ex-pow bulletin · 2018. 3. 23. · ex-pow bulletin (issn 0161-7451) is published quarterly (four...

EX-POW BULLETINthe official voice of the

American Ex-Prisoners of WarVolume 74 Number 10/11/12www.axpow.org

October~November~December 2017

We exist to help those who cannot help themselves

DONATE TO AXPOW: https://www.gofundme.com/2d8rbt7s

EX-POW Bulletin (ISSN 0161-7451) is published quarterly (four issues per year) by the American Ex-Prisoners of War, PO Box3444, Arlington, TX 76007. Periodical postage paid at Arlington, TX and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send addresschanges to EX-POW Bulletin, AXPOW Headquarters, PO Box 3444, Arlington, TX 76007-3444. Founded April 14, 1942, inAlbuquerque, NM, then known as Bataan Relief Organization, Washington State non- profit corporation, “American Ex-Prisoners of War”, October 11, 1949, recorded as Document No. 133762, Roll 1, 86-392. NONPROFIT CORPORATION.Nationally Chartered August 10, 1982. Appearance in this publication does not constitute endorsement by the American Ex-Prisoners of War of the product or service advertised. The publisher reserves the right to decline or discontinue any suchadvertisement.

PublisherPNC Milton M Moore Jr2965 Sierra Bermeja

Sierra Vista, AZ 85650(520) 459-7295

[email protected]

EditorCheryl Cerbone

23 Cove View DriveSouth Yarmouth, MA 02664

(508) [email protected]

Deadline for the Jan-Mar, 2018issue is Dec. 1, 2017

Please send all materials tothe editor at the above

address.

officers/directors 4commander/coo 5ceo 6medsearch 7legislative 11andersonville 12namPOW 13pow/mia 15civilian 17events/info 18news 19my great-uncle’s story 24membership count 26contributions 27new members 28taps/chaplain 29voluntary funding 34

table of contents

Ex-POW BulletinOct-Dec 2017

3

Oct/Nov/Dec 2017

© 2017 American Ex-Prisoners of War

Veterans Day 2017Veterans Day honors military veterans andis observed annually on November 11. Itcoincides with other holidays, including Ar-mistice Day and Remembrance Day, cel-ebrated in other countries that mark theanniversary of the end of World War I; ma-jor hostilities of World War I were formallyended at the 11th hour of the 11th day ofthe 11th month of 1918, when the Armi-stice with Germany went into effect. TheUnited States previously observed Armi-stice Day. The U.S. holiday was renamedVeterans Day in 1954.

Cover: WWI Veteran Joseph Ambrose marching in the paradecelebrating the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial inWashington, DC November 13, 1982.

Inside front cover: National POW/MIA Memorial, Riverside NationalCemetery, Riverside, CA.

Addendum: On Page 26 of the EX-POW Bulletin (July-Sept 2017),the article on the History of the POW/MIA Flag omitted work doneby AXPOW member Sol Gross to promote POW/MIA RecognitionDay:

At the April 12, 1978 meeting of the Pittsburgh Chapter, the offic-ers and members voted to support chapter member Sol Gross inhis campaign to promote a national holiday in honor of all Ameri-can Ex-POWs, MIAs and POWs who died in prison camps. Joint Reso-lution 963: designating July 18, 1979 became Public Law 95-349on Aug. 18, 1978. Bill sponsor was Rep. William S. Moorhead (PA-14).

Ex-POW andp h o t o g r a p h e rAngelo Spinellid o c u m e n t sChristmas in hisPOW camp.

National HeadquartersPO Box 3444, Arlington, TX 76007-3444

(817) 649-2979 [email protected]

axpow officers & directors2017-2018

National CommanderCharles Susino, Jr.136 Jefferson StreetMetuchen, NJ 08840(732) 549-5775 phone & fax(732) 713-8811 - Cell

Chief Executive OfficerDavid Eberly205 Roger WebsterWilliamsburg VA 23185(757) 253-9553 – Home(757) 508-8453 - [email protected]

Cheryl Cerbone23 Cove View DriveSouth Yarmouth, MA 02664(508)394-5250 - Home(508) 360-4090 - [email protected]

Senior Vice CommanderEdward “Ted” Cadwallader9501 Nut Tree CourtElk Grove, CA 95624(916) [email protected]

Chief Financial OfficerMarsha M CokePO Box 3444Arlington, TX 76007-3444(817) 649-2979 – Office (817) 723-3996 – [email protected]

Chief Operations OfficerClydie J MorganPO Box 3444Arlington, TX 76007-3444(817) 649-2979 – Office(817) 300-2840 - [email protected]

Directors

Pam Warner EslingerPO Box 117Hammon, OK 73650(580) [email protected]

Charles A. Susino951 Gates Ave.Piscataway, NJ 08854(732)463-8355(732)[email protected]

Jan Williams4353 Bending PointGuthrie, Ok 73040(580) [email protected]

Ben Garrido6813 W 60th StreetTulsa OK 74107(951) [email protected]

Milton ‘Skip’ Moore2965 Sierra BermejaSierra Vista AZ 85650(520) 459-7295 – Home(520) 249-7122 – [email protected]

Officers

National CommanderCharles Susino, Jr.


5

newsfromhq

Clydie MorganChief Operating Officer

Through the Commander’s article inthe Bulletin, I have expressed my viewon many subjects. Subjects affect-ing the military, the veterans in gen-eral, the AXPOW, and others. This Bul-letin I wish to dedicate to you andyour family.

As a veteran and a former POW, youhave earned certain rights granted by

Congress and administeredthrough the VA health care andbenefits. It is best to be preparedfor your time of need. For our fi-nal benefit, there is DIC for ourspouse and it is important that youhave the forms on hand, mailingaddress, etc so that initiating isvery simple and reduces any de-lay.

In the cases of medical treatmentssuch as in the hospital, as part ofyour discharge, you should re-quest to see a social worker toassist in receiving services andcompensation for outside carethat may be required during yourrecovery.

In both cases, it is most importantthat you review the required ap-proach with your spouse/next ofkin so that they understand whatis necessary and can assist or fullyexecute themselves.

Although the VA provides the ben-efits and services, it depends on theveteran and their family to initiatethe action and follow through. WhileI believe it is a service the VA shouldprovide the veteran, nothing hap-pens unless you take the responsi-bility and initiative.

Lastly, no is a common responsegiven to the veteran in need. Nevertake no for an answer…go to thenext person or department until youreceive what you need. This is notan entitlement, you earned it.

I hope this bulletin finds all of youdoing well and look forward to ahappy and healthy Veterans Day.

————Remember————-

By the time you read this, headquar-ters will have moved. Our mailing ad-dress is:AXPOWP O Box 3444Arlington TX 76007-3444

The telephone number stays thesame at 817-649-2979.

It’s been bittersweet. The necessityof downsizing has been hard for usbut it has been a learning experience,too. Most of you will not notice a dif-ference.

We opened the office in 1984. Wehave seen some tough times butthe organization is running prettysmoothly now and is still activewith legislation and the VA.

All the proof files and all the his-torical files have been scanned intothe system. We will be adding thehistorical and research files to thewebsite. This makes them acces-sible to students and historians.We are also working with JohnSkelly (our volunteer webmaster)to put our membership databaseon the website.

We are the last major organizationfor former POWs. We hope toaround for a very long time so thatyour stories can be told and re-membered.

Clydie,Marsha,Donna,and Sally

Joyous ChristmasHappy Hanukkah

fromYour Officers & Directors

LoveJoy

Peace


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United States Postal ServiceStatement of Ownership,Management, and Circulation

EX-POW BULLETIN Pub. # 0161-7451filing date 9/16Frequency: quarterly (4 issues annually)$40.00 annual subscription price, oras part of membership duesPub. Office: PO Box 3444, Arlington,TX 76007-3444Clydie J. Morgan, COO(817) 649-2979Headquarters: PO Box 3444, Arlington,TX 76007-3444Publisher: Milton M. Moore, Jr., 2965Sierra Bermeja, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650Editor: Cheryl Cerbone, 23 Cove ViewDrive, South Yarmouth, MA 02664Managing Editor: Cheryl Cerbone, 23Cove View Drive, South Yarmouth, MA02664Owner: American Ex-Prisoners of War,PO Box 3444, Arlington, TX 76007-3444Known bondholders, mortgagees,other security holders: NONETax status: Purpose, function andnon-profit status of this organizationand the exempt status for federalincome tax purposes has not changedduring the preceding 12 months.

Publ. Title: EX-POW BULLETIN

Circulation Data:Issue July/Aug/Sept 2017Since last file date 9/2016

Average Single IssueTotal copies printed:

8,828 8,130Total paid/and or requested:

8,669 7,987Free distribution outside the mail: 30 30Total distribution:

8,699 8,017Copies not distributed:

129 113Total: 8,828 8,130Percent paid/requested circulation:

98% 98%

Publication Statement of OwnershipForm 3526 filed with the Postmaster,United States Postal Service, Arlington,TX. Copy held at NationalHeadquarters, Arlington, TX

American Ex-Prisoners of War is a non-profit corporation, incorporated inWashington state, October 11, 1949,recorded as Document No. 133762,Roll 1, Page 386-392.

David Eberly

205 Roger WebsterWilliamsburg VA 23185(757) 253-9553 – Home(757) 508-8453 - [email protected]

from the CEO

David

We are who we are because wewere where we were when.

Some things in life are far beyondour imagination; others just

happen.

As I write this, I look forward to mytrip to Andersonville in mid-Septem-ber and the The Ride Home celebra-tion and remembrance on NationalPOW/MIA Recognition Day. Sup-ported by many members of RollingThunder, this event serves to honorthose who have served and thefamilies who may still be waiting.

The families of thosewhose names are longforgotten suffer thefrustration of the un-known. Their heartsare imprisoned—anancient enemy holds their dreamscaptive. They will suffer a lifetimewith the torment of not knowing.

But this day of remembrance likeVeterans Day offers us an oppor-tunity to not only say WelcomeHome but to say Thank You foryour service. And I know first handthat those who stay behind servesteadfastly our country with prayersand actions. During Somalia and theopening hours of Desert Storm, thereal heroes were the families whofor the first time watched theirloved ones go into combat.

As you read this, consider the op-portunity you may have on Veter-ans Day (November 11, 2017) to re-member and to serve. Whether itbe simply displaying the Stars andStripes or spending a brief momentwith a forgotten warrior, you cantouch a heart and add vigor to asoul.

We are who we are becausewe are where we are when.

pow medsearchMarsha Coke, Chairmane-mail: [email protected] Box 3444Arlington, TX 76007-3444(817) 649-2979

nsoRuth Powell, Director

191 Florence RoadWaltham, MA 02453

781-296-6307 cell

SVT

What is supraventriculartachycardia?Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT)means that from time to time yourheart beats very fast for a reasonother than exercise, high fever, orstress. For most people who haveSVT, the heart still works normallyto pump blood through the body.

Types of SVT include:· Atrioventricular nodalreentrant tachycardia (AVNRT).· A t r i o v e n t r i c u l a rreciprocating tachycardia (AVRT),including Wolff-Parkinson-Whitesyndrome.

During an episode of SVT, theheart’s electrical system doesn’twork right, causing the heart to beatvery fast. The heart beats at least100 beats a minute and may reach

300 beats a minute. After treatmentor on its own, the heart usuallyreturns to a normal rate of 60 to100 beats a minute.

SVT may start and end quickly, andyou may not have symptoms. SVTbecomes a problem when ithappens often, lasts a long time, orcauses symptoms.

SVT is also called atrial tachycardia,paroxysmal supraventriculartachycardia (PSVT), or paroxysmalatrial tachycardia (PAT).

What causes SVT?Most episodes of SVT are causedby faulty electrical connections inthe heart.

SVT also can be caused by certainmedicines. Examples include veryhigh levels of the heart medicinedigoxin or the lung medicinetheophylline.

Some types of SVT may run infamilies, such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Other types ofSVT may be caused by certain healthproblems, medicines, or surgery.

What are the symptoms?Some people with SVT have nosymptoms. Others may have:· Palpitations, a feeling thatthe heart is racing or pounding.· A pounding pulse.· A dizzy feeling or may feellightheaded.·Other symptoms include near-fainting or fainting (syncope),shortness of breath, chest pain,throat tightness, and sweating.

How is SVT diagnosed?Your doctor will diagnose SVT byasking you questions about yourhealth and symptoms, doing aphysical exam, and perhaps givingyou tests. Your doctor:


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medsearch, cont’d...· Will ask if anything triggersthe fast heart rate, how long it lasts,if it starts and stops suddenly, andif the beats are regular or irregular.· May do a test called anelectrocardiogram (EKG, ECG). Thistest measures the heart’s electricalactivity and can record SVTepisodes.

If you do not have an episode ofSVT while you’re at the doctor’soffice, your doctor probably will askyou to wear a portableelectrocardiogram (EKG), also calledan ambulatory electrocardiogram.When you have an episode, thedevice will record it.

Your doctor also may do tests tofind the cause of the SVT. Thesemay include blood tests, a chest X-ray, and an echocardiogram, whichshows the heart in motion.

How is it treated?Some SVTs don’t cause symptoms,and you may not need treatment. Ifyou do have symptoms, your doctorprobably will recommend treatment.

To treat sudden episodes of SVT,your doctor may:· Prescribe a medicine to takewhen the SVT occurs.· Show you how you canslow your heart rate on your own.You may be able to do this bycoughing, gagging, or putting yourface in ice-cold water. These arecalled vagal maneuvers.

If these treatments don’t work, youmay have to go to your doctor’soffice or the emergency room. Youmay get a fast-acting medicine suchas adenosine or verapamil. If theSVT is serious, you may haveelectrical cardioversion, which usesan electrical current to reset theheart rhythm.

If you often have episodes of SVT,you may need to:· Take medicine every day toprevent the episodes or slow yourheart rate.· Try catheter ablation. Thisprocedure destroys a tiny part of theheart that causes the problem.

CATHETERABLATION

What is catheter ablation?Catheter ablation is a procedurethat uses radiofrequency energy(similar to microwave heat) todestroy a small area of heart tissuethat is causing rapid and irregularheartbeats. Destroying this tissuehelps restore your heart’s regularrhythm. The procedure is also calledradiofrequency ablation.

Why do people have catheterablation?Special cells in your heart createelectrical signals that travel alongpathways to the chambers of yourheart. These signals make theheart’s upper and lower chambersbeat in the proper sequence.Abnormal cells may createdisorganized electrical signals thatcause irregular or rapid heartbeatscalled arrhythmias. When thishappens, your heart may not pumpblood effectively and you may feelfaint, short of breath and weak. Youmay also feel your heart pounding.

Medicines to treat rapid and irregularheartbeats work very well for mostpeople. But they don’t work foreveryone, and they may cause sideeffects in some people. In thesecases, doctors may suggest catheterablation. The procedure is used mostoften to treat a condition calledsupraventricular tachycardia, or SVT,which occurs because of abnormalconduction fibers in the heart.Catheter ablation is also used tohelp control other heart rhythmproblems such as atrial flutter andatrial fibrillation. Catheter ablationdestroys the abnormal tissuewithout damaging the rest of theheart.

What are the risks of catheterablation?There are few risks. The mostcommon problems result from theuse of the catheters – long, thintubes doctors insert into yourarteries or veins. Inserting the tubescan occasionally damage your bloodvessel or cause bleeding orinfection. These problems are rare.

How should I prepare for catheterablation?· Your doctor will tell youwhat to eat and drink during the 24hours before the test.· Usually, you’ll be asked notto eat or drink anything for at least6 to 8 hours before the procedure.· Tell your doctor about anymedicines you take. He or she mayask you not to take them beforeyour test. Don’t stop taking yourmedicines until your doctor tells youto.· Leave all your jewelry athome.

Quick factsCatheter ablation is usedto treat abnormal heartrhythms (arrhythmias)when medicines are nottolerated or effective.

Medicines help tocontrol the abnormalheart tissue that causesarrhythmias. Catheterablation destroys thetissue.

Catheter ablation is a low-risk procedure that issuccessful in mostpeople who have it.

This procedure takesplace in a special hospitalroom called anelectrophysiology (EP) labor a cardiaccatheterization (cath) lab.It takes 2 to 4 hours.

medsearch, cont’d...


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· Arrange for someone todrive you home after yourprocedure.

What happens during catheterablation?A doctor with special trainingperforms the procedure along witha team of nurses and technicians.The procedure is done in a hospitalEP or cath lab.

· A nurse will put an IV(intravenous line) into a vein in yourarm so you can get medicine(anesthesia) to prevent pain. Youmay also get a medicine (sedative)to help you relax but you will beawake throughout the procedure.

· The nurse will clean andshave the area where the doctorwill be working. This is usually inyour groin.

· The nurse will give you ashot — a local anesthetic — tonumb the needle puncture site.

· The doctor will make aneedle puncture through your skinand into the blood vessel (typicallya vein, but sometimes an artery) inyour groin. A small straw-sized tube(called a sheath) will be insertedinto the blood vessel. The doctorwill gently guide a catheter (a long,thin tube) into your vessel throughthe sheath. A video screen willshow the position of the catheter.You may feel some pressure inyour groin, but you shouldn’t feelany pain.

· The doctor inserts severallong, thin tubes with wires, calledelectrode catheters, through thesheath and feeds these tubes intoyour heart.

· To locate the abnormaltissue causing arrhythmia, thedoctor sends a small electricalimpulse through the electrodecatheter. This activates theabnormal tissue that is causing your

arrhythmia. Other catheters recordthe heart’s electrical signals to locatethe abnormal sites.

· The doctor places thecatheter at the exact site inside yourheart where the abnormal cells are.Then, a mild, painless,radiofrequency energy (similar tomicrowave heat) is sent to the tissue.This destroys heart muscle cells in avery small area (about 1/5 of aninch) that are responsible for theextra impulses that caused yourrapid heartbeats.

· Catheter ablation usuallytakes 2 to 4 hours. If you have morethan one area of abnormal tissue,the procedure will take longer. Youcan usually go home the same day,or you may have to stay overnight.

NOTE: During this procedure, thetip of a catheter is guided to the areaof heart tissue that is producingabnormal electrical signals. Then thecatheter emits a pulse of painlessradiofrequency energy that destroysthe abnormal tissue and corrects theirregular heartbeat.

What happens after catheterablation?You’ll be moved to a recovery room.The sheath usually stays in your legfor several hours after catheterablation. During this time, you haveto lie flat.After the doctor or nurse removesthe sheath:· A nurse will put pressure onthe puncture site to stop thebleeding.· You should keep your legstraight for 6 to 8 hours after thedoctor or nurse removes the sheath.The nurse will tell you when you canget out of bed.

· The nurse will watch youcarefully and check your heartbeatand vital signs (pulse and bloodpressure). · Tell your doctor or nurseright away if you notice any swelling,pain or bleeding at the puncture site,or if you have chest pain.· Before you leave thehospital, the nurse will give youwritten instructions about what todo at home.· Aspirin is often prescribedfor 2 to 4 weeks to minimize riskof clot formation at ablation sites.·What happens after I get home?

Follow the instructions your nurseor doctor gave you. Most peoplecan return to their normal activitieson the day after they leave thehospital.· Don’t drive for 24 hoursafter you leave the hospital.· Don’t drink alcohol for 24hours after you leave the hospital.· Avoid heavy physical activityfor three days. Ask your doctorwhen you can return to strenuousexercise.· A small bruise at thepuncture site is normal. If the sitestarts to bleed, lie flat and pressfirmly on top of it. Have someonecall the doctor or hospital.

How can I learn more aboutcatheter ablation?Talk with your doctor. Here aresome good questions to ask:· Why do you think catheterablation will help me?· Are there other treatmentswe should consider?· How did I get this arrhythmia?· Will I need to take medicineor have another procedure after Ihave catheter ablation?

National Institutes of HealthNHLBI Health Information CenterP.O. Box 30105Bethesda, MD 20824-0105

“I was in the emergency depart-ment every few days with SVT. Ifelt awful and the medicines justweren’t working. After catheterablation I can go to work and ex-ercise without SVT.” Bill, age 61.

POW Photos Order FormThese black & white 8x10” photographs are available

from MedSearch. Please include a donation of $5.00

per picture, or $50.00 for the complete set of 12 with

your order. Fill out the form below with selections.

Fill in the number of copies

of each picture desired in the

blank beside the picture’s

identification number:

1._____5._____9._____

2._____6._____10.____

3._____7._____11.____

4._____8._____12.____

Set of 12 photos_______

Mail to:AXPOW National Headquarters

POBOX 3444, Arlington, TX 76007-3444

PH: 817-649-2979;EMAIL: [email protected]

Name

___________________________________________________________________

Address

_________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip

____________________________________________________________

Total Amount Enclosed or Charged

($5.00 per picture/$50.00 for set of 12) __________

1. Santo Tomas prison camp

internees Lee Rogers and

John Todd.

10. POWs at Cabanatuan

Camp 3 beaten with clubs.

11. Bilibid POW hospital

ward, Philippine Islands.12. Bataan Death March,

April 1942.

2. Pvt. Robert Collins & M/

Sgt. Woodrow Haines back

behind UN lines, Chechon,

Korea.

6. Private Joe Demler and

another POW are liberated

from XII-A, Limburg.

3. Pfc. Robert Brandon

rations Red Cross parcels,

Stalag IX-B.

4. Nichols Field Detail, PI,

taken at Pasay Schoolhouse.5. An American POW suf-

fering from dry beri-beri be-

ing treated in Bilibid.

7. Survivors of Suchon

Tunnel Massacre, Korea.

8. Three American POWS

released by the Viet Cong

near Tay Ninh City.

9. Nick Mustacchia. 100

days as a POW -- 100 lb.

weight loss. Stalag Luft IV.

Checks payable to AXPOW


10

NC Charles Susino JrChairman136 Jefferson StreetMetuchen, NJ 08840(732) 549-5775 phone & fax(732) 713-8811 cell

legislative


11

Legislative CommitteePNC Charles Susino, Jr.

ND Charles Anthony [email protected]

My hope is that the legislative col-umn provides you an informativesummary of the activities of Wash-ington as it relates to veterans andmore specifically those of us thathave served and were prisoners ofwar. It is important that you stayabreast of the world events and is-sues facing veterans to put someof these actions in context. Theworld is a smaller place than it waswhen I served in WWII in the Euro-pean theater and seemingly smallerevery day. Events taking place a halfa world away have a direct and im-mediate impact on America. We cannot stand silently and we can’t standstill as a nation.

Some of the more recent actionstaken by the President consist of:· Veterans Appeals Improvementand Modernization Act of 2017,which provides three options forveterans to appeal disability ratingdecisions made by the VeteransBenefits Administration. The threeoptions available to veteransdissatisfied with their initial claimsrating decisions are to seek a higher-level review by a regional office onthe same evidence presented to theoriginal claims processors; to file asupplemental claim with a regionaloffice that would include theopportunity to submit additional

evidence; or to opt for an expeditedconsideration of their appealdirectly to the Board of Veterans’Appeals.

· The president signed the GlobalWar on Terrorism (GWOT)MemorialAct into law which allows the GWOTMemorial Foundation to securefederal approval for acreage on theNational Mall, and coordinate anational design competition. Wehave all been witness to how longafter the end of a conflict, amemorial is finally established, andsadly in some cases after many ofthe veterans have passed awaynever realizing the benefit of itsestablishment.

· V-J Day Commemoration tookplace on September 2 in Washingtonthe 72nd anniversary of Victory overJapan Day at the National World WarII Memorial. I hope many of you thatare able to travel made the trip.

· The GI Bill got an upgrade withthe President’s signing of the HarryW. Colmery Veterans EducationAssistance Act of 2017. The new Billprotects the benefits veterans haveearned, expands access andeligibility, and removes severalrestrictions.

· Last year’s National DefenseAuthorization Act increasedTRICARE costs for military retireeswho enter the military after January1, 2018, and their families. Currentmilitary retirees and their familymembers are exempt from thesecost increases, but a proposal whichwas recently advanced by theSenate would remove thisexemption so this action will haveto be monitored.

· As we age, so many of ourmedications are prescribed on anongoing basis. There will be a

change in policy for PharmacyAutomatic Refills beginning Sept. 1,2017, through Express Scripts whichwill need annual consent frompatients who want to receiveautomatic refills of maintenancemedications enrolled in the TRICAREPharmacy Home Delivery program.After the last refill of a medicationenrolled in the Automatic Refillprogram ships, Express Scripts willreach out to the beneficiary bytelephone and/or email (dependingon indicated preference) forconsent. Express Scripts will not re-enroll medications unless they hearfrom a beneficiary via theautomated phone call, online atExpress-Scripts.com/TRICARE, or anExpress Scripts Patient Care.

· Over the past few years,awareness has risen concerning therapidly shrinking in-ground burialspace availability at ArlingtonNational Cemetery (ANC). A recentreport to Congress indicates thatgiven current conditions, ANC willreach its capacity and will be forcedto close in about 25 years. Toremedy this, several proposals havebeen offered for consideration bythe Department of Defense,including restricting the eligibilitycriteria required for burial, as wellas expanding the cemetery byannexing pieces of Ft. Meyer. Lastmonth, ANC launched an onlinesurvey, in order to gauge theopinions of visitors, militarymembers, veterans and retirees,regarding the best way forward forthis piece of hallowed ground.Please take a few moments and letyour opinion be heard.

My wish is that all of you are ofgood health and can attend, or atthe minimum view, one of the manyupcoming Veterans Day functions inyour area.

andersonville

Andersonville NHS496 Cemetery RoadAndersonville, GA 31711(229) 924-0343Supt. Charles [email protected]


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Fall brings cooler temperatures andspecial events to Andersonville Na-tional Historic Site.

This year’s recognition of NationalFormer POW/MIA Day in Septemberwill include our Avenue of Flags, aConvocation program, and the RideHome Ceremony. On September 8,the park will raise the Avenue ofFlags with the help of Robins Rid-ers. This moving display of over 200full-sized American, POW/MIA, andstate flags brings many visitors tothe park. At 11:00 a.m. on Septem-ber 13 at Georgia SouthwesternState University’s Convocation,guest speaker Mindy Kotler willpresent “From Torture to Triumph:American POWs of Japan.” Kotler,who is the founder and director ofAsia Policy Point, will discuss herwork with former POWs and the dip-lomatic efforts that led to an offi-cial apology by Japan. At 9:00 a.m.on September 15 at the NationalPrisoner of War Museum, our part-ner, The Ride Home, will bring doz-ens of former POWs and hundredsof supporters to the park for a spe-cial ceremony. Featured speakerSeymour Lichtenfeld will share hisstory and experiences as a prisoner

of war held by Germany duringWorld War II.

In November, the park will offer anopportunity for visitors to experi-ence the museum and historicprison site after dark during ourNight Museum event. From 6:00 p.m.– 9:00 p.m. on November 11, livinghistorians will give visitors a glimpseinto what life was like for Unionprisoners struggling to survive andstay warm under the night skies atAndersonville. At 7:00 p.m., guestspeaker April Baldwin, a Park Rangerfrom Selma to Montgomery NationalHistoric Trail, will present “Recon-struction: Life at Andersonville af-ter the Civil War”.

December will bring our WreathsAcross America event. In partner-ship with the Civil Air Patrol, we in-vite visitors to sponsor and placewreaths on graves in the nationalcemetery after a memorial cer-emony conducted at the rostrum atnoon on December 16. Wreaths areplaced to honor those resting hereand ensure their sacrifices are notforgotten. Our goal is to eventuallyplace wreaths on all of the nearly21,000 graves in Andersonville Na-tional Cemetery.

We invite you to join us this fall forone or more of these commemora-tive events.

New volunteers and interns havearrived to offer vital help for ourmuseum and visitor services pro-gram. Doug and Diane Taylor will bestaying on one of the park’s RVpads while volunteering at the mu-seum until the end of October. In-tern Tanner Christy is helping withmuseum operations and specialprojects this fall. KatherineWilliamson is getting some greatexperience at the park in a studentinternship through a partnershipwith Georgia Southwestern StateUniversity. We would not be able tooffer interpretive tours, school pro-grams, and other services to ourvisitors without the valued help andcontributions of these interns andvolunteers.

The “Victory From Within” travelingPOW exhibit is now on display at theNational Naval Aviation Museum inPensacola, Florida. This museumalso features its own, permanentPrisoners Of War Exhibit that fo-cuses on POWs of Vietnam. We in-vite those in the Pensacola area tomake a trip to the National NavalAviation Museum to see the park’straveling POW exhibit and themuseum’s POWs of Vietnam exhibit.

April 2018 will mark the 20th anni-versary of the opening of thepark’s National Prisoner of War Mu-seum. Design and construction ofthe museum was the result of a re-

Ribbon Cutting CeremonyApril 9, 1998


13

andersonville, cont’d..

markable effort and partnershipbetween the American Ex-Prisonersof War, the Friends ofAndersonville, and the National ParkService.

In the 1998 museum dedicationbooklet, U.S. Ambassador to Viet-nam and former POW Pete Petersonwrote: “Destiny has marked this re-markable place for high purpose. Itis our legacy and the legacy of allAmericans throughout our Nation’shistory that were POWs that wehonor here. The National POW Mu-seum will serve to educate this andfuture generations about their sac-rifices and will capture in its displaysa vivid picture of the high cost offreedom.”

The park will commemorate the 20th

anniversary of the National Prisonerof War Museum with special pro-grams and activities on Sunday, April8, 2018. We invite the American Ex-Prisoners of War and its membersto join the Friends of Andersonvilleand the National Park Service in rec-ognizing this milestone and the con-tinued importance of preservingand interpreting the stories of allAmerican POWs. We invite all formerPOWs to be our honored guests atthis event and hope you will attend.We are also seeking former POWswho are willing to speak and sharetheir experiences with visitors dur-ing this April 2018 event. If you orsomeone you know might be inter-ested in speaking at this event,please contact Jody Mays, Chief ofInterpretation and Resource Man-agement, at 229-924-0343 ext. 115or [email protected] for more in-formation.

namPOWMarigold & TheMad Bomberof Hanoiby Richard A. Stratton, USN (Ret.)aka The [email protected]

During the month of June 1966, aPolish and an Italian diplomat inSaigon decided that they would usetheir good offices and connectionsto attempt to surreptitiously bringNorth Vietnam and America to thebargaining table with the objectiveof ending the Vietnam war. Duringthat same month, a Lieutenant Com-mander in Lemoore Californiajoined a Light Attack Squadron thatwas working up to deploy to par-ticipate in that very same war. Thepeace initiative was code named“Marigold” and the LCdr was nicknamed “The Beak”.

On the surface of it, the peace ini-tiative was not a pipe dream but apossibility however remote.

The Polish diplomat had connec-tions in Hanoi on the highest leveland had access via the InternationalControl Commission. The Italian dip-lomat had the trust and confidenceof any number of European com-munists in diplomatic circles as wellthat of the American Ambassadorto the Republic of Vietnam.

By October of 1966 Marigold hadreached a delicate stage wherebythere was a tentative agreementmade for high level official delegatesof the DRV and the USA to meet in

Poland to discuss the frameworkfor opening secret negotiationsbetween the two countries. In thesame month, The Beak set sail fromSan Diego in the USS Ticonderogaheaded for air operations againstthe DRV.

Just as Marigold was now being con-trolled by the highest levels of gov-ernment so to were air operationsbeing controlled literally from thebasement of the White House (tar-get assignments) and the Pentagon(rules of engagement). In Poland,communications were crossed,meetings were missed and misun-derstandings proliferated. The Ticogot on station and was busy chas-ing bicycles and water buffalos upand down the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

By December, the DRV had decidedthat it was more interested in pre-paring for the late winter Tet Of-fensive to win the war than theywere in an immediate peace effort.The great rendezvous of doves inPoland fell through with a resound-ing crash and recriminations. TheWhite House finally released to theTico a meaningful target, the VanDien truck repair facility in the Hanoiarea. The air wing mounted two al-pha strikes (30 aircraft with supportflights) in succeeding days. Uncle Hocried “foul” that the previously pro-tected Hanoi area had been violatedand alleged massive civilian casual-ties. LBJ denied hitting the city ofHanoi and stated that any casualtieswere self-inflicted by SAM’s fallingback on the city. Uncle Ho called LBJa liar (hardly original) and used theraids as the excuse for breaking offall peace feelers including the mostpromising Marigold. The blame wasLBJ’s.

Hanoi had invited any number offriendly journalists and other fellowtravelers over to observe the re-sults of the American War crimes.These junkets included folks alliedwith Bertrand Russell’s InternationalWar Crimes Tribunal. They engi-neered all kinds of show and tell op-

“There is nothing so Americanas our national parks.... Thefundamental idea behind theparks...is that the countrybelongs to the people, that it isin process of making for theenrichment of the lives of all ofus.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt(1936)


14

namPOW cont’d...

erations to illustrate the “warcrimes” however, they were lacking“The Mad Bomber” who had de-stroyed their sacred capitol city. In-conveniently, the USA and declareda Christmas bombing halt. So, theyhad no Yankee Air Pirate to put ondisplay to blame for the demise ofMarigold and the perfidy of LBJ.

Come January and the bombing ofVietnam begins anew. Within days“The Beak” conveniently shot him-self down with his defective KoreanWar Era rockets and was literallyplucked out of a tree by the peas-ants and delivered to the militia.During interrogation, he had little tooffer under torture that is of anymilitary value. Most of his weaponswere old iron bombs and rocketsleft over from WW II and Korea. Tar-gets were assigned by the WhiteHouse and given to the ship with 24hours’ notice at best. It did not takelong for The Beak to be turned overby the military to the political cadre.They finally had their Mad Bomberof Hanoi.

John Takman, a member of theminiscule Swedish communist party,was touring NVN as part of theRussell International War CrimesTribunal. How delightful it would befor him to witness the confessionof one of the Yankee Air Pirateswho had targeted and executed the

dastardly raid on the city of Hanoiwhich the President of the USAhad denied ever happening!

In the meantime, the political cadrewere collecting samples of TheBeak’s writing – penmanship, gram-mar, vocabulary, slang and flow.This process was involuntary, un-der duress, nonsensical, and attime irrational. From The Ropestorture sequence his hands weremalfunctioning, the pen was hardto grasp or hold and his penman-ship was blessedly almost illegible.After a few weeks, the lead Cadre,The Rabbit, showed The Beak astatement which he, the Rabbit,had written using fragments writ-ten by The Beak over the courseof a month. It was the statementof The Mad Bomber of Hanoi ad-mitting to the December raidswhich had ruined Marigold! SinceThe Beak had not flown the VanDien raids nor had he bombedHanoi, it would have been difficultto confess to something that hedid not do. It was total fabricatedpack of garbage.

The Beak was told that he was go-ing to read this at a political rally.The Beak allowed how that wasnot going to happen. He braggedthat he was fluent in five lan-guages; he lied. He had studiedGreek, Latin, Spanish, French, andEnglish –and flunked them all. Theproduct was a forced tape record-ing of The Beak reading thespeech while monitored by twofluent English speakers to ensureno tricks.

About a week later, March 6, 1966,The Beak, dressed up in his for-mal prison garb, bulked out with acouple of loaned sweat shirts anda fevered swollen beak blinkinglike that of Rudolph, was takenout of his cell, blindfolded anddumped at bayonet point into therear of a weapons carrier. Afterabout an hour he was ushered intowhat appeared to be the back-stage wing of a theater.

The tape recording of the MadBomber statement was played. TheBeak was pushed out on to the

stage and told to “bow prettily” to thehead table and the audience. Realiz-ing that the botched tape recordingwas still a credible piece of junk; TheBeak resolved to do one more thing.

He reasoned that it would make nosense to shout out as there could beno friend in that audience. A crowdof photographers rushed the stageand provided the inspiration to playa part – The Manchurian Candidate.The Beak would pretend to be brainwashed or drugged, box the compasswith profound bows and make theguards drag him off stage. One of theguards helped things along by yellingout, after the first round “BOW!”. Atwhich point The Beak boxed the com-pass with profound bows again.

They got the hook and hauled theBeak off stage. Some reporter askedfor a copy of the statement in myown handwriting, which of coursethey could not produce since he didnot write it. The Cadre asked TheBeak why he did not bow prettily. Hereplied that he was afraid of cameras,panicked and reverted to his “ancientRoman Catholic custom of the pro-found bow.” Since some animistmountain Vietnamese do indeed fearthat cameras will steal their souls andsince Hanoi had its share of RomanCatholics, the Cadre tended to be-lieve The Beak. However, they didspend the entire night having TheBeak generate a hand-written copy of


15

the statement to be whisked off bymessenger at daybreak.

Lee Lockwood, a photo journalist,was being held over an extra day atthe end of a long trip through NVN.He was not told why but the rea-son was they wanted his camera atThe Mad Bomber’s performance. Hegot a picture of the bow and madeit a part of the spread he sold toLife magazine. He had the decencyto make the observation that some-thing was wrong over there. Theevent caused the Department ofDefense to finally acknowledge theprisoner mistreatment and the StateDepartment to officially recognizethe DRV’s violation of InternationalLaw regarding Prisoners of War.

The two prime diplomats involvedin the abortive Polish sponsoredpeace negotiations could not bringthemselves to believe that their ef-forts were dead in the water. Theyheld out hopes through the end ofthe annual year and the Luna Year.However, the performance of TheMad Bomber of Hanoi and the Tetoffensive convinced them that theirproject was finished.

The years passed and HenryKissinger finally managed to com-mence secret negotiations to seri-ously address the disengagementof USA from Vietnam. On March 4,1973 The Beak was dressed up inrelease grey chinos, marched ontoa bus with nary a gun in sight andtaken to Hanoi’s Gia Lam airport toparticipate in the release specifiedin the Peace Treaty. Our SeniorRanking Officer lined the bus loadup and marched them to the demar-cation line. As your name was called,you would cross the line, salute theUS receiving officer and then fol-low an escort officer to a waitingC-141.

The names were being called out bya North Vietnamese officer using abull horn. The voice sounded famil-iar. As The Beak got to the demar-cation line he could clearly see that

pow/mia

Mary Schantag, ChairmanP.O.W. [email protected]

Recovery Efforts Aidedby Non-Profits

While the position of Director ofDPAA remains open at this point,remains identifications continue atan astonishing pace when comparedto years past. As of late August, theDPAA website listed the remainsidentifications as coming from thecountries of:Belgium 1, Burma 3, Cambodia 1,France 2, Germany 5, India 1, Italy 3,Laos 5, Netherlands 1, North Korea25, Palau 3, Papua New Guinea 2,Pearl Harbor 17, Pearl Harbor Hawaii8, Philippines 4, Poland 2, Saipan 1,Solomon Islands 1, South Korea 11,Tarawa 11, Tarawa Atoll 6, Ukraine1, Vietnam, 7, Yugoslavia 1.

The branches represented with theannouncements include:Civilian 3, U.S. Air Force 5, U.S. AirForce Reserve 3, U.S. Army 46, U.S.Army Air Forces 13, U.S. MarineCorps 12, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve10, U.S. Naval Reserve 1, U.S. Navy24, U.S. Navy Reserve 4.

Due to budget restraints, many ofthe identifications come from ear-lier exhumations of remains fromforeign cemeteries or battlefields.When those remains were unidenti-fiable, many were interred once

marigold, cont’d...

it was The Rabbit calling out hisname. The Beak was furious. He re-membered six years ago - March 6,1967. He crossed the line, salutedthe USAF Colonel and grabbed hisarm in a death grip. In a stage whis-per he spit out: “Get an ID and pic-ture of that Son of a Bitch with thebull horn; he is responsible for tor-turing 95% of us!” The Colonelstruggled to free his arm and re-plied: “For cripes sake we got himDick. Get the hell out of here. Youare screwing up the release.”

Talk about being in the wrong placeat the wrong time! In 1967 The Beakwas the spitting image of the VCcaricature of a Yankee Air Pirate:light attack bomber pilot, six feettall, big nose, crew cut dark beardand 180 pounds. The VC had an im-mediate need of producing the mis-creant who bombed their capitol, ofproving LBJ a liar, and of justifyingthe termination of Marigold due toUS malfeasance.

The Beak was made to order. Youcan’t win them all. Needless to say,the marigold is not The Beak’s fa-vorite flower.

pow/mia cont’d...


16

again. In the late 40’s those remainswere disinterred again and moved tothe Punchbowl in Hawaii. In 2016, withnew technology available, those re-mains were again moved to theDPAA laboratory for analysis.

Included in the statistics are the ef-forts at recovery by Non-Govern-mental Organizations (NGO) that areworking deep water and specificgeographical areas of loss. All re-covered remains still must go to aDPAA authorized lab for the processof identification, but this allows mul-tiple efforts to be ongoing at thesame time, in more areas than everbefore.

There are family members or inde-pendent researchers compiling hugeamounts of data from old recordsor recently received documents re-quested long ago under the Free-dom of Information Act. Some ofthose involved (no official, all inclu-sive list can be located) as NGO’s inthe work to recover aircraft or re-mains lost decades ago include:https://bentprop.org/; http://www.wfirg.com/; http://www.koreanwarpowmia.net/index.htm; http://www.miarecoveries.org/; http://historyflight.com/nw/; http://historyflight.com/nw/aboutus_staff.php; https://www.pacificwrecks.com/

Many times these organizations havemore results, at a lower cost, with afaster recovery process than DPPAdirect efforts. Without the need toreply solely on USG funding, they arefree to pursue projects without bud-get deadlines or the restraints ofgovernment to government negotia-tions.

Many pursuits are in areas that DPAAhas previously considered to havelittle chance of success.

According to press and HistoryFlight’s website, they have recov-ered 110 Americans in the Pacific,and 7 in Europe in the last few yearsusing state-of-the-art recoverytechniques.

In 2017, the private, non-profit His-tory Flight recovered remains oflong-missing U.S. personnel fromthe Nov. 20-23, 1943 Battleof Tarawa and its aftermath onBetio Island. It was the “second-larg-est single recovery of U.S. battle-field remains since the Korean War,topped only by History Flight’s 2015recovery of 35 sets of remains, in-cluding those of Medal of Honorrecipient U.S. Marine 1stLt. Alexander Bonnyman, Jr., also onBetio.”

A private researcher and USMC Viet-nam veteran from Rhode Island isworking on locating many of the ca-sualties memorialized in local cem-eteries, but not data based any-where. World War II records are in-complete, with no centralized listaccording to Ted Darcy. It has takenhim over 17 years to document the72,598 names on his list. Many arestill missing.

Darcy started by huntingfor wrecked planes to sal-vage. By the time he wasdone with a “first case” ofan unknown, he washooked and continues sal-vage efforts and thedocumentation of WWIIlosses.

He says his salvage ef-forts pay the high cost ofrecords retrieval for eachdeceased service memberhe finds a need to re-search.

It has taken him over nineyears to document loca-tions of remains from thebattle fields of Tarawa,hoping one day to bringhome and have identified,343 sets of remains “inone shot.”

The BentProp Project focuses onWorld War Two losses within thePalau Islands. They too, are “self-funded,” working with just 20 vol-unteers to recover both aircraft andaircrew lost on September 15, 1944.Much of their work is tedious re-search, so the success rate of theirfield work yields the best result.

In doing work on foreign soil, coor-dination is mandatory between gov-ernments and the organization. Ad-ditionally, the involvement of vari-ous historical centers such as theMarine Corps Historical Center, theNavy Heritage and Historical Center,and the Air Force Historical ResearchAgency are vital.

While the BentProp project worksindependently of DPAA - they donotify DPAA of mission plans, mis-sion findings, and final results. Theyare not privy to any informationfrom DPAA, and make sure thatshould remains or evidence befound, rules of chain of custodyor site integrity are followed.

So far, BentProp has successfullylocated 8 MIA’s and has 32 openPOW/MIA cases.


17

A Death Sentencereprinted from Beyond the Wire

The Intramuros in Manila, the oldwalled Spanish town, is a popularspot for tourists and residents aswell. You can ride a carromata tovisit local attractions, and the streetsand shops are decorated in wild col-ors for festivals. At the north end ofthe Intramuros is Fort Santiagooverlooking the Pasig River whereit empties into Manila Bay, a tran-quil place with spreading trees pro-viding comfort and shade. TheIntramuros is almost wholly rebuiltsince its devastation during theBattle of Manila, though it has takenmany years to correct the wholesaledestruction. The churches and otherbuildings have been rebuilt and itsenormous surrounding wall restoredwith huge stone blocks.

It’s difficult to believe that in 1945this beautiful and historical placewas virtually leveled during theBattle of Manila as the Japanesedefended to their death the defen-sive positions within the walls, hold-ing out for three weeks against theAmerican forces seeking to liberateManila. For the duration of their oc-cupation of Manila, the Japaneseused Fort Santiago as headquartersfor the Kempetai, their secret po-lice, where they could interrogateand execute prisoners. Then duringthe battle, they herded hundreds ofprisoners into an underground cellbelow sea level where the rising tidedrowned them all. Other prisonerswere kept in drier cells, where theywere neglected by their prisonguards so they died of thirst. At anytime during the Japanese occupa-tion, it was considered virtually adeath sentence to be arrested andtaken to Fort Santiago. If a personsurvived the torture, it may onlyhave been for the relief of beingtaken out and executed. Not manypeople survived to tell about whathappened within those walls, but thefollowing is excerpted from thedeposition for the War Crimes Tri-

bunal of Joseph Eisenberg, a civil-ian newspaper correspondent.

From April 11, 1942 until about No-vember 1942 I was held by the Japa-nese as a prisoner of war after be-ing captured by the Japanese Armyon Bataan. Thereafter I was consid-ered as an internee.

I was taken to Fort Santiago whereI remained as a prisoner of war un-til transferred in June 1942 to thePhilippine General Hospital in Manila,where I remained until November 9,1942 when I was transferred to thehospital at Santo Tomas InternmentCamp. I remained in the camp untiltransferred to Los Baños Intern-ment Camp in May 1943, where Iremained until December when I wastransferred back to Santo Tomasfor further hospitalization. I re-mained in this camp until January 13,1945, when I escaped and remainedhidden in Manila until February 11,when I made my way to the Ameri-can lines.

While I was in Fort Santiago, therewere daily instances of beatings andtortures on the part of the JapaneseMilitary Police, whose namethroughout the city of Manila was abyword for fear. It was commonlybelieved by the Philippine peoplethat no one who was imprisoned atFont Santiago ever left it alive. Itappeared to be a common practiceof the Japanese Military Police tobeat up and otherwise brutalizeeveryone brought in, even prior toquestioning. I heard many prisonersbeing beaten in adjacent cells tomine. I saw a number of beatingsmyself in our cell and saw the re-sults of numerous others, includingburning with lighted cigarettes. I wasmyself beaten several times. I wasslapped vigorously across the face,beaten with the flat of a sword, stillin its scabbard across the back andshoulders, and then with a boardacross the kidneys. It was a com-mon practice to beat the prisonersacross the kidneys and buttockswith some heavy implement, usuallya heavy board or the flat of a shovel.The customary procedure was tohang the prisoner up by his arms,which were tied behind him, a rodor board thrust through the crook

of his elbows and across his backand the board supported by a ropefrom the ceiling so that the prisonerwas left dangling with his feet offthe floor. This practice often re-sulted in a man’s arms almost beingwrenched from the shoulder sock-ets.

In my case, I was forced to kneelon an open sharp edged, grocerybox, with my bare shins in contactwith the wood, which producedgreat pain. Another time I wasforced to kneel with my feet thruststraight out behind me so that allmy weight rested on my instepwhich exerted a great strain on thetendons which produced excruciat-ing pain.

Another one of the most seriousphases of the imprisonment wasthe terrible crowded conditions inthe cells and the lack of any ad-equate sanitary facilities. I was in acell 13½ ft. x 16 ft. with anywherefrom 16 to 22 men. With 16 men inthe cell, it was barely possible forall to recline. With more than 16, itwas not possible and we wereforced to sleep in a squatting posi-tion.

The cells were located. along corri-dors underneath the building andhad no outside ventilation, and be-cause of the heat and congestion,the atmosphere was stifling. Therewas a narrow slit in the floor of thecell at the rear, covered by a trapdoor, under which was located along shallow tin box. This was thetoilet facilities and was supposedto be emptied by a prisoner everyday, but the guards often wouldn’tallow this and the result was a foulsmell of human waste added to thestench of unwashed bodies.

There was a water tap imbedded inthe floor of the cell at the rear forwashing purposed, but the watersupply was greatly inadequate dueto the overcrowded condition ofthe prison and it was often neces-

civilians


18

sary to wait for several hours toobtain an adequate trickle of water.The food furnished us was verymeager. It was quite evident that itwas part of the routine of the Japa-nese to keep their prisoners in aweak and emaciated condition be-cause several times when prisonersobtained an extra serving of rice bya subterfuge and this was discov-ered, they were severely beaten.Whenever anything out of the ordi-nary occurred in a cell as, for ex-ample, a disturbance which nightoccur among the men, the cell wasusually punished collectively by re-moving them to a less desirable cell,if possible. Additional forms of pun-ishment were to put prisoners insolitary confinement without foodor water for a varying period oftime, some such prisoners going fora period of six days without food.As a result of the unsanitary way ofhandling food, permitting flies andother insects to crawl over it, alsoprobably because of the poor qual-ity of the food supplied to beginwith, there was a great deal of dys-entery and other stomach disordersprevalent in the prison. It was prac-tically impossible, however, to se-cure the services of a doctor. Mynormal weight was 168 pounds andwhen I was transferred from FortSantiago to Philippine General Hos-pital on June 20, 1942 - sufferingfrom beri beri, malnutrition, stomachulcers and general collapse, Iweighed 104 pounds.

BACEPOWBay Area Civilian Ex-

Prisoners of War.Membership is open to all

former prisonersof the Japanese, theirfamilies, and friends.

There is an activedescendents group.www.bacepow.netCommander, Angus

Lorenzen

civilians, cont’d...

Oct. 19-22, 2017. The 100th BombGroup Foundation reunion will beheld at the Hyatt Regency Dulles,2300 Dulles Corner Blvd in Herndon,Virginia. This reunion includes anopen arms invitation to members ofthe Stalag Luft III, the Great EscapePrison Camp former prisoners ofwar and family. For moreinformation, contact: Val Burgess:[email protected];307 674-4080 or Nancy Putnam:[email protected], 414 339-2818.

Jan. 6-14, 2018. USS Pueblo 50thAnniversary Cruise will be takenaboard the popular Carnival Con-quest. For information/reserva-tions: VIP World Travel, 4971Ringwood Meadow, Sarasota, FL34235; 941-377-0017 or 800-323-7448; [email protected]: www.vipworldtravel.travel.

March 3, 2018. USS Houston CA-30 Survivors Association & NextGenerations will host a ‘Day of Re-membrance’ at USS Houston CA-30monument, Sam Houston Park at theHeritage Society, 1100 Bagby Street,Houston, TX at 2:30PM. for moreinformation, see: usshouston.org;or [email protected].

April 8, 2018. The 20th anniversaryof the National Prisoner of WarMuseum will be held atAndersonville National Historic Sitewith special programs and activities.AXPOW’s Board of DIrectorsmeeting will be held at Andersonvilleduring this week. There will be moreinformation on this important eventin the next Ex-POW Bulletin.

events

To have your event listed or to place a request in our“looking for” column, please email the editor at

[email protected] at least 90 days in advance.Thank you.

I’m looking for information aboutF.S. Paules that was camp leader ofPOW camp Stalag Luft 4 in 1944.I’m wondering if he is still alive? Ifyou have any information about liv-ing POWs from that camp it wouldbe very helpful to my research. I’min possession of some documentsthat were written in 1944 and hid-den within the camp - they wererecovered by a local guy and givento me when I’ve been putting upcandles in front of Stalag Luft 4monument in Modrolas, Tychowo(German Gross Tychow). They arecontaining statements of eyewit-nesses of shooting to US soldiersby German guards but also someother documents. Most of them areundersigned by T/Sgt F.S. Paules. I’ma WW2 history passionate that livenot far away from the Stalag Luft 4site. Thank you for any help. PeterKoltys. [email protected]

My name is Olga. I am a literary agentof the Ukrainian writer Ivan Korsak.He writes historical novels. Today heis in search of any articles or otherinformation about the participationof people of Ukrainian descent inthe war in Vietnam. We would beextremely grateful for the materialson the participation of Ukrainiansin this war as well as the advices.We are ready to receive them on theterms that you will propose. I’mlooking forward to hearing fromyou. I would be grateful if you couldattend to this matter as soon aspossible. Olga Volkova, literaryagent: tel. +380504387810 [email protected]


19

right behind me in the wheel wellright in front of the bomb bay. Wedropped the bombs; we realized thefire was also by the fuel tank andwe had 10,000 pounds of jet fuelon top of that fire.

“That was not a good situation. EWpunched out. Boom! I thought,thanks a lot. Realizing the situationwas not going to get any better, wehad a choice to make: we could godown in flames like the Air Forcesong says or we could jettison thatpiece of junk and make a nylon let-down to a non precision approach.”

Certain joked that he can vouchthat it is unwise to eject over thetarget just bombed.

He ejected at 35,000 feet, free fellfor 20,000 feet, before the para-chute opened.

“I looked between my combatboots and watched 27 750-poundbombs walk through that target rightbelow me,” Certain said.

About15 minutes later, he landedon the edge of a ditch in North Viet-nam.

“We had a full moon that night,”Certain said. “I had on a white hel-met. The parachute had white pan-els and I don’t have any pigment inmy skin and I had orange hair. If Itook my helmet off, I look like a traf-fic cone. I was surrounded by theenemy. Fortunately, there were fourmilitia with AK-47s who kept thecivilians from killing me and I wascaptured within a few minutes.”

Certain was repatriated a fewmonths later, though his friends —nine other members of LinebackerII — would give the ultimate sacri-fice in the December 1972 battle.

Three lost their lives the first night:Lieutenant Colonel Donald LouisRissi, Capt. Robert J. Thomas andGunner Senior Master Sergeant(SMSGT) Walter Lee Ferguson.

Linebacker II, the largest ever bomb-ing campaign by American B-52s,

occurred during Christmas holidaysin December 1972, when theUnited States dropped at least20,000 tons of explosives ontoNorth Vietnam, mostly over Hanoi(the capitol of North Vietnam at thetime). It is generally accepted thatthe campaign was what brought theNorth Vietnamese back to the peacetable and thereby hastened the endof the Vietnam War.

“It’s a great honor to meet the fami-lies of my friends who died,” Cer-tain said, just before the unveilingon the renovated Linebacker IImonument. “I knew all of the crewon Tan 3 also...These men were allfriends of mine. They all lived hon-orable lives and their efforts helpedto win the war in Vietnam. Why onearth this nation thinks we lost itbeats me. Why the DOD thinks thatthe war ended in 1975 beats me.The war ended on January 29, 1973when the North Vietnamese signeda treaty that we dictated. We wonthe war, and B-52s won that lastbattle. We got all the prisonershome on both sides of the conflictand restored the peace for twoyears until the North decided to in-vade the South.”

During Linebacker II, General JamesR. McCarthy (Ret.) led his wing ontwo B-52 raids against Hanoi, NorthVietnam. He was the Airborne Mis-sion Commander on Dec. 26, 1972— the largest air raid of the Line-backer II campaign.

“In every war, there are unsung he-roes,” McCarthy told the crowd. “Inthe Vietnam War, we had quite a few,and in Linebacker II we had morethan our fair share.”

He pointed out that a lot of Line-backer II information is still classi-fied.

“So the story of Linebacker II hasyet to be told,” McCarthy said.“There are things that have been

Remembering

Linebacker IIBy Mark Brasfield | Courier [email protected]

Rev. Dr. Robert G. Certain, Colonel,USAFR (Ret.) speaks to a crowd ofseveral hundred, Tuesday, at theArkansas Aeroplex before the unveilingof the restored Linebacker IImonument.

The B-52 was above the target atthe precise time.

Radar didn’t indicate any threat fromthe enemy.

“At 15 seconds to go on thebomber, we opened the bomb baydoors,” recalled Rev. Dr. Robert G.Certain, Colonel, USAFR (Ret.), as hespoke to several hundred, Tuesday,during a rededication of the Line-backer II memorial at the ArkansasAeroplex. “Five seconds later Istarted a stopwatch just in casesomething went bad. And just as Iclicked on my stopwatch, the powershut off. We lost our radar. I thoughtthe co-pilot had hit the generatorswitches and knocked them offline.But immediately he started yellingout, ‘they’ve got the pilot, they’vegot the pilot!’ The EW (electronicwarfare) was yelling, ‘is anybodyalive?!’ I turned around, there’s a fire

NewsBriefs


20

news, cont’d... His crew would eventually take thelead, “which was my favorite posi-tion because I was the best naviga-tor in the Air Force and my crew wasthe best crew in the Air Force. Well,at least we were the best fromBlytheville. We were an all-select, all-instructor crew.”

The crew battled other issues aswell, including the aircraft not pres-surizing at one point and a mix upwith the tanker.

But they would make to the targetat the precise time and soon be-come true American heroes.

Certain details the events of thebattle in his book, Unchained Eagle:From Prisoner of War to Prisoner ofChrist.

In his capacity as military chaplain,Certain served parishes in the Dio-ceses of West Texas, Mississippi,West Tennessee, Arizona and SanDiego. He is now Rector of St. Pe-ter and St. Paul Episcopal Church inMarietta, Georgia.

He serves as an advisor to the Sec-retary of Defense through the De-fense Health Board, on its commit-tee on Psychological Health andMedical Ethics and on the TaskForce for Prevention of Suicide byMembers of the Armed Forces. Heis also an advisor to the Secretaryof the VA through the AdvisoryCommittee on Former Prisoners ofWar.

Meanwhile, also speaking at the re-dedication of the Linebacker II Me-morial and ground breaking of thefuture Hulk 46 memorial was Chap-lain Brigadier General Steve Schaick,who is the Deputy Chief of Chap-lains, USAF, at the Pentagon. Schaickwas installation chaplain atBlytheville (Eaker) Air Force Basefrom August 1988 to August 1991.Professional trumpeter Bill Hersheyof St. Louis played To the Colorand Taps at the event, which marked25 years since the closure of thebase.

declassified and hopefully withinthe next several years we will seesomebody come forward and tie itall together. Because, actually, it wasmore of a victory than we thought.”

He added: “We were going againstSA-3 missiles, which was state ofthe art. A B-52 was never designedto go against them, but our guyswere there and despite those mis-siles they got the job done.”

Certain was stationed here in 1971and flew more than 100 missionsover Southeast Asia in 1971-72.

In May of 1972, Certain learned thathe wouldn’t be here for his plannedwedding; he had to leave for Guamin seven days. He and his bride —the former Robbie Wade ofBlytheville — were married as soonas he got off alert.

Certain said on Dec. 18, 1972 hiscrew was scheduled to return toBlytheville.

“We were told on the 15th, all mis-sions were canceled for the 16thand 17th,” he said. “Everybody wasput on crew rest. I was kind of hop-ing the war was over. But my crewfound a truck with keys in it anddrove out to the flight line and no-ticed they were fueling, loading upwater — because B-52s burn water— and weapons. So obviously, wewere not going to turn east whenwe took off.”

“When we were taxiing out, we hadto stop taxiing because of an earthtremor,” Certain continued. “Not agood sign. Then, we were called bythe tower that somebody had donea bag drag in front of us and thedrill was that they would rotate tothe tail end and everybody elsewould move up one.”

The 95th Composite Squadron, CivilAir Patrol from Texarkana presentedthe colors.

And, of course, the final highlight ofthe event came around 6:30 p.m.Tuesday, when a B-52 flew intoBlytheville and a large crowd had anopportunity for an up-close view ofthe aircraft that landed here for thefirst time in a quarter century.

The sounds of the B-52 broughtback memories for many local resi-dents, taking them back in time towhen Blytheville was a key part offoreign policy.

Pre-Need

Burial Eligibility

The Department of Veterans Affairshas launched a new program, Veter-ans Pre Need Burial Eligibility Deter-mination, that will greatly assist Vet-erans and their families. This pro-gram, which is found at, http://www.cem.va.gov/pre-need/

1-Allows Veterans and their familiesto have peace of mind as to theirfuture burial eligibility in a nationalcemetery and2-Saves Veteran’s families valuabletime after a Veteran has died.

Interested individuals may submit VAForm 40-10007, Application for Pre-Need Determination of Eligibility forBurial in a VA National Cemetery,and supporting documentation, suchas a DD Form 214, if readily available,to the VA National Cemetery Sched-uling Office by: toll-free fax at 1-855-840-8299 or mail to the NationalCemetery Scheduling Office, P.O.Box 510543, St. Louis, MO 63151

Once VA determines that individualsare eligible, those individuals will beentitled to the same benefits theywould receive were a determinationmade at the time of need (time ofdeath). These include any or all ofthe following, at no cost to the fam-ily:

Ex-POW Bulletin Oct-Dec 2017

21

•Burial in any open VA nationalcemetery, including opening andclosing of the grave•Grave liner•Perpetual care of the gravesite•Government-furnished uprightheadstone, flat marker or nichecover•Burial flag•Presidential Memorial Certificate Spouses, and eligible dependents,can be buried with their Veteran ata VA national cemetery as well evenif they pre-decease a Veteran.

Veterans

Choice Program

The Veterans Choice Program beganin 2015. On August 12, 2017, thePresident signed the VA Choice andQuality Employment Act of 2017which authorized $2.1 billion in ad-ditional funds for the VeteransChoice Program (VCP). The law re-flects the ongoing commitment ofVA and Congress to make sure Vet-erans get the right care, at the righttime, from the right provider.

If you are already enrolled in VAhealth care, the Choice Program al-lows you to receive health carewithin your community rather thanwaiting for a VA appointment or trav-eling to a VA facility. Using this pro-gram does NOT impact your exist-ing VA health care, or any other VAbenefit.

Am I Eligible?Have you been told by your local VAmedical facility that they can’tschedule your appointment within30 days of the clinically indicateddate or if no such date can be de-termined, your preferred date?

If your current residence more than40 miles from the closest VA medi-cal facility with your full-time pri-mary care physician?

news, cont’d... Do you need to travel by air, boator ferry to the VA medical facilityclosest to your home?

Are you faced with an excessiveburden due to traveling to the clos-est VA medical facility based on geo-graphic challenges, environmentalfactors, or a medical condition?

What do I do if I think I am eligible?Call the Choice Program Call Centerat 866-606-8198 to verify youreligibility and set up an appointment.

Remembering

Prisoners of WarBy Paul Fattig

Longiotti, photographed in 1945, re-ceived a Bronze Star for his partici-pation in the battle of Anzio. — JimCraven

When Cordino Longiotti sits downto a bountiful lunch honoringformer prisoners of war today, histhoughts will likely go back for amoment to leaner times.

Back to the days in 1944 when hewas in a POW camp in Italy.

“All we got for breakfast was a cupof coffee,” he recalled. “For lunch,we had a cup of soup and a slice ofbread. Dinner was either a cup ofsoup or tea.”

And he’ll tell you the soup was thin,the coffee and tea weak and thepieces of bread small. Fights broke

out over food. His weight droppedto a skeletal 90 pounds.

Longiotti, now 94, of Ashland, Or-egon is one of a dozen formerPOWs from throughout the regionfeted at the Department of Veter-ans Affairs’ Southern Oregon Reha-bilitation Center and Clinics in ob-servance of National Prisoner ofWar/ Missing in Action RecognitionDay.

Hailing from Greenville, PA., the re-tired hardware store owner and re-modeling contractor was draftedinto the Army on Feb. 4, 1943. Be-fore donning a uniform, the son ofItalian immigrants met a beautifulyoung woman named Loretta Sani-tate. The two kept up a correspon-dence as he was deployed to NorthAfrica, Sicily and finally to Italy.

Serving as a machine gunner for the179th Infantry Regiment, he sawaction in Salerno and Anzio. It wasduring the latter that he would beawarded a Bronze Star.

“Everybody should have received aBronze Star there — it was real bad,”said the former private first classwith a shrug.

In the bloodbath that was Anzio, hisregiment lost some 55 percent ofits men. The battle began Jan. 22,1944, and waged well into spring.

After a day and night of combat,Longiotti and four other soldiers ina machine gun emplacement alonga road realized on the morning ofFeb. 18 that they were alone.

“Everyone had deserted us,” he re-called of other American troopswho had apparently fallen back.

But the enemy had not. Roundswere striking the emplacement fromboth the front and back.


22

remembering,cont’d...

“We couldn’t even stand up,” he said.“And our machine gun was no longerworking.”

Germans soldiers with their bayo-nets fixed came up from behind. TheAmericans raised their hands in sur-render.

The Nazi soldiers took his pistol andthe watch Loretta had given him.

“We carried our sergeant out in ablanket — he was wounded,” hesaid, adding, “I don’t know whateverhappened to him.”

Back in Pennsylvania, his parentsand girlfriend were told he was miss-ing in action. They would not knowhe was alive for another fivemonths.

The POWs spent three months atthe camp near Laterina in Italy, wherefood was scarce.“We were starving to death,” he said.“There was a lot of diarrhea. Andlice. Oh man, we were loaded withlouse. You’d pick them off and killthem.”

When a POW escaped and wascaught, the soldier would be shotand put on display, he said.

“They’d bring them back in a box andput them out in the yard for every-body to see,” he said.

Yet there was an attempt to tunnelout. The tunnel started in the offic-ers’ barracks about 40 feet fromthe fence.

“Every day they would walk out inthe yard and pretty soon dirt wouldstart falling out of their pant legs

and pockets,” he said. “They’d scat-ter that dirt around.”

Longiotti was preparing to escapewith other POWs through the tun-nel when the escape was called off.

“They figured out they hadn’treached the outer fence,” he said,explaining there were two fences.“They had miscalculated.”

Unfortunately, a POW from Scotlandinformed the guards about the tun-nel. The informant was transferredto another camp and several POWswere placed in solitary, he said.

“We found out later they had tun-neled beyond the second fenceafter all,” he added.

Longiotti was later transferred viatrain to southern Germany to a POWcamp near the hamlet ofUnterthurheim. When he was inter-viewed, Longiotti, who had nevermilked a cow in his life, informedhis captors that he was a farmer.

With food difficult to find, he fig-ured there would be some on afarm. He and 17 other POWs werekept in the camp at night but sentout to work on a nearby farm byday.

“We ate what the farmers ate,” hesaid. “It wasn’t a lot but it was food.There was a lot of sauerkraut andsoupy stuff.”

The solider, who at one point be-came extremely ill with what doc-tors there believed was diphtheria,was able to notify his loved onesthat he was alive.

“Nobody knew where I was for fivemonths,” he said, noting he receivedonly about three cards from Lorettaduring the time he was a POW.Loved ones could only send onecard a week and were restricted towriting 25 words.

His camp was liberated on April 26,1945.

“They let us go to the farms,” hesaid. “We all knew the Americanswere coming. One guard, a sergeantwho stayed in the same house I did,gave me his pistol when the troopsgot there.”

Longiotti returned home and askedLoretta to be his wife. The two hadtwo children and numerous grand-children. Loretta passed away in2012.

“I thought he would come home ina box,” she said in 2007. “We didn’thear from him for a long, long time.When I found out he was alive I senta lot of cards but he didn’t get verymany.”

The two went to Italy for the 60thanniversary of the liberation ofRome in 2004. They met PresidentBush and Laura Bush during a cel-ebration at the U.S. Embassy.

“My experience wasn’t as bad assome,” Longiotti said of otherPOWs. “We didn’t get beaten up. Butit was bad enough.”

MailTribune.comMedford, ORPaul Fattig 776-4496 [email protected].


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“Victory from Within” at the National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, FL


26

contributions

Please send donations to:National Headquarters, PO Box 3444,Arlington, TX 76007-3444

Checks must be made payable toAXPOW or American Ex-Prisoners ofWar.


27

GENERAL FUNDMaumee Valley Chapter #5 ofOhioIn appreciation of AXPOW HQ andthe Bulletin, by Vermont Chapter#1In memory of Anthony JosephHufnagel, by Bridget MullarkeyIn memory of Anthony “Duff”Hufnagel, by Marylou AndersenIn memory of Anthony JosephHufnagel, William TriantafelIn memory of Anthony JosephHufnagel, Marianne RoennaIn memory of Anthony JosephHufnagel, Harry KoteckiIn memory of Bruno J Trocciola,by son Robert TrocciolaIn memory of Claude Davis Young,by Elaine Kimray YoungIn memory of Erwin & Shirley

Lange, by Susan GehringIn memory of Erwin & ShirleyLange, by Joan WischmererIn memory of Erwin & ShirleyLange, by Sharon HulbackIn memory of Erwin & ShirleyLange, by Sonja WendtIn memory of Genevieve Schenck,by her familyIn memory of Guido Pallozzi, byBernice PallozziIn memory of Harold White, by GusBuckaloIn memory of Helen McGee, by herfriendsIn memory of Helen McGee, byKathleen LintulaIn memory of Irene Balay, by LanceTemplarIn memory of Joseph Soukup, byDeborah SoukupIn memory of Louise Lammey, bySusan SlawekIn memory of Paul Jurkovic, byDorothy JurkovicIn memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by the Fitzsimmons FamilyIn memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by Thelma Sharp FitzsimmonsIn memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by Donna & Ron MedeirosIn memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by Ellen HendrixIn memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by Gaylen & Ginger FitzsimmonsIn memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by Marilyn & Don RatszallIn memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by Brenda & Steve ChavezIn memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by Velma Wilson

In memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by James E WellsIn memory of PNC Maurice Sharp,by Deborah L WellsIn memory of Robert Roenna, byMarylou AndersenIn memory of Thomas W Cima, byhis familyIn memory of Verne Seidel, byKaren WoodhouseIn memory of Verne Seidel, byMichele PhillipsIn memory of Verne Seidel, by TimSeidelIn memory of Walter Grotz, byMary GrotzIn memory of William Edd Roberts,by John Sant

VOLUNTARY FUNDINGHarry Fornalczyk, Erie PAIrving Lautman, Monroe Twp NJJohn Bontje, Sioux Falls SDRick & Diane Gretebeck, BrodheadWI

You Can Leave a Legacy...

There are a number of ways to let the legacy of your commitment to the American Ex-Prisoners of Warcontinue on.

An easy option is to visit a bank and buy a CD naming the American Ex-Prisoners of War as the beneficiary,payable-on-death. If you have a life insurance policy that is no longer needed to provide for dependantsconsider making AXPOW the beneficiary. Some assets such as IRAs, Keogh Plans and other qualified retirementplans do not pass directly through your will and also require you to name a beneficiary. Perhaps you’re receiv-ing payments from the sale of a business, real estate or are receiving royalties? You may be able to designateAXPOW as the successor interest to receive any payments that continue after your death.

Your generous support of our programs over the years has made a tremendous difference to ex-POWs andtheir families. I hope you will seriously consider whether a final gift to AXPOW will be the right option for youand your family.

Please take a few minutes of your time to help. And feel free to contactCFO Marsha Coke at 817-649-2979; [email protected] orCEO David Eberly at (757) 508-8453; [email protected]

In June, at our nationalconvention in Texas, we heldour last 50/50 drawing. Thesedrawings were started by oneof our directors who saw a wayfor our members to bothcontribute to AXPOW and alsoquite possibly benefit. We’d liketo thank three of our winnersfor generously donating backto AXPOW’s general fund.

Connie Dager, Glendale, AZGeorge Korb, Kingsville, MD

Cliff Armgard, Genoa, WI

thank you!

new members

Suitable for framing, thiscertificate of captivity,printed on 8½” x 11”quality paper, proudlydisplays your history asa prisoner of war. Eachcertificate background ispersonalized to thetheater of operation. Toreceive this certificatefrom AXPOW, pleaseorder from NationalHeadquarters. If you areordering at Convention,you can place your orderin the Merchandise Room.We will need your name,service number, branch ofservice, unit whencaptured, POW number (ifknown), camp names andlocations. You can call817-649-2979 or email:[email protected] may include apicture with your order.

Certificateof Captivity

National HeadquartersPO Box 3444Arlington, TX 76007-3444(817) 649-2979

request formembership applicationAmerican Ex-Prisoners

of War

Name:_______________________Address:_____________________City/State/Zip:_________________

Membership is open to US Militaryand Civilians captured because of

their US citizenship and theirfamilies.

Do NOT send dues with thisrequest for an application

Mail to:American Ex-Prisoners of WarPO Box 3444Arlington, TX 76007-3444(817) 649-2979

e-mail:[email protected]

WELCOME!


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Lowry Rush Watkins JrLouisville KYGreat grandson of Thomas WalkerBullitt, Civil War

Peter MasconeClarksville MDSon of Attilio Mascone, ETO

Debbie DuFreneMoselle MSDaughter of Clifford Shows, ETO

Anthony R ParedesTacoma WASon of Rudolph Paredes, PAC

taps Please submit taps notices to:

Cheryl Cerbone, 23 Cove View Drive, South Yarmouth, MA 02664


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Past National Commander Maurice Sharp of University Place, WA, passed away July30, 2017, at the age of 84. Maurice was born in Watson, Missouri on June 8, 1933.

On October 2, 1952, he began his career in the Army, servingin the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was just 19 years oldwhen he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war in Ko-rea. He served in the Army for more than 22 years and wasstationed in Fort Riley, Kansas, Fort Leonardwood, Missouri,Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort Ord, Califor-nia, and Fort Lewis, Washington before retiring as a First Ser-geant at Fort Lewis on November 30, 1974. During his militarycareer, Maurice earned numerous medals, including the BronzeStar medal with “V” for “Valor. It was a great honor and he was especially proud of thismedal, because not all those who earned the Bronze Star had the “V” on it as well.

Maurice joined the American Ex-Prisoners of War on September 30, 1994 and became amember of the Tacoma (WA) Chapter. He remained a member until the chapter disbanded in 2016. After encour-agement of his good friends Fran Agnes, Gordy Clark and Jim Wells, he decided to run for office in the nationalorganization of the Ex-Prisoners of War. He held offices of National Director, Jr. Vice Commander, Sr. ViceCommander and ultimately served as National Commander from 2002-2003. He met and worked with manyprominent leaders of our nation; Governor Gary Locke, Representative Dick Muri and Senator Patty Murray, toname a few. In 2003 he was appointed by Governor Locke to serve on the Washington State Veterans AffairsAdvisory Committee. While serving as National Commander he and his wife Bonnie were honored to be invitedtwice to the White House for breakfast, where they had the great privilege of meeting President George W.Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

Maurice was himself an avid promoter of AXPOW and what it stood for. He spent many hours working withPOWs and living up to the organization’s slogan: “We exist to help those who cannot help themselves”. Heworked diligently, along with his wife Bonnie, to guide POWs to the people who could help them get theirrightful disability, which he felt they so richly deserved. Maurice was also very active assisting the widowswherever help was needed. One of his favorite things to do was to be invited into the schools and share hisknowledge with the students regarding ex-POWs and what they went through. This unselfish act was very muchappreciated by the students and teachers alike. He also served faithfully for many years as a volunteer for theTahoma national Cemetery Honor Guard.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Bonnie, 4 children, 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, 1 brother and2 sisters.

Maurice loved working in his yard and each year he strived tohave the most beautiful yard and flowers on the block. Twoof his favorite pastimes were hunting and fishing. He alsoenjoyed traveling with his wife Bonnie and made numeroustrips sightseeing throughout the U.S. They also enjoyedcruises to Alaska, the Bahamas, Canada and New England. InMaurice’s early military years, he was assigned to SchofieldBarracks, Hawaii for three years and he and his family en-joyed making numerous trips back to Hawaii. His great lovewas his wife, his kids, and his grandchildren with whom hespent many hours.

Ex-POW Bulletin

Oct-Dec 2017

30

taps cont’d...BENTON, Rose V., of East Palestine,OH died July 10, 2017 at the age of89. She was the loving wife of ex-POW Paul for 62 years. Both weremembers of the Steel Valley Chap-ter #13 of Ohio and life membersof AXPOW and DAV. Paul prede-ceased her; Rose leaves four niecesand one nephew.

BLOCH, Jean H., of The Bronx, NY,widow of deceased memberJacques W. Bloch (106th Division,422/K, Battle of the Bulge, StalagXIB, Follingbostel) passed away Aug.29, 2017. She was 92. Known forher unfailing optimism, her sense ofhumor and her intellectual curiosity,she is survived by her two children,six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She will be missed.

BROWN, Jennings, 94, a life mem-ber of Fresno Chapter #1, passedaway on August 10, 2017. Jenningswas a gunner on a B-17 bomber inWWII assigned to the 303rd BombGroup out of Molesworth, England. He was shot down on his 6th mis-sion, sent to Stalag Luft 1V, and re-leased in Luft 1 by the Russians inspring of 1945. Jenningsis survived by his wife of 73 years,Beverly, 4 children, 7 grandchildrenand 6 great-grandchildren.

CALLAHAN, Darothy, of Elk Grove,CA died May 25, 2017. She marriedher late husband of 63 years, ex-POW Clifford on Dec. 27, 1945.Together they raised 5 children, 14grandchildren, 34 great-grandchil-dren, 11 great-great-grandchildrenand served as foster parents to 96infants over a 10 year period.Throughout her life Darothy en-joyed reading, singing, traveling,hosting family get-togethers, help-ing those in need and most of allspoiling her pets. Generosity andhospitality were her mantra.

Del Re, Mario Jr., 97, passed awayMay 25, 2017. Mario, a navigatoron a B-17 in WWII, was assigned tothe 379th Bomb Group in Kimbolten,England and was shot down on his4th mission on August 16, 1943 andseverely injured. He was a POW for18 months.. Mario is survived by ahost of family and friends. He wasa life member of Fresno Chapter #1.

DICKEL, James Patrick Sr., 86, ofMt. Savage, MD died Jan. 3, 2017. Hewas captured while serving with the24th Div. stationed in Japan at theoutbreak of the Korean War. Hesurvived the infamous “Tiger DeathMarch” and was held 38 months untilhis release. Jimmy leaves his wife of63 years, Mary Lou, 2 sons, 1 daugh-ter, 6 grandchildren, 6 great-grand-children and a large, loving extendedfamily. He will be missed.

EMMERT, Wallace, 102, a life mem-ber of Fresno Chapter # 1, passedaway on June 15, 2017. Wallace wasa WWII pilot of a B-17 Bomber. Fly-ing out of England, he was shotdown and wounded in October,1943. He was hospitalized in Hol-land until a release-exchange ofPOWs in December of 1944 whenhe was returned to the US. He issurvived by his son Wallace Emmert,Jr.

FIGURACION, Dominador “Dan”, ofLakewood, WA died Apr. 3, 2017. Hewas the favored son of two coun-tries – the Philippines and the USA.Dan was a Philippine Scout duringWWII and was an active member ofthe Tacoma Chapter, AXPOW. Sur-vivors include his loving wife of 71years, Ely, 7 children, grandchildrenand great-grandchildren.

FORTNAM, Robert William, of Con-cord, NH passed away Aug. 1, 2017at the age of 94. He served withthe 305th BG during WWII, flying B-17s. After being shot down, hecrash landed in Holland, then cap-tured by Germans and held in LuftIII. After his return from the war,Bob married his longtime sweet-

heart, Marion L. Johnson. Marionpassed away in 1993. Bob is sur-vived by his wife of 21 years, Janet.Between Bob and Janet there is alarge extended family. Bob leaves 5children, 2 stepchildren, 10 grand-children, 6 step grandchildren and 7great grandchildren, 1 brother andmany nieces and nephews

FREY, Gordon George, 93, ofGeneva, IL died July 22, 2017. Dur-ing WWII, he served with the ArmyCorps of Engineers; landed in Franceand was captured and sent to Oflag64 in Poland. He endured the forcedmarch across Germany before be-ing liberated. Gordon is survived byhis loving wife, June, 2 sons, 1daughter, 5 grandchildren, 1 great-grandson and his beloved cat, Cat2.

GUNVALSON, Russell Lloyd, 93, ofRochester, MN passed away May 23,2017. He served as a forward artil-lery observer in Battery A, 590th FieldArtillery Bn, 106th Div. Captured inthe Battle of the Bulge, he was heldin Stalag 9-B and 9A until liberation.Russ was preceded in death by hiswife, Idelle; he leaves 1 daughter, 1son, 4 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

HARROW, Douglas, of Stone Moun-tain, GA, died February 25, 2017. Hewas a civilian internee held in SantoTomas Manila. He is survived by hiswife, Virginia. Both are AXPOW lifemembers since 1991.

HARTSHORN, John of HamiltonSquare, NJ passed away July 6, 2017at the age of 91. He served with the78th Div., 310th Inf., L Co; he was cap-tured in Germany and held in Stalag12A. Jack leaves his wife, Doris, 2daughters and 2 grandchildren.

HUFNAGEL, Anthony Joseph, 98,of Glendale Heights, IL died Aug. 3,2017. He was the beloved husbandof 66 years to Isabel, loving fatherof 5 daughters and 1 son, cherishedgrandfather of 16, great-grandfatherof 13, and brother of Agnes. Tony


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was captured in the Battle of theBulge and an active member of theFox River Valley Chapter, AXPOW.

MEYLER, Walter P. of Seabrook, TXdied May 15, 2017. He was 94. Waltwas shot down on October 29, 1944while flying a P-51 and leading a flightin a 12 ship sortie against the rail-road yards at Worms, Germany.Though wounded, it was six daysbefore he was captured and thenmoved by train to Stalag Luft III. Hewas assigned to West CompoundBarracks 169, Room 3. On January27, 1945 West Compound wasalerted for a forced march evacua-tion. He eventually arrived at StalagVIIA where he was held until liber-ated. Walt is survived by a sister, twosons, two grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. His wife of 71 years,Elizabeth, passed away shortly af-ter him on June 6, 2017.

MURPHY, Alvin M. of Sterling, CO,passed away June 20, 2017. DuringWWII, he served with the 15th AF,465th BG, 783rd BS. He was shotdown, captured and held in StalagLuft IV, Lager D. Alvin was a mem-ber of the former Northeast Colo-rado Chapter and life member ofAXPOW. He leaves 1 son, 6 grand-children and several great-grandchil-dren.

PENNINGTON, Robert E., 93, ofHouston, TX died April 16, 2017. Heserved in the 26th Inf. Div., 328th Reg.,Co E; he was captured in the Battleof the Bulge and held until libera-tion. Bob and his wife, Frances, weremarried 70 years; he is also survivedby 1 son, 1daughter, 5 grandchildrenand 8 great-grandchildren.

PRICE, Jerome Pearl Barnes, ofClanton, AL passed away April 8,2017 at the age of 80. She was thebeloved wife of ex-POW Morris (Ko-rean War, 23rd Inf., 2nd Div., Camp 5).Survivors include 1 son, 3 daugh-ters, 1 sister, 10 grandchildren, 13great-grandchildren, 4 great-great-

grandchildren and a host of niecesand nephews.

ROBERTS, William Edd, ofWindcrest, TX died July 9, 2017. Hewas captured while serving with the15th AF, 463rd BG during WWII; he washeld in Luft IV, then marched acrossGermany until liberation. Bill was anactive member of AXPOW, servingas National Director, Commander ofthe Dept. of Texas, and offices inthe San Antonio Chapter. He vol-unteered at the South Texas POW-MIA Office and the Audie Murphy VAhospital. He leaves his wife,“Cookie”, 2 daughters, 1 step-daughter, 1 son, 7 grandchildren, 3great-grandchildren and their fami-lies.

RUSSELL, John M., 93, of Redding,CA died Jan. 13, 2017. During WWII,he served with the 8th AF, 388th BG.He was shot down over the BalticSea, rescued by fishermen, capturedand interned in barracks 32B, Stalag17B. He was liberated by the 13th

Armored Div. John is survived by 2sons, 1 daughter, 8 grandchildren,11 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

SCHAETZL, Ruth I, 93, formerly ofFishkill, NY died June 15, 2017 inMyrtle Beach, SC. She was thewidow of Joseph (ex-POW, 87th Inf.,Co G, held in 12A). They both en-joyed attending conventions andreconnecting with former Army bud-dies and spouses. Survivors include1 daughter, 1 son, 1 granddaughter,1 grandson, 2 great-granddaughtersand their families.

SCHWARZ, Gertrude Emma,affectionately known as ‘Gerri’, or‘Trudy’, was born in Newark, NJAugust 3, 1923. She passed awayJune 26, 2017. After finishing highschool, as the nation laboredthrough WWII, she worked in afactory. In 1946 Trudy married herchildhood sweetheart whom shehad known since she was three—Navy man Otto C. Schwarz. Asurvivor of USS Houston (CA-30),Otto had just been liberated from

prisoner-of-war camps in Burma andThailand at the conclusion of WWII.While raising two sons. Ottoregularly lamented at how he missed,and might never see again, so manyfellow shipmates and prisoners ofwar (many from Australia). At Trudy’surging he began the process ofmaking contact with thoseapproximately 268 men—an effortwhich led to the birth of the USSHouston CA-30 Survivors’Association & Next Generations®which is still alive and well to thisday. Trudy leaves a large and lovingfamily, including: 2 sons and theirfamilies, and 5 grandchildren.

SEIDEL, Verne, life member ofAXPOW and resident of Raymond,IA passed away June 18, 2017. Hewas 99 and the oldest World War IIveteran and POW in Black HawkCounty. Verne served with the 168th

Infantry and was captured at FaidPass in North Africa on February 17,1943 and held at Stalag IIIB inFurstenberg, Germany. In April1945 Verne married Irene Berend ofRaymond who passed in 2016. Verne was a strong advocate forveterans and was proud of his ser-vice in the Army and as an Ex-POW. He is survived by one son and twodaughters and many grandchildrenand great-grandchildren. He will beremembered by his family andfriends as a kind and good man.

STAHLHUT, Robert Fred, 96, of In-dianapolis, IN died June24, 2017. Heserved with the 384th BG, 644th BSduring WWII and when his B-17 wasshot down, he spent 22 months inStalags 7A and 17B. Robert was anactive member of AXPOW both atthe local and state levels; he volun-teered at the VA in Indianapolis. Heis survived by his wife of nearly 72years, Irene, 10 children, 35 grand-children, 36 great-grandchildren and1 great-great-grandchild.

taps cont’d...

taps cont’d...


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STOPPER, Stanley, of Peabody, MAand Pompano Beach, FL died Feb. 23,2017. He leaves behind his belovedwife of 53 years, Ethel. He proudlyserved his country in the 106th Inf.in WWII; he was wounded in theBattle of the Bulge, taken prisonerand held in Stalags 11B and 2A. Inaddition to his wife, Stanley issurvived by many nieces andnephews and extended family. Hehad a full life with wonderful friendsand will be sorely missed.

VAUGHN, Kenneth L., 95, ofBelleville, IL, passed away May 3,2017. at his home with his lovingfamily by his side. In 1940 he en-listed, flying out of Polebrook, En-gland. His plane was shot down andhe was captured by the Germans.He was held in Luft I, Barth until lib-eration. He was a member of the351st Bomb Group Association, andthe Okaw Valley Chapter, AXPOW.

He leaves his loving wife of 69 years,Jean, 2 sons, 8 grandchildren and 2great-grandchildren.

WALDEN, Eva Lucille, of Tulsa, OKdied Feb. 1, 2017 at the age of 97.She was the widow of ex-POWGeorge (Korean War, Camp 3). Evaand George belonged to the TulsaChapter, AXPOW and the KoreanWar EX-POW Association. She is sur-vived by 1 son, 2 grandsons, 5 great-grandchildren, many nieces, neph-ews and friends.

WASZAK, Edward F., 92, of CrystalLake, IL passed away July 1, 2017.Serving with the 12th Armored Divin France, he was captured in the“Bloody Herlsscheim” battle; he washeld in Stalag 11-B. Ed was past com-mander of the Fox River Valley Chap-ter. Survivors include his wife,Therese, 1 daughter, 2 sons, 5grandchildren and their families. Hewill be missed.

A few years I was walking throughmy dark house in the middle of thenight and tripped over an ottoman(foot stool) that had been left a fewinches from its chair.

Ephesians 5:11- 12 “And have nofellowship with the unfruitful worksof darkness, but rather reprovethem. For it is a shame even tospeak of those things which aredone of them in secret.”

The basic instructions of God are:”Keep away from sin” and “Don’ttalk about it.”

Sin behavior (Those acts we do thatare contrary to God plans andinstructions)-Sinful behavior isreferred to as “unfruitful works ofdarkness”. Like myself stumbling inthe dark house so do peoplestumble through life. Many do notknow where they are going, norwhere they are, nor what to doonce they get to their destination.

From the above scripture we learntwo things : First, do not sin-do notbe a rebellious child of God andfurther do not even talk aboutothers’ wrong doing. That’sgossip.

Gossip when repeated oftenenough is well known to become amonster that destroys friendships,families and reputations.

Our brains are amazing. We forgetbut we seldom completely forget.

An example is I find myself occasionally saying, “I know theirname but I just can’t recall it.” Thememory is there but retrieving it isanother matter. But let gossip betold me, THAT I can remember!

God warns us to not gossip aboutthe sins of other people. Wesometimes find ourselves with a“want to know” Attitude that willsoon have us walking in darknessaway from God.

Psalm 18:28 “For thou wilt light mycandle: the Lord my God willenlighten my darkness.”

WEISMAN, Kenneth W., of Wendell,ID died June 23, 2017 at the age of93. Kenny was stationed in Englandwith the 838th BS, 487th BG, 8th AF.He was shot down over Rhode,Germany, captured and held atStalag VIIA until liberation. He is sur-vived by one brother and onenephew.

WILLS, Anne, a long time life mem-ber of Fresno Chapter #1 passedaway on May 21, 2017. Anne wasthe widow of Norval Wills, a WWIIPOW who passed away in 2005. Both were very active & dedicatedmembers.

WRIGHT, Jennie B., 96, of PleasantGarden, NC died July 5, 2017. Shewas the widow of ex-POW Walter.Both were active members of theGreater Greensboro Chapter,AXPOW. She is survived by 2 sons,8 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

ALL CHECKS MUST BE MADE PAYABLE TOAXPOW OR AMERICAN EX-PRISONERS OF WAR


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Contribution should be sent to:A

merican Ex-Prisoners of W

arPO

Box 3444

Arlington, TX

76007-3444

The 106th InfantryDivision Association

Organized atCamp Lucky Strike 1945 active since

1946

If you are a former 106th Infantry Division vet, wereattached to the 106th, a relative of a 106th veteran, you

are eligible for membership in the Association.

The CUB Magazine is published three timesper year. Published since 1946.

Annual Reunions held yearly since 1947.

Jacquelyn Martin, Membership Chairman121 McGregor Ave.

Mount Arlington, N.J. 07856973-663-2410

E-mail: [email protected]


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AMERICAN EX-PRISONERS OF WARVOLUNTARY FUNDING PROGRAM

The AXPOW Voluntary Giving Program parallels that of other VSOs, whereby the entiremembership, including life members, is given the opportunity to contribute to the operation

of our organization, based on ability and willingness to contribute.

All contributions are to be sent directly to National Headquarters to be used for theoperation of the organization. A complete accounting of contributors will appear in the

Bulletin each issue.

I am enclosing my contribution to support the operation of the American Ex-Prisoners of War.

$20.00 $30.00 $40.00 $50.00 $100.00 Other

Please circle one category:

Individual Chapter State Department(If chapter or department, please give name)

Name

Address

City/State/Zip

Phone #

Please make checks payable toAmerican Ex-Prisoners of War - Voluntary Funding

Mail contributions to:National Headquarters

American Ex-Prisoners of WarPO Box 3444

Arlington, TX 76007-3444

My name is Luis Rivera and I am a Veteran / Employee / Volunteer , at the Brockton VA Hospital. Last year Ivolunteered to take care of the POW-MIA Monument , which was donated by the SouthEast Chapter, AXPOWin 1995. These are the before , during and after pictures. Thank you to the following people: Jeff Barnes, andthe grounds crew, who were able to acquire some perennials, which will flourish every year. The gentleman inthe wheelchair is a patient from building 4 , who kindly offered to transport the flowers from my truck to thememorial. His name is Dick and he served with the 2nd of the 18th. Jeff Munsell from our greenhouse , whonoticed that we needed some color and not only donated the colorful Geraniums but also took some of hisprecious time to plant them. Last but not least , is a very special shout-out to Father Francis from our Chapel,whom I asked to bless the flowers again this year and was happy to do so. Thank you Father Francis andeveryone else involved.

Please print:Name____________________________________________________Address__________________________________________________City/State/Zip_____________________________________________Phone ( )___________________ Email _______________________Please allow 4 weeks to make address corrections.

Mail to: National Headquarters, AXPOW, PO Box 3444, Arlington, TX 76007-3444Or fax: (817) 649-0109Or e-mail: [email protected]

All orders for products sold by AXPOW National Organization, including dues/subscriptionsshould be mailed to: American Ex-Prisoners of War National Headquarters

PO Box 3444, Arlington, TX 76007-3444; [email protected]

change of address form Include your mailing label for address change orinquiry. If you are receiving duplicate copies, please send both labels. Ifmoving, please give us your new address in the space provided.

Bronze Grave Medallions

$100.00 includes S/H/I

Challenge Coins!

$13.00 includes S/H/I

ex-pow bulletin · 2018. 3. 23. · ex-pow bulletin (issn 0161-7451) is published quarterly (four...

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