: POW/MIA Forum :

If one does not learn from history, then he is doomed to repeat it.

History in the brief: During World War II, Thousands upon thousands of American Prisoners of War were liberated by the Red Army but not turned over to US control nor were they repatriated to the US. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, recommended no military action because he did not want to start World War III. Patton, on the other hand, did want to intervene militarily while we had the armies in Europe to do so effectively. After commanding troops on the front of some of the most horrific battles in WWII, Patton was killed when his car stopped short and he fell off his seat, breaking his neck.

At the conclusion of the Korean War, in excess of 8,300 American POWs and/or Missing in Action were not repatriated; although there was evidence that some American POWs were transferred to Red China. Eisenhower was President. Nixon was the VEEP.

At the conclusion of the Vietnam War, the Joint Chiefs were enraged at the small amont of Prisoners of War the North Vietnamese admitted to holding. The General Staff believed that the Vietnamese were accounting for approximately 10% of the personnel that they held. They admitted to 591. If the 10% figure is correct, then almost 6,000 people were unaccounted for. The official number, however, was 2,500.

Kissinger turned over a list with specific names on it. The Vietnamese came back to the table swearing that they had absolutely no knowledge as to what became of the men on Kissinger's list. The Vietnamese claimed they had no knowledge. The Nixon White House was imploding. The Vice President, Spiro Agnew, had to resign and was charged with tax evasion. Watergate was taking over the White House and Nixon eventually resigned. What was another 2,500 men, when Ike had written off hundreds of thousands? They were all home or dead.

But were they? In 1979 a Marine, Robert Garwood, managed to slip a note to a World Bank Official visiting Vietnam. That led to Garwood's eventual repatriation, where he was promptly court martialled for collaboration with the enemy. Garwood's story has been debated time and time again. No matter what your position is on Garwood, there is one glaring fact that no one wants to discuss: Garwood was one of the names on the list handed over to the Vietnamese by Kissinger. They claimed they had no knowledge. If Garwood were indeed a POW, they had knowledge. If Garwood were indeed a collaborator, they had knowledge. They lied. They have never been held to account. Isn't it time to get that accounting?

Were American Prisoners of War killed by the US in the 1970's? Vietnam Veteran Ed Johnson was part of Operation Toang Thang and he recounts what he believes to be the murder of American POWs. This also led to an investigative series by the Northwest Veteran's Newsletter.

Operation Toang Thang

In the country of Laos, the mountain of Phou Pha Thi was considered to be a sacred place by the Meos tribesmen. But to the United States, it was just the opposite, it was of vital importance to the war effort in Vietnam. This was the "Rock".

The ROCK was a natural fortress, it had a razorback ridge and a 5.600 foot sheer cliff on one side and the Americans fortified the other. A seven hundred foot long dirt landing field had been cleared in the valley below. On all aerial maps, this location was designated "LIMA SITE-85". Site-85 was manned by 300 Thai mercenaries and Meos, as well as Americans on a clandestine posting. The Americans were from the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Aircraft Systems, and their duty was to man the highly sophisticated navigational equipment which was used to guide American bombers to targets in Northern Laos and North Vietnam.

LIMA SITE-85 was located in northern Laos, approximately 160 miles west of Hanoi. The site was considered to be impregnable to anything with the exception of a massive aerial assault. But the site had its disadvantages; it was deep within enemy territory and the men manning the site were in a position where they couldn't possibly be rescued if the mountain was ever overrun.

In 1967, a top secret U.S. Air Force operation code named "PONY EXPRESS" was undertaken. The operation was to airlift 150 tons of equipment by helicopters to LIMA SITE-85. The equipment was to upgrade the Site's original navigation equipment with a more elaborate system using the latest radar. This equipment would enable American aircraft to bomb North Vietnam and Laos at night, and in all types of weather.

The Fall of Lima Site 85

Most Favored Nation Status was replaced with some other acronym, but it means the same thing. After the relaxing and then lifting of the US imposed trade embargo against Vietnam, US interests moved with haste to get them Most Favored Nation Status so it would enhance trade between the US and Vietnam. Trade as in economic, not accounting for our missing personnel. What should have been given to Vietnam was a War Crimes Tribunal.

See Why Here

If you think that the reason why Communist Vietnam had held (and continues to hold) American POWs back was because they knew that the United States would never know it, then think again. Ask any returnee, the Vietnamese constantly reinforced that they could hold the POWs forever. That there was not thing one that could be done about it. It surely wasn't for lack of knowledge.

See the data the US has on POW camps

This is one for the books. We all know that President Clinton was a busy man. Eating pizza, talking to Congress and certain unmentionables all at the same time in the Oral, I mean Oval, Office. His Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown, was killed in a military plane crash and his autopsy revealed that the mountain that the jet crashed into wasn't the only crash. It appears a .45 caliber bullet crashed into Secretary Brown's head, but no investigation of that ever occured. Secretary Brown was about to be indicted for accepting a bribe from Vietnam in order to push the granting of whatever replaced MFN status for Vietnam. And then that pesky little plane crash. . . Well that was not the end of Clinton and questionable money.

Was U$ Policy for $ale?
If That Isn't Enough, there's more on Lippo/Riady
You Didn't Think We Were Through, Didja?

Admiral Tuttle gave a deposition to the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs and he had some interesting insights. One such insight was that the mindset of DIA was that there were no POWs remaining, alive at the time of Tuttle's stint at DIA.

Read Admiral Tuttle's Deposition Here

We have tried to give you historical perspective showing how those tasked with gleening the fullest possible accounting of our missing service personnel abdicated their responsibility in favor of politcal expedience. Since the dawn of our nation, the United States has sent many of our fine young men and women to fight for freedom well beyond our borders. The only thing we asked of the nations that we have liberated is for just enough land to bury those who fell on the fields of battle. But what of those who were captured and never returned? They too fought for the freedom of others. When is it their turn? Who fights for their freedom? Will you? If you don't, you may never know if some day it may be one of your loved ones whose freedom is written off for political expedience.

If one does not learn from history, then he is doomed to repeat it.

They belong walking on or planted in American Soil, nothing less!