Call To Action Here you will find itmes that need our urgent attention and voices for change Check back often for updates |
Navy to consider closing case of missing pilot |
| By BEN EVANS, Associated Press Writer Ben Evans, Associated Press Writer – Sat Jan 3, 12:14 pm ET
WASHINGTON – The family of a Navy pilot missing since his plane was shot down during the first Gulf war isn't ready to give up hope that he is alive and say they will oppose any decision to declare him killed in action. The Navy has scheduled a review board hearing for Monday on the status of Capt. Michael "Scott" Speicher, who has been missing since January 1991, when his FA-18 Hornet was shot down in Iraq on the first night of the Persian Gulf War. The hearing comes several months after the Navy received a fresh intelligence report on Speicher from Iraq. Speicher's family, which has seen the latest information, believes Navy Secretary Donald Winter is moving toward changing Speicher's status from missing/captured to killed, according to family spokeswoman and attorney Cindy Laquidara. The family — including two college-age children who were toddlers when Speicher went missing — believes the Pentagon should do more to determine definitively what happened, Laquidara said. They see the outcome as setting a standard for future missing-in-action investigations, she said. "This really is a precedent for every other captive serviceman or woman and it needs to be done right," Laquidara said. "We've looked at the information that's going to be presented to the board and we feel pretty confident that it's not time under the standards that they've set to change the status. There are things that need to be done before one can be certain." Speicher, who had lived in the area of Jacksonville, Fla., was the first American lost in the war. Some believe Speicher ejected from the plane and was captured by Iraqi forces, and potential clues later emerged that he might have survived: The initials "MSS" were found scrawled on a prison wall in Baghdad, for example, and there were reports of sightings. The Pentagon has changed Speicher's status several times. He was publicly declared killed in action hours after his plane went down. Ten years later, the Navy changed his status to missing in action, citing an absence of evidence that he had died. In October 2002, the Navy switched his status to "missing/captured," although it has never said what evidence it had that he was ever in captivity. Another review was done in 2005 with information gleaned after Baghdad fell in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which allowed U.S. officials to search inside Iraq. The review board recommended then that the Pentagon work with the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the Iraqi government to "increase the level of attention and effort inside Iraq" to resolve the question of Speicher's fate. The Defense Intelligence Agency, which tracks missing-soldier cases and works with other intelligence agencies, submitted its latest report last fall. "Capt. Speicher's status remains a top priority for the Navy and the U.S. government," Cmdr. Cappy Surette, a Navy spokesman, said recently. "The recent intelligence community assessment reflects exhaustive analysis of information related to Capt. Speicher's case." The final decision on changing Speicher's status must come from the secretary of the Navy; the review board's decision is only a recommendation, said Lt. Sean Robertson, another Navy spokesman. Robertson said that once the board meets, it has up to 30 days to complete its report. The family would then have up to 30 days to comment on the board's recommendation before it is forwarded to the secretary for decision. The board will be composed of three officers, including one who is experienced in F/A-18 aircraft. The board has a legal adviser assigned and Speicher will also be represented by legal counsel to look after the interests of him and his family, Robertson said. Laquidara said family members would attend the hearing. "It's really easy to put out a yellow ribbon but not so easy to allocate resources to find a missing serviceman or woman," she said. "If Scott's not alive now, he was for a very long time, and that could happen to somebody else." |
Red China, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea and other countries sure held live POWs. You do not have to do much research to believe this. There is still a lot of classified information on POW/MIAs. To find the truth, it will take people in those countries working on the truth. Only the communist and the American governments are hiding the truth. Anyone who was in the Senate Select Committee for POW/MIAs for any time saw a dog and pony show and not a mission for the truth. Had it not been for senators Bob Smith and Chuck Grassley it would have been a total cover up, but thanks to them some small truth came out. Two honorable men among some very dishonorable people. American military people sure deserved more than was seen in this committee. It was just show to end with normalization of trade with communist Vietnam. Some sure profited on the committee after trade was established with communist Vietnam. That is not an honorable goal. Money and power in place of the truth about our abandoned POWs. America lost her honor that day. Danny "Greasy" Belcher, Executive Director |
Gov. Lynch, Executive Council Act to Recognize Hesky Park in Meredith as the State’s
Original POW/MIA Memorial |
June 4, 2008 ~ PRESS RELEASE “I believe strongly we must do everything to honor the service of the many brave New Hampshire men and women who have sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice, for our freedoms. We must never forget those who have served as prisoners of war, and those who are still missing in action,” Gov. Lynch said.
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Good morning....Great news....please read the following link to Fosters and the story of THE POW/MIA stone at Heskey Park in Meredith. This news is even better than expected after the bill was killed in the House because of the word "the"....who would have thought that action would have turned lemons into lemonade!!! (thanks House...) Congragtualations to Holly Tetreault, Bob Jones (Ducky), State Senator Deb Reynolds, State Senator Bob Letourneau, and all the others for their commitment to the POW/MIA issue. |
"GET IT DONE"!!! I do hope that I will see you at the signing on Blessings, WE WILL NEVER FORGET - UNTIL THEY ALL COME HOME!!!! |
Restore the POW Status NOW!
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The following organizations support passage of H. Res 111 |
| The Korea-Cold War Families of the Missing, World War II Families for Return of the Missing,
Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs, the Military Order of the Purple Heart,
the POW Network, the Colorado POW/MIA Coalition, VietNow National, Northeast POW/MIA Network,
Tri-County Council Vietnam Era Vet, Help Free Our POW/MIA's Now, Lima Area MIA/POW,
Solutions Results, Inc: T/A POW FOIA Litigation Acct's, Chained Eagles of Ohio,
Vietnam and All Veterans of Florida Inc., State Coalition, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign War, Rolling Thunder Inc. National,
National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition Task Force Omega, and the National Alliance of Families. H.Res. 111 |
New Hampshire Rep. Carol Shea-Porter
and Rep. Paul Hodes It's time for Congress to take another look at the POW/MIA issue. To date 272 and counting co-sponsors have signed. |
Good News, Bad News The Good News - The Bad News – We are still stuck in the Rules Committee. So, once again, we are going to ask all organizations and individuals to contact both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rules Committee Chairperson Louise McIntosh Slaughter. Honorable Nancy Pelosi Tel: 202-225-0100 or Toll Free at 866-727-4894 Office of the Speaker; Fax: 202-225-8259 H-232, USCapitol 202-225-4188 Washington, DC 20515 And don’t forget Rules Committee Chairperson Honorable Louise McIntosh-Slaughter 2469 Rayburn Bldg Tel: 202-225-3615 or Toll Free at 866-727-4894 Washington D.C. 20515 Fax: 202-225-7822 Please DO NOT give up! And, remember if your Congressional Representative is not a cosponsor, keep working on them! Not sure if your Congressional Representative is a cosponsor, visit www.nationalalliance.org/legis/110congress.htm If your Representative is highlighted in red, he/she is a cosponsor. |
CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch and the Executive Council today voted unanimously to pass a resolution accepting the Hesky Park POW/MIA stone and flagpole as a gift from the Town of Meredith and recognizing it as New Hampshire’s original POW/MIA memorial.
“For the past 20 years, the people of Meredith have gathered every Thursday to draw attention to the plight and sacrifice of POWs/MIAs,” Gov. Lynch said. “That is why we are proud to recognize the Hesky Park Memorial as New Hampshire’s original POW/MIA memorial.”
