The Moonduster Chronicles is proud to introduce you to Steve Golding.
Steve has his Bachelors degree in Business Administration from St. John's University in New York, Marketing major and Finance minor. He holds a bachelors degree in Science. (dual major).
Steve's college was interrupted for a year because he suffered a severe spinal injury, breaking 16 vertebrae's in an auto accident. He was told he would never walk again but after extensive therapy and sheer will Steve began walking with canes after 8 months and then without any assistance after 3 years. While in the hospital he was allowed to complete his courses and earn his degrees.
For the last 10 years the 10th largest Commercial Real Estate Corporation in the world has employed Steve. For 8 of those 10 years he was the Assistant Comptroller (or Asst. Controller) of a 2.5 million square foot office tower. For fans of the show "Law and Order," it is the building that the producers superimpose the name "Law and Order" on for use of that show. For the last 3 years, Steve has been the Comptroller (or Controller) of a 1.1 million square foot International Industry building that during the year draws buyers from all over the world. In prior jobs, he was the Exec. Asst. to the Chairman of the Board at Trans World Airlines and if you ever used your American Express Card to purchase airline tickets, then your baggage was covered for loss and/or damage by the American Express Card Baggage Insurance Plan; a plan that Steve devised, wrote, implemented and administered on behalf of American Express.
In an email interview Steve answered the following questions:
How did you get involved with the POW/MIA issue?
I became involved in the issue because my stepbrother was shot down in Vietnam. We were told that he was shot down over water, but then it was learned that he might have been captured. He talked with a POW who came home in 1973. His name is on the Special Remains List as well as the Russian 41 List. My step-brother's backseater's remains came home in 1989 AND his backseater still remains his backseater--the backseater's name is directly under his name on the Wall in DC.
I am very involved and very committed to the National Alliance of Family for the Return of America's Missing Servicemen and I have compiled a huge amount of information over the course of my 29 years active in this issue. Of those 29 years, 20 of them I have been very vocal and totally immersed in the issue. The first nine years I was benign, not very involved at all.
I also am the Webmaster for the National Alliance of Families for the Return of America's Missing Servicemen and the Executive Director of the PoW/MIA Forum as well as Acting Editor of the Moonduster Chronicles Newsletter. I am the former producer of POW/MIA Freedom Radio and I helped launch the Task Force Omega Website. I am on a newsgroup periodically with other activists whereby we take on former Deputy Director of DIA's (Defense Intelligence Agency) Colonel Joseph Schlatter and current DPMO supervisor Robert Destatte. That newsgroup is alt.war.vietnam
I met Ted Guy in about 1985 or 1986, because the POW that had spoken with my stepbrother was one of the POWs that Ted had attempted to bring charges against and he wanted to get Ted's read. We became fast friends and have worked together throughout those years up until his death April 23, 1999.
How did you get involved with founding OJC?
It was during the Site Fights in 1996. I entered the PoW/MIA Forum into the Site Fights and one of the sites that I came up against was the Meadow Years (Gunny Fallon's page). I went to view the competition and I struck up a conversation with Gunny. Soon we were voting for each other's pages! Meadow's won and the Forum came in second. It was during these competitions that I told Ted Guy to go ahead and view Gunny's pages. The three of us started e-mailing one another and then Doc Gecko joined our little clique. We started phone talking about the awareness issue, because Gunny and I started getting a lot of e-mail asking for information or how people could help. We came up with; actually I think it was Gunny who came up with the idea of adopting POWs. We each created a web page and placed a POW bracelet as the link.
In subsequent telephone conversations with Gunny, we were aiming to reach 100 people by the end of the year. We had that many by the end of the first week! Originally, it was called simply "The Cause" because it was a righteous cause. It was just. I then started calling it OPERATION: Just Cause and the name took. I know that it is the name of the operation that handled either Grenada or Panama, but it is not unusual to recycle operational names. If honest accounting for our un-repatriated POWs and the rest of the remains that can be accounted for isn't a just cause, then I don't know what is. Hence OJC. Gunny cites statistics that are 7 figures, and I can tell you that we have an OJC e-mail mailing list of what is fast approaching 9,000.
What did you see as the purpose for OJC in the beginning?
I saw it as a vehicle to raise public awareness over the POW/MIA issue. As a way to let the masses know that our government working in collusion with past enemy governments willfully and wantonly abandoned Americans when political interest waned in prosecuting the wars. I saw it and continue to see it as an action vehicle to let our elected representatives know that this is an issue that is important to the American people---and to the world.
Lobbyists and polls have been running our government. If the administration, any administration, does something in a tentative way to test to see if there will be an outcry and there isn't one, then they take steps necessary to achieve their goals. In this instance, if they see that they can drop the POW from POW/MIA and there is no outcry, then they will move to drop the issue altogether. That is the reason why JTF-FA (Joint Task Force-Full Accounting) is slated to loose all funding by 2004.
To illustrate that further, in order to test to see if there would be an outcry over normalizing relations with Vietnam, the Clinton Administration lifted US objections to IMF (International Monetary Funds) loans to Vietnam. There was no outcry except from some family organizations and some VSO's (Veteran Service Organizations). Next, the Clinton administration relaxed the Trade Embargo imposed against Vietnam by the United States. Directly thereafter the Clinton administration lifted the US imposed trade embargo. Both times they cited the lack of public outcry. We then normalized relations, re-opening the US Embassy and establishing a Vietnamese Embassy to the US. Again, the lack of public outcry was cited. This was all accomplished over a 2-1/2 year period--lightning fast for Washington. John Kerry and John McCain pushed Clinton into normalizing our relations with Vietnam. When Clinton voiced concern over the POW/MIA family members and activists, McCain told Clinton not to worry about the families or the activists because there were "only a hundred or so" of the activists involved in the issue and therefore insignificant.
Polls are taken around the country by randomly calling 100 people in a regional tri-state area and those 100 people each represent a percentage of the population. Since they didn't burp one way or another toward any of the above, the administration felt comfortable re-abandoning our family members yet again. During the week in June that the families were meeting in Washington, Normal Trade Relation talks opened up in Washington. Normal Trade Relations is what took the place of Most Favored Nation status.
I can tell you that, in part due to the demographics of our membership, more and more people are becoming aware of the USG dirty tricks department that have played games on the families, veterans and the American people--and Washington is aware of it. NTR will probably become a reality in US-Vietnamese relations, but not nearly as quick as all the other little goodies that the US has given over the last few years. That is what I believe OJC can help to accomplish: that the USG will have to rethink their own position on the abandonment of Americans.
What plans do you have now for OJC?
Well that's a loaded question. I am very political and I am very abrupt. My patience is at a loss and therefore what I would like to see is OJC take a more proactive-activist role. I'd like to see the membership help Roger Hall in his quest to force the CIA to be in compliance with the law and release the thousands upon thousands of documents on the POW/MIA issue that they have classified. I'd like to see the membership donate to Roger Hall to help offset litigation expense. The USG is employing all sorts of resource to tie him up in costly litigation in the hopes that his funds will dry up forcing him to withdraw. But the agreement that Gunny, Ted, Doc and I came up with is that we will not solicit nor accept funding. I don't particularly look at Roger Hall's suit as us soliciting funds for OJC, but I guess that is open to interpretation. I know that Ted and Gunny supports Hall's lawsuit. I'm sure that Doc does too. But because of our charter, we have to be careful and I understand that.
I'd like to see us fund a venture back into SEA with someone like Rick Will leading a team in. I wouldn't want to see us fund some of the more recognized "names" in the issue because, and I know what this sounds like, what have they (the names) accomplished up to this point in time? Get someone who is totally dedicated, like Rick, and fund a trip back and you will see some results. Unfortunately, people are so dubious about donating because of the past experiences and because the USG has successfully branded the entire community as scam artists based on a few bad apples.
On other fronts, I would like to see each OJC member become so versed in the POW/MIA issue that when they get the kiss off letters from their representatives or from DPMO's (Department of Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office), they know enough to write back and tell these folks that they did not answer their question; that they gave lip service--and then be able to point out why and how. OJC member James Laux has been excellent at responding. Family member Chris Rich has grown enough where he now tells them they are bull-bleeping him and forced them to listen. The result? His dad's remains were brought home even after the government decided not to pursue the case further.
I'd also like to see each member bring in another two members to OJC. And they bring in two members, and so on and so forth. If we grow into a rather large proactive community, the USG will have no choice but to start dealing honestly, or at least change the spin to appear more honest. A good liar will stick closely to the truth, so we have to be able to read in between the lines.
What is your involvement with OJC now and if your involvement was different in the past, what was that?
I was support in the past and I would step in when Gunny had to step back for a variety of reasons. I have been doing the updates now for some time and when I do not do them entirely; I collaborate with Gunny on them. Since Barb Malone decided to take a step back, I have been Acting Editor of the Newsletter, so the updates have become almost obsolete. Anything in the update would be contained in the newsletter. I give guidance and I am on the OJC Crisis Response Management Team where we who are on that team respond to the various hot news items that come in droves on the issue at certain periods of time. I research family member cases, 3 of which I am working on at the present and at least 2 of the 3 can go hot very quickly.
In terms of OJC, I am much more hands on now than at any time before.
I work with Congressional staffers on legislation, elections and lobbying efforts. I am the liaison between the National Alliance of Families and Operation Just Cause. I am Gunny's #2--if he cannot make it to an event, I will and vice-versa; or more times than not we make it together. I will step-in and take the reigns of OJC whenever Gunny is unable to do so for whatever reason. And when I am unable to, we both rely on Dennis. This is nothing if not a total team effort.
Any memories you want to share about OJC, the friends you have made and what it has meant to you?
Oh Lord, I don't know where to begin! I am like a proud parent that has seen OJC evolve into this huge giant that is about to help make things right in this unpopular issue. OJC is a giant whose membership cannot be explained away as fringe, lunatic, UFO seekers, and emotional and unstable family members.
There is a memory that I would like to share. OJC sometimes receives e-mail that is considered flame. I am the resident hot head of the bunch and I believe in an eye for a tooth. I usually take on whatever attack is being made and I do whatever necessary to put it down expeditiously and decisively. Gunny has hammered at me for the last 300 years trying to get me to be more diplomatic. Gunny is the one that always responses with reason and tact. Ted and I would be more apt to tell someone why it is their parents left them by the side of the road.
Well in this particular case, Gunny used his considerable charm and tact to try and win this person over. The reply he got was another flame. Gunny responded again but this time with a little less charm and tact; he was firm but well reasoned.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Ted and I were betting which e-mail Gunny would finally blow up at. You have to have somewhat of a sick sense of humor in this issue so that it won't overwhelm you. We'd go, "Uh Oh, this is it," or "Don your Kevlar, INCOMING!" We were really having a good old time. Anyway, after the 4th or 5th e-mail, my pal Gunny morphed into the absolute best Steve Golding anyone ever saw. The Language was beautiful, although nothing that could be printed here!! He told this guy every reason, from inbreeding to test-tube experiments, why this guy wasn't worth the effort. Ted and I could hardly contain ourselves and we shot Gunny e-mails, copying the entire executive board, asking Gunny for identification, if he went off his meds, and asked some rather personal questions to explain the reason why our resident diplomat had lost his cool. It was the funniest thing and I look upon that memory with fondness.
The friends I have made here are countless and more than friends--they are extended family--the list is endless. Chris Rich is not someone I met here, but someone I brought here. I've watched him grow up; he's my little brother. Betsy Fallon she's my sister in every sense of the word. And I don't even have to mention Gunny. There was never a question. Ted Guy I also knew, he was the longest friend out of those I brought to OJC and he certainly was family. He and I are very much alike in our styles, our impatience and our propensity to shoot from the lip, and our warped sense of humor. God, how I miss Ted!
Steve, can you tell us what is going on now in regard to the POW/MIA issue?
Well, the MAA ("Mission Area Analysis") is not dead yet. Funding for JTF-FA is still slated to end in 2004 so we have to work on that. George W. is approaching 6 months in office and Alan Liotta is still the interim head of DPMO so "W" has to get off his duff and appoint a permanent head. The government is using technology to identify remains, in some cases questionably so, and we are vigilant to ensure that these identifications are not merely accepted for the sake of reducing the numbers. Rumors are abounding that our friend, Bob Smith of New Hampshire may take a position with the Bush II Administration. If true and depending on what that position is, we may be finally getting the truth.
In what areas are we moving forward in achieving our goal of the repatriation of the POW/MIA(s) and in what area do we have to become involved in a bigger effort?
We have had legislation passed; Bring Them Home Alive Act that is positive. Quite frankly, my own personal barometer makes me question whether or not the US government is going to stay actively involved in the issue. The reality is, it is an expensive venture. Already there are those that are calling for re-examining what they call a USG proactive role in the search for remains. We already have a dismal record in demanding honest answers from the Vietnamese on live POWs. We have never negotiated with Cambodia or Laos for POWs. With each passing moment another live American may die because his countrymen have already written him off as dead. We may have to seek answers elsewhere and in other venues; privately rather than by demanding answers from a government who is more involved in how the DOW ended its day. We must remain vigilant and we must demand answers and we must maintain the level of self-education in this issue so that we can cite facts and figures as well as those that are paid a salary. Make sure that veteran and other organizations that claim they are working to resolve this issue is doing so honestly and if they are not make it public.
The most common question asked is "How can I help bring the POW/MIA(s) back home?" What would be your suggestions?
Short of telling them to go there and get them, research organizations that want to send in teams to A) get un-debunkable information and B) who can bring a POW out. Then devote your time to raising funds for that organization. Write your representatives in the House and Senate and demand that they answer your questions. Keep writing them whenever you get a "Thank you for your letter regarding this important issue…" to tell them that the issue is so important that their jobs depend upon what they do to honestly resolve this issue. Demand that funding for JTF be restored beyond 2004. Do it today. Demand to see budget drafts and forecasts; it's YOUR money, you have a right to know who is spending and how.
Can you share any information that you have on the Rolling Thunder Rally coming up over Memorial Day in Washington D.C?
I will be in DC for Rolling Thunder. I will be staying with Rick Will and Dave Murray. They have a bamboo cage that they will get into to call attention to the fact that men were left behind and may still be alive. There is a planned demonstration for Saturday at the Vietnamese Embassy and all indications are there will be a lot of people there. Sunday is the rally at the Pentagon and then we head home to recuperate Monday.
What are the plans for the National Alliance Meeting in June?
The Alliance Meeting is a networking meeting. We network with one another to discuss certain cases to see if there is anything that we can do to bring them to closure, one way or the other. We network with one another to decide what we are going to do through the ensuing year about the issue overall. We go to the government briefings to hear what is offered and to ask specific questions and/or confront those who are being less than candid with us. I go to both the League and Alliance Meetings and of the two; the Alliance asks the more hard hitting questions in my opinion. The Alliance also has the type of guest speakers who take something in the issue, like mitochondrial DNA, and explains it in terms that even I can understand. A large part of this is to understand what steps the government does take to account for those who are yet to be accounted for.
How many people do you expect to attend this meeting? Are all the people attending families of the POW/MIA(s) or can anyone interested in the POW/MIA issues attend?
Hundreds attend this meeting overall, depending on who is slated to speak and when. League Members come to certain parts of the Alliance Meeting and Alliance Members go to certain parts of the League Meeting. The Alliance Meeting can be attended by anyone interested (Or anyone interested in those who are interested, if you know what I mean!) For the most part, the attendees are family members.
What level of cooperation can we expect from the USG/DOD during this meeting?
It's hard to say with the exit of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Bob Jones. Under Jones' leadership in the past, cooperation from DOD was minimal. He reduced the panel from 4 or 6 to 1-himself. He prohibited other agencies from attending as guest speakers. He was contentious, sometimes ignoring a question and moving on to the next question. There are some that say that because the Alliance repeatedly asks, "Why Does Johnny Webb [the CO of CIL-HI] still have a job," that we won't get the most "up-to-date" speakers. Well the up-to-date speakers are the ones that speak at the Alliance Meeting. For instance, this year one of the featured speakers will be former NSA analyst Jerry Mooney, an impressive and knowlegable speaker. The government briefers attend the League Meeting en masse but they are only telling what the government allows them to tell. Those that speak at the Alliance meeting are not bounded by such encumbrances. By the way, why does Johnny Webb still have a job?
What do you see coming up in the next year that we will need to become involved in?
Every aspect, as in the past. Vigilance, vigilance, vigilance. And all of the above.
Organizations that Steve is Affiliated with:
Operation Just Cause: http://www.ojc.org
National Alliance of Families for the Return of America's Missing Servicemen: http://www.nationalalliance.org/
PoWMIA Forum: http://www.ojc.org/powforum/
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