November 11, 1999
It's the Soldier, not the reporter,
It's the Soldier, not the poet,
It's the Soldier, not the campus organizer,
It's the Soldier, not the lawyer, It's the Soldier who salutes the Flag, who serves under the Flag, whose coffin is draped by the Flag, who gives the protester the Right to burn the Flag. |
Veterans Day 1999
If anyone has announcements, news, or thoughts on Veterans Day, 11/11/66 Robert I. Biss USAF Cherry Tree, PA
American Veteran Search
Remembering - Tribute to Veterans
VetCenter
Veterans Day 1999 Veterans for a Change
Jodi Harris
Betsy Fallon
OJC and Politics
If the individuals occupying the positions of President, Vice-President,
Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and ambassadors to relevant
nations (China, Former Soviet Union, Vietnam, etc.) are not friendly to
the movement, January 20, 2001, will be the day the death certificate of
the movement is signed. We cannot survive eight years of stagnation. We
cannot survive eight years of a lack of commitment to getting answers.
I will not ask anyone to vote for any particular candidate at this
point, but I will urge everyone who really cares about what we are doing
in this regard, to be persistent in demanding that the candidate of
their choice demonstrate a sincere commitment to getting the true
answers - good or bad - about our unaccounted for men and women.
We will not, as an organization, endorse any candidate... However, we
will endorse a candidate's favorable position on POWMIA as they make
themselves clear on that issue.
OJC's permanent Chairman, the late Colonel Ted Guy, had very strong
opinions on the upcoming race and the candidates. OJC's Co-Chairman, former POW Mike Benge, also has some very strong opinions about current presidential hopefuls and their positions on
POWMIA. If you read his story: you'll see for yourself
why he, like Ted, is entitled to those strong opinions. In keeping with
our stated policy, Mike's personal opinions will not appear in our
updates, but Mike will, when he feels like it, make BCC mailings to the
OJC list on his own. I encourage you to read them. Mike doesn't say a
lot, but what he does say is solid, truthful and from the heart.
What We Can Do For the POW/MIA Issue
I have learned through investigation that the best way to contact them
is by fax since faxes are always read by senior staffers.
If you don't have a fax machine, or if the cost of faxing is
prohibitive, try one of the email fax services like efax.com which
charges a nominal monthly fee. (I believe it's around $3 per month plus
a sending charge of $.05 per minute)
Faxing is currently the dependable and effective method of contacting
your elected officials. (Always include your return fax# and your snail
address so they can contact you.)
With Senators, congresscritters, ambassadors and cabinet members, there
are roughly 600 bureaucrats that we need to be concerned with.
The fact is, they already know. They are hearing about it from the 1.5
million cumulative members of OJC.
They need to hear it from the other 295,000,000 Americans. Those are the
people we need to enlist right now. They are your friends, neighbors,
co-workers, family and civic and social groups. Spread the word to them!
Urge them to contact the 600 bureaucrats and let them know OJC is not
alone.
Try this: Every week, tell one person about your adopted POW. Tell them
about our mission statement so they know you haven't joined the lunatic
fringe. Tell them all we want is honest answers for ourselves and the
families.
At the end of the month, if you do it right, your POW will have 4 more
advocates. Your elected officials will be getting 4X the number of
faxes.
Wear the Yellow Ribbon with a POW lapel pin! People will ask what it
means. Tell them. Give them a ribbon.
And tell them to each tell one more person per week!
It will work...but only if you stay involved.
Restructuring Initiatives
The size and continuous growth of OJC is forcing us to undertake
some restructuring initiatives. In the past, this has caused significant
problems so we are avoiding that. We will maintain the current
infrastructure so all addresses, email, teams etc will remain the same.
However, we are going to begin to establish a parallel infrastructure
made of of local, state, regional chapters.
In other words, all members of OJC will be given an opportunity to join
OJC chapters to be organized in their own geographic area...either city,
state, region or country. These chapters will all adhere to the already
established codes of conduct and they will come under the umbrella of
the parent organization but they will be able to carry out their own
approved projects, recruit off-net members, hold online or offline
meetings, etc.
Our next update will contain more information on this project. If you
are interested in helping to organize a chapter in your area, be
prepared to respond to the next update with your ideas... Important and Credible POW/MIA Resources
As I have stated over and over again, the best way keep hope alive
is to keep educating yourself on the facts of the issue so you can
answer questions when the skeptics ask them.
These books remain at the top of my list of important and credible
resources:
Code Name: Bright Light An excellent source on POW Rescue missions during the Vietnam War. Jay
is a good friend and one of the most dedicated researchers I have ever
come across. One day, this will be a college textbook if academia ever
decides to teach the unblemished truth about the war.
Patriot Dreams A very personal account of the problems encountered by family members
when a Serviceperson is missing or casptured. When Robin's husband was
kidnapped and later murdered by Islamic fundamentalists in Lebanon, she
found the only people she could count on were her fellow Marines and
George Bush. The majority of the bureaucrats and cautious power seekers
elected to tap dance rather than to offend the terrorists. This book is
one of the most moving I've ever read. Don't miss it. It will answer any
questions you might have about why the US Government might abandon one
of its true heroes. (Don't expect a good answer...just a factual one)
One Day Too Long The author of the now famous Castle Memo has presented the story of the
disaster at Lima Site 85 in compelling language that defies arguement.
One of the three most credible scholars in the world on the issue of
Vietnam POWs and the POW issue, Dr Castle cuts no corners, minces no
words in his pursuit of the facts. "One Day Too Long" is to TRUTH what
Ted Guy was to HONOR.
All three of these books are available through Amazon.com
OJC Mission Statement And Explanation
Lastly, I ask each of you, as a personal favor to me, to print out our
mission statement which you will find at the end of this message. Fold it up and keep it in your wallet or purse. When someone asks you what we are about, you will be able to tell them.
Our mission statement is fair and reasonable. We expect our leaders to
respond in kind. They owe us that much.
Semper Fi,
OJC Mission Statement And Explanation
Our goals - what we are asking of our government - are:
1. The timely, honest and thorough investigation of all live-sighting
reports;
2. The repatriation of any surviving POWMIAs (or, in the event they do
not wish to return, an opportunity for
the families to hear it for themselves from their loved one);
3. Recovery of ALL recoverable remains and a strong statement from our
government regarding the
warehousing of remains by the Vietnamese.
We are NOT asking anyone to raise the dead. We accept that many or most
of those listed as missing may have
died in action or in captivity.
We are NOT asking anyone to recover unrecoverable remains. The remains
of a pilot shot down in flames in
1968 over the South China Sea, whose wingman watched the plane sink
below the surface or explode in a
fireball, can reasonably be deemed unrecoverable.
We DO NOT blindly accept everything that comes out of DPMO, DOD or
anywhere else inside the beltway.
Neither do we blindly accept every live sighting account. At the same
time, we do not reject or dismiss any
accounts from DOD or DPMO without researching them.
We DO insist that all legitimate questions of family members be answered
honestly and as fully as possible.
Sad News
Please remember Gene and his family this week in your thoughts and prayers.
Chairman JCS Veterans Day Message Former POW Now Veterans Day Hero "One of the Luckiest of the Unlucky" Combat Stories of World War II
I asked our readers to send in their choices for the Top 10 People of the Century. The answers are diversified and very interesting. Feel free to send in your choices to NL@ojc.org
Captain Richard Rich, US Navy
Featured Volunteer of the Month
Lima Site 85
Strategic Crossroads at Khe Sanh
Check for upcoming dates and scheduled guests.
The Union ironclad, Monitor, was the first U.S. ship to have a flush toilet.
Why do we spell colonel like that?
"The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see."
- Winston Churchill
"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
Who controls the past controls the future. - George Orwell
Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer; - Nancy Astor
1998
Feel free to use this banner to link back to The Moonduster Chronicles' Main Page:
Credits
Thanks to Karl Kristiansen for the Moonduster Chronicles Banner, the Moonduster Chronicles Recognition Award, the Veterans Day Graphic, and the POW/MIA Related News
Graphic Thanks to
Ron's POW/MIA and Patriotic Graphics
Trivia and Quotes Courtesy of Mailbits.com
is updated daily to include new items of interest, new announcements, and new submissions. So be sure to bookmark this page and stop by every day for the latest version of the Operation Just Cause Newsletter.
by Willie Dougherty
by Marilyn Grote
by Laura
please send them to NL@ojc.org
11/11/66 Richard L. Butt USAF Norfolk, VA
11/11/67 Edwin J. Martinez-Mercado ARMY New York, NY
11/11/66 Arthur Stewart Mearns USAF Great Neck, NY
11/11/66 Harold D. Monlux USAF Sioux City, IA
11/11/99 Herbert B. Ringsdorf USAF Elba, AL
11/11/67 Gary F. Shaw ARMY Toledo, OH
11/11/67 Robert M. Jr. Staton ARMY Jamesville, NC
11/11/67 John S. Jr. Stuckey ARMY Cloverdale, IN
11/11/66 Orson G. Swindle III USMC Atlanta, GA
Includes an introduction from the website owner, a Vietnam Veteran
Includes a large list of links from the HistoryNet
OJC Membership has been growing steadily. One of the reasons for that growth has been the dedication of our individual adoption team and the outstanding effort of Jodi Harris, our
group adoption supervisor.
I am very sorry to announce that Jodi recently underwent serious surgery
and she has been advised her recovery will take considerable time. She
has been ordered away from the computer so I won't ask anyone to send
get well wishes, but expect an announcement about a guestbook in the
next few days...Gunny
For myself and Betsy, we want to take this opportunity to thank all of
you once again for all the support you gave while she was sick. Betsy is
a real trooper but I doubt I would have made it without all the
encouragement and good wishes from the OJC family...
OJC does not get involved in partisan politics because we have
supporters and enemies on both sides of the aisle.
However, the upcoming presidential campaign is critical to the life of
the POWMIA movement. It is imperitive that our members and supporters
understand exactly what that means.
There are many things we as individuals can do for the issue and for the
families of the unaccounted for.
Naturally, we can continue to email our elected officials and tell them
what's on our mind. But that has become a somewhat futile task since
emails are logged in and read by junior staffers in most cases.
by George J. Veith
by LtCol Robin Higgins, USMC Retired
by Dr Tim Castle
Gunny
Operation Just Cause (OJC) has a clearly defined mission: To achieve the
fullest possible accounting of the
POWMIA issue through respectful but persistent petition of our elected
and appointed officials.
The father of Gene Milner, one of OJC's Adoption Team Members, has passed away after a long illness. The viewing for Gene's Dad will be at Blessing Funeral Home on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. 401 E Elm St. Mansefield TX.
by Chris Rich
A Former POW's Story
May 29, 1917-November 22, 1963
November 1999
Companies Flying the POW/MIA Flag
Help Needed
POW/MIA FOIA Litigation Account
by Marsha Burks Megehee
(for Veterans Day)
by Christina
by Marsha Burks Megehee
by Dianne Rierson
December '99 Vietnam Feature of the HistoryNet Website
**Updated regularly**
30 and 35 years ago
POW/MIA Related News
It turns out that it's not so much the spelling of colonel
that's irregular, but rather the pronunciation. The word
derives from "column," because a colonel headed the first
company of a regiment. But for some reason it entered the
English language in the 16th century as "coronel." Eventually
the spelling veered back towards its original source, the word
column, but the pronunciation just kept marching straight
ahead.
Who controls the
present controls the past.
into a selflessness which links us with all humanity.
"Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others...he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." ...Robert Francis Kennedy (1925-1968)
Back issues of "The Moonduster Chronicles"
1999
September
August
http://www.ojc.org/NL
"The Moonduster Chronicles"
NL@ojc.org
Click on POW graphic to return to the Main Index of "The Moonduster Chronicles"