Ch 17 Reports

In the two years I worked this problem we have a dental fide campus detention areas throughout Southeast Asia. Now there are many. Fewer Americans alive in Cambodia because of the bloodbath they would experience there. Then there are in Laos and Vietnam but there are camps in both countries. Right now the only thing that can be done if they should they should bring money. To get peace of mind bring my son back alive to me and if not I get to know if he's dead. Across the land tomorrow is the day we traditionally celebrate Memorial Day paying homage to those men and women who gave their lives for their country in wars on channel

17 reports this week. We remember our dead are living veterans and those servicemen who never came home. The unaccounted P O W's and my aides for those veterans of Vietnam their battle continues in such encounters as proper recognition for their deeds and an honorable solution to the post-war silent killer called Agent Orange. Still another postscript to the Vietnam War is the accounting of some twenty five hundred servicemen classified as missing in action in Southeast Asia. Such an accounting was made by a former commander of the US Army Special Services in Vietnam following secret forays into both South and North Vietnam. Lieutenant Colonel James Bulger it's one of our country's most decorated Green Berets with 60 citations spent two years in planning and training in several secret locations in Florida with his specially trained unit. Its mission code named velvet hammer find our missing men and bring them home.

Information that I've been able to develop over the last two years tells me there are three kinds of Americans. Now. In Southeast Asia. One is the American who might be likened into a Garwood for whatever voluntary reasons he went to a wall he deserted. He's there by his own free will. There are a sprinkling of these kinds of American servicemen there are so combined with these are people missionaries journalists other would be do gooders who may have just gotten caught up in the communist takeover and for whatever reason we're not able to get out now. That's one kind of second kind. And I talked to a person who was very high in the Saigon government and now occupies a lower position but still in a position to know within the city. And he told me that there there is a colony of Americans who again for whatever reason has decided that life

there is better maybe than no life at all and for whatever reasons and may have adopted Vietnamese families but are living as a colony He also told me that this colony was being moved from the north. When the Chinese punished Vietnam moved from the north down of the South for better security. The third American that I spoke of is the one that I'm interested in personally. This is the American serviceman who is being held against his will a captive. He is the American serviceman who has kept faith in God this country and I hope the special forces he's the man who has for whatever reason stuck by the code of conduct and he is a captive in a field dead yet and he is alive in Southeast Asia today. And we know that he's alive first and secondly we know where he's alive. And thirdly it's up to us I believe to go and to bring him home. A conservative estimate

is 100. And my own estimation is knowing that there are more than six locations throughout Southeast Asia that contain American viewers numbering from forty six all the way down to seven would be somewhere in between between 100 and 200. Why would the Communists still hold prisoners of war after all these years. A good question. And when I was first put onto this mission that's the very same question I asked myself. I said to myself the United States in 1973 received its P O Ws back from the Vietnamese. And what in the world would be the motive to hold prisoners now. It didn't take me long in investigating in Southeast Asia to find out these reasons. First of all the communist is by nature not going to give up something for nothing. We've seen this in dealing with communism since World War 2.

Any time that they may come up trump card. Why give them up as an example. The communist just released the bit in a maze released July it'll be two years this July. Just released a Frenchman held over from the 1954 Indonesian war that's a part of congressional record general Ty testified that two years ago July soul. Why hold on to the Americans. Well they Maret may turn up trump card. Now trump card to what may be that the follow on question. Well it's fairly well-known now that former President Richard Nixon did send a secret letter talking about reparations and payments to the Vietnamese for whatever cooperation they might give us in return of our people die BMI and other things. These reparations total sum and I've seen a document the State Department that lists the types of things that we are willing to give them and it goes from oxcarts all the way to the locomotives and it totals

about five billion dollars. Well right now the Vietnamese are doing pretty well under the Russians. But what happens in the world situation is always changing if the Russians begin to put the screws down which they are. On the Vietnamese Now the Russian economy began to suffer a little bit so they naturally turn the tap off to some of their satellite countries. And all of a sudden Vietnam may need more assistance. They're not getting from Russia or what happens if China decide you're going to get involved again and punish Vietnam. It may become very advantageous and they're holding these because they are cards they're holding that American so they can offer him up at the right time and say for a while the ever purpose be it for military assistance be it political Chessman ship whatever. Has our government been truthful. To the American people concerning the people Debbie is in the end my days. Hard question but a good one. They simple fact is that you and let me preface my answer with this. The government

has to deal very very carefully because it is dealing in a in an international political arena. The Communists have said. We have no P O Ws. Now if we want to do something as blatant as to go there and forcefully by military force extract P O Ws that we know are there and we were to fail and self-immolate our shoot ourselves down as in the case of Iran. Then we got a go all over our face. The Russians can look at us and say What are you trying to do President Reagan. Are you trying to start world war 3. You're telling us to stay out of Iran and out of Afghanistan. But yet you openly go into Southeast Asia and do in and blow yourself up. Now if we're successful What's the problem there. If we go in militarily and pull out forcefully some P O Ws it may very well slam the door on any further negotiation because the commonness has to say face the Oriental Congress

that's more important to him than life itself. So any plan that we have must be geared toward a rescue to open the door because negotiation hasn't done that yet. On the local home front there are many anxious relatives who have spent up to 15 agonizing years wondering whether their loved ones were alive or dead because of the nature of the Vietnam War. Many of the missing were airmen shot down over the jungles. This is Susan Chikarovski is the sister of Colonel Robert was been missing since April of 1966. What was the last official word you received from the government about your brother. When they declared him that. And this was when. Last year. I don't know that they feel they were right for a change here that they waited 14 years. Yes. That's one of the reasons the families have class action suit against the government for declaring status changes without any new evidence. If they want to declare my brother

dead they should have done it a year and a day after he went down because of what they call passage of time. No evidence there is if you know you know now there's absolutely no new evidence. What makes you feel that your brother Bobby is still alive and in captivity in Southeastern Asia. I well. I don't feel that he's feel that he's still alive. I feel that I have to fight in case he is because whenever I slack off whenever I slow down. There's a. Quarter of an inch of hard Palast in there and you say well what if what if he does come home and he looks at me and I says and you quit on me I think where are you. So that's the way we keep fighting. This is my fabric DiTomaso is the mother of Lieutenant Colonel Robert de to my so an intelligence officer missing since July 1966 through the Freedom of Information Act. This is DiTomaso acquired an official

document that indicated an attempted cover up of his son's disappearance in Southeast Asia. True two transmissions were received from the aircraft one transmission we are under attack by MiG fighters. The second transmission we are being forced down by fighters. This incident was processed in the same manner as other aircraft losses the base responsible for submitting the initial casualty message was contacted to ensure that they had been notified. Of the loss by their base operations section and the information was available to them. All of them from Asian concerning aircraft losses received from seven Air Force command post was kept in the meme memo book classified secret on the next visit to the command post the following day. The duty officer asked for the paper containing the information concerning the C. 47

and I gave him the page containing this information and he destroyed it. He said Forget the information on this piece of paper as if it never happened. This who was the author of this paper. Well the result has been no name on this official document. This year was just an official document that was and it was given to me by the Defense Intelligence Agency. Was your son ever seen as a prisoner by any sources. No he has never been seen by a defector from North Vietnam gave information about the C 47 that was downed in July 29 and that according to the way the the analysis made by our intelligence it said that two men were captured. And the way the personnel were lined on that plane they say they figure that it was.

My son and another intelligence officer by the name of Vincent survival that were captured. No our government didn't want us to know that we were operating over last of the day. I guess not because otherwise they would have they would have released that message that they were forced down by by Meg's at that time when we didn't know that we were fighting in Laos and and. According to. Information that I got I think they were also being met the pilots of the Soviets were being the pilots of the planes were Soviet pilots. How did you get any encouragement from the Laotian government when you were over there. I can't say I got encouraged any encouragement at all. But when we were out there we were briefed by a way ssion general atrocity and he told us that there were a lot of caves in Laos. So I figure that there they are really keep them in caves in Laos.

Did you relay this information to American authorities. Well I'm sure the American authorities know all that they got all that information. This is the member of staff Sergeant James Rose who was notified that her son was taken to prisoner of war when he was caught in a ground ambush in June 1970. But his name never appeared on the official p o w lists. Jamie was in. Communication. They went on a mission for a surprise. It was to me. And so look grabber it's from. Robert Philips from Ohio. And. Patterson from Washington. They went for supplies and their jeep was found with the motor running. Bullets in the tires. The wind chill the rule. There was no blood in the vehicle but no man around. They just disappeared West walking in the jungle toward Cambrai.

Has the government given you any encouragement at all will be none at all. None at all. We've been going to Washington two three times a year and come home with nothing. There was two morticians and one in bomber. There were red. Red Eye records. And they decided. That my son. Was presumptuous finding of death which we do not agree and were world man except. Their decision. No Derek no remains no we were just paperwork just paperwork. If you had any kind of a report from any boat people that got out of Vietnam as to what. Could be happening over there. Well the boat people claim that there are. There are Americans alive. In small camps and small groups there working in the rice paddies as slaves and them the road gangs. Oh but he's the only information we got that there was

400 bodies in the warehouse. Americans are American servicemen and that was brought to us by the MI mortician. They claim that he faxed and numbered. The bodies. How do we get our government to take action. Well I think the public's going to have to get after x. Irate. Congressmen our senators write to the president and try to get a task force over there to investigate these rumors. What can you tell me about your planned operation to rescue our servicemen in Southeast Asia. Well as soon as I go over to Southeast Asia I discovered that in fact there were Americans being held captive. Now the first step is to be tried and that already there aren't they. That was done rather quickly. Through. A polygraph of agents and now there have been more than 400 first hand reports that have been confirmed.

The second step was finding out where they are and getting confirmation of it because you really you know they would have a suicide. Tendency I'm not going to take my self or my troops and go there not knowing that my quarry is there and possibly walk right into the lion's den. The confirmation had to involve first hand reports that an American could verify. Either photographically or through actual eyeball contact with the P.O. dead. Last year I went to Southeast Asia and lit two fuses one in the south and one in the north. There were two known camp locations but again we needed positive confirmation. And at this time were working with a very small group myself and interpreter and Agent handler. A few people were involved. It was not until we had that confirmation.

There was no doubt that Americans were being held at a specific location that we pulled together. Operation velvet hammer down in Florida that operation was scheduled to launch so that we would take advantage of the good weather just preceding the monsoon. The monsoon began the first of May and we had we launched would have been back by the middle of May would have already been back last week either with one of two things with prisoners in hand or with American verification that they weren't there any longer. Alon did you train in Florida. How many men did you have. Because our target is still viable I would rather not disclose that kind of tactical information. Simple to say that the support force the tactical force and the technicians were the very best to be found anywhere.

You actually had a location where you believe the p o w was where we had a location where we were willing to risk our lives. It was not just my information. This is also information that was shared within the intelligence community. In the two years I've worked this problem. We have a den of FIDE. Camps detention areas. Throughout Southeast Asia. Now there are many. Fewer. Americans alive in Cambodia because of the bloodbath they would experience there. Then there are in Laos and Vietnam but there are camps in both countries right now. Was a League of Families of am I involved in any way in financing this mission. Glad you asked that question there's been some recent media indicating that we quote spent the rescue money of the League of Families in this mission. The fact is we have not used one cent of any rescue money of the League of Families.

There have been many reports of hundreds of Americans being held in Laotian caves. Reports of Vietnamese refugees citing Americans in groups of just 1 2 or 3 or 6 or 10. Anywhere from 1 to 100. They've seen Americans and they know they are Americans because they have beards and they're tall as the government admitted this to you. That there are Americans or they just recently changed their official word. They're so guarded they would say their facial statement before was we feel that there is no evidence that there are any Americans alive and so these days are being held against their will. Now their statement is We believe there may be evidence to suggest that there may be Americans being held against their will in Southeast Asia. You've been. Having petitions signed in the various malls throughout the western New York. What has been the reaction of the people are they apathetic or are they encouraging I imagine you

get a mixed bag. I do get very mixed bag. Now I've been told by a lot of people. All these years and they haven't done anything I don't think they're going to do anything about it now. Well and I. I. Do the best I can and tell them well I said if if the American people are not behind us behind you know us for what we're doing I don't see what right they're going to do anything. And in fact after this mission this. Rescue Mission one of the men told me he wouldn't sign. Not only have a few of them one sign he said while they run over there are not men over there. But then I bother to explain to him that there are caves in Laos and and there's not only this one p o w camp. There are so many in North Vietnam. But he just shrugged. Wave just hand and walked away like you didn't want to hear anything else. Did you ask him what he would do it was his son. Wow. I try to be very nice and not bring that up.

Are you critical of the government's too far raise and to Laos with mercenaries rather than Americans. I'm very critical and I'm surprised the government has. People within it right now with the same capabilities we have in velvet hammer good soldiers good people people who handle agers who know this kind of business. I learned very quickly in Vietnam. Doing intelligence type work. That you cannot depend upon an indigenous source. Especially if you pay him. If you appeal to his political his religious his social beliefs. You can get him to go a lot further than you can if you lay a lot of money on him because all of a sudden he wants to live to spend that money. And in very very similar cases where we have paid mercenaries to do things for us they have got out in the field. They found themselves a

nice shade tree they have set up camp They've had been on the ground all day saying they have come back with one wrist tell you all to tell. But who knows. The simple fact is that to send most unary to do something so important. As to try to mind whether or not Americans are alive at a specific location and being held by the Communists is beyond belief. An American should have been there. So in America good have seen and the technology they use there's no way that they could have had anything definitive. But the government was aware of your operation. Why would they consult you and have you going. Well the government wanted I think in this case to be the cavalry the government has the joint chiefs of staff Joint Chiefs represent all four services a huge bureaucracy the Joint Chiefs have played a major role in the last three rescue attempts song today. They knew they want any American pleasure to say six months before they sent a raid force in there but they

sent it anyway. Margaret says the people went into the wrong island. And before that 18 American air policeman died in Thailand when their helicopters crashed. They were the original rescue force. Henry Kissinger control that rescue force. From. The White House. In Iraq again. You know I dust storm basically as an excuse. For our. Debacle there but Jason Yassin was the one pulling the levers. So Jay-Z has had a lot of responsibility for this. They feel they have the computers the analysts the capabilities to put all things together. And control it. But you see that's the problem. That's the elephant again. That's why private sector was a very simple very direct neural control five a plan that left the government a come pleat we didn't do it in the event of the worst earth or we didn't do it in the event we brought back RPO dead.

I understand the first government mission into Laos was fired upon. Does it make sense to have a second mission shortly after that with the Laotians move the prisoners. Yes. Good conclusion on your part. And normally I would say the answer to that would be yes but let me explain something to you about. The area they went into. You hear the commercials all the time the cars places all over the place referring to Kentucky Fried Chicken. It hadn't Laursen everybody's got a resistance force there and over the place. If you were to take your resistance force and try to go to a target you might encounter two or three other resistance forces. My recommendation I return and look at the twenty sixth of May in 1979 stated that what we should do is begin working with the Lao resistance in recovering. A These are remains because we know where there are about 50 crash sites

that we could bring back those remains in working with the Lao resistance we would be able to evaluate them. We would be able to organize them equip them train them so that when we did go over the target they would be unified body. Now the. There was an informal communications now amongst the Lao resistance. My unit for example knew all about the two forays that the CIA element made because they all talk to each other. And they knew what happened they reported to us a while before you ever saw the report. About the being fired on and failing to do the target that they had gone there that they had been fired on they had gone there they had not been able to make contact and that basically their mission was a failure because they are the same people that the agency had been using time and time again that area. In the Americas. How do you reach the American people to remind them never to forget.

What is your organization doing it to keep names like these and others alive. We have a petition campaign going on right now and we go to the malls and. Several of the chain supermarkets here. Let us. Set up tables for people to sign a petition. Yes really amazing the people's reaction what kind of reaction are you getting. You get anything from Boy you guys are really tough. You can really take it and those guys are going to get home. Too. All brother are you still out there. What do you want him back for Anyway there are a bunch of dope heads anyway. Its its amazing what the young people think. They think everybody who went to Vietnam came back a half. You know. And they don't admire these men that. Walk gallantly and were tried much more severely. Than any soldiers were Korea or World War or World War One. They were told not to win and that's a hard fight.

To advance 60 feet and see your friends killed and then retreat and take the same 60 feet tomorrow and say you're for my excuse me your friends kill. It's infuriating and it's wrong and inhumane but can you tell me about your upcoming trip to Washington. What's going to be done to bring this to the attention of the president. Well we are going there with a lot of petitions that we have gathered at these malls and which are being gathered throughout the whole country which we want two and a half million petitions maybe it might shake the government the petitions them are going to be turned over to our executive director and they are going to be too presented to President Reagan or an aide whichever ad to ask him to take the necessary steps to account for these men that are unaccounted for in Vietnam. There are. Future missions in your plan. And let me say this that once you put this rucksack on your back you say you love me or say interject.

Several people have told me. We want you to go to Southeast Asia. Use your contacts throughout that area to get a skin feeling that even one person a key person even told me come back and tell us there aren't any American P O Ws. And when I went there that was my. Your my feeling too. I'm going to go over there on my FIND OUT THERE AREN'T ANY. When I came back my report simply headed. I'm sorry I can't tell you there were no people would I do it because there are wrongs as a as a soldier. You have put on the rucksack and you know that your comrades are there still keeping the faith. It's something you can never sit down. With so you conducted your mission and one or two of your men were hit. But what happened to those men. We've always had to deal with this in special operations even during the war and we dealt with that question in our

preparation for a velvet hammer. An interesting aspect we used I said we had the advantage of technology. We have an advantage of expertise. We have an advantage in surprise or we did have that advantage. Now we have a less advantage. The bottom line to your question but I want to answer it more fully is that in the event that we had a rescue mission underway and one of our people was hit we would have left that person cashed. We would have left them hidden until we could return for him. Having marked his location on the ground something that we anticipated however because of experience in the Vietnam War was how to deal with the gunshot wound pain shock many of the things that you encounter in combat. That you don't seem to have any human control over. And the answer that very ironically was through hypnosis the astronauts and I hope I'm not saying anything that Nasser would want me to say but the astronauts or condition so that they your and they wake up to certain

tasks all hypnotically by signal a radio signal comes across and they're awake. A radio signal comes across and they eat. And so I began to think to myself well if they can be hypnotically conditioned to respond like this why couldn't we use it to enhance our sensory perception so that we can see more clearly and hear better so that when we do sleep at night if we only have 15 minutes it can be as if we've slept all night. So if we have pain of shock for example if you're wounded so that you don't have to you can continue to move. You don't have to stop because of the pain. Maybe you can overcome the shock. And we honestly perform some remarkable things. Something that turns out is ations observed Memorial Day last Monday. And it was obvious that sentiment was strong for an accounting of our missing in action. We stand here today our heads bowed in prayer.

This is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of unity and strength in God and country. The graves of young Americans who answered the call the service. Which surrounds the world will give testimony to the fact that America is not weak but a glowing blazing fire of liberty and freedom which we will stand ready to preserve around this world. Thank you. How about our missing in action what is the VFW position on the M-I A's. We have circulated position petitions through the various county councils districts asking that the government do something about getting r m i n R P O Ws back. You know there are several. Bills coming up before the state convention where we will put more petitions

into the hands of the veterans getting the signatures and presenting them to the different legislators senators congressmen we demand that these people be brought back in one form or another. Any thoughts on a recent revelation about a mission to try to free up some of our I may as well there again mission was going to be commanded by Bo Gritz. Unfortunately the media got a hold of the training plans and they had to abort this mission which to be successful had to be done in secrecy. Why wait all of a sudden one thousand nine hundred one we find out that there is hope but there are some of our AM I STILL ALIVE. Was it a cover up. I don't know if it was a cover up or just the fact that these politicians just didn't give a damn. If you'll pardon my language these people in the Vietnam War were victims of an unpopular

war. They were there and I firmly believe that as long as our country sent them there we should back them to the hilt. What are your thoughts on the am I and all of the recent publicity that a rescue mission was attempted. I think it's an indication that someone's been and been hiding the facts they if they sent a rescue mission in the lowers to try to find it some missing veterans I think there are some. And I think it's indication that our government has now been bubbling with the people and that they're maybe our servicemen that are missing in action in both. Vietnam North Vietnam South Vietnam Cambodia you know Louis you feel is a little bit of a cover up or do you feel that the press may have forced their hand in revealing as well actually I think it was something that the press got hold of prematurely but they have a right to release it as well as any other organization I think they've probably been remiss if they hadn't but that the critical problem is that they did it the critical problem and the critical thing is the fact that our government recognized the fact that there

passively could be missing servicemen in their particular area of the world and they sent a mission in to find out. Unfortunately it was cancelled the first time the second time they really didn't come up with any chemical results. But if that be the case it shows at the Reagan administration at least from the track to find out whether we do have some servicemen there I think it's healthy thing. Is the American Legion in any way involved in helping to bring out the M-I issue. Well I we we we keep after our legislators to do was more about this. We lobby in Washington we lobby in Albany we lobby for more concrete information. We'd like to know if they're dead if you know if they're not and why. If they are alive can't we get them back. How many users have been that you've been keeping up with visual for years.

What it will be for 15 years. July 29 exactly 15 years that he has been reported missing. What keeps driving you. Well. The only thing that keeps driving me is that I got to know where my son is and I just cannot live like this. We've been used to since my brother went down and the families we have men who went down before that and didn't come back or were kind of for. They've been used so I've already been out here with our people. There has to be a resurgence of patriotism in the country somehow we always hit the front page and then when things are going pretty slowly the people who have faith in the polls show that they have faith and in character for whoever it was. Nobody hears about the purity of his name. And there's nothing in the news except on the obituary page even if it's something about life spot in life it's on the death list page which infuriates us. And. The government has not been truthful with the families and so even if they're truthful now we already have our guard up

and I really feel bad about them because we should trust the men who are trying to save our that. But we can't. We've been we've been we told we were told my brother. When the Pilgrims are coming home they said don't talk too much about it. Keep a low profile Don't rock the boat. Same thing we were told my brother was taken because they might not return often that they might not give us the information we'll ignore anyway. It says right in the agreement that they're going to give us an accounting of his and I is right along with the return of the deputies. So when the first batch of Theodosius came back we should have had an accounting a sheet that said so and so. So insoles plane is in such and such an area. Here is the aerial photo and so on so that our government could coordinate it with the information they had about this individual. None of that information was forthcoming from Vietnam and for some reason the American government trusting them and telling us to shut up.

So we showed up like fools we were fools because if we would have screamed bloody murder then I think we would have most of the men accounted for at least and a lot more return. I feel the government has shot itself in the foot with his recent disclosures I think without being too paranoid. I think one reason the government might have leaked the information to George Wilson. Now The Washington Post about its operation. It was because they saw themselves getting into a box. The weather's bad timing is bad. Maybe juiciest isn't able to get the data it needs to feed into his computers to give them a green light go. They know that I know as much about the operation as they do because our intelligence sources are parallel there. I talked to some key individuals

not long ago. And these key individuals assured me that the operation was on. It was a go that was far. I was even invited back in a uniform to participate. The head of us said it's all off. Now. This tells me something. One is who cares at all. The operations people call it off not the intelligence people the intelligence people are convinced that the Americans are there. It's the operations people that for some reason or other say it's all I tell you one of the individuals in the Pentagon not long ago that I intended when I came to Buffalo to release enough information that basically the governor would have to go forward and I think that individual band good staff officer probably went to his boss and said hey

great nose is as much about it as we do. If he's going to start releasing information it could be kind of embarrassing. I think at that point and I guess I don't know but I just think at that point that. That might have been the last straw they said hey listen this thing is very iffy as it is very risky. And what we better do is just make it look like we did everything we could there are any Americans there maybe it'll go away we try get next year. What must. Be done to finally give you peace of mind. I would like. More proof. Either the dog tags or my son's body returned. Dead or alive. I want him home. The only thing that can be done if they should they should bring might. To get peace of mind bring my son back alive to me and if not I get to know if he's dead. Because when I did go to a status review hearing it in San Antonio Texas they

wanted me to prove that my son was dead. I was alive but in the meantime they never proved he was dead so there must be something. Well either by me alive and able to be helped. That is so we can bury him or some proof that is satisfactory to us. Like someone who can identify Babs pulling his dog tags or somebody who is well versed in the Vietnamese situation to tell us that these bones. Are. Some technical proof. I can't tell you what it would be that would satisfy us outside of. The Himself. I mean that you had a couple of key officials in your corner. Are they still around. Oh boy you're the questions.

This is a very key thing as I mentioned two years ago. If it would have not been for real human beings not bureaucrats willing to come forward put their neck on the line. We would have never gotten as far as we have. There are some very very high. Officials that are occupying current positions that. Have helped me with this project actively help me. Another reason that I'm telling you the things I'm telling you now is because. I'm convinced these people will be there very long. The bureaucracy knows who the people are who also have a great deal of information. The bureaucracy has a way of swallowing these people. And I just have a feeling and that's one thing I'm afraid of is that I know now where the P O Ws are. We could have gone and

brought them home. We didn't. In deference to a government option. I'm afraid. That. The. Good people. May be replaced by other good staff officers. But people who maybe don't have the same devotion the same experience level. They were real fighter pilots for example. They were combatants maybe they were be the new guys in those jobs and they were because they are new guys. The much more vulnerable to political pressure. Let's look let's put our attention on the Middle East. Let's stay off of this South-East Asia thing for a while. And if you're new in the job why not. You know you don't want to make your boss mad. And I have a great fear you see where I don't want to do. I have one of two options. One is I can just do nothing and then later on I can come up and say before you or any other media. You see I told you so.

Dammit way back there in 1981 I tell you Americans were there and you wouldn't listen to any of the other option is I can do everything I can to keep this issue alive until by God something does break and something will break. It broke in the in the Nixon affair. And my conscience just tells me that as long as I stick to things that are true in reality that time will will test it. And that's why I can't set this issue down. And that's why I'm telling you the things I'm telling you now. For some veterans the past extracts a daily price and each Memorial Day brings a flood of memories. It was supposed to be The War To End All Wars of the West one thing there will be no wars from I sure like. The last. Half of

what we planned for. Back. You know people have been wonderful to me in my home life possible. I mean your brother my hospital up there. You're in good hands. No more. Makes me feel back of those who did not witness let me here's our war. Who did not come back home. We heard. Painters because it made us feel bad. Look what we did what did we fight for what we done. Then forgot about we say it's a good

not. So pretty she. Missed and we would. Look back at the vet to see with the vets down. Don't forget about love the guy's good just take up a tale of. Trust. Trusting God gods to me. Trusting. Man does not trust God. Why are you take take a look at this country. Compared this country to other countries you see to freedom we have here. And freedom in other countries. So I think. Even though we had heard nobody likes him. But we do have a country that's free. My birthdays on June 14 which is Flag Day. And I see these friends for flying you know and. That sort of makes you feel pretty good. Not that they're honoring me but just to see that the flags are coming up. That's the way it should be and already people are people who get their flags out and

say hey this is where people people that serve their country were free. And. That's how I like to see. This Memorial Day I would say it's been. A very honorable for the Vietnam era. It didn't used to be. It used to be the fact that people didn't consider it there. I guess the Vietnam veteran was the only. The only soldier that really come back and we didn't win. We actually allowed over a political. Reason. I think the Vietnam Veterans been treated very. Badly. In the past. We are just now beginning to be recognized as. A form of war. You have any message for the people out there

watching this Memorial Day. I would like them to. Not Forget. What all of you people have gone through in various wars. Well I would ask them to remember. All of us that had to go to combat. Either in war want to. Argue the Vietnam War Korean War. I would ask them to. Think of us. A lot. And remember that we better do a lot. Something is going to be with us the rest of our lives. Sakho logically and. Physically also. There's one more story to be told a story of a young buffalo soldier that took 36 years to reach a proper conclusion. It was 1945 when William grabby as was killed in a bee taking up a knoll in the Philippines 1948.

The Common Council passed a resolution to name a suitable memorial for the Medal of Honor winner. It took 33 more years to get it done. Ron Arnold narrates. He rests here now at St. Stanislaus cemetery and Cheektowaga a simple military marker on the grave of a Medal of Honor winner from Black Rock. The metal goes to the bravest of the brave for acts of courage usually performed while saving someone else's life. February 23rd 1945 the Philippians day of see William grabby as was an already decorated 19 year old scout with the 1st divisions 5th Cavalry Regiment. Lieutenant John Gregory would join the outfit that day was shot down. Robbins tried to drag the wounded officer to cover but he was hit in the shoulder in the saving unable to move the officer grabbed us covered his commander with his own body a human shield.

Robbie as died out of the over a wounded comrade saving a man he had known for only a few hours. The medal was presented to his father Casimir in December of 1945 but the years passed. The sacrifice slipping away in the void of time preempted by the daily press of the business of running a city. No straight no school no park named for the hero. The resolution passed in 1948 surfaced again in 1960. The council planning to fulfill the earlier promise by asking the state to rename the Skipjack what expressway after the Medal of Honor winner. But even that memorial was denied him. The state decided to retain the Skipjack would have some officials feeling that grubby as would be too hard to pronounce even for those who had mastered Skipjack what. Another 18 years passed but everyone had not forgotten. Veterans groups kept up the pressure to dedicate an appropriate memorial to William Graf years

in the spring of 1978 it finally happened. The council passed a new resolution which Mayor Griffin signed naming the museum at Buffalo's new naval park in memory of William GREGG Yes. Just three weeks ago the dedication ceremonies were held. Three of the heroes sisters were among those attending an event they had awaited for almost four decades. A fourth sister of grabby has died just a week before the dedication. You must have mixed emotions both pride and sadness today. What an honor. Oh it's so much so very much. It brings. Thirty six years. Just like three weeks ago. Just very proud wishing I was here up there watching and saying I'm proud of all you down here.

What kind of a boy was his teenage here. What kind of happy go lucky. Never a good boy. Nothing too big for him. Nothing. Everything was very dear and portmanteaux or just if he could help someone he would be the first one to. Also with the dedication the wife and son of the officer with him grab yours sacrificed his own life to save one. That your husband passed away died in January of 1964. So just about one thousand years after Billy so heroically saved his life. Did he ever talk about your husband or did he sort of put it in the back of his mind. Very little in the beginning but gradually bit by bit it came out and especially at the time the bodies were returned in one thousand forty eight and the articles were in the

paper then he talked a little bit more about it. And but he was reluctant to say too too much. He wouldn't even be here which you know I know that's exactly why I came because if it weren't for Billy I wouldn't be standing here today and so I'm very honored and thankful that he was so heroic the time. He was a student at Riverside. Left school. To join me. He was a boy from a very loving home. He was a boy wasn't good. Everything we needed to. Order. Today we're going to create a little. Here so we're going to take you back to those years 1943 1945. And see if we can put them in perspective just for a little while. So you can understand what kind of a war. Really rights.

Was. And the best way we can do that this morning is to read some of the horrors. That the family. Letters that were sent to women. Letter when you say. Creating this. I hope that you can better understand where you are. So good by. And about. This if you're going to really learn the system. You're going to go for what you think will be. A resource right. Read through them. It was sort of typical. Ruth was. Probably more or less. Got to whether something. Like this. Theory. Right. Today is frightening and actually keeps me stepping with. You. Morris you're doing some writing. I sure hope this thing will be

over soon. And once and for all. Tell me. What will you do the minute you say an especially popular. Days ago we had another snow storm. Earlier this year this year. Easter. This year. The president. Was. Talking. Very. Sticky. You can't you know want. To protect. Your career. Lots of love he says.

And then there was the young soldier's last letter home. Dear Mom and Dad. Well now that I'm in a rest camp for a short period of time I will do my best to write every day to everyone for the first two days that we have been in this camp. We already have four cans of beer and Turkey. And believe me it tasted something delicious. After being in a jungle or sitting on a mountain for 60 days they tell us our division has beat all the other divisions in fighting the longest without a rest period. You can imagine how we all felt. Remember the boys at the town and Corregidor they fight 67 days and we have them beat. Before I come home. I believe I have one more campaign to go through so that will make three campaigns for me that I can call myself a fighting soldier. Say how did you all spend your holidays. Hope you all had a wonderful time. Well folks dinner is about to be served so I'll close with

loving kisses your son. Postscript thought you would like to know if I go to church. The answer is yes. It seems like no more than ever before. The last letter. A legacy perhaps to veterans with memories of sacrifice they cannot forget. And for those who may find sacrifice. Difficult to remember. We all realize.