Operation Just Cause... ...for as long as it takes
by Marilyn Grote
The Moonduster Chronicles is proud to introduce you to Gene Milner:
Question: What was the reason you became involved in the POW/MIA issue?
Answer: I was raised to be true to your word. After serving in the USAF for 12 years it became more apparent that there were problems with the system. It had degraded to the point where it was being used, or rather abused, by a few individuals for their own gains. The POW/MIA issue has always been there. I knew about the issues, now with the Internet the information became easier to access.
Question: How did you first hear about and join OJC?
Answer: I was surfing the net, and I did a word search and it was one of the first results that showed up. The Internet is a wealth of information on any subject, some of it is good, and some of it is not. I wanted to make sure that OJC was what it said it was.
Question: Did you adopt your first POW/MIA from OJC immediately?
Answer: At first, I was skeptical, but I did a weeks of research on OJC, and checked out every site I could find. After checking everything I could, and contacting several founding members of OJC, as well as other groups such as POWNET, it became obvious that this was a real organization with a real agenda, not a hoax and not another scam. I joined OJC by adopting my first POW/MIA.
Question: What was your first job when you joined OJC and what do you do now?
Answer: When I volunteered to help OJC the first job I took on was on the adoption team. After several months on the team, the Team Leader, Hollie, had to leave due to medical problems. At that point I was asked to take over as Team Leader. The team only had 4 members (Jeff, Mary Kay, Marilyn and myself) and we were all worked long hours filling adoptions.
Question: What changes have you seen in the Adoption Team and what they do over the last few years?
Answer: In the last 2 years, the adoption team has gone through several small changes but what the Adoption Team does always remains the same. The Adoption Team sends out POW/MIA adoptions to people requesting them 365 days a year.
We have gone from 4 members to 8 at the present time which is the biggest the team has been and enables everyone to have an easier time by doing less but still getting adoptions out in a timely manner.
I started an adoption database soon after taking over the team, to help cut down on the time it was taking to find the appropriate POW/MIA for the adopter's request. We were having trouble with special requests, such as certain units or dates of service. I collected information from several sites on the Internet, as well as other sources, and made a searchable database in a spreadsheet program. This has helped cut down on the time it takes to fill an adoption from 10 minutes to around 1-˝ minutes. It has allowed us to make sure that we can fill the adopters request as close to what was requested as possible. The database is updated often to keep it as accurate and functional as possible.
Question: Being a part of the Adoption Team, what effect do you think adopting a POW/MIA has on a person?
Answer: The first thing adopting a POW/MIA does is to establish contact with another individual that has a true feeling of honor and a desire to make a difference. When the adopted POW/MIA is received from the request, this man or woman because a person that they can connect to and the POW/MIA's name and bio/incident information can be used in writing letters and other contacts with their elected officials. The title POW/MIA now becomes an individual who needs to be brought back home. By adopting they add their voice to an ever-growing chorus and this has a ripple effect all the way to the halls of DC.
Question: You do the research for the Adoption Team. What is involved in that?
Answer: What I do is try to match the difficult requests with an appropriate POW/MIA whether it is a certain unit or job specialty. I also try to match the adopted POW/MIA with the adopter's hometown. The Adoption Team gets requests for men who flew a certain aircraft, who were in certain units and many times all the information we are given is a nickname of that unit, special time frames or locations. Some information is easy to find, my job in doing research is to find the ones that are not easy to locate.
Question: What have you seen change in the POW/MIA issue in the last few years?
Answer: There have been numerous "Acts" introduced in Congress as well as the Senate and some are coming up for a vote very soon. With the men and women that served in Vietnam coming to power in the different branches of the government, this has helped bring the issues to the forefront of the public's eye. Also there are various litigations being followed through with in order to release documents that were first ordered declassified by President Bush and then re-classified by President Clinton. The CIA remains stubborn on this to this day.
Question: What can we personally do to keep the POW/MIA issue in the front of people to bring about the changes in Government we need?
Answer: As an individual it is very important that you stay involved. Continue to stay on top of what is going on with the POW/MIA issue.
Be patient and build up a relationship with your Representatives in Washington by sending letters by fax, making phone calls, mailing letters by snail mail and emailing them continually. Although not every letter is read in it's entirety–every letter is counted and reported as being received.
If you don't have a bracelet, get one. They are inexpensive and offer an opportunity to speak up when someone asks why you are wearing one. If a person is interested enough to ask, they will listen to what you have to say.
Get your family, friends, neighbors, and people you work with involved.
Bring up the issues whenever there is a lapse in conversations. Don't be pushy; just work on it a little at a time. OJC was built by adding one person at a time, adoptions are sent out to one person at a time and if we continue to grow one person at a time we will continue to make a difference.
Don't give up, it is a slow battle but in the end we will win if we just keep fighting.
Comments from the OJC Staff and friends:
From George "Gunny" Fallon: Gene came on board very quietly at a time when we were screaming for help. We were having some problems in our adoption section because Eddie, our first adoption specialist, found himself in the middle of a set of major health/personal/family/computer crises and adoptions fell way behind. Holly was carrying the whole load but requests were coming in so fast we just couldn't keep up. I told Holly to bring anyone on board that she felt she could trust to do the job and then I didn't hear from her for a while.
But I noticed that recruitment was picking up and adoptions were catching up with requests...a lot faster than I had expected they would.
I started getting emails from new members who told me they were very impressed with the professional way that OJC conducted business. They kept referring to some guy named "Gene" who had been very helpful to them in getting their adopted POW.
Gene is a self-starter who apparently lives in another dimension where the days are 36 hours long. That's the only way he could possibly get the amount of work done that he does. In all the time Gene has been on board, I don't think we've exchanged more than a dozen emails. But I see the results of his work regularly when the adoption totals come in. I also continue to hear from members he has helped. People who have the good fortune to deal with Gene are always impressed with his selflessness and sense of commitment. It is because of folks like Gene that I am able to spend my time working the diplomatic end of OJC without having to worry that the grunt work is being neglected.
It is very difficult at times to keep up with the nuts and bolts of an organization this size. I sometimes forget who's who, who's doing what, and who I have to go to in order to get something in particular done in a hurry.
But I never forget who is responsible for maintaining the spirit, integrity, and momentum of OJC: It's Dennis, Steve, Barb, Marilyn, Chris, Diane, Kimmie, Karl...and Gene Milner. It's you folks who are the real heart of OJC. And if I've neglected to tell you this before, Gene, I'm really happy and honored that you're here.
Gunny
From Steve Golding: What I like about Gene is his cut-to-the-chase requests. He passes on questions without preamble and he did a tremendous job as team leader prior to having to step back for personal reasons. Even when he stepped back, he did not step out, he did not step off, and he just simply stepped back. I respect that in Gene.
I remember when we started this thing called OJC; when we were kicking the idea around. "Keep it simple, stupid," is something that I repeated over and over again and that is exactly what Gene does. He keeps things simple.
And that is the genius behind Gene; that's what has made his team one of the most successful and won my respect, something that I do not give lightly.
He doesn't complain - he forges on. He doesn't get answers timely, he kicks it up a notch quietly, diligently and simply. He makes it look rather easy and that is what simple is all about. And that is what makes Gene one of the volunteers that are indispensable to Operation: Just Cause.
Thank you Gene for all you have done and continue to do for our families, for our unrepatriated POWs and for our Missing-In-Action. I wish we had 10 more like you.
Steve
From Chuck "Doc" Stewart: Wish I knew Gene but other than a message or two I've never really met him. I will say that because he is on the OJC staff... that in itself says more than enough about him. It proves that he's a caring individual who gives selflessly of himself. Just as everyone on the OJC staff does, he gives of his time for a cause that is very dear to us all. I salute you Gene as well as the whole OJC staff.
Doc
From Dennis Johnson: I have been fortunate to meet a few of the very many people involved with Operation Just Cause. Gene was the first.
We met at a restaurant located between our separate homes. What was going to be a short meeting turned into a multi-houred talk. We left knowing there was a job to be done and that we would work together doing our part.
Gene got involved with our Adoption Team. When the director at the time needed to step back, Gene took up the banner and held it high. He did a truly excellent job.
Our second meeting was at the funeral service for his father. That and other personal matters really took their toll. Gene took his own turn at stepping back. That's when Marilyn took the reigns of the Adoption Team. She kept (and keeps) saying she is just holding down the fort for Gene. And she, too, is a remarkable person.
Now Gene is back with us again! He never really left because he is very committed to helping us at OJC reach our goal of a true and complete accounting of our still-missing heroes. And he is family.
Gene, we appreciate your strength, determination, and your dedication. And I am looking forward to our next meeting, brother.
Dennis
From Barb Fitzgerald-Malone: I have not known Gene Milner very long, but I do know that he is one of those people that keeps going when things get tough. He had a lot to deal with this past year, but never wavered in his efforts for the POW/MIA's. He and Marilyn have worked long and hard to make the job for the adoption team members as easy and effortless as possible. I am proud to be a member of the Adoption Team and I am honored to work alongside Gene, a man as loyal to the cause as anyone.
Barb
From Jodi Harris: What can I say about my brother Gene
He's someone that is always there to lean (on)
A wonderful addition
To the OJC tradition
As a member of the POW/MIA adoption team!
Hugs............Jodi
From Jeff Grote: You have been a lifeline to me with adoptions and the help you have given me. You have been there for me when I needed help and when I just wanted to chat. Thank you for all you have done and for all I know you will do in the future. You are a great friend and a great person to know
God Bless
Jeff Grote
From Caitlin Grote: Gene is very nice to me and he is very cute. I love when he sends me stuff from Texas. Every time I see anything to do with POW/MIA's I always think of my Bubba Gene. I love the necklace that you gave to me. I love when I get a chance to talk to you cause you are so funny. I am so glad that my Ga and Daddy met you so I could be your friend too. I love you very much Bubba Gene and I hope I get to see you so I can give you a BIG hug and kiss some day.
Love always, your favorite 6 year old
Caity
From Marilyn Grote: First I have to say that I know Gene will hate this but I am going to write it anyway. I have known Gene for over 2 years. We both started on the Adoption Team around the same time but he came a lot better prepared then I did. Gene's knowledge ran circles around mine concerning military terms and Vietnam knowledge.
Gene helped me from day one on the Team. He was always there to answer questions, give advice and help in any way that he could. At one time I was ready to leave the Adoption Team because of some problems. Gene became Team Leader and asked me to stay and help him. I did stay for that reason alone I have never regretted that decision.
The words I would use to describe Gene are outstanding leader, knowledgeable, hard worker, and as dedicated and caring as anyone I know.
Gene is a good friend of mine and has been there for me through a lot of bad times. The last couple of years have been hard because of losing my parents. The person that got the worst email from me, the yelling, screaming, full of frustration letters was Gene and he always came back with an answer and a way of saying he was my friend and was there for me. Gene can always make me laugh and sure lets me know when I am whining. It seems when I am down Gene is up. When Gene is down I am up and it works out great for both of us.
I recently took Gene's place as Team Leader. Gene was there to help me in the beginning and he still is helping me. He is a valuable part of the team as he always has been and I hope will continue to be. Gene and I work well together and have from the beginning. I can throw out ideas to Gene and he can throw some back to me and somehow we come up with the answers we need. He impressed me in the beginning with his ability, talent and being such a nice person and that has never changed.
So Gene, Brother and Friend, I appreciate you being in my life very much. Thank you for everything that you have done for me. You make the hard times fun; you make the good times better because you are you. I know you hate being told all of this but you do deserve it. I don't know what I would do without you and don't want to find out.
MG
