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POW/MIA Recognition Day Honors Service Members

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2012 POW MIA Remembrance Table Ceremony

Published on May 28, 2012 by depper

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, US Army, was captured in Afghanistan on 30 June 2009 by members of the Haqqani network, a Taliban allied insurgent group. He is currently being held as a prisoner of war.

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And they keep saying how courageous Dear Leader was for making the decision to take out Osama Bin Laden?  phhhttt!

Go to the link below and see what real courage and leadership looks like:

Leaders with Ginni Thomas: Former POW Lee Ellis

An Air Force pilot, Lee Ellis’s plane was shot down during the Vietnam War. Captured by the enemy, the 23-year-old spent five years as a prisoner of war.

Today, he is president and founder of Leadership Freedom, a consulting and coaching company. He is also the author of “Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton.”

See the video of interview here.

Perhaps send it to your Senator and Representative and those running locally this year.

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Too bad the Republican Party is almost as bad with history as the Democratic Party.

Sen Dirksen Left Vs Right

The Progressive Racist Democratic Party - “The Party of a hand-outs, not help up”

On June 10, 1964, Democrats filibustered the Civil Rights Act.

June 10, 1964, was a dramatic day in the United States Senate. For the first time in its history, cloture was invoked on a civil rights bill, ending a record-breaking filibuster by Democrats that had consumed fifty-seven working days. The hero of the hour was minority leader Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen (R-Ill.).

On June 10ith day 1964, Everett Dirksen (R-IL), the Republican Leader in the U.S. Senate, condemned the Democrats’ 57-day filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Leading the Democrats in their opposition to civil rights for African-Americans was Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV). Byrd, who got into politics as a recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan, spoke against the bill for fourteen straight hours. Democrats still call Robert Byrd “the conscience of the Senate.” In his speech, Senator Dirksen called on the Democrats to end their filibuster and accept racial equality.

Michael Zak wrote about this in his book Back to Basics for the Republican Party and reminds us that Democrats, the party of Slavery, Secession, Segregation and the KKK… fought against equality.

Everett McKinley Dirksen (January 4, 1896 September 7, 1969) was a Republican U.S. Congressman and Senator from Pekin, Illinois. As Republican Senate leader he played a highly visible and key role in the politics of the 1960s, including helping to write and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Open Housing Act of 1968, both landmarks of Civil Rights legislation. Dirksen served in the Senate from 1951 to 1969 and was seen quite often on the evening television news shows.

In another video his banter with newsmen Walter Cronkite and Roger Mudd and his unmistakable “raspy” voice made him famous throughout the country and the world.

And in yet another video shot in Southern Illinois in 1967 or 1968 and features a young reporter (CP Harding) from WSIU Television (Southern Illinois University) asking Senator Dirksen just one question for a proposed children’s news program. Toward the end of the interview the reporter becomes concerned because he was getting a signal that they were almost out of film….and Senator Dirksen just kept talking.

How about we all send this to our Representatives and Senators…?

(You knew I’d get back to politics sooner than later…)

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I have a candle sitting on the windowsill in my office here at home.  It’s just one of those electric kinds people put in their windows at Christmas time.  This one, though, stays lit  24/7, 365 days a year and has been since my daughter enlisted in the Army back in 2005.  It serves a lot of big purposes for one little candle and has done so faithfully for these past 7 years.

At first it was a symbol of a Mother’s heartfelt prayer for a daughter’s safety.  Then was added a heartfelt prayer to light the way safely home for all our troops in harm’s way.  Next was added a prayer for Matt Maulpin to be found and brought home.  As the years went by, more and more prayers were added to this little candle.

Three years ago this coming June, one was added for Bowe Bergdahl who ended up in the hands of the Haqqani and is still held hostage today.

From WOTN:

DOD response to Bergdahl family criticism: “doing everything possible” to gain Bowe’s release

Didn’t know the US has a POW?  No surprise there as there hasn’t been much on Bowe Bergdahl in the mainstream news.  Google him and you’ll find major time gaps in reporting.

But then, since President Bush is no longer the Commander In Chief, it seems that the war news isn’t as pressing as it was then.

Doesn’t matter.  My little candle will stay lit as long as need be.

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Before I took my hiatus from blogging, I would post the names and information about the POW/MIA’s that finally made it home.  I have some catching up to do in this area.

7/11

July 6, 2011

MISSING VIETNAM WAR AIRMAN IDENTIFIED

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today

that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified

and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Col. Leo S. Boston, 30, of Canon City, Colo., will be buried on July 15 at the

Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colo. On April 29, 1966, Boston was aboard

an A-1E Skyraider aircraft that disappeared while flying a search-and-rescue mission in North

Vietnam.  Reports of an enemy aircraft in the area forced him and the pilot of another A-1E to

divert to a holding position over Son La Province until the area was clear.  When the lead aircraft

directed they return, he observed Boston following him but reported no sign of his aircraft once

he arrived at the location.  Enemy activity in the area precluded search efforts.

Between 1996 and 2005, joint U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint

POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), analyzed numerous leads, interviewed villagers in Son La

Province, and conducted excavations that recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains and crewrelated equipment.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Armed

Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of Boston’s

mother and brother – in the identification.

With the accounting of this airman, 1,687 service members still remain missing from the

conflict.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing

Americans, call (703) 699-1169 or visit the DPMO Web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo.

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July 6, 2011

AIR FORCE PILOT MISSING FROM VIETNAM WAR IDENTIFIED

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today

that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been

identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Maj. Richard G. Elzinga, 27, of Shedd, Ore., will be buried on July 8 in

Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C.  On March 26, 1970, Elzinga and his co-pilot

went missing when their O-1G Birddog aircraft failed to return to base from a familiarization

flight over Laos.  Fifteen minutes after the last radio contact, a communication and visual search

showed no sign of the men or their aircraft.  Search and rescue missions continued for two days

with no results.

Between 1994 and 2009, joint U.S.-Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) teams

led by JPAC, analyzed leads, interviewed villagers and surveyed possible crash site locations.

During several joint field surveys, teams recovered human remains, aircraft wreckage, and crewrelated equipment.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the

Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched

that of his aunt and cousin– in the identification of Elzinga’s remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing

Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

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July 7, 2011

SOLDIER MISSING FROM KOREAN WAR IDENTIFIED

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today

that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been

identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Capt. Melvin R. Stai, 33, of Spokane, Wash., will be buried on July 9 in his

hometown.  After the 1953 armistice, it was learned from surviving POWs that he had been

captured in January 1951, marched north to a POW camp in Suan County, North Korea, and died

while in captivity when allies attacked the camp in April 1951.

Between 1991-94, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to

contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen.  North Korean documents turned over with one

of the boxes indicated that the remains, contained in the box, were exhumed near Suan County.

This location correlates with the Stai’s last known location.

Analysts from DPMO developed leads in Stai’s case with information spanning more than

58 years.  Through interviews with surviving POW eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances

surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the

Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory

also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his sister – to

identify of Stai’s remains.

More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War.  With this

accounting, 7,990 servicemembers still remain missing from the conflict.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing

Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

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Welcome Home, Airmen Boston & Elzinga and Captain Stai

Rest now.  Your duty is done.

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Soldier Missing in Action from WWII Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Pfc. Robert B. Bayne, of Dundalk, Md., will be buried on May 7 in his hometown. On March 28, 1945, while patrolling the Rhine River in an inflatable raft, Bayne, a lieutenant and two other enlisted men were attacked near Schwegenheim, Germany. Bayne and the officer were wounded, forcing all four men into the swift waters of the river. The lieutenant was rescued but the enlisted men were not found.

Between 1945 and 1946, Army Graves Registration personnel exhumed remains of three men from two different locations when German citizens reported the graves contained remains of American soldiers recovered from the river in March 1945. Among items found with the remains were military identification tags. Two of the men were identified as enlisted men from the raft — Pvt. Edward Kulback and Pfc. William Gaffney — but due to limited forensic science of the time, the remains of the other individual could not be identified and were interred at the U.S. Military Cemetery in St. Avold, France as “unknown.”

In 1948, the remains of the unknown soldier were exhumed to compare them to available records for Bayne. After several years of analysis the remains could not be identified and were reinterred as unknown at the Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial in Draguignan, France, in 1951.

More than 60 years later, analysts from DPMO and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) developed case leads, evaluated records and determined that modern forensic technology could offer methods to identify the remains. In 2010, the remains were exhumed once again for analysis.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC used dental comparisons and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA — which matched that of Bayne’s brothers — in the identification of his remains.

At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 74,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

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~ Welcome Home, Pfc Bayne ~

A long road traveled - rest easy now.

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U.S. Soldier MIA from Korean War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Cpl. Primo C. Carnabuci of Old Saybrook, Conn., will be buried May 12 in his hometown. On Nov. 1, 1950, Carnabuci’s unit, the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, occupied a defensive position along the Kuryong River, near Unsan, North Korea. Chinese units attacked the area and forced a withdrawal. Almost 600 men, including Carnabuci, were reported missing or killed in action following the battle.

In 2000, a joint U.S-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), excavated a mass grave discovered earlier in Unsan County, south of the area known as “Camel’s Head.” The team recovered remains of at least five individuals as well as military clothing.

Analysts from DPMO and JPAC developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. They evaluated the circumstances surrounding the soldier’s death and researched wartime documentation on the movements of U.S. and enemy forces on the battlefield.

Among forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC used dental comparisons and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA — which matched that of Carnabuci’s brother — in the identification.

With this identification, 7,997 service members still remain missing from the conflict.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1420.

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~ Welcome Home, Cpl Carnabuci ~

You are not forgotten.

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Missing WWII Airman Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Mervyn E. Sims, 23, of Petaluma, Calif., will be buried Friday in his hometown. On April 24, 1943, Sims and four crew members aboard a C-87 Liberator Express departed from Yangkai, China, in support of “the Hump” resupply mission between India and China. Prior to takeoff, a ground crew determined the aircraft had sufficient fuel for the six-hour flight to the air base on other side of the Himalayas in Chabua, India. Once cleared for takeoff, there was no further communication between the aircrew and airfield operators. Army officials launched a search effort when the plane did not arrive at the destination. No evidence of the aircraft was found and the five men were presumed killed in action.

In 2003, an American citizen in Burma reported to U.S. officials at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) that he had found aircraft wreckage he believed to be an American C-87 in the mountains 112 miles east of Chabua. He was detained by Burmese officials when he attempted to leave the country with human remains and artifacts from the site. The remains and materials were handed over to officials at the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon. Attempts to excavate the site are being negotiated with the Indian government.

Meanwhile, JPAC scientists continued the forensic process, analyzing the remains and physical evidence already in hand.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA, which matched that of Sims’ sister, in the identification of his remains.

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 72,000 are unaccounted for from the conflict.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, call 703-699-1420 or visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo .

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~ Welcome Home, PFC Sims ~

Wander you no more.

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Soldier Missing from Korean War Identified Soldier Missing from Korean War Identified

April 12, 2011

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Cpl. John W. Lutz, 21, of Kearny, N.J., will be buried tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery. From May 16-20, 1951, Task Force Zebra, a multinational force made up of Dutch, French, and U.S. forces, was attacked and isolated into smaller units. Lutz, of the 1st Ranger Infantry Company, part of Task Force Zebra, went missing while his unit was attempting to infiltrate enemy lines near Chaun-ni, South Korea, along the Hongcheon River Valley.

After the 1953 armistice, surviving POWs said Lutz had been captured by enemy forces on May 19, marched north to a POW camp in Suan County, North Korea, and died of malnutrition in July 1951.

Between 1991-94, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with one of the boxes indicated the remains inside were exhumed near Suan County. This location correlates with the corporal’s last known location.

Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with surviving POW eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his niecein the identification of the remains.

More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,001 service members still remain missing from the conflict. For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703- 699-1169.

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~ Welcome Home, Soldier ~

Rest Easy Now in the Company of your Brothers

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Airmen Missing in Action From WWII Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of 11 U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Army Air Forces Technical Sgt. Charles A. Bode, 23, Baltimore, will be buried on Feb. 11 in Arlington National Cemetery. On Nov. 20, 1943, Bode, along with 10 other B-24D Liberator crew members, took off from Jackson Airfield, Port Moresby, New Guinea, on an overwater mission near the northern coast of the country. During the mission, the only radio transmission from the crew indicated they were 20 miles northwest of Port Moresby, but they did not return to Jackson Airfield. Subsequent searches failed to uncover any evidence of either the crew or the aircraft.

Following the war, the Army Graves Registration Service conducted investigations and searches for 43 missing airmen including Bode and the other 10 airmen, but concluded in June 1949 that all were unrecoverable.

In 1984, the government of Papua New Guinea notified U.S. officials of a World War II crash site in a ravine in Morobe Province. A U.S. search and recovery team investigated the crash site in late 1984 and located B-24 aircraft wreckage. They also recovered human remains but were unable to complete the mission due to time constraints and the threat of landslides. From that time until 2004, multiple teams from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) attempted to access and excavate the location but the threat of landslides made recovery too dangerous to continue. During a site visit in 2004, local villagers turned over human remains they had previously removed from the area.

In addition to Bode’s individual burial, the crew of 11 men, 1st Lt. Richard T. Heuss, 23, Berkley, Mich.; 2nd Lt. Robert A. Miller, 22, Memphis, Tenn.; 2nd Lt. Edward R. French, 23, Erie, Pa.; 2nd Lt. Robert R. Streckenbach, Jr., 21, Green Bay, Wis.; Tech. Sgt. Charles A. Bode; Tech. Sgt. Lucian I. Oliver, Jr., 23 Memphis, Tenn.; Staff Sgt. Ivan O. Kirkpatrick, 36, Whittier, Calif.; Staff Sgt. William K. Musgrave, 24, Hutsonville, Ill.; Staff Sgt. James T. Moran, 21, Sloatsburg, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. James B. Moore, 21, Woburn, Mass.; and Staff Sgt. Roy Surabian, 24, Medford, Mass., will be buried as a group on March 24 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Bode’s remains.

At the end of World War II, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 74,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

~ Welcome Home, Airmen ~

Fly easy now

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