The FReeper Foxhole Profiles The American Ex-Prisoner of War Organization - Dec. 20th, 2002

American Ex-POW Organization ^

[SAMWolf]

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

We hope to provide an ongoing source of information about issues and problems that are specific to Veterans and resources that are available to Veterans and their families.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

Resource Links For Veterans

Click on the pix

A brief history of the
American Ex-Prisoner of War Organization

In 1942, information was leaking out about the atrocities and sub-human treatment that American prisoners of war were receiving in Japanese prison camps in the Pacific. When wives and mothers heard about their sons and husbands who had been taken prisoners, they started calling and writing their Congressmen in an effort to find help or get assistance for their loved ones. Finally, two mothers whose sons were members of the 200th Coast Artillery and had been captured by the Japanese came up with an idea.

It was Mrs. Charles W. Bickford and Mrs. Fred E. Landon who, on April 10, 1942, persuaded other parents and relatives to hold a mass meeting and formed an organization to get relief to the captured boys on Bataan. On April 14th, the Bataan Relief Organization was formed with Dr. V. H. Spensley, of Albuquerque, as Chairman. Their motto was "We will not let them down."

This group was very active trying to get relief to the POW’s and exchange of information as it came through. From this group in Albuquerque, other chapters sprang up all over the United States. The "BRO" was incorporated September 8th, 1943.

In 1945, the control of the Bataan Relief Organization was turned over to the liberated members of the New Mexico’s 200th Coast Artillery Regiment at an annual meeting held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1946, the name was changed to Bataan Veteran’s Organization.

The first National convention was held May 14, 1948, in Albuquerque. The second National convention was held in Hollywood, California, April 1949. At this convention, it was voted to change the name to American Ex-Prisoners of War and change the name of the bulletin to XPOW. The reason for the change was so veterans from the European Theater would realize that they were eligible for membership. By changing the name to American Ex-Prisoners of War, it would welcome all former POW’s from any war. There were 800 at the 1949 convention.

In 1949 there were 7 local groups within the framework of the organization:

The Bataan Veteran’s Organization, The Lost Battalion

The Seattle Barbed Wire Club, Orphans of the Pacific

The Dad MacMannis Post, The Southwest Barbed Wire Club

The Barbed Wire Club of North Carolina.

Click on the Logo to Visit Their Site

The AX-POW emblem was designed as a lapel pin by former prisoner of war, Bryan T. Doughty of Denver, Colorado, in 1949. The heraldic symbols, representing Justice, are balanced on swords. The curves at the top of the shield portray the two massive military defeats suffered by the United States Armed Forces in World War II: Bataan and the Belgium Bulge. Later, the Ex-POW motto was adopted: NON SOLUM ARMIS, Latin for "Not by Arms Alone."

[Darksheare]

Yes, the monosyllabic grunt conversations were indeed that bad.

Any woman in her right mind would have nailed us all with a shovel to knock us out of our misery so that we could resume normal conversation.
'Honest sir! I don't know what happened. The Opfor came through and then all of a sudden, I'm the only one still on my feet! Yes, there was some hand to hand going on, but since we're in the middle of 24 hour operations and all... they just weren't up to it!'
*Drops shovel*

[SAMWolf]

Bagram Rec Center Offers Something for Everyone

Soldiers keep in touch with home via e-mail at the cyber café in the Dragon Palace recreation center in Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. U. S. Army photo by Spc. Alfredo Jimenez Jr.

By U.S. Army Spc. Alfredo Jimenez Jr.
28th Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - The enemy didn’t want anybody to use the building, so they bombed it. Combined Joint Task Force-180 needed it, so they gathered a few Afghans to help rebuild it. Today, that building is perhaps the most used at Bagram Air Base.

The building is only two stories high, 60 feet wide, and yellow, but that doesn’t keep hundreds of freezing soldiers from coming in droves to visit. Sure, it’s crowded, but nothing would keep them out.

Dragon Palace is the place to be. With a phone center, cyber café, library and movie every night, this palace offers everything a Coalition service member needs to endure the frustration of being deployed for six months in a war-torn country.

“It’s always packed in here,” said Arthur Chandler, a Morale, Welfare and Recreation coordinator from Atlanta, Texas.

As soon as the front doors open, soldiers can walk to the left and find 15 phones ready to keep them in touch with loved ones, bosses and bill collectors.

If soldiers feel like watching a movie, on the right is a theater. Walking upstairs, soldiers discover a café with computers to e-mail family and friends.

“These things help the soldier maintain a high state of morale,” Chandler said. “It allows him or her to keep in touch with folks back home.”

The library, located behind the theater space, gives soldiers a chance to sit, relax and read a book in a quiet area. More than 150 books can be found there, in addition to countless magazines, newspapers, games and puzzles.

“(Dragon Palace) is a place that can be enjoyed by everyone,” Chandler said.

[MistyCA]

Thanks for the recommendation, Johnny! I am still loving your neck of the woods! :)

[MistyCA]

Honest, Sir! I swear I don't know that guy! :)

[MistyCA]

What do you think is inside the lenscaps?

[Darksheare]

Those LOOK to be Night Vision Binos. The lenscaps would have an almost invisible pinhole in the end so that the phototubes don't kill your eyes. But then you're looking around in GREENO vision.

[Darksheare]

*Clunk of shovel hitting the ground*
Ugh, those were some nasty training ops.
And watching the ground ripple was even worse.
(Comes from having an active imagination, so at 03:00 your mind is going, 'Hey! LOOK at THIS! Aaaah hah!' And you're saying, "Oooh woah!")

[MistyCA]

LOL...anyone ever tell you that you are some kinda nut??? :)

[Darksheare]

Often.
I also play it up a bit.
Sorta tickles my sense of humor.

[MistyCA]

LOL....I can see that! :)

[Darksheare]

That's kinda why when it's 9 o'clock/21:00 here, I hie myself off to go sleep.
Because the wackyness gets WORSE, Much worse.
(An odd side point, while everyone in my unit was using monosyllabic grunts during the 24 hour ops, I was still capable of using English. Though it sounded more like Dutch. And the sentences were oddly constructed. More Shakespearian than actual modern English....)

[comwatch]

In what I admit is a shameless ploy of thread creeping and self-promotion, my thoughts on the topic today, only as to the term "Ex-Prisoner of War" is being influenced by headlines in today's edition of Pravda, better known as the Sacramento Bee.

I can only begin to imagine what a former POW must feel as we find ourselves Prisoners...  Captives in the War on the hearts and minds of patriotic America. What must someone, who has suffered the torture and indignities of POW camps and prisons, think of vocal anti-American hate mongers in our society today?

What prompted my brief rant here today, was a reflections of a Boy Scout council leader... "I remember the Vietnam era, when we were criticized for wearing uniforms and being militaristic."

Well my friends, even though many of us would say SO WHAT, it doesn't end there... the 9th Circuit Supremes, to the tune of "God Hate America" hasn't stopped with it's assault on God, guns and their relentless glad-handing for Gays. Today they have found a new low point on the moral compass and at the urging of lawyers all over California, are moving to ban judges from being members of the Boy Scouts of America.  Will they apply a 'Nazi Youth Movement' label to our scouts next?

While this is not necessarily fodder for FReeper Foxhole, perhaps at some point it should be.  Of the 60,000 FR members, I've found the Foxhole members more resolved than most.  When war is declared on the God-fearing youth in our Scouts, where do we draw the line?  Weigh in, offer your suggestions and give me some direction.

Is it time to Impeach the Supremes?

On my Honor I will do my best To do my duty To God and my country... America... stand up for them!

Visit the issue at: God, Guns and Gays. The California Supremes and state lawyers target Boy Scouts again. ^

 

[Darksheare]

Yes, the supremes should be impeached, as they are a threat to the constitution and this country.

[MistyCA]

LOL! Dutch? LOLOL!

[Darksheare]

Hey.. it was very early in the morning on day 3 of everyone being awake. And by that time, everyone was weeeeell beyond grunts for communication.
Then the OC's declared us all magically dead for 24 hours so the 'sleep plan' could be implemented. But, as everyone knew, it never happened because our dear Cap decided to see who could pee further, him or the OC's.
We ended up the losers out of it because we were doing live fire. We shot a round that was supposed to be a do not load mission. (FDC screwed that one up, the GDU didn't say do not load.. that's FDC's fault.) So we were put into checkfire for a good long time. By then, most of us were so tired we were sleeping standing up, literally.
I found that the only person who understood my speech was my section chief, and he was speaking in couplets it seemed.

[Darksheare]

Did you check your FReep mail and 'new posts to you' page yet?

[Peaches]

Thank you.
I enjoy this thread and think it serves a useful purpose for our veterans. Our veterans need to be remembered during the holidays and all year long.
Have a Peach of a day and happy holidays to all!

[Lloyd227]

Sam / Misty,

Thanks for the tips. Looks like I've got some work to do because I really don't have any information except his name, parents name etc.

Sadly, I've lost touch with my mother's side of the family for the past couple decades and I only remember stories another uncle told me. Astounding stories though and I've always wanted to try and verify some of it.

I don't have any information about Units he served with or ships or any of that detail at all, but yes, his work was definitely connected with OSS activity.

Thanks again for the tips. I'll see if I can't get in touch with that uncle who used to tell me these stories.

[SAMWolf]

Good luck in your search.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the info and the link.