IT'S A small WORLD - My time with the POW/MIA office

swiftvets.com ^ | 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

NavyChief

Joining this website in August and throwing my two cents worth into the discussion surrounding the SBVT controversy, I had no idea what a small world this would be.

I worked on the US/Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIA with various Senators, Congressmen, STATE and DOD officials for 4 years. This is where my first encounter with Senator Kerry came from. His office was aloof in our work on this important issue. They refused to participate in our findings and hard work to account for American POW/MIAS from WWII, Korea, Cold War, and Vietnam -- even though Senator Kerry was appointed the Co-Chairman of the Vietnam War Working Group by President Bush Sr in 1992.

As you can see, my two worlds came together while working with the SBVT and the POW/MIA issue. And now I rejoice in the union of the SBVT and the POWs for Truth. This issue is tying my fate to this cause even more every day.

Strangely, one of the very incidents (13 Mar 69) of which we've been working so deligently on in the past two months, has even more significance than I thought. You see, the USS WASHTENAW COUNTY (LST-1166) was one of the main focus for our attention in nailing down the timeline of what happened that day. Yet, miles away another little known ship, USS SPHINX (ARL-24) was providing its support to the war effort. Many years later, in 1988, the USS SPHINX became my home for a year in Central America. She was very special to me as my first tour on a Navy Ship. Again, the irony of the SPHINX and WASHTENAW COUNTY would cross again, but only known to myself. Our homeport was Rodman Naval Base, Panama City, Panama. Unbeknowst to me at the time, the large LST that sat 100 yards away from our pier was the WASHTENAW COUNTY. She had been sold to a Panamanian company and was sitting right there all along. Of course, she had no markings of the USS at the time. Nor, did she have her previous glorious coloring of "Haze Grey".

I had even reported at one time that the ship was obviously collecting intelligence on the incoming traffic into the Panama Canal. My Commanding Officer was a little surprised by this as we all believed at the time that she was being run by the Panamanians, at a time previous to our invasion of that country. Now I find out that she was being used by our own CIA, which I've worked with in the past. It's a small world.

Very few people know of which I'm about to divulge regarding my time with the POW/MIA office. I have been waiting to tell someone about this, since I've been working with the actions in Vietnam for the past several months.

In 1995, shortly after I returned from a tour at the American Embassy in Moscow, Russia, our office received information that the Polish government had compiled a list of some 12,500 names of Americans MIA from WWII, Korea, Cold War and Vietnam. You should remember that Poland was a Soviet Union satellite country for many years. They were quick to capitalize on their freedom from the Soviet Union and it's downfall in late 1991. The Polish government had been in charge of the IRCR mission, which saw many of our POWs in captivity in Vietnam and had access to them when our own government did not. They claimed to know the disposition of these 12,500 American servicemen and were willing to give us the information if done secretly. During this timeframe, President Clinton wanted Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary to join the NATO alliance to bolster his legacy. In an effort to slow down their joining NATO and use the POW/MIA issue to our advantage and get this list, Senator Robert Smith (NH-R) managed to place a stipulation in the Treaty allowing these countries to join NATO. Senator Smith had been doing most of the work as another Co-Chairman of the Vietnam War Working Group, while Senator Kerry's absense was felt keenly during those years of the Democratic run Executive Branch. Our office found no friends in the Clinton administration to help us in our struggle to account fully for our POW/MIAs and Kerry's influence would have been essential to secure that assistance. It never came. The stipulation placed in the Treaty was intended to allow our office to prepare for a trip to Poland and retrieve this list. We finally came to an agreement with the Polish officials and made our travel arrangements to retrieve the list. Alas, President Clinton took it upon himself to declare that all three countries had been forthcoming in a full accounting of any and all information regarding American POW/MIAs from WWII to the present. Our office was crushed! We had worked so hard and carefully to get that list and with a deft swoop of the pen -- President Clinton had defeated all our efforts.

An immediate protest went up from our office to the President (after all, we were the Presidential Commission tasked with this effort). President Clinton had not consulted with us before his declaration, nor did any of his staff. Everyone within the STATE Department and DOD were baffled when confronted with the knowledge, that our office had not given the President the green light. Once, the President had been confronted by this information, he replied that he had been told that a full accounting was achieved. Not a single person in the government (and certainly not our office), was willing to confess to this outrageous defeat. All eyes had turned to the one Commissioner who had the authority to speak on behalf of POW/MIA issues. The one who was a senior Senator amongst the Democratic Party and had access to the President's ear. The one who never showed up to work on this issue. The one who had already closed the case on the POW/MIA issue from the Vietnam War.

To really know the truth why President Clinton had done this to the families and friends of 12,500 American servicemen, will probably never come to light. We shall never know for sure if our candidate to whom President Clinton stated in his DNC speech said, "Send Me" for the POW issue, was responsible for the statement that a full accounting had been achieved. We shall never know this for sure and it can only be called speculation by those on the outside. But a few of us who worked this issue to the core of our beings -- we will know. We will bear the knowledge that our political system is ugly. We will know when we look at the families of those who have not found closure.

I will know that this is indeed a small world.

- Chief _________

________ Working with Senator Kerry four years in the POW/MIA Office left me thinking

-- when did the man ever do any work?

[Valin]

This is where my first encounter with Senator Kerry came from. His office was aloof in our work on this important issue. They refused to participate in our findings and hard work to account for American POW/MIAS from WWII, Korea, Cold War, and Vietnam -- even though Senator Kerry was appointed the Co-Chairman of the Vietnam War Working Group by President Bush Sr in 1992.

Kerry, All sizzle no steak.

[TheBattman]

Actually - I have been wondering for some time if McCain was brainwashed while a POW.

[Oberon]

I wonder if you might delete me from your "ping everybody" list. I'm getting inundated here.

[wizr]

Thanks

[hosepipe]

[ This is a MUST READ! Navy Chief originally wrote this on the SwiftVet site. ]

Misty...;
NOW it really gets interesting to note that GW Bush failed to enviserate the exectutive branch of most of the Clinton appointees after assuming office to this date. Either he is dumb as a box of rocks or the rot goes much deeper than Tonk can concieve. To this day most of the State Department are democrats.. and most of the lawyers in the justice department too.. You see Clinton replaced most of them(the lawyers) with his troops after assuming office.. Butch Reno left the others did'nt..

At this stage of "the game" even to be a democrat in public service especially federal civil service telegraphs that probably you're a malafactor of John Kerrys persuasion. Zell Miller is even suspect to me. But more important than that is Bush's reluctance to bleed the Clinton appointees from his ranks.. Somebodys nutz, it could be ME..

Am I into conspiracys ?.. Not on purpose.. There just seems to be so many of them out there, proven and documented.. It seems that the more republicans win at the polls, the more America becomes a socialist country.. How in Gods name could John Kerry and John Mclaim HEAD UP the POW/MIA commission ? Of all people.. Something stinks and it is not an accident.

America is more at risk from democrats than from any terrorist. Because the MSM(including PBS) is a propaganda arm of the DNC and so are most of Americas colleges and moneyied Trust Funds like the Ford Foundation and many others. What does the republican party do ?... NOTHING MEANINGFUL.. Take the FCC (part of the executive branch) and obvious in your face sedition is going on(CBS) and what do they do.. NOTHING AT ALL.. its not an accident (their IN-action)... Carping about some conspiracy is just bitching.. Political terrorism to the fabric of this country is well advanced from what I can see from threads on FR for many years and probably from before I noticed. We couldn't even impeach a known traitor(Bubba) for known treason(Chinagate and more).. instead "we" allowed his hands to slapped for a blow job.. incredible...

It is NOT an accident.. What does it take to really piss a republican off... No one knows... it so seldom happens... and then they just bitch or vote... Thats the democrats greatest weapon.. knowing that... Neo-cons you know are merely ex-democrats(they say) who knows where they really stand..

[southland]

ping

[Ann Archy]

PLEASE REMOVE ME from your ping list!!! I only have webtv and it eats up all my space. I have asked you before. Thanks.

[kapn kuek]

Clintoon did so much in eight years to harm our nation. But Traitor Kerry will make Clintoon look like an amateur when it comes to destroying America.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

You are not on my ping list.

Check with MistyCA

[rj45mis]

"Let's hang him out to dry too while were at it, no?"

For many of us, McCain was hung out to dry in 2000. What is your real issue here?

[rj45mis]

In response to your Post #146, I do agree with your observation that the Republicans do not fight the same way the dems do. This has infuriated me numerous times. I personally believe that the dems have dirt on all of them and use it as leverage. The dems have been using these tactics since the inception of the Republican party. It's just the dirty politics of the skanky liberals.

[fuzzy122]

Thank you.

[Burlem]

I received one of the Swift Boat Veterans mass e-mailing today, following is a copy.
XXXXXXXXXX

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is making an historic impact on this presidential election. We have joined forces with a group of American prisoners of war who were held captive by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War and are now called Swift Vets and POWs for Truth.

Together we need your help to tell the story of how John Kerry's activities only served to encourage our enemies and prolong the captivity of our POWs.

For John Kerry to now claim that his activities were part of an effort to help solve the POW problem is absolutely ludicrous.

"John Kerry encouraged the North Vietnamese to keep us in captivity longer which meant more torture, more lost years and, sadly, more death," said Vietnam POW Ken Cordier who was held captive for six years and three months and was awarded two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart among other decorations.

We are gearing up for a new series of hard-hitting ads and information programs in key battleground states. With your help, we will continue to stand up for the values of veterans and POWs across the country.

We cannot allow a man who endangered and dishonored his fellow soldiers to become Commander-in-Chief.

One hundred percent of the donations we receive will be committed to demonstrating that Kerry's activities actually further endangered the lives of the POWs. But we can not deliver this new message without your help!

To give, simply click on the link below:



We can also receive checks through the postal service at:

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
C/O Weymouth Symmes, Treasurer
P.O. Box 26184
Alexandria, VA 22313

Swift Vets and POWs for Truth is an independent group under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code and is not affiliated with any political party or candidate for public office. Contributions to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Federal tax law requires us to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer of each individual whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year. Therefore, please be sure to provide us with this information so that we can satisfy our reporting requirements.

Thank you again for your support of the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth.

Sincerely,

Roy Hoffman, Admiral, USN, (retired)

[rj45mis]

"Silly me, now I remember the name of the guy who co-chaired the committee to which you refer...It's on the tip of my tongue...wait..what is it again?..."

Your post, a segment of which is above, clearly came across as something a dem troll would say. This is why many on this forum responded as they did. Personally I've read much on Senator Kerry and also find him to be a traitor to the American uniform. None of us know the motives behind the 1991 actions of the 2 Senators. Although I don't like the politics of McCain, I don't actually know enough about him to equate his actions to a particular set of motives. On the other hand, Kerry has a long, documented history of being anti-American and I will never give him the benefit of the doubt. Why do you need to try to segregate Kerry's involvement from that of McCain's when conversing with your coworkers? It is what it is. McCain has a Senate history of defending Kerry on pre and post Vietnam, so they've obviously been in bed together (politically speaking).

[rj45mis]

I wasn't advocating you pretend McCain wasn't part of the committee. How did you get that from what I said? I don't agree with everybody stumping for Bush, and I don't make any pretensions about it. However, McCain is obviously making a statement about his buddy Kerry when he is out there stumping for Bush. That statement is simply: Bush is the better candidate to lead our nation forward in the war on terror.

[rj45mis]

"so you do advocate that I say both McCain and Kerry were co-chairs of this particular committee?"

I'm not advocating you say anything. I'm merely saying that the facts are what they are. Why would you have the need to hide the fact that McCain was also on that committee? Does that fact make Kerry any more honorable? Remember, McCain is not running for POTUS; he is just stumping for whom he believes is the better candidate.