Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 . __ . . -*- N A M V E T -*- ____/ \_ . . ( * \ . . Managing Editor \ Quangtri . . ---------------- \_/\ \_ Hue . . G. Joseph Peck \_Ashau Phu Bai . . \_* \_ . . Editorial Assistants \ * ) . . -------------------- _/ Danang . . Pete Farias \|/ ( \_*Chu Lai . . Sarge Hultgren --*-- \_ ------- \__ . . /|\ \_ I Corps \ . . Distribution Manager \ ------- ! . . ------------ /\_____ ! . . Jerry Hindle / ! \ . . ! !___ \ . . Section Editors ! \/\____! . . --------------- ! ! . . IN-TOUCH: Ray "Frenchy" Moreau / Dak To ! . . INCARCERATED VETS: Joyce Flory / * / . . COAST GUARD: Jack Hawkins ! \_ . . NEED-TO-KNOW: Lefty Frizzell ! Phu Cat\ . . \ * * ) . . \ Pleiku ) . . -**- N A M V E T -**- \ \ . . / / . . "In the jungles of 'Nam, some of us ( -------- ! . . were scared and wary, but we pulled _\ II Corps ! . . one another along and were able / -------- \ . . to depend on each other. That has \ \ . . never changed. Today, free of the ! * / . . criticisms and misunderstandings _/ Nhatrang / . . many veterans have endured, _/ / . . NAM VET is a shining beacon, __/ ! . . a ray of hope, and a _ __/ \ ! . . reminder that the _____( )/ ! Camranh Bay . . lessons learned / !__ ! . . at such a high / \ / . . price shall not \ Bien Hoa \ / . . be forgotten - ! Chu Chi * \ __/ . . nor the errors \_ * --------- \ ___/ . . repeated!!!" ____ \ III Corps \ _/ . . / \_____) )_(_ --------- !__/ Duplication in . . ! ( ___/ any form permitted . . _____! \__ * ___/ for NONCOMMERCIAL . . ! Saigon/ purposes ONLY! . . \___ -------- / \/ . . \ IV Corps / For other use, contact: . . ) -------- / . . / ! G. Joseph Peck (413) 442-1660 . . / ____/ Managing Editor . . / Mekong/ . . ! Delta/ This newsletter is comprised of articles . . ! ____/ and items from individuals and other . . ! / sources. We are not responsible for the . . ! / content of this information nor are any of . . ! __/ NAM VETs contributors or Section Editors. . . \_/ gjp . . . NAM VET Newsletter Page i Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 ================================================================== T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 1. Editorials Together then - Together NOW! ............................ 1 Can't Do It Alone! ....................................... 5 2. Have You Seen? Soldier Search ........................................... 6 Vet's Daughter Again Missing ............................. 7 3. Forgotten - again? Come for Me!!! ........................................... 8 Colonel Peck Resigns from POW/MIA Special Office! ........ 9 Did the US Betray its POWs in Vietnam? KTBG review... ... 14 What If??? ............................................... 18 4. Remember Them!!! Better VA Benefit Availability for Incarcerated Vets? .... 19 A visit or note once in awhile? .......................... 25 Vietnam Veterans, Incarcerated ........................... 26 Incarcerated Veterans "Lifer's Club" ..................... 32 5. Ol' Glory n' Shiftin' Sands President Bush's "Liberation" Address .................... 38 She Flies Ever High!!! ................................... 41 For our GIs STILL in Saudi Arabia ........................ 42 Soldier's Wife Pledges... ................................ 44 MARS Messages to Saudi Arabia ............................ 45 For Sale - CHEAP!!! ...................................... 46 America - Clean up after yourself! ....................... 47 Gen. Powell Pushed for 5-Star Position ................... 48 General Schwarzkopf's Address to Congress ................ 50 In Memory... ............................................. 53 Hands Across Time ........................................ 58 6. Just across the river... Is there hope for Laos? .................................. 59 Break out the Clearasil ! ............................ 63 Cry The Beloved Country .................................. 64 7. In-Touch It's Not Finished Yet .................................... 67 In-Touch: What is it??? .................................. 69 IN-TOUCH Registration/Request Form!!! .................... 72 8. The NamVet Chapel Tears For All Mothers .................................... 74 The Electronic Chapel .................................... 76 Memory Of 'Nam Will Never Go Away ........................ 77 9. Concentrated IVVEC/NamVet Service A NEW American "Bush"? ................................... 79 Blind Veteran Requests Appointment With DVA's Derwinski .. 82 Fresh Start" Pinches Pennies from Bingo .................. 84 Soldiers & Sailors Relief Act ............................ 86 American Legion Announces "VETNET"... 1-900- style! ..... 88 ADF Foundation Promotes Concert .......................... 91 Veteran Homeowners: Refinance? ........................... 93 Washington State Veterans May Be Due Refund .............. 94 A real heartwarming letter... ............................ 95 Some Gave All... ......................................... 97 NAM VET Newsletter Page ii Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 ================================================================== Editorials ================================================================== Together then - together NOW! By G. Joseph Peck NamVets Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 Wow! Putting this thing together is like learning how to do it all over again! Didn't realize how QUICKLY one can get rusty doin' something as "simple" (smile) as putting together an electronic newsletter. I'm beginning to see that the production of NamVet is kinda like a fine-tuned art. Guess its a matter of "format the articles WHEN they come in and don't wait until hours before deadline time to BEGIN!" grin>. I'll get it yet! Memorial Day was one of the very best I've had in a long, long time! As you know, things here have been pretty tough and strained (to say the least!). Car insurance had been cancelled and plates were due to expire 31 May 91. I was planning on joining many of our echo (VIETNAM_VETS) participants in a get- together at The Wall as sort of a "farewell" to my driving privileges and a "hello" to walkin', takin' the bus, and getting around the best way I could to get things done while I waited for the rest of the walls here to crumble . Besides, it would give my mind a much-needed break from the nearly 24-hour-a-day duty I've been doin' here at VETLink #1, let my blood pressure go back down, and maybe help me see things in that "all-of-us" perspective I've tried so hard to maintain. Firming things up, I talked to our Herndon, Virginia Board of Director member, Ray "Frenchy" Moreau. "Joe," he said, "Have you considered coming down by plane? Jane and I would be glad to have you here, so why don't you check your budget and see how much a round-trip ticket would cost? We'll help with another donation (He and Jane have helped tremendously!) when you get here." Three separate donations totalling $110 came in from California, New Mexico and Washington. The plane ticket would cost $158. To park my car in the economy spot at the airport would cost another $23. "Yes!" I would do it! - and did! Frenchy met me at Washington's National Airport. We didn't have much time to stand around 'cause we had to quickly shuttle over to Dulles and pick up Joyce (Hi Joyce!). Frenchy had made a sign welcoming her and I was standing there holding it high while we both scanned the deplaning passengers. Suddenly, a heavy-sounding "thud" caught my attention as this great lady sat her laptop computer down by my feet. Joyce! The next few hours were spent talking and finding Joyce's Washington, DC motel, making plans for the next day (Sunday). And Sunday was GREAT! Arriving early, Frenchy, his fine son - Raymond Jr., and I were quite surprised when we found a parking spot so close to The Wall. There before the rest of the crowds, we had time to casually visit with many of the veteran groups, visit their tents and displays, NAM VET Newsletter Page 1 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 talk to other veterans. At The Wall, still, is a hushed air of somber silence, tears, and pained looks upon the faces of veterans with reawakened memories that had long been tucked away from conscious thought. Look hard 'nuff, though, and ya can see the sense of RE-dedication and RE-commitment to the many things each of us battled for. As if out of nowhere, appeared Joyce Flory (glad ya made it!), Faye Kahn (glad ya made it!) Jim Henthorn (glad ya made it!) and Chick Curry (glad ya made it!). Jim Hildwine, another member of our Board of Directors, was going to TRY to make it but, that failing, he was definitely going to meet us at Frenchy's house in Herndon. "Together" we advanced towards The Wall... to each view our separate link to that quiet memorial to all our fallen brothers and sisters; to touch; to feel again. For "me", the feeling of support and camaraderie kept growing and growing and growing and I shared that with other veterans whose paths we crossed. It was catchy, too - Frenchy, Chick, Jim, Joyce and Faye, too, were busy talking and sharing with people they hadn't known a scant few hours ago . All of us made some NEW acquaintances (Did you know there's an organization for the widows of Vietnam Vets? I talked quite a bit with a few of 'em). Too soon, it seemed, the tight time-frame of the weekend caught up with us and Frenchy, Raymond Jr., and I had to go. Jim Hildwine was waiting for us at Frenchy's! And he had some GREAT news! Taylor and Tucker Construction, Inc., hailing from Churchtown, MD "donated" to Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc. their old AT & CPM systems. There was also a Novell networking system, software and, on top of it all, a check for $50! Jim, who lives in Shady Side, MD - and his son, had brought it all with them! THANK YOU Taylor and Tucker Construction and our Board of Director Member, Jim Hildwine, for helping this happen! Excited beyond any that I've felt for a long, long time, it was nearly 3 that morning when I quietly climbed the stairs. Another computer; networking (I've never done THAT before ); all kinds of software and a positive indication of the directions Berkshire Veterans' Center should continue to take! All in ONE day! Monday was consumed before it even began . At first light, Frenchy and Jane were up, Jane doin' her walkin' and Frenchy tunin' up the ol' lawnmower to make its confusing passes on their lawn (Does it REALLY "confuse" the grass, Frenchy, when ya cut it in a different pattern each time? ). Stumbling downstairs, I found my way right to the computer room. When Frenchy had finished his lawn , together we tackled setting up various menu's and things on VETLink #2 which will soon be VERY functional and a veritable sea chest of veteran information! We also spent quite a lot of time checking out the donated equipment. Some things didn't quite work right and Frenchy, who also owns/operates MicroComputer Consulting Services in his SPARE time , told me: "When the equipment is running RIGHT, I'll send it up to you. In the meantime, you bring home the documentation on the Networking system and learn about how to use it. Your help will be needed, too, as I continue setting up VETLink #2." Making sure that even the slightest hiccup is cleared out of the equipment, Frenchy is busily helping NAM VET Newsletter Page 2 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 to make SURE that YOUR VETLink connections will be informative, helpful, and a real pleasure! (The excitement STILL hasn't worn off - especially as I contemplate the many good things we're tryin' and are about to accomplish for each of us.) The hour-and- a-half plane ride home was spent reading networking documentation! Arriving home 'bout midnight, I quickly learned a "truth" to what Jim Hildwine had told me during our visit: God doesn't give ya what ya WANT, He gives ya what ya NEED! VETLink #1 was barely, barely chugging along. In messages that our users had left, many of 'em thought the problem of "There's a long, long time that elapses between when I type a letter and when it's echoed back to me" was, very discretely, bad phone lines. I knew different when I saw the hard-disk making about a zillion rev's before it would even drop to DOS. Haven't had a chance to do much else other than keep VETLink #1 running, at least on a skeleton basis... Bob Morris, our often echo participant, told me he had an ol' 80- meg full-height hard-disk "just gatherin' dust on his basement shelf" and we were welcome to it. I telephoned him Friday night, May 31 and saturday, June 1, I drove down and picked it up. Should have filled my gas tank BEFORE I left 'cause when I got down there (Bob lives in Connecticut and I live in Massachusetts. About 120 one-way miles separate us), I was runnin' on Holy Water (Like Frenchy often does ). I asked Bob where I could get gas and my out-of-state check would be honored. "They don't honor out-of-state checks here," he said. "Take this..." and he gave me money for gas. He said I had NO choice 'cause he was bigger 'n me (and he's right!). THANKS Bob! I've spent the last week workin' on tryin' to get the drive to format (CDC 94155-86/SEAGATE ST4086) so that it would yield its maximum storage capacity. I'm SURE there's a way to do it (I've tried DOS's DEBUG g=c800:5 & FDISKed it but cannot access any logical drive on it beyond drive E:; tried SPEEDSTOR; and an older version of Seagate's DiskManager which doesn't have provisions for the ST4086. When VETLink #1 is in its quiet times, I take the board down and try again-- each time, though, ending with "Well, maybe I can do it later." This issue, scheduled for June 9 will happen on the 10th - but soon, as you've seen above, we should be getting all our ducks in a row and our scheduling tightened up a bit. My personal financial and employment situation has NOT changed - creditors STILL justifiably want their money ); the bank and HUD STILL want to be paid for the house we're living in; the VA STILL has not decided on my case/claim; and it's a minute-by-minute struggle to keep utilities on, food on the table, and teach my children - by my example - of what IS real and valuable in life... (Gosh, that sounds familiar ... There seems, though, to be NEW hope on the horizon and, as long as I can, I'll still be here, still tryin' to keep the UNITY in our veteran commUNITY! If YOU were thinking about donating to help us continue, PLEASE do - and send your tax-deductible donations (we're America's FIRST electronic vet center granted 501(c)(3) status to do what we do) to: Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc., Post Office Box 2056, Pittsfield, MA 01202. NAM VET Newsletter Page 3 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Together then -- Together NOW! 'til next month Show a brother/sister veteran That YOU care!! Ci'ao for Ni'ao - Joe - NAM VET Newsletter Page 4 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Can't Do It Alone! Input by: Joyce FLory NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor Desert Dolphin BBS - Las Cruces, NM (505) 523-2811 Hi to All; I just received these new names and thought I'd pass them on to you readers. I realize some of the names aren't as complete as I'd like, but I've been reassured that the letters WILL get to the right person. Mr. Peterson 167626 Mr. Vaughn 145696 Mr. Ron Duvall 119293 Mr. Corklin 159051 Mr. Thomas Van Antwerp 184766 Mr. Michael Deen 201339 Cotton Facility PO Box 3003 Jackson, Mich. 49024 I've been reading so much about continuing the letter campaign for the Saudi troops in the Nam_Vet Echo, that I have to pause for a moment or two and wonder why such a campaign isn't being waged for the "Forgotten Warriors" (as the incarcerated Vietnam Veterans call themselves)?? It may even be easier to write to these gentlemen, as you all have something in common with them... Vietnam. As I have said before, I write to 18 different inmates in 14 states and never once have I had contact with the proverbial "junky vet". Yes, some of them have PTSD, all are (rightly or wrongly) convicted of a crime, but all have treated me with the utmost respect and, at times are in awe of this project. Though they would like to, most of the gentlemen I write to would correspond with some of the other inmates I have contact with. I've sent at least three inmates my lengthy list of names. Alas, I have been let know that prisons are not allowed to write to other prisons. How are we going to keep these guys up on current programs for and about the Vietnam Veteran if we don't write them? I try my best, but I can't do it alone. How about some help from you folks? Just as it's a sad day for a Saudi soldier to not get any letters at mail call, think what it must be like for our "Forgotten Warriors". As always, I can be reached through the Nam_Vets Echo, the Desert Dolphin BBS (1:305/105 <505) 523-2811>), or by snail-mail at 1825 Evelyn Las Cruces, NM 88001. Later,Joyce NAM VET Newsletter Page 5 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 ================================================================== Have You Seen? ================================================================== Looking for Information Input by: Don Purvis LSO Systems - Everett WA ... Looking for information on the whereabouts of the following: (Ranks given as of SEA service or last contact) Captain Ronald Fishman Captain Herrlein Captain Wilbur Greene SGM Ted Dabney SFC James Purkey LTC Mitchum Captain Edward F. Holland Would appreciate any information..... -- Don -- (NOTE FROM JOE: Since Don enters his messages from a PRIVATE system, about the only way you can contact him if you discover anything about those for whom he searches is to place a notice in the VIETNAM_VETS Echo Conference.) NAM VET Newsletter Page 6 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Vet's Daughter Again Missing By: G. Joseph Peck NamVet's Managing Editor VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 Leaving a note for her parents that she "needed a couple of hours to sort things out", Jill Elizabeth Flory disappeared Friday, May 31, 1991. Her parents correctly suspected that she may have then attended a local end-of-school party in the Las Cruces, NM area. Jill was found - with the help of many - June 2, 1991. Together with the cooperation of New Mexico's Department of Social Services and those closely involved, a not-totally agreed-upon temporary arrangement was worked out where Jill would stay at a friends home until successful familial resolutions could be worked out. To her parents dismay, Jill never showed up at the "friends" house. As of this writing (5pm - 6/10/91), Jill is missing again, has not called nor contacted her family, the New Mexico Department of Social Services, nor the Las Cruces, NM Police Department since she left. A Missing Persons report has been filed and verified. If you have information concerning Jill Elizabeth Flory, please contact the Las Cruces, NM "CITY" (there's a CITY and a COUNTY of Las Cruces) Police Department at 505-526-0795 or NETMAIL her parents, Ken and Joyce Flory at Desert Dolphin BBS, FidoNet 1:305/105, 1-505-523-2811. You can also NETMAIL any information to VETLink #1 BBS, FidoNet 1:321/203, 1-413-443-6313 and any helpful information will be relayed to our brother veteran and his wife post-haste! Description: Jill Elizabeth Flory, age 15 Sex: Female DOB: 7/25/75 Ht: 5'4" Wt: 115# Hair: brown Eyes: hazel With prayers for Jill's safe return... Ci'ao for Ni'ao - Joe - NAM VET Newsletter Page 7 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 ================================================================== Forgotten - again? ================================================================== COME FOR ME!!! Input by: Marsha Ledeman Puget Sound TBBS - Edmonds, WA (206) 745-6340 Twenty years in the jungle has taken its toll on me, I'm not the same man I used to be. But one thing's consistent... I long to be free. Please, Mr. President, come for me. The scars of my torture will never go away, I'm fifty pounds lighter, my hair is now gray. But their shackles can't chain the freedom in me, Please, lawmakers, come for me. If my family believed there's a chance I'd survived, They'd fight to their deaths to prove I'm alive. I last saw my son when he was just three, Please, loving family, come for me. Some captors say you don't know that I'm here, That I'm doomed to this prison year after year. God Bless America, the land of the free. Please, friends and parishioners, come for me. Other captors say you know that I'm here, But refuse to accept the evidence, so clear. Will some caring citizens hear my plea? Please, fellow countrymen, come for me. I'll have faith in my country 'till my dying day, I'll never believe you could leave me this way. My country, 'tis of thee... Please, Please, America, come for me!!! c 1987, LeAnn Thieman With every single letter I write to anyone in congress and the senate, I enclose a copy of these poems just for their consciences to mull over. It is effective as I usually get answers to all my letters, not that I always like the content, but they are answered... Marsha Jean Ledeman NAM VET Newsletter Page 8 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Colonel Peck Resigns from POW/MIA Special Office! Input by: Marsha Ledeman Puget Sound TBBS - Edmonds, WA (206) 745-6340 =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Date: 28 March 1991 Office: POW/MIA Subject: A Farewell To: All Personnel 1. The purpose of this memorandum is to bid farewell to the Office and to wish everyone the very best. I will sincerely miss each one of you, and will always retain fond memories of our efforts together and the many triumphs we were able to achieve as a team. Because of the intensity of our activities and being under constant political fire, the bonding that I felt for you was similar to that which occurs to soldiers in combat and I came to love you as brothers and sisters. 2. The attached document fairly well sums up how I feel about the entire issue although, I subsequently lined out several portions. I am convinced that no one working within the present "structure" will ever satisfactorily resolve the question of whether or not U.S. prisoners were held after the cessation of hostilities in Vietnam or elsewhere. 3. It is my plan to pursue the issue via other avenues, and while so doing, will work diligently to give the POW/MIA Office the credit it so richly deserves and to ensure that your reputation, in all circles, is defended and upheld. Your honor and interests will always be one of my highest priorities -- and when I say that I mean it. 4. Many thanks to everyone, for your support; your devotion; your hard work; and your dedication to excellence. God bless you all. Adieu, Millard A. Peck Colonel, Infantry USA =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Date: 12-Feb-1991 memorandum REPLY TO THE ATTENTION OF: POW/MIA U-0173/POW/MIA SUBJ: REQUEST FOR RELIEF TO: DR 1. PURPOSE: I hereby, request to resign my position as the Chief of the Special Office for Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. (POW/MIA) 2. BACKGROUND a. Motivation. My initial acceptance of this posting was based upon two primary motives: first, I had heard that the job was highly contentious and extremely frustrating, that no one would NAM VET Newsletter Page 9 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 volunteer for it because of its complex political nature. This, of course, made it appear challenging. Secondly, since the end of the Vietnam War, I had heard the persistent rumors of American Servicemen having been abandoned in Indochina, and that the Government was conducting a "cover-up" so as not to be embarrassed. I was curious about this and thought that serving as the Chief of POW-MIA would be an opportunity to satisfy my own interest and help clear the Government's name. b. The Office's reputation. It was interesting that previous exposure to the POW-MIA Office, while assigned to the DIA, both as a Deputy Director for Intelligence (DDI) and as the Chief Of the Asia Division for Current Intelligence (JSI-3) was negative. DIA personnel who worked for me, when dealing with or mentioning the office, always spoke about it in deprecating tones, alluding to the fact that any report which found its way there would quickly disappear into a "black hole." c. General Attitudes. Additionally, surveys of active duty military personnel indicated that a high percentage (83%) believed that there were still live American prisoners in Vietnam. This idea was further promulgated in a number of legitimate veterans' periodicals and professional journals, as well as the media in general, which held that where there was so much smoke there must be fire. d. Cover up. The dark side of the issue was particularly unsettling because of the persistent rumors and innuendoes of a Government conspiracy, alleging that U.S. military personnel had been left behind to the victorious communist governments in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and that for "political reasons" or running the risk of a second Vietnam War, their existence was officially denied. Worse yet was the implication that DIA's Special Office for POWs and MIAs was an integral part of this effort to cover the entire affair up so as not to embarrass the Government nor the Defense Establishment. e. The Crusade. As a Vietnam veteran with a certain amount of experience in Indochina, I was interested in the entire POW-MIA question, and willingly volunteered for the job, viewing it as a sort of holy crusade. f. The Harsh Reality. Heading up the Office has not been pleasant. My plan was to be totally honest and forthcoming on the entire issue and aggressively pursue innovative actions and concepts to clear up the live sighting business, thereby refurbishing the image and honor of the DIA. I became painfully aware, however, that I was not really in charge of my own office, but was merely a figurehead or whipping boy for a larger and totally Machiavellian group of players outside of DIA. What I witnessed during my tenure as the cardboard cut-out "Chief" of the POW/MIA could be euphemistically labeled as disillusioning. 3. CURRENT IMPRESSIONS, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE a. Highest National Priority. That National leaders continue to address the prisoner of war and missing in action issue as the "highest national priority" is a travesty. From my vantage point, I observed that the principal government players were interested NAM VET Newsletter Page 10 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 primarily in conducting a "damage limitation exercise" and appeared to knowingly and deliberately generate an endless succession of manufactured crises and "busy work". Progress consisted in frenetic activity, with little substance and no real results. b. The Mindset to Debunk. The mindset to "debunk" is alive and well. It is held at all levels, and continues to pervade the POW- MIA Office, which is not necessarily the fault of the DIA. Practically all analysis is directed to finding fault with the source. Rarely has there been any effective, active follow through on any of the sightings, nor is there a responsive "action arm" to routinely and aggressively pursue leads. The latter was a moot point, anyway, since the Office was continuously buried in an avalanche of "ad hoc" taskings from every quarter, all of which required an immediate response. It was impossible to plan ahead or prioritize courses of action. Any real effort to pursue live sighting reports or exercise initiative was diminished by the plethora of "busy work" projects directed by higher authority outside DIA. A number of these grandiose endeavors bordered on the ridiculous -- quite significantly -- there was never an audit trail. None of these taskings was ever requested formally. There was, and still is, a refusal by any of the players to follow normal intelligence channels in dealing with the POW/MIA office. c. Duty, Honor, Integrity. It appears that the entire issue is being manipulated by unscrupulous people in the Government, or associated with the Government. Some are using the issue for personal or political advantage and others use if as a forum to perform and feel important, or worse. The sad fact, however, is that this issue is being controlled and a cover up may be in progress. The entire charade does not appear to be an honest effort and may never have been. d. POW/MIA Officers Abandoned. When I assessed the office for the first time, I was somewhat amazed and greatly disturbed by the fact that I was the only military officer in an organization of more than 40 people. Since combatants of all Services were lost in Vietnam, I would have thought there would at least be a token service representation for a matter of the "highest National priority". Since the normal mix of officers from all services is not found in my organization it would appear that the issue, at least at the working level, has, in fact, been abandoned. Also, the horror stories of the succession of military officers at the 0-5 and 0-6 level who have in some manner "rocked the boat" and quickly come to grief at the hands of the Government policy makers who direct the issue, lead one to the conclusion that we are all quite expendable, so by extrapolation one simply concludes that these same bureaucrats would "sacrifice" anyone who was troublesome or contentious -- including prisoners of war and missing in action. Not a comforting thought. Any military officer expected to survive in this environment would have to be myopic, an accomplished sycophant, or totally insouciant. e. The DIA Involvement. DIA's role in the affair is truly unfortunate. The overall Agency, has generally practiced a "damage limitation drill" on the issue, as well. The POW/MIA Office has been cloistered for all practical purposes and left to its own fortunes. The POW office is the lowest level in the Government NAM VET Newsletter Page 11 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 "effort" to resolve the issue, and oddly for an intelligence organization, has become the "lighting rod" for the entire establishment on the matter. The policy people manipulating the affair have maintained their distance and remained hidden in the shadows, while using the Office as "toxic waste dump" to bury the whole "mess" out of sight and mind in a facility with limited access to public scrutiny. Whatever happens in the issue, DIA takes the blame, while the real players remain invisible. The fact that the POW/MIA Office is always the center of an investigation is of no surprise. Many people suspect that something is rotten about the whole thing, but cannot find an audit trail to ascribe blame, so they attack the DIA/POW/MIA "dump", simply because it has been placed in the line of fire as a cheap, expendable decoy. f. "Suppressio Veri Suggesto Falsi". Many of the puppet masters play a confusing murky role. For instance, the Director of the National League of Families occupies an interesting and questionable position in the whole process. Although assiduously "churning" the account to give a tawdry illusion of progress, she is adamantly opposed to any initiative to actually get to the heart of the problem, and, more importantly, interferes in or actively sabotages POW-MIA analyses or investigations. She insists on rewriting or editing all significant documents produced by the Office, inserting her own twist or meaning to what was originally prepared. This is then touted as the DIA position. She apparently has access to top secret, codeword message traffic, for which she is supposedly not cleared, and she receives it well ahead of the DIA intelligence analysts. Her influence in "jerking around" everyone and everything involved in the issue goes far beyond the "war and MIA protested gone straight" scenario. She was brought from the "outside" into the center of the imbroglio, and then, cloaked in a mantel of sanctimony, routinely impedes real progress and insidiously "muddles up" the issue. One wonders who she really is and where she came from. . . 4. CONCLUSIONS. a. The Stalled Crusade. Unfortunately, what began on such a high note never succeeded in embarking. In some respects, however, I have managed to satisfy some of my curiosity. b. Everyone is Expendable. I have seen firsthand how ready and willing the policy people are to sacrifice or "abandon" anyone who might be perceived as a political liability. It is quick and facile, and can be easily covered. c. High-Level Knavery. I feel strongly that this issue is being manipulated and controlled at a higher level, not with the goal of resolving it, but more to obfuscate the question of live prisoners, and give the illusion of progress through hyperactivity. d. "Smoke and Mirrors". From what I have witnessed, it appears that any soldier left in Vietnam, even inadvertently, was, in fact, abandoned years ago, and that the farce that is being played is no more than political legerdemain done with "smoke and mirrors", to stall the issue until it dies a natural death. NAM VET Newsletter Page 12 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 e. National League of Families. I am convinced that the Director of this organization is much more than meets the eye. As the principal actor in the grand show, she is in the perfect position to clamor for "progress", while really intentionally impeding the effort. And, there are numerous examples of this. Otherwise, it is inconceivable that so many bureaucrats in the "system" would instantaneously do her bidding and humor her every whim. f. DIA's Dilemma. Although greatly saddened by the role ascribed to the Defense Intelligence Agency, I feel, at least, that I am dealing with honest men and women who are generally powerless to make the system work. My appeal and attempt to amend this role perhaps never had a chance. We, all, were subject to control. I particularly salute the personnel in the POW-MIA Office for their long suffering, which I regrettable was unable to change. I feel that the Agency and the Office are being used as the "fall guys" or "patsies" to cover the tricks of others. 5. RECOMMENDATIONS a. One Final Vietnam Casualty. So ends the war and my last grand crusade, like it did actually did end, I guess. However, as they say in the Legion, "je ne regrette rein..." For all of the above, I respectfully request to be relieved of my duties as Chief of the Special Office for Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. b. A Farewell to Arms. So as to avoid the annoyance of being shipped off to some remote corner, out of sight and out of the way, in my own "bamboo cage" of silence somewhere, I further request that the Defense Intelligence Agency, which I have attempted to serve loyally and with honor, assist me in being retired immediately from active military service. Signed Millard A. Peck Colonel, Infantry USA -------------------------------- NAM VET Newsletter Page 13 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Review of "Kiss the Boys Goodbye: How the United States Betrayed Its Own POWs in Vietnam." by The Staff of U.S. Veteran News and Report Input by: Marsha Ledeman Puget Sound TBBS - Edmonds, WA (206) 745-6340 When future historians probe that confusing maze that is the POW/MIA issue from the Vietnam War, they undoubtedly will turn to one book on the issue that appears to be the most comprehensive to date: "Kiss the Boys Goodbye: How the United States Betrayed Its Own POWs in Vietnam," by Monika Jensen-Stevenson and her husband, William Stevenson. The authors certainly are not without the appropriate credentials to delve into such a tangled and unresolved mess. Monika Jensen, who writes in the first-person of her efforts to learn the true story of American POWs left behind in Southeast Asia, is a former producer for the much-respected "60 Minutes" television show. Her husband, William Stevenson, who she dragged kicking and screaming into the story, is the author of such works as "A Man Called Intrepid" and "90 Minutes at Entebbe." Their book is a major step forward in the public exposure of the issue. It provides in some detail an overview of the POW/MIA story from early 1985, when Jensen first became involved in it because of a story she was producing for "60 Minutes," until early 1990. Written for the general public that has only a superficial knowledge of the POW/MIA situation, the book makes a number of substantive points. One in particular concerns former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and how in 1973, before and after the Paris Peace Accords were signed, he disavowed knowledge of POWs in Laos despite admissions by the Pathet Lao that they were still there. That Kissinger sold out American POWs is once again firmly established in this book and for that he should be held accountable. Another concerns the National League of Families for Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, which took upon itself the burden of being the activist voice in Washington for the prisoners and their families in the mid-to late '70s, when no other voice was speaking for them. As Jensen-Stevenson correctly points out, by 1984 the League had become an arm of the government, fully supporting each and every POW/MIA policy statement the government spouted because the League's executive director, Ann Mills Griffiths, had been made a member of the Interagency Group (IAG), which formulates POW/MIA policy and passes it on to the White House for rubber stamping. Such a position lessened the effectiveness of the League as an activist organization that could prod the government into taking more action on the issue. JENSEN-STEVENSON HAVE DONE A SERVICE FOR THE POW/MIA ISSUE Jensen-Stevenson also points out that those charged with handling the issue are more concerned with preventing information about live POWs from leaking to the public than they are about investigating live sighting reports, a claim the POW/MIA activists have been making for years. The Stevensons have done a service to the POW/MIA movement and are to be commended for their initiative, their resolve and NAM VET Newsletter Page 14 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 their commitment to the issue that few in the media care to champion. Yet, by the same token, what was to be the definitive word on the issue is something less than that. In addition to a number of relatively minor errors, there are major oversights and omissions. Perhaps a major failing of the book is that the authors obtained much of their information from a limited number of sources, some of whom can be verified, some of whom can not. There is no questioning the contributions of people like Red McDaniel, Billy Hendon, Mark Waple, Mark Smith, Earl Hopper, Mike Van Atta, John M.G. Brown, Bo Gritz and Jerry Mooney. In researching this book, the Stevensons wrapped themselves in a coterie of "safe" people connected with the issue. They did not include what former National Security Council staffer Lt. Col. Dick Childress once referred to as the "North Carolina crazies" and "the nut fringe element." THEY "KISSED THE ACTIVIST GOODBYE" Just as the U.S. government kissed the boys goodbye, the Stevensons kissed the activists goodbye. The activists that the Stevensons kissed goodbye are the shock troops of the movement. They are the hundreds of every day people who have put their careers, their reputations and their families on hold while they struggled to pressure the White House into bringing the POWs home. They are the troops who landed in a Communist prison after venturing into Laos to publicize a POW reward, who were jailed for a sit in at the National League of Families office, who chained themselves to the White House fence, who marched into the National League of Families annual formal dinner dressed in POW pajamas, who have been doing whatever it takes to make that safe echelon of activists, the McDaniels and the Hendons and the Browns, seem more acceptable to those perpetrating the government myth that no more Americans are alive in Southeast Asia. When the leadership of the National League of Families abdicated its role as voice and conscience of the missing men and their families in 1984, it was left to the hard-core "crazies" and "nut fringe" to keep the issue alive with their street theater, their takeovers, their protests and their hunger strikes. NO ATOM BOMBS WERE SET OFF What could have been, what should have been, the definitive work on the POW/MIA issue is something less. "The book is not a disaster and it's not an atom bomb that blows the issue open. It's a disappointment," said John LeBoutillier, the former U.S. Congressman whose Skyhook II organization has been highly criticized by the government because of its activist work in the POW/MIA field. That response is typical of those intimately involved in the issue, many of whom are treated sympathetically in the book. One general criticism of the book by those familiar with the subject is that there was not enough research on the issue. The Stevensons seem to have taken the large body of knowledge available on the issue and put it together without setting off any atom bombs. They also leave unanswered a number of questions that beg to be answered. Why did Ross Perot give up the POW hunt after he said he came so close to getting men out? How and why did the League of Families become a mouthpiece for NAM VET Newsletter Page 15 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 the government? What happened to Mark Smith's partner, Sgt. 1st Class Melvin McIntire? Why was Naval Intelligence Service agent Lt. Commander Frank Brown, who was mentioned several times in the book, not identified by name? Why was Richard Armitage's name deleted from the manuscript so frequently when it was apparent to anyone who knows anything about the issue that he is the anonymous high Pentagon official who keeps cropping up as a major stumbling block on a resolution of the issue? If there were concerns by attorneys about mentioning Armitage's name, they need only quote Jack Anderson or the Boston Globe for sources on the investigation on one of the most mysterious men in this issue. The book obviously was not written for those with an intimate knowledge of the subject. There are holes and niggling little errors that frustrate, those who have been in the trenches and talked to the same sources and dug into the same information the Stevensons dug into. In particular there is the matter of Khun Sa, the drug lord of the Golden Triangle, about whom Jensen-Stevenson writes so fearfully. At one point she writes: "I found there was a way to reach Khun Sa by going through Rangoon, the Burmese capital, where the government wanted to get rid of the drug warlord and occupy his `free state.'" Anyone who has worked in that region, or who has tried to get into the Golden Triangle to see Khun Sa, will tell you that trying to get to him through Rangoon is the fastest way to get one's self deported, if not thrown into the Rangoon jail. Burmese ethnic resistance groups out of northern Thailand, the Thai Border Patrol Police and American missionaries working in the Golden Triangle are the best means of getting access to Khun Sa. THERE WERE OTHER JOURNALISTS TRYING TO UNRAVEL THE STORY Another of the concerns about this book involves Jensen- Stevenson's assertion that she is the only journalist trying to tell this story of unreturned POWs. On page 109 she writes: "I had a terrific and explosive story, which had never been told." What Jensen-Stevenson failed to realize, or refused to acknowledge, is that long before she became involved in the POW/MIA issue as a TV producer there were other journalists working hard to unravel this tangled story. Bill Paul of "The Wall Street Journal," Ron Martz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and David Hendrix of "The Press-Enterprise" of Riverside, Calif., have been among the most enterprising of print reporters who have delved into the issue. David Taylor of the BBC, Ray Robinson of the "Daily Oklahoman," Charles Wheeler of the "Washington Times," Mike Blair of "The Spotlight," Gary Lane of CBN, Karen McConkey of the Kingston "Free Press" and Jason Brady of the "Fayetteville Observer" have made major contributions toward exposing this story. These news outlets have been among the relative few willing to ignore White House pressure and run stories counter to U.S. government and League of Families positions on the issue. Among them is a story which Jensen-Stevenson refers to on pages 208 and 209 of the book and involves an intriguing and mysterious series of internal memos from the Carter White House that came to NAM VET Newsletter Page 16 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 her via the Casino Man, one of her anonymous sources. Those memos show that the POW/MIA issue was strictly a political issue in the Carter White House, which was paying little more than lip service to it. Jensen-Stevenson makes it appear as if Casino Man was the only person with access to those memos. Had she researched the origin of those memos a bit further, she would have discovered that they had already been written about by Ron Martz in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. One senses the creative hand of her husband, William Stevenson, in some of the dramatic aspects of the book. Threatening phone calls, mysterious knocks on the door in the middle of the night, stolen briefcases and purses can be seen as anything one wants them to be seen. In this case, government intrusion was never proven. While the Stevensons have gotten very close to the truth and have done a great service to the missing men and their families, they unfortunately did not take it far enough. It will be left for someone else to write the complete story of the abandonment not only of America's POWs from the Vietnam War, but World War II and the Korean War as well. NAM VET Newsletter Page 17 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 WHAT IF??? Input by: Marsha Ledeman Puget Sound TBBS - Edmonds, WA (206) 745-6340 My son asked me some questions tonight, About the POW's plight, For he has heard much that has been said. What if they're not there? What if they're all dead??? What if the refugees are lying for some reason we don't know??? What if there's been no prisoners of war since a long time ago??? What if they all died in torture in a place without a name??? What if the POW Issue is all just a horrible game??? What if all our hopes are all in vain??? What if the Vietnamese are using us for their own personal gain??? What if what many are saying is really right??? What if we brought them all out at the end of that fight??? What if they're dead? What if they've all been shot??? ..... I ANSWERED HIM SIMPLY ..... WHAT IF THEY'RE NOT????? Rhonda Cain With every single letter I write to anyone in congress and the senate, I enclose a copy of these poems just for their consciences to mull over. It is effective as I usually get answers to all my letters, not that I always like the content, but they are answered... Marsha Jean Ledeman NAM VET Newsletter Page 18 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 ================================================================== Remember Them!!! ================================================================== Better VA Benefit Availability for Incarcerated Vets? Input by: Joyce FLory NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor Desert Dolphin BBS - Las Cruces, NM (505) 523-2811 102D CONGRESS H.R. 1181 1ST SESSION To improve the availability of veterans' benefits and services to veterans incarcerated in Federal penal or correctional institutions, and for other purposes. ------------------------------ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 28,1991 Mr. Brown (for himself, Mr. Bonior, Mr. Evans, Mr. Ravenel, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Serrano of New York, Mr. Ackerman, and Mr. Kopetski) introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and the Judiciary ------------------------------ A BILL To improve the availability of veterans' benefits and services to veterans incarcerated in Federal penal or correctional institutions, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be referred to as the "Incarcerated Veterans Rehabilitation and Readjustment Act of 1991". SECTION 2. FINDINGS. The Congress finds that -- (1) there are rehabilitation needs unique to incarcerated veterans which, because of their incarceration, need to be addressed; (2) the Readjustment Counseling Program of the Department of Veterans' Affairs could be an effective part of efforts to rehabilitate incarcerated veterans; (3) veterans' benefits that incarcerated veterans are entitled to are not being provided on a consistent basis; (4) the resources provided by the Readjustment Counseling Program could be beneficial to incarcerated veterans if the Program were utilized to assist veterans released from Federal, State, and local penal institutions; and (5) incarcerated veterans treated for psychological readjustment problems can be expected to have lower recidivism rates than such veterans who do not receive such treatment. SEC 3. PURPOSES. The purposes of this Act are to -- (1) ensure that the rehabilitation and readjustment needs of NAM VET Newsletter Page 19 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 incarcerated veterans that are related to military service are addressed in a coordinated manner by the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Prisons; (2) provide mental health care professionals employed by Federal prisons with the information necessary to diagnose and treat incarcerated veterans with mental disabilities, particularly post-traumatic-stress disorder, stemming from their military service; (3) integrate the resources available from the Readjustment Counseling Program and veterans employment programs into the parole and probation programs of incarcerated veterans who are released from Federal prisons to promote successful readjustment of such veterans into society; (4) provide incarcerated veterans with information relating to veterans' benefits and services; (5) assist incarcerated veterans after their release from Federal prisons in readjusting to society after their incarceration; (6) provide veterans incarcerated in State and local penal institutions with benefits similar to those provided in this Act by encouraging States and local governments to adopt, where applicable, the provisions of this Act; and (7) ensure the veterans incarcerated in Federal prisons receive the benefits and services from the Department of Veterans' Affairs to which they are entitled. SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Act-- (1) the term "Assistant Secretary" means the Assistant Secretary for Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training; (2) the term "Department" means the Department of Veterans' Affairs; (3) the term "Federal prison" means a Federal penal or correctional institution; (4) the term "incarcerated veteran" means an individual determined to be a veteran under section 101(b) who is incarcerated in a Federal prison; (5) the term "prisoner" means an individual incarcerated in a Federal prison; (6) the term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Department; (7) the term "vet center" means a facility as defined in section 612A(i)(1) of title 38, United States Code; and (8) the term "veteran" has the same meaning such term has in paragraph (2) of section 101 of title 38, United States Code. TITLE I- INCARCERATED VETERAN ASSESSMENT AND ASSISTANCE SEC. 101. DETERMINATION OF VETERAN STATUS OF PRISONERS. (a) DUTIES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.-- (1) IN GENERAL.-- The Attorney General shall, to the extent practicable, identify those individuals who may be veterans among those-- (A) entering Federal prisons after the effective date of this Act; and (B) who are incarcerated in Federal prisons on the effective date of this Act and who are to remain incarcerated more than 30 days after that date. (2) TRANSMITTAL OF NAMES.-- The Attorney General shall, with the consent of the prisoner involved, transmit to the Secretary the names and locations of those prisoners identified as possible veterans pursuant to paragraph (1). NAM VET Newsletter Page 20 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 (3) METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION.-- In attempting to identify those prisoners who may be veterans, the Attorney General shall rely only on the records in the possession of the Attorney General, interviews with prisoners, or both. (b) DUTIES OF SECRETARY.-- (1) DETERMINATION OF VETERAN STATUS.-- The Secretary shall contact those prisoners whose names were transmitted pursuant to subsection (a)(2) within 30 days after the receipt of their names. The Secretary shall inform each prisoner of their ability to have their veteran status determined. Those prisoners requesting such determination shall be supplied with the material needed by the Secretary to make the determination. (2) INFORMATION RELATING TO VETERANS' BENEFITS.-- As soon as practicable after determining the veteran status of each prisoner requesting such determination, the Secretary shall-- (A) inform the prisoners of the determination of their veteran status; (B) inform those prisoners who determined to be veterans of their rights and responsibilities with regard to veterans' benefits and services and provide them with the information described in section 102; and (C) if the incarcerated veteran so desires, provide the information described in section 102 to those family members designated by the incarcerated veteran. SEC. 102. INFORMATION REGARDING VETERANS' BENEFITS. The information referred to in sections 101(b)(2)(B) and (C) shall include-- (1) the effect of the incarcerated status of the veteran on the receipt of veterans' benefits and services; (2) the ability of dependents of the incarcerated veteran to receive benefits available to dependents of veterans during the period of incarceration of the veteran; (3) the ability to have debt collection actions pursued by the Department against the veteran suspended during the time period provided by section 103; (4) the availability of counseling services within the Federal prison, wether provided by the Department or the Bureau of Prisons; (5) the potential effect on parole considerations of the participation by the veteran in counseling activities; (6) the reasons for any reduction in, or termination of, veterans' benefits resulting from the incarcerated status of the veteran; (7) the ability of the veteran to seek a correction of the military records or a review of the discharge or dismissal from military service of the veteran; (8) services from public and private organizations available to the veteran while incarcerated; (9) the ability of the veteran and dependents of the veteran to appeal the decisions of the Secretary affecting the provision of veterans' benefits and services; and (10) other information the Secretary considers appropriate. SEC. 103. SUSPENSION OF DEBT COLLECTION. (a) FEDERAL INMATES.-- Within 30 days after the Secretary NAM VET Newsletter Page 21 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 confirms, pursuant to section 101(b), that a prisoner is a veteran, the Secretary shall suspend debt collection activities of Department against the incarcerated veteran, and the obligation of the veteran to pay for debts owed to the Department, for the duration of his or her incarceration and for a period not to exceed 6 months following his or her release from a Federal prison. (b) STATE AND LOCAL INMATES.-- The Secretary shall suspend debt collection activities of the Department against any veteran the Secretary knows is incarcerated in a State or local penal institution, and the obligation of that veteran to pay for debts owed to the Department, for the duration of his or her incarceration and for a period not to exceed 6 months following his or her release from such an institution. TITLE II-- INCARCERATED VETERAN REHABILITATION COUNSELING SEC. 201. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY. The Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall-- (1) provide readjustment counseling to those incarcerated veterans suffering from mental and psychological disorders stemming from their military service; (2) take measures to ensure that incarcerated veterans have the same ability of being adjudicated as having service-connected disabilities as nonincarcerated veterans; (3) designate an employee in each of the regional offices of the Department to act as a liaison between each Federal prison and the Department to coordinate the provision of veterans' services and benefits for incarcerated veterans; (4) review the physical examinations forwarded by the Attorney General pursuant to paragraph (1)(A)(ii) of section 202 to determine whether the incarcerated veteran is eligible for the benefits provided by the Veterans' Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act (38 U.S.C. 354 note) or other relevant Federal laws; and (5) ensure that the employee designated pursuant to paragraph (3) provides liaison services between families of incarcerated veterans and Federal prisons. SEC. 202. DUTIES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. The Attorney General shall-- (1) with the consent of the incarcerated veteran-- (A) for the purpose of determining eligibility for benefits under the Veterans' Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act (38 U.S.C. 354 note) or other relevant Federal laws-- (i) conduct physical examinations on each incarcerated veteran consistent with the protocol utilized by the Department in conducting Agent Orange registry examinations; and (ii) transmit such examinations to the Secretary; and (B) as soon as a date has been set for the release of the incarcerated veteran from a Federal prison, transmit the name and location of that veteran to the Secretary; and (2) consistent with the security requirements of each Federal prison, encourage and facilitate the organization within Federal prisons of "self-help" groups and other such programs that may contribute to the rehabilitation of incarcerated veterans. NAM VET Newsletter Page 22 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 TITLE III-- READJUSTMENT COUNSELING EDUCATION SEC. 301 DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING CURRICULUM (a) DEVELOPMENT.-- The Secretary shall develop a training curriculum for use in assisting medical, psychiatric, psychological, and other relevant professionals employed by the Bureau of Prisons in acquiring the expertise necessary to diagnose and treat psychiatric disabilities peculiar to veterans. (b) AVAILABILITY OF CURRICULUM.-- The curriculum developed pursuant to subsection (a) may be made available to individuals, organizations, governmental agencies, and health facilities interested in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disabilities peculiar to veterans. TITLE IV-- POST-INCARCERATION READJUSTMENT SERVICES SEC. 401. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY. (a) DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY.-- Upon receipt of the names transmitted to the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (1)(A)(ii) of section 202, the Secretary shall inform those veterans of the veterans' benefits and services available to them upon release. This information shall include-- (1) the effect of the release of the incarcerated veteran on the entitlement of the veterans to veterans' benefits and services, including those terminated or reduced at the time of the incarceration of the veteran; (2) the availability of readjustment counseling services under the Readjustment Counseling Program of the Department, including the location of the vet center nearest to where the incarcerated veteran intends to reside after release; (3) the availability of additional readjustment services from State, local, and private agencies and organizations in the community in which the incarcerated veteran intends to reside; and (4) the availability of veterans programs administered by the Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration. SEC. 402. DUTY OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY. The Assistant Secretary shall designate a disabled veterans' outreach program specialist in each State where a Federal prison is located to serve as a liaison between each Federal prison and the disabled veterans' outreach program in that State. SEC. 403. DUTIES OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE UNITED STATES PAROLE COMMISSION. The Chairman of the United States Parole Commission, in consultation with the Secretary, shall-- (1) integrate, to the extent practicable, the services available from the Readjustment Counseling Program of the Department into the parole programs of veterans paroled from Federal prisons; and (2) require that parole officers employed by the Commission who have responsibility for paroled veterans establish and maintain contact with appropriate vet center personnel in order to ensure that paroled veterans who are eligible to use vet center are encouraged to do so. TITLE V-- STATE AND LOCAL OUTREACH ASSISTANCE SEC. 501. EXTENSION OF BENEFITS TO VETERANS INCARCERATED IN STATE AND LOCAL PENAL INSTITUTIONS. NAM VET Newsletter Page 23 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Within 6 months after the effective date of this Act, the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary shall implement a program to extend, to the extent practicable, the benefits of this Act to State and local penal institutions with respect to veterans incarcerated in such institutions. TITLE VI-- MISCELLANEOUS SEC. 601. REPORT The Attorney General, the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary, and the Chairman of the United States Parole Commission each shall submit to the Congress an annual report relating to their activities in implementing this Act. The first report shall be due on the January 1 occurring after the effective date of this Act and each January 1 thereafter. SEC. 602. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. Within 3 months after the effective date of this Act, the Secretary, the Attorney General, the Assistant Secretary, and the Chairman of the United States Parole Commission shall agree to and sign a memorandum of understanding detailing how the organizations and operations controlled by each shall interact to implement this Act. The Attorney General, or his designee, shall be responsible for convening and chairing meetings and initiating communications in order to reach the memorandum of understanding. SEC. 603. EFFECTIVE DATE This Act shall be effective 3 months after the date of enactment of the Act. NAM VET Newsletter Page 24 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX \ \ \ \ \XXXX XXXXX XXXXX.::::::::::::::.XXXXX INCARCERATED XXXX XXXXX XXXXX --------- XXXXX \ \ \ \ \ \ \XXXX XXXXX .XXXXX W W I I XXXXX. VETERANS \ \XXXX XXXXX ::XXXXX --------- XXXXX::. \ \ \ \ XXXX XXXXX :::XXXXX ------------- XXXXX:::. XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX K O R E A XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX ------------- XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX ------------- XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX V I E T N A M XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX ------------- XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX::::::::::::::::XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX::::::::::::::::XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX::' `::XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX:: ::XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX `..........''`XXXXX:::: XXXX XXXXX ::::XXXXX .:(O) . (O):. XXXXX:::' XXXX XXXXX ::' XXXXX .. XXXXX:: XXXX XXXXX .:' XXXXX . .. XXXXX: XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX . .. ` XXXXX XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX ' '.. ` XXXXX. XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX" ' ` XXXXX . XXXX XXXXX ``. XXXXX ' . . . ` XXXXX '. ........., XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX'' ..''.'''. XXXXX .' '.XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX" ':.:'' XXXXX .'' .:::'XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX:.. .:XXXXX.'' .::::' .XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX '.. ..:' XXXXX ..:' . .:::'XXXX XXXXX ....::'XXXXX ':::::;' XXXXX .:''. .:::' XXXX XXXXX .:::::' XXXXX .: XXXXX :'. ..:... XXXX XXXXX.::' :: XXXXX: PREPARED TO XXXXX .'' ''.. XXXX XXXXX::' :: XXXXX`: FIGHT XXXXX.' '.XXXX XXXXX' :: XXXXX ``. XXXXX XXXX XXXXX '' XXXXX PREPARED TO XXXXX XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX DIE ...'XXXXX XXXX XXXXX :: XXXXX `...' XXXXX XXXX XXXXX `..' XXXXX .' XXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX /\ .' .' XXXX XXXXX /\ \ . . XXXX XXXXX / \ \...' `. .' XXXX XXXXX / NOT PREPARED TO BE DESERTED XXXX XXXXX / .'.' . .`.' XXXX XXXXX / ~ | : : : . XXXX XXXXX / |`. : : . .__________ XXXX XXXXX / ~ ~ ||.` ` : || \ / XXXX XXXXX / WRITE OR VISIT AN INCARCERATED VETERAN SOON ! XXXX XXXXX / ~ || . .'. / / XXXX XXXXX/ ~ ~ ~|| ||/ / XXXX XXXXX ~ ~ ~ || || / XXXX XXXXX || || / XXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX \_________XXXXX________|| XgjpX XXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXX NAM VET Newsletter Page 25 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Got a minute? Just drop a postcard! ALABAMA Johnny Chadwick 110520 Holman Unit 5-U-5 Holman 37 Atmore, Ala. 36503-0037 ARKANSAS :===========================: : Arkansas Dept. of Corr. : : Maximum Security Unit : : Star Route, Box 22-B : : Tucker, Ark 72168-8713 : :===========================: Chaplain Dennis G Pigman James Metcalf 088642 Jerry Barnett 083876 George Moore 076781 Michael Bass 086961 Charles Moorman 076535 Ronald Brackett 800013 Herbert Newman 093888 Richard Brasher 077897 Michael O'Rourke 000903 Darrell Brooks 081683 Michael Orndorff 000889 Henry Burris 081658 William Parker 000899 John Campbell 078482 Eldon Patton 060104 John Campbell 076674 James Perdue 084302 Tommy Chappell 091711 James Phelps 084005 Stuart Clements 082516 Perry Powell 092346 Hoyt Clines 000886 James Renton 073560 Raymond Coble 088317 Darryl Richley 000888 Jessie Cockrell 082169 Willard Robbins 080976 Benny Cooper 089393 Larry Robertson 089180 James Dansby 082797 Craig Ryan 093104 Thomas Dinger 088756 Raymond Sanders 000918 Isiah Dumas 079752 Larry Sawdon 080276 Donnie Dunivan 082890 William Smallwood090456 David Fain 083803 Michael Smith 087109 Lewis Fields 083568 Reginald Smith 085042 Dennis Glick 086895 Jimmy Staton 089671 Michael Hanshew 086275 Charles Stoner 084433 Johny Henderson 082960 William Sykes 084447 Harold Hobbs 077219 Danny Taylor 083979 Herman Holland 084387 Robert Upton 066236 Dewayne Hulsey 000865 Arthur Walls 079942 Cecil Jeffers 073300 James Walters 087938 Tim Keepes 085209 Bruce Ward 000915 Larry King 095569 Derek Webster 091356 Harold Krigbaum 087060 Johnny Williams 079023 Eugene Lilly 091245 Alfred Wilson 062356 Scott Macdonald 082181 Johnny Witham 065978 James Madison 083401 Billy Woodard 089235 Timmothy Mcdaniel 078129 Gregory Woods 077991 Gary Mcdonald 082306 COLORADO :=========================: : PO Box 2017 : : Buena Vista, Colo 81211 : :=========================: Chris S.Crespin 45523 Dennis E.Prentis 43497 NAM VET Newsletter Page 26 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Jerry Baack 57098 :=====================: : 0200 County Rd #219 : : Rifle, Colo 81650 : :=====================: Whitmarsh Bailey 56715 CONNECTICUT A. David Baez 57020 Box 100 Somers, Conn. 06071 GEORGIA :========================: : EG 172282 RCI Box 8409 : :Columbus, Ga 31907-8409 : :========================: Thomas Adams Dwight L.Lyons Donald E. Head :=====================: : PO Box 8409 : : Columbus, Ga. 31907 : :=====================: David M. McCook (DA-118) EF 18354 Jack T. Ruthledge C.I. INDIANA :==========================: : PO Box 41 : : Indiana State Prison : : Michigan City, In 46360 : :==========================: J Michael Ensley 28828 F Dorm W-84 Larry Lisenby 853325 CCH-149 Joe DeRado 902975 E Dorm E-42 Richard Martin 9634 CCH-164 James L. Davis 892971 E Dorm W-5 William R McCall 8031 ICH-404 Danny W. Hamby 892631 E Dorm W-93 Pat McGuire 892476 DCH-153 Scotty Hammack 10422 ACH-148 Dinzel Miller 23977 CCH-370 Lowell K. Idle 893265 DCH-424 Karl N. Robinson 852525 CCH-343 Richard Kirby 31358 DCH-262 Steve Swafford 874932 CCH-148 :=================================: : Westville Correctional Center : : P.O.Box 473 : : Westville, Ind. 46391-0473 : :=================================: Harold Mize 863934 Cory Naples 901359 MASSACHUSETTS :====================: : PO Box 466 : : Gardner, Ma 01440 : :====================: George Herbert Tyrone Smith Ron Gohn T2-rm 273 Kevin M Pennell Arthur Coy Robert Thompson NAM VET Newsletter Page 27 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Richard Ortiz Frank Komnenus Leslie Gomes PO Box 565 Billerica, Mass. 01821 Lance Koren PO Box 1069 Concord, Mass. 01472 MICHIGAN :==========================: : 2400 South Sheridan Rd. : : Muskegon, MI. 49442 : :==========================: Boyd Blair 156418 David Prieto 193367 Herschel Davis 163765 Leonard Pikaart 179858 Willi Henderson-Bey 128457 Tim Shagen 203886 Ronald Kramer 181007 Richard Sheff 180946 William Letzgus 187075 Thomas Siemoneit 179536 David Martin 180065 Tony Slusarski 131661 Teddy McCray 200255 Teddy Stephens 182636 Danny McKay 147064 Ronald Triplett 132615 Wendell Neview 196387 James Wilson 180186 David Oates 190210 Edwin Zimmerman 184779 :=========================: : G. Robert Cotton Fac. : : PO Box 3003 : : Jackson, Mi 49204 : :=========================: Robert Dennstaedt 147258 Mr. Peterson 167626 Mr. Vaughan 1456962 Mr. Ron Duvall 119293 Mr. Conklin 159051 Mr. Thomas Van Antwerp 184766 Mr. Michael Deen 201339 :====================: : PO Box 1900 : : Adrian, Mi 49221 : :====================: Terry Snyder 193889 Alex Beaudine 145559 Bill Hammes 204434 MISSOURI :==============================: : 8201 N. Crosswell Rd. S.T.F. : : St. Louis, Mo 48880 : :==============================: Andy Cascarelli 201886 David Fox 200406 Tim Grassmyer 206270 Rick Isbell 207512 Earl Lord 196758 Antonio Lyte 165094 Charles Ray 205764 NAM VET Newsletter Page 28 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Eddie Stenton 198136 Robert White 182002 NEW YORK :================================: : PO Box 618-135 135 State St. : : Auburn, New York 13024-9000 : :================================: Ervun L. Armlin Donald W. Knapp 86-C-0782 D-6-6 88-C-0072 A-3-8 Ron Chamberlain Micheal Mantice 81-C-0459 C-17-41 90-A-7640 B-7-18 Ed Beaufort Cutner Thomas H. Marlowe 89-C-1606 C-13-6 83-C-0834 E-9-16 Thomas Delmonte Alexander Micheal Marathon 86-C-1021 A-1-20 79-D-0127 B-2-7 Gary Emry Ferdinand Quiles 89-C-1315 A-7-24 83-A-5609 A-4-38 Elwood H. Fields Robert T. Smith 88-A-4043 D-8-13 81-A-2188 A-5-10 Giacomo A. Frascone Andrews S. Tenny 89-A-3512 A-6-22 81-B-2137 E-10-19 William L. Hargrove 83-A-4292 D-8-18 NEVADA :============================: : Nevada State Prison : : PO Box 607 : : Carson City, Nevada 89702 : :============================: James Bishop 31347 Eugene Perry 29647 Brook De Nault 29594 James Raines 31445 John Doane 14686 Dan Richmond 15601 Roy Fudge 29966 Eddie Romero 22115 James McGee 31489 Eddie Sanchez 26895 Earl Grissom 27536 Claude Theriault 11872 Brain Hern 14535 Robert Turner 30473 Ken Jezierski 30790 Harold Weaver 17624 Harry Lilly 29894 Jeff Weil 28242 George McIntyre 25124 Cecil Williams 23818 :=====================: : Ely State Prison : : PO Box 1989 : : Ely, Nevada 89301 : :=====================: Sam Howard 18329 Pete Huertas 15239 Jake Reynolds 21763 Paul Stadtlander 23389 :=========================: : Health and Safety : : PO Box 7011 : : Carson City, Nv 89702 : :=========================: Don Miller NAM VET Newsletter Page 29 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 PENNSYLVANIA :============================: : Drawer A Old Route 22 : : Cresson, Penn. 16630-0010 : :============================: George W. Burd AJ2110 Vernon E. Miller Sr. AJ1004 Darryl Houseman AJ1063 TENNESSEE :=====================: : PO Box 2000 : :Wartburg, Tenn. 37887: :=====================: John Cobb 126878 Unit 12 Myer Pettyjohn 90722 Unit 9 James Eades Unit 4 Bobby Tate 123531 Unit 5 Stanton Easley 86354 Unit 2 Kenneth Teague 112717 Unit 4 William Harris 77891 Unit 8 Charles Sprinkle 109200 Unit 4 Grant Henderson Unit 4 John Slate Unit 8 Johnny Ottinger Unit 14 VIRGINIA :=======================: : PO Box 488 : : Burkeville, Va. 23922 : :=======================: M Davenport 155165 (N-321) William Merriman 131789 (A-66) M Donati 150219 (D-71) L Rainsford 126380 (B-108) Joe Grace 136189 (B-108) Abdul Shah 101250 (O-417) M Glennon 140901 (O-101) Gerald Stovall Jr. 98899 (O-328) J Heidinger 102513 (O-421) R Sutton 141041 (O-317) Charles Ladison 138228 (O-330) :========================: : James River Corr. Ctr. : : State Farm, Va. 23160 : :========================: Roger Baxter 157594 D-2 Oliver Mayfield 106330 HA-2 Luther C Beasley 110375 D-2 James Moody 160399 D-4 Gordon Cawthron 135734 D-6 William Moran 131271 D-2 Robert Hall 148001 HA Preston Parker 118311 D-5 John Harris 133342 HA Jamal R Rashid 110781 D-2 Thomas Hawley 139294 D-1 Matthew Sanders 166545 D-4 Carlton Heflin 170297 D-5 Charlie Sherman 128403 D-6 Joseph Huggins 99433 D-6 William Simmons 106399 D-4 David Bailey 153526 D-2 David Swink 157682 D-6 Micheal Kay 136567 D-5 Curtis Wright 125330 HA Le'roi Mason 104969 D-5 WASHINGTON :=========================: : PO Box 1000 C2F3 : : Steilacoom, Wash. 98388 : :=========================: Larry DuBois WISCONSIN :========================: : PO Box 351 : NAM VET Newsletter Page 30 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 : Waupun, WI. 53963-0351 : :========================: Calvin Allen #203359 Ken Myers Jr. #173568 John Banaszak #188690 Aaron Overberg #142578 Edward Belamares #128592 Joe Perkins #50736 Merrit Burright #5593 Robert Warren #104480 Anthony Cartwright #2210911 Jose Rodriguez #193528 Eric Collins #201910 Philip Roth #168444 Charles Coogan #40001 Thomas Rush #177468 Irvin Doxtator #16876 Ruven Siebert #31311 John S. Deuchars #42641 William Selmon #0259321 John Erdman #133557 Robert Schmidt #187661 Keith Fenderson #210194 Wayne Schwamb #178746 Kevin Glover #167916 John Stallins #125612 Roosevelt Hall #180767 Charles Stephenson #179459 Jerry Hammill #66235 Merlin Sternitzky #155685 Dane Hedstrom #125111 Gary L. Stibb #202596 Danny Heller #149705 Kenneth Spears #88927 Joseph Higgins #210414 Lemuel Smith #6913 Mark Hinton #108536 Gary Sutton #196088 Colin Hutchinson #182042 Ron Swartout #84812 Dale Hylok #110660 Thaddeus Sieger #215663 Issac Jackson #186188 Louis Tarentino #184595 John Jaenke #89343 Ronald Taylor #181190 Tommy Johnson #138644 Eric Vogliotti #186603 Myung Jun #201398 Hoyt E. Vrooman #210573 Dereck Kelly #209110 Bernard Watts #177701 Herman Krause #39312 Richard Webb #103925 James Lelivelt #26992 Milton Wendler #135295 Richard Lewan #169630 Randolph Whiting #158604 William Lewis #44501 Robert L. Guck #72598 James Lowery #166070 Charles L. Marstan #210697 Robert McQueen #5705 NAM VET Newsletter Page 31 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 THE LIFER'S CLUB OF MCRCP Who, What, When, Where, and Why ? Input by: Joyce Flory NamVet's Incarcerated Veteran's Section Editor Desert Dolphin BBS - Las Cruces, NM (505) 523-2811 We are the Lifer's Club of Morgan County Regional Correctional Facility (MCRCF). We are a public benefit, non-profit, charitable organization formed in early 1989. We have dedicated our efforts to - among other things - promoting a public awareness of the good that can be accomplished by prisoners, encouraging public recognition of the inequality (and inequity) of prison sentences in Tennessee, and trying to do something about it. Our motto is "Helping Others On Our Way To Freedom", and we try to let that speak for itself. Our Board of Directors meets regularly, and we have semi-monthly meetings of the general membership. Several committees have been formed for special projects. We are supported entirely by membership dues, special fund-raising projects, and whatever donations we can generate from our outside sponsors and supporters. Our membership consists primarily of inmates in the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) who have life sentences, but we have expanded that to include inmates who have the equivalent of a life sentence. It's safe to say that all our members have either served a lot of time, or have a lot of time to serve. We have 'associate members', and 'free-world' volunteers who are associate members. These are people who - while they, themselves, may not have our immediate concerns - recognize that we, in most instances, are the product of more complex 'outside influences', and support our efforts to bring these outside influences within our control and focus our lives in a more positive direction. We have a strong core group of members, and a strong base of support from the outside, consisting mainly of the 'free-world' volunteers mentioned above, various civic and church groups, families and friends of our members, and many state employees who support our position but are not able to be as vocal as they'd like to be. Our efforts are fully supported by the administration here at MCRCF. We've done a lot of good since we started, and we try not to miss a chance to call attention to it - following are some of our recent projects: > > > HOLLY ARMES PROJECT Holly Armes is the infant daughter of Riley and Kathy Armes, a family in the Morgan County area. When we first heard about their problem, Holly was six months old, Riley was unemployed, they were disabled and on welfare - but those problems were compounded by Holly's being born with a condition called 'large encephalocele', a birth disorder which results in the brain being formed outside the skull, and remaining exposed. At age five months, Holly had been given six days to live. Riley and Kathy Armes made a decision that dwarfed all their other problems - they decided to take Holly home, instead of institutionalizing her, and try to give her as much love and care as they could during her life that seemed pre- destined to be short. How could we NOT help a family like that? The Lifer's Club voted unanimously to 'adopt' the Holly Armes family, and join with many other concerned people involved with helping them out. Everyone at MCRCF had a hand in helping the NAM VET Newsletter Page 32 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Armes family - members of the administration, counselors, correctional officers - but the Lifer's Club made the Armes family one of their first special projects, and helped in the only way they could - with a lot of love and support, and a special fund drive to help with some of their expenses, and the expenses incurred by the remodeling that was necessary to adapt their home to the special needs of a child like Holly. The Lifer's Club was proud to be involved with this project. > > > TOYS FOR TOTS PROJECT The 'Toys For Tots' project began as a joint effort to insure a Merry Christmas for several Morgan County area families who might not otherwise have had a Christmas at all. Toys were collected from various sourced, and brought to the MCRCF Annex so that inmates could repair them. Many different organizations joined together to help in this effort, and several different fund-raising methods were used to make sure that there would be enough money to supply, not only toys, but food boxes and other things as well. Names of needy families were submitted by the Department of Human Services, area churches, and concerned individuals. This project ballooned beyond everyone's expectations, and - in the spirit of Christmas - surprised everyone with the enthusiasm that could be generated in an institution-type setting, where enthusiasm is not normally found. The Lifer's Club donated $100.00, as well as supporting two individual children, with an additional $200.00 each. The largest single donation - $650.00 - came from the general population at MCRCF, many of whom are members of the Lifer's Club, and had already contributed through their initial donation from the dues fund. > > > FIREWOOD PROJECT Right before Christmas, 1989, the Lifer's Club participated in a firewood project, coordinated by the Volunteer program here at MCRCF. This project was originated to supply firewood for needy families in the Morgan County area during the cold weather that always comes with the holiday season. Sometimes the worry about where their next rick of firewood is coming from can put a damper on whatever enjoyment a family might have at Christmas-time. The Lifer's Club membership voted to commit itself to supply 25 ricks of firewood for these needy families, and immediately started a fund drive here at MCRCF. The fund drive was so successful that our original 25 rick commitment was increased to 30 ricks. With funds collected from the general population by the Lifer's Club, 30 ricks of firewood was purchased and stored for later distribution to needy families. > > > 1989 SPECIAL OLYMPICS The Michael Dunn Center is a local school for students with special needs. The Lifer's Club , and the general population at MCRCF, seems to have a special regard for needy children, so when we were contacted about sponsoring some of these children in the Special Olympics that is held locally each year, we voted unanimously to get on with it, and see what we could do to help. As a result of our fund drive, we were able to sponsor 21 children's participation in the 1989 Special Olympics. We also furnished Lifer's T-shirts and hats for them to wear, and we were proud to be able to help some of these children in their efforts NAM VET Newsletter Page 33 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 to overcome the particular obstacles that life has put in their way. > > > AMY GAMBLE PROJECT Amy Gamble is a teen-age girl who lives in the Morgan County area with her parents, Gerald and Wilma, and her younger sister, Janet. When we first heard about her problem, she was a 18 year old high school senior, an honor student, and had recently been diagnosed as having 'aplastic anemia'. Her condition requires regular blood transfusions, frequent trips to Nashville, Tennessee for treatment, and has caused her to be home-bound. Amy managed to continue her high school work, and plans to graduate this year - with honors - in spite of her not being able to attend school regularly because of her condition. She eventually will have to have a bone-marrow transplant, but that must wait until a compatible donor can be found. The Lifer's Club made Amy a special project, and started a fund drive to collect money to offset the tremendous expenses she and her family has incurred - or will incur - because of her condition. We were able to present Amy with a check for $1000.00, all collected from the general population and members of the Lifer's Club at MCRCF. Additionally, at our regular membership meeting, when a vote was taken allowing us to conduct the fund drive, the membership voted - to a man- to ask the Warden to look into what would be involved in allowing MCRCF inmates to present themselves to be tested for possible compatibility for potential bone marrow donation. Very few people understand the problems that life can dish out like an inmate does, and when we're given a chance to help - we do it, it's as simple as that. > > > SHARON DAVIDSON WHEELCHAIR FUND The Lifer's Club of MCRCF has become involved in a joint project with a local Masonic Lodge, raising funds to provide a wheelchair for Sharon Davidson, a Morgan County area lady who has multiple sclerosis. We are going to be able to present Sharon Davidson with a check for $400.00, collected from the general population and members of the Lifer's Club at MCRCF. We intend to challenge the Masonic Lodge that asked for our help to triple our donation - our challenge will probably result in another challenge, and the end result will be that Sharon Davidson will get her wheelchair. We were proud to be given the chance to join with a local fraternal organization like the Masons, and do what little we could. > > > 1990 SPECIAL OLYMPICS The Lifer's Club's experience with the 1989 Special Olympics (and the Michael Dunn Center) was so fulfilling that we tried to expand it this year. Our plans were to sponsor the entire Michael Dunn Center's participation in this year's Special Olympics. We joined forces with an outside organization (International Isshinryu Karate Association) to try to raise the extra funds that would be necessary. Coordinating our efforts with the Karate Association, and with the help of some of our 'free-world' volunteers, we planned to sponsor a walk-a-thon in the Morgan County area. We had tremendous support in our efforts, and things were looking good - unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate with us. The walk-a- thon was rained out, and stayed rained out until past time for the Special Olympics, so we've had to readjust our plans. We are sending the Michael Dunn Center a check for the same amount as last year, to offset the cost of this year's participation in the NAM VET Newsletter Page 34 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Special Olympics. We intend to hold the walk-a-thon at a later date (with the karate school's help), and any funds generated from the walk-a-thon will be used for another Michael Dunn Center project. > > > NURSING HOME PROJECT The Lifer's Club has unanimously voted to 'adopt' a local nursing home (Life-Care Center), and furnish some things that the nursing home needs that we are able to furnish. This project is presently being coordinated through one of our committees, and the necessary outside arrangements are being made. In addition to the items that we can provide with funds generated from within the Lifer's Club, we intend to furnish flowers, flower pots, etc. - or anything else that we can secure through an arts and crafts project here at MCRCF. Initially, plans are under way for a party for the residents of the nursing home. We have a lot of support in this program, and we are looking froward to being able to bring a little enjoyment into the lives of the people who live at the nursing home. > > > STRAIGHT TALK PROGRAM While the Straight Talk Program is not a specific program of the Lifer's Club, the idea, looked upon with scepticism by some, but pioneered within the TDOC at MCRCF, grew out of an idea that was created by the Lifer's Club, in early 1989. Necessarily, participation in the Straight Talk Program is not limited to the Lifer's Club members, but - not coincidentally - almost all the participants are either members or officers of the Lifer's Club. The program really gained ground after the initial visit by some Hiwassee College students and their instructor, Dean William Bell. This program could be compared to a similar program in the New Jersey prison system (Scared Straight), and coincides with a Tennessee plan that is just being implemented (shock incarceration, or the 'Boot Camp' idea), with one major difference. The Straight Talk Program involves only straight talk - no scare tactics, no profanity, no bull - employing the reality of prison life and the factors that contributed to the incarceration of the participants to encourage young people not to get caught up in the same trap. So far, students have come to MCRCF from many different institutions - ETSU, Sunbright, Blout County Boys Club, Alcoa High School - to participate in this project, and we have been allowed to carry our program outside the institution several times. Our efforts have reached all the way to Washington, and a representative of the Justice Department, Mr. Morgan Doughton, has noticed us and wants to file one of our programs as a model for use in implementing programs like ours nationwide. Of course, recognition and success are some of the more obvious, immediate rewards - but who knows what future effect our participation in this project will have on the lives of the many hundreds of young people who have listened to our 'straight talk'? As mentioned before, even though this undertaking is not a specific Lifer's Club project, the program is a special concern to most of us, since the idea originated in our club, and we are very interested in the success of the Straight Talk Program and the good we feel that it can do. Now, having said all that - why are we, the Lifer's Club of MCRCF, doing what we are doing? On first impression, that seems a NAM VET Newsletter Page 35 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 fairly easy to answer. Here's an organization made up of people with long prison sentences, who want to do whatever they can do to shorten them and go home. That's almost right - but it goes a little deeper than that. Indeed, it might surprise you to know that a majority of the Lifer's Club membership would not even substantially affected by the new laws. Most correctional officers and professionals in the field will tell you that a prison is like a small community. We, as inmates, know this is so. A prison community has its own set of laws (written and unwritten), its own set of values, and its own set of unique problems - problems that are generally misunderstood by everyone except the people who are the closest to them. Who better to help with problems - or to bring about some type of positive change - than the people who are right in the middle of them? We, as the Lifer's Club ARE these people, and we can usually recognize, and head off, problems before they become problems. We, as members of the Lifer's Club, like to think of ourselves as 'leaders' in our 'community' efforts. You can see our counterparts in a host of outside organizations - Jaycees, Civitans, Lions, etc. - if we weren't in prison, some of us might even be legislators, city-council members, judges - well, maybe we are over-exaggerating our importance a little bit - but, at any rate, we'd be the ones who would be working to try to better things, wherever we are. We, as members of the Lifer's Club - all people with long sentences - know that we are generally the ones most affected by whatever happens - inside or outside - that concerns the prison system. We also know that the stereotyped image of prisoners that people on the outside have - often perpetuated by the media and people to whom corrections is a big business - is not correct in all instances. We have already seen many positive changes, and recognize that many more positive changes are possible. We have long recognized the need for more education and vocational programs within the system to prepare inmates for a productive life on the outside. Many times the lack of simple social skills, or a marketable trade, can cause the behavior that results in a prison sentence. It's no accident that a majority of the executive committee (and many of the core group of Lifer's Club members) either work for, or are somehow connected with, the Treatment or the Education Department here at MCRCF. The Straight Talk Program - a controversial undertaking that has ballooned beyond everyone's expectations - is almost exclusively made up of Lifer's Club members and officers. In the past, many changes have been made in the system by inmates. Anyone who was at Turney Center (or any one of several other institutions in the middle 80's) knows what kind of changes inmates can make - violence and unrest always results in changes. However, this kind of change is not always for the best, and we - as Lifer's Club members - recognize that the inmates most affected by the type of change brought about by violence and unrest are the inmates who must live here the longest - as opposed to the ones who can just cause trouble and go. We have long known that there is a distinct difference in inmates, and we have just recently - right here at MCRCF - been given the opportunity, by a forward- thinking administration, to show what we can do. If you can accept the premise that there can be 'community leaders" within a prison system, and if you can indulge us a little further by accepting that an organization such as the Lifer's Club is where these 'community leaders' will show up, then it's not hard to NAM VET Newsletter Page 36 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 understand why we see it as our responsibility to promote the Lifer's Club of MCRCF, publicize it's accomplishments, and do what we can to improve the system that we must live in. In the past, we have recognized a potential problem in a kind of perceived unfairness in the sentences and sentencing practices in the state of Tennessee. The new sentencing laws gave us a ray of hope, but we believe it is extremely important for us to call attention to the potential unfairness - real or perceived - that would result from new inmates, with shorter,'new law' sentences, coming into a system full of inmates with longer 'old law' sentences. We've got the Lifer's Club at MCRCF started, we've got a handle on what we're trying to accomplish through an organized group of inmates and their outside helpers, and we've got the help and support of a lot of good people. We think the only thing that could possibly hold us back would be our lack of imagination. We intend to continue promoting a public awareness of the good that can be accomplished by prisoners, to continue encouraging public recognition of the inequality (and inequity) of prison sentences in the state of Tennessee, and to keep on trying to do something about it - just a longer way of saying: "Helping Others On Our Way To Freedom" Joe Lifer Community Relations Committee Lifer's Club of MCRCF " NAM VET Newsletter Page 37 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 ================================================================== Ol' Glory n' Shiftin' Sands ================================================================== President Bush's Address to the Nation Wednesday, January 16, 1991, 9:00 PM E.S.T. (Sent to VETLink #1 with no FileAttach Message) VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA (413) 443-6313 "Just two hours ago, Allied Air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait. These attacks continue as I speak. Ground forces are not engaged. This conflict started August 2d, when the dictator of Iraq invaded a small and helpless neighbor. Kuwait, a member of the Arab league and a member of the United Nations, was crushed; its people brutalized. Five months ago Saddam Hussein started this cruel war against Kuwait. Tonight, the battle has been joined. This military action, taken in accord with United Nations resolutions, and with the consent of the United States Congress, follows months of constant and virtually endless diplomatic activity on the part on the United Nations, the United States, and many, many other countries. Arab leaders sought what became known as an Arab solution only to conclude that Saddam Hussein was unwilling to leave Kuwait. Others traveled to Baghdad, and a variety of efforts to restore peace and justice. Our Secretary of State, James Baker, held an historic meeting in Geneva, only to be totally rebuffed. This past weekend, in a last ditch effort, the Secretary General of the United Nations went to the Middle East, with peace in his heart - his second such mission. And he came back from Baghdad with no progress at all in getting Saddam Hussein to withdraw from Kuwait. Now, the 28 countries with forces in the Gulf area, have exhausted all reasonable efforts to reach a peaceful resolution, have no choice but to drive Saddam from Kuwait by force. We will not fail. As I report to you, air attacks are underway against military targets in Iraq. We are determined to knock out Saddam Hussein's nuclear bomb potential; we will also destroy his chemical weapons facilities; much of Saddam's artillery and tanks will be destroyed. Our operations are designed to best protect the lives of all the coalition forces by targeting Saddam's vast military arsenal. Initial reports from General Schwarzkopf are that our operations are proceeding according to plan. Our objectives are clear: Saddam Hussein's forces will leave Kuwait, the legitimate government of Kuwait will be restored to its rightful place, and Kuwait will once again be free. Iraq will eventually comply with all relevant United Nations resolutions and then, when peace is restored, it is our hope, that Iraq will live as a peaceful and cooperative member of the family of nations, thus enhancing the security and stability of the Gulf. Some may ask, "Why act now, why not wait?" The answer is clear: The world could wait no longer. Sanctions, though having some effect, showed no signs of accomplishing their objective. Sanctions were tried for well over five months, and we and our allies concluded that sanctions alone would not force Saddam from NAM VET Newsletter Page 38 Volume 5, Number 6 June 10, 1991 Kuwait. While the world waited, Saddam Hussein systematically raped, pillaged, and plundered a tiny nation no threat to his own. He subjected the people of Kuwait to unspeakable atrocities. And among those maimed and murdered - innocent children. While the world waited, Saddam sought to add to the chemical weapons arsenal he now possesses - an infinitely more dangerous weapon of mass destruction - a nuclear weapon. And while the world waited, while the world talked peace and withdraw, Saddam Hussein dug in and moved massive forces into Kuwait. While the world waited, while Saddam stalled, more damage was being done to the fragile economies of the third world, emerging democracies of Eastern Europe, to the entire world including to our own economy. The United States, together with the United Nations, exhausted every means at our disposal to bring this crisis to a peaceful end. However, Saddam clearly felt, that by stalling and threatening and defying the United Nations, he could weaken the forces arrayed against him. While the world waited, Saddam Hussein met every overture of peace with open contempt. While the world prayed for peace, Saddam prepared for war. I had hoped, that when the United States Congress, in historic debate, took its resolute action, Saddam would realize he could not prevail, and would move out of Kuwait in accord with the United Nation resolutions. He did not do that. Instead, he remained intransigent, certain that time was on his side. Saddam was warned over and over again to comply with the will of the United Nations - "Leave Kuwait or be driven out." Saddam has arrogantly rejected all warnings. Instead he tried to make this a dispute between Iraq and the United States of America. Well he failed. Tonight, 28 nations, countries from five continents: Europe and Asia, Africa and the Arab league, have forces in the Gu