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IT'S A small WORLD - My time with the POW/MIA office
swiftvets.com ^ | 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

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?


TOPICS: Government; Military/Veterans; Politics
KEYWORDS: pow; swiftboat; swiftboatvets
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Comment #61 Removed by Moderator

To: Vox ex Dumo

(Tapping my foot) I'm still waiting for your apology for mean-mouthing the Swift Boat Vets.


62 posted on 10/03/2004 9:31:23 PM PDT by Kitty Mittens
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To: Vox ex Dumo

See you later COWARD!

Can't handle the truth!


63 posted on 10/03/2004 9:31:25 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (MAKE SURE YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED AND VOTE Nov 2nd!)
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To: Kitty Mittens

Mommy found him on the computer again.


64 posted on 10/03/2004 9:33:09 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (MAKE SURE YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED AND VOTE Nov 2nd!)
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To: Vox ex Dumo

Being in the military does not automatically make hundreds into liars. I'll take their word over kerry's any day. You can go on kissing kerry's ass if you like. Just don't forget to vote on November 6.


65 posted on 10/03/2004 9:34:20 PM PDT by BykrBayb (5 minutes of prayer for Terri, every day at 11 am EDT, until she's safe. http://www.terrisfight.org)
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To: BykrBayb

He can't vote, he's only 10


66 posted on 10/03/2004 9:35:20 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (MAKE SURE YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED AND VOTE Nov 2nd!)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Oh, then I guess he's a registered democrat.


67 posted on 10/03/2004 9:37:28 PM PDT by BykrBayb (5 minutes of prayer for Terri, every day at 11 am EDT, until she's safe. http://www.terrisfight.org)
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To: Kitty Mittens

Never been in on a troll hunt before but I think you and Tonk are right on this one. Fire up old sparky!!


68 posted on 10/03/2004 9:37:37 PM PDT by BIGLOOK (I once opposed keelhauling but have recently come to my senses.)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Mommy needs to teach him to respect his elders, that's for sure!


69 posted on 10/03/2004 9:37:38 PM PDT by Kitty Mittens
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To: Vox ex Dumo; jsmellor; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
To Vox and js,

You have NO idea what you are jumping into here. You have no idea that our veterans are armed with the lies and betrayal of John Kerry. Don't come here with YOUR lies. Check your facts, it all boils down to the facts that Kerry is a traitor.

This argument has nothing to do with Kerry's senate record or his career as an elected official, although this is just more proof of his betrayal to the American People.

This argument is about the facts that Kerry is a traitor. He left American soldiers to face death by his actions when he returned from Viet Nam. He turned his back on America. He has lied about his military service to me and to all Americans. He continually lies about his role in the Viet Nam war. He met with the enemy in Paris. He plotted the assassination of United States Senators in Kansas City.

Kerry has not the slightest idea of the brutal harm he has done to American soldiers. He will continue to harm America by negating the valiant efforts of American Troops in the war on terror. Kerry chooses to ignore the cries of our Viet Nam Veterans for a release from the horrid testimony he gave to the Senate in 1971. He labeled them all criminals, AND THEY ARE NOT CRIMINALS. They were performing the job that they were hired to do by the United States. These Soldiers and Veterans and good Americans. The fact that you are slamming these good men is justifiably enough to tell you to get you ass back to the place where you came. This argument is personal. This argument deserves everyone's attention. Kerry cannot be elected to any office, and should be fired from his Senate job. This is the election issue, and it is a separate issue. If Kerry would sign his 180, then both issues would be addressed. Kerry is unfit to command this country because of his past record of HIS LIFE, and Kerry is unfit to even speak to our Soldiers and Veterans because of his past record of HIS LIFE. When are you going to get it?
70 posted on 10/03/2004 9:38:00 PM PDT by laurenmarlowe
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Comment #71 Removed by Moderator

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Why is it that weekend trolls run out of arguments after just two replies? Most trolls are far more entertaining, but this guy's a loser even as a troll.


72 posted on 10/03/2004 9:40:25 PM PDT by Kirkwood (I think, therefore I am Republican!)
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Comment #73 Removed by Moderator

To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
This Vox dipstick is part of the Kerry crowd. If he hates both candidates so much, why is he bothering to post here. He should be surfing for porn.

The demoncrats were all giddy to jump on the Kerry bandwagon when the thought they had a "hero" they could run, but now that they realize they've nominated a "do nothing" far left wing narcissistic sociopath, they're frothing at the mouth.

Joe Lieberman would have made a far better candidate, but the party of "inclusion" would never nominate a Hew for president.
74 posted on 10/03/2004 9:42:01 PM PDT by Shellback Chuck (Olongapo hookers are more truthful than Kerry)
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To: Shellback Chuck

Jew


75 posted on 10/03/2004 9:43:57 PM PDT by Shellback Chuck (Olongapo hookers are more truthful than Kerry)
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To: jsmellor

"I just want to know how I can reconcile the fact that John McCain co-chaired this committee"

Take it up with McCain

If it wasn't for Kerry we would have more POW's returned.

PS I was in Viet Nam Oct'69-Apr'69


76 posted on 10/03/2004 9:45:24 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (MAKE SURE YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED AND VOTE Nov 2nd!)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
"DOUBLE TROLL HUNTING TONIGHT"

Ooh, thanks for the ping. I love a good troll hunt!

77 posted on 10/03/2004 9:46:43 PM PDT by Bonaparte (twisting slowly, slowly in the wind...)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

Oct'68-Apr'69


78 posted on 10/03/2004 9:46:48 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (MAKE SURE YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED AND VOTE Nov 2nd!)
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To: BIGLOOK

Just checked your profile page; thank you, friend, for your service to our Country! God bless you!


79 posted on 10/03/2004 9:50:07 PM PDT by Kitty Mittens
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Comment #80 Removed by Moderator


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