Posted on 10/03/2004 7:17:42 PM PDT by 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?
Follow your obsessions and reap accordingly.
If it wasn't signed Chief, I'd wonder if we knew this guy. What does the Lt(jg) say?
I think he is a Lt. Commander (Reserves) now. Have not spoken to him in a while.
"More reasons to hate the traitor.
It keeps on coming and it sickens me to think he could even be allowed to run for office, much less get elected.
Kerry hates the military."
The American elite liberals hate the USA military BECAUSE it gets in their way on the road to communism! These crazy liberals continually talk out of both sides of their crooked mouths, first saying how terrible it is that the middle to poor class Americans boys shouldn't be sent to war then turn around and say (Kerrys words)that they would "hunt down and kill terrorrists". Yeah sure whatever. These elite liberals kid themselves if they seriously believe that if America was taken over by communists OR radical murdering anti-christian muslims that they would be spared and, or left in positions of power. All any one need to look at is what happened to Frances interest in Algeria. France pumped a lot of energy and money into that country only to be run out by the muslims, all the wealthy peoples money and property stripped from them and "shoved" off to other countries, factories run into the ground. American liberals are truly the most ignorant self absorbed dolts on the planet next to islamic terrorrist.
Thanks for the ping. In case someone hasn't seen this yet:
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No problem. Thanks for letting me know. :)
No problem! :)
I got your drift and have wondered about a few of those things myself. The President has the bully pulpit. Why hasn't he used it to get judges in place. I don't know...nothing much would surprise me anymore.
You are on my list, Ann. I have removed you and apologize for the inconvenience.
I totally agree! It is scary thinking of the damage Kerry would do.
Kerry has been a puppet of the Kennedys' for a number of decades.
Ping. POW/MIA issue from WWII to present.
Bump
Thanks for the ping JLO. I am trying to catch up...really slow today! :)
"But, as much as I don't like John Kerry, I don't believe he is responsible - at least not as much as this poster would have you believe - for the non return of the POW/MIAs. It was a joint/bi-partisan investigation and BOTH sides generated the final report"
I guess I've been a little slow to respond to the skeptics of my story. Sorry I had to use another login -- guess I couldn't remember my password or there is an imposter :)
jsmellor: I worked in the US/RUSSIA Joint Commission on POW/MIAs and DPMO 1994-1998. I would really like to know where your information comes from on the number of POW/MIAs. Having been the executive assistant to the JCSD and Intelligence Analyst I think my credibility on what really happened there shouldn't be discounted so quickly by skeptism. Do you require proof?
- NavyChief
I'm glad you don't think I'm a liar. But it does trouble me that you are having a hard time accepting what I've said. What numbers of MIAs are you quoting? You must have worked at DPMO to be so knowledgable. Perhaps you worked there when I did? 1994-1998? I'd be interested in who you are? You must have worked in JCSD to know all this but I kinda of doubt it -- many of my coworkers stay in touch and I don't recall you.
"It was a joint/bi-partisan investigation and BOTH sides generated the final report".
Huh? Are you talking about the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIAs or US/Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs? There's a big difference, but I'm sure you already knew that.
"Now, onto something that actually has some merit, please"
I don't suppose you would like to re-phrase this statement? Is this what you think about POW/MIAs -- not worth talking about?
- NavyChief
"They claimed to know the disposition of these 12,500 American servicemen and were willing to give us the information if done secretly.
I don't understand the reason Poland would feel the need to keep it secret. And certainly, given current relations, Bush should have no trouble getting this info."
Poland was in a precarious position at the time. They were trying to get into NATO but knew the list would embarass the Russian government. Since they were neighbors, the official government stance was "we know nothing". But at the same time they were willing to give us the list as payback for the Polish massacre committed by the Communists post WWII. One thing I saw over and over again while working there was the world of politics -- not pretty and not compatible with the way we Navy Chiefs conduct business.
I don't believe Bush would have any success at this point. Once Clinton declared the three countries as giving a full accounting, we called Poland to ensure our trip was still on and we could get the list. They told us "too bad" we're in NATO now and we don't need the political scandal with our neighbor, Russia. Check your news sources for that timeframe and you will see that Ambassador Malcolm Toon and Senator Smith made a trip to Poland. Now you know the real reason why.
- NavyChief
Thank you for answering that Chief. I was wondering about that as well. Do you know if the Bush Administration has brought this up with the Polish government?
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