue follow-up with all offices regarding training, reports, veterans and VCMS, and all other issues that possibly come about during the week.

As for walkin in clients, it has been a rather slow week, possibly due to the holidays as we do not see as many veterans mulling about. Mostly those waiting for doctor appointments.

I continue to do sign offs daily and monitoring timecards, concur and VCMS. Continue follow-up on the NODs and appeals, as well as responding to phone calls, emails, claim review, researching claims and status, etc.

Eddie Kimes, NSO - Las Vegas:

Checked VCMS and SHARE for claim statuses and awards. Found award letters in Virtual VA to input for Monthly Report. Increase claim for veteran produced retroactive pay in the amount of $41,313.

Filed new claims-service connected increased evaluation and dependency claim. Completed claim for veteran who brought in all necessary documents.

Went to Vet Center to meet veteran to file service connected claim, made appointment, answered general questions and veteran consultation purposes.

Joseph Phillips, NSO - VAMC Long Beach, CA:

Assisted a veteran in changing her discharge condition from personality disorder to PTSD. This also resulted in her being medically retired from the Army. I counseled several Vets� and their families on pension with A&A. This was done on the phone and with e-mails. I continue to be the go to guy for several social workers here at the LB VAMC. Advised Vets in our waiting room the importance of knowing what VSO has their POA and seeing that person only. I continue seeing Vets about a myriad of veteran�s services. I inputted award letters into VCMS and updated diary entries.

Tony DeVore, NSO - VARO San Diego, CA:

Met with veterans and filed additional evidence, spoke with appeals regarding upcoming hearing.

Made several telephone calls to veterans regarding their claims/appeals and entered specific data into VCMS.

Continuing purging and checking Share and Vacols on any pending claims/appeals. Continue to enter awards, letters and misc. info, making up folders and general office duties.

Arthur Harris, NSO - VARO Oakland, CA:

This week has been slow the number of phone call have been down due to the holidays, this includes the veteran walk in�s. We have one meeting with the VA, topics were VBMS updates, SEP and the retirement of our current director. Spent significant time trying to update the pending case list on VCMS.

Tennell Brady, NSO - VARO Los Angeles, CA:

During the week, this office met with many veterans, responded to calls and submitted claims to the VA. Continued instructing new employees regarding rules and policies of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, including login procedures for VCMS, ADP, Concur, and other tools used in this office. Assisted the new employees with material contained in NVLSP manual, and test. I accompanied D. Soto to Wadsworth Hospital to get computer access and hospital ID card.

Ron Quinata, NSO - Guam:

Assisted veterans/dependents; DICs recurring claim, award ltrs, recurring claims and New POAs. Visited VA website for updates...printed new compensation rate schedule for 2014, etc. Continued administrative work in the office i.e., at least 20 telephone calls, email responses.

Jay Parker, NSO - VARO Phoenix:

General office duties, review decisions, data entry, speaking to clients, returning calls.

We had another meeting with coaches and the service center Manager about the coordination of SEP to e-benefits. A number of issue�s were brought up. I brought up for discussion the issue of 21-22�s. As everyone knows the new form was to stop for one thing not finding out you have POA until the vet files a NOD. That was postponed until further notice.

This RO has been with holding retro from veterans even though all the conditions are combat related. They did stop doing this error after I was successful with a couple of cases. Now somebody new upstairs is at it again. We met on that subject this week, it seems encouraging.

Cheryl Paden, NSO - VAMC Tucson:

Submitted claims and have spoken to Jay about a Veteran to find best ways to help them and to find 2 claims that VA had lost, which has been corrected and the claims are now active.

Returned messages and I have been getting referrals from Veterans and medical staff at SAVAHCS. Reviewed decision letters and entered all information into VCMS.

Gave paperwork/homework to Veterans so I can submit FDC claims for them. Reviewed decision letters, worked on filing and general office duties. Continued other normal daily activities, filing, reviewing and responding to emails, telephone calls, I am also working on the pending claims report ,etc.

Raphael Paris, NSO - VARO Honolulu:

Conducted interviews with veterans and family members seeking help for service connection compensation. Met with veterans to discuss VA award letter for increase compensation. Submitted FDC claim and new evidence for pending claim to VA , 2 new POA's.

Attended 72nd Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day Commemoration, sat with Hawaii Rainbow MOPH Chapter to include past National Commander MOPH and MOPH historian and spouse.

Received correspondence and award letters for both Honolulu and Guam, mailed out letters to Guam. Returned/receive calls from veterans asking for status of claim, also spoke to veterans in reference to VA examinations.

Continue input into VCMS of awards, claims, etc. General office duties, including making of new files,purging. Follow-up on pending claims.

Breana King, NSO - VAMC Loma Linda:

Met with Raymond Wetzel, Adjutant and Life Member from the local Purple Heart Charter. Mr. Raymond is trying to get more of our OIF/OEF involved in his Chapter and has asked my assistance in passing on the information to my Vets to get more participation from them.

Spent the week seeing Veterans, submitting additional evidence and pending claims. I continued working on my end of the year purging files, returning calls, and inputting information in VCMS.

Michael Mullen, NSO - VAMC La Jolla:

It has been a much busier week than the last. I was answering a lot of calls, returning messages, I saw a lot more clients than last week, I submitted evidence for existing claims, and I entered a couple of ratings. Other than that, I completed some VA required TMS training. I�m still printing on a network printer on the other side of the hospital. I last called IT 2 days ago and they told me that someone is still assigned to my work order.

Erin Hamlin, NSO - Salt Lake City:

Out on Admin/Bereavement Leave on 12/5, 12/6, and 12/9. Have been making and returning numerous phone calls, seeing numerous clients both walk-in and by appointment. Reviewed Utah Rating Decisions, BDD/PLCP Rating Decisions and PLCP SOCs. I forwardedPLCP Development Letters.

MOPH Region VI

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MOPH REGION VI