Jan 2000
2,031 Americans remain unaccounted for from SE Asia.
Mission Area Analysis ("MAA") was initiated by DPMO (Defense POW Missing Personnel Office) to examine the worldwide mission of POW/MIA personnel recovery. According to the MAA, funding for the JTF-FA (Joint Task Force-Full Accounting) will not be alotted after 2004.
Feb 2000
Two alleged Americans were interviewed by VVA National POW/MIA Chairman,
Bob Necci, while he was on official VVA/Veteran's Initiative business in
SEA. Necci refuses to provide adequate details.
Mar 2000
After 47 years, a South Korean escapes from Communist North Korea.
Secretary of Defesne Cohen is the first American Defense Secretary to visit
communist Vietnam in 32 years. He visits the excavation of the crash site
correlated to that of Capt. Richard Rich, USN, shot down 19 May 1967.
Remains are recovered and sent to CIL-HI (Central Identification
Laboratory-Hawaii) for identification.
Apr 2000
Six sets of remains alleged to be those of US Servicemen are repatriated to
US control at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport.
May 2000
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Sydney Schanberg beings writing on the
POW/MIA issue again. His piece, "The War Record A Senator Doesn't Want You
To See," kicks off his series. Can we guess which Senator he is talking
about? Does the Initials John McCain mean anything to you?
S. 484, Bring Them Home Alive Act of 1999 passes in the Senate unanimously and is sent to the House for consideration.
Jun 2000
Bob Necci, VVA National POW/MIA Chair, refuses to answers legitimate
questions regarding his interviewing 2 alleged Americans while in Laos
earlier in the year.
Jul 2000
Remains alleged to be those of 12 American servicemen are repatriated to US
control at Pyongyang, North Korea.
Aug 2000
Remains alleged to be those of 14 American servicemen are repatriated to US
control at Pyongyang, North Korea.
Sep 2000
E-mail exchanges between VVA National POW/MIA Chairman, Bob Necci and
Californian Randy Armann are made public. Armann is published claiming that
our MIAs are really in drug induced stupor in Thailand until their deaths
whereby their remains are taken to Vietnam for eventual repatriation to the
US. It is evident that Necci admittedly e-mailed Armann several times from
SE Asia regarding the Feb/Mar 2000 Veterans Initiative trip.
VVA National Vice President and Veteran's Initiative Team Leader, Tom Corey, writes that he is in "no way contradicting Mr. Necci," proceeds to contradict Mr. Necci. Necci claims that the VI team were trapped in Hanoi for 3 days; Corey says they missed on flight. Necci claims they were "in the field in Laos for 3 days;" Corey claims they were on the ground in Laos for less than 24 hours. Necci claims that "we talked with 2 individuals at separate locations for a long time." Corey says that no one from the Veteran's Intiative did any such thing. Corey's time line cannot be reconciled to Necci's claims.
Necci subsequently resigns from the VVA Board of Directors and relinquishes his POW/MIA Chair and ends communication. Demands are made upon the VVA to either force Necci to answer or to expel him from VVA.
Oct 2000
The remains of Capt. Richard Rich, USN, are identified and accepted by the
family several days after the marriage of Rich's son and PNOK, Christopher
Rich and daughter of POW/MIA Thomas Moore, Diane Moore.
VVA Vice President Tom Corey requests time to answer the correspondence sent to him regarding the incident surrounding the Necci resignation. Corey explains that he is about to embark on another VI trip to SE Asia and he would respond upon his return 21 October.
On 29 October Corey responds that the concerns of those writing to him regarding the incident surrounding Necci's resignation would have to wait until after the Novemeber 2000 Board of VVA Director's meeting.
Nov 2000
The remains of Capt. Richard Rich, USN, are laid to rest at a hero's
ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on election day.
VVA Board of National Directors move to adopt a resolution from the POW/MIA committee to ignore further correspondence regarding the Necci resignation and "move on." VVA National has mislead the rank and file and have treated the families and the POW/MIA community with the same disdain shown by the USG. A clear message is to be sent that this will not be tolerated of an organization claiming to be doing everything possible to garner the fullest possible accounting. A suit is being explored and pursued.
Bring Them Home Alive Act of 1999 is now law thanks to a large part of the efforts of Larry Vigil of Sen. Cambell's office, Rick Wilson of Con. Burton's office and Lindsey of Con. Talents office. Way to go!!!
Dec 2000
Officially, there are still 1,991 Americans unaccounted for from SE Asia.
While we celebrate this holiday season with our friends and families, let
us take a moment to remember our POW/MIAs abandoned by our government while
fighting for freedom around the world for all people.
2001 Department of Defense Personnel Recovery Conference. The Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel office will be hosting the DoD Personnel Recovery Conference, January 22-24, 2001 at the Crystal City Hyatt Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. This year's conference comes in the wake of two important DPMO-sponsored studies.: a Mission Area Analysis (MAA) and Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Assessment for Personnel Accounting and Recovery, and an assessment of Personnel Recovery in Coalition Environments. Many of the issues that will be discussed will be direct results of findings from the two studies. Senior leaders from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, Unified Commands, Services and government agencies will be attending and participating in the conference. Many of the major problems facing Personnel Recovery to include organization, force structure, training, policy, planning, acquisition, etc. will be discussed and recommendations made to OSD, the Joint Staff, Services, and Unified Commands. Additional details are provided on the NDIA web site at http://register.ndia.org/interview/register.ndia?~Brochure~1040~1040 or by calling (703) 602-2202 ext. 213
What we can do as the new year kicks in: Keep pressure on our government to let them know that we are not going to go away. Write your representatives in the House and Senate inquiring as to what they are doing to bring home your adopted POW/MIA. Ask if they intend to continue funding the JTF-FA beyond 2004. When President Elect Bush and Vice President Elect Cheney are sworn in to their respective offices, write them asking what they intend on doing. In addition, request they appoint former Navy Commander Chip Beck Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in charge of Defense POW Missing Personnel Office.
Help Roger Hall fund his suit against rhe CIA. Remember, they are still holding thousands upon thousands of documents that they refuse to turn over to the Archives as directed by law. This is what Hall's suit is about; but they are trying to outspend him. A $1, $5, $10, $50, etc. donation several times through the year to the charity that Hall has set-up to fund the FOIA Litigation suit will go a long way to being the first successful suit ever litigated against the CIA. We strongly urge you to do what you feel is right. For further information, contact Roger directly at 301/585-3361 or e-mail him at RHall8715@aol.com
In the interim be kind to your selves and keep the focus. Thank you for your effort this past year and we look forward to making more progress in the coming year. We have a ways to go yet.
On behalf of Gunny Fallon, Dennis Johson and the rest of the Operation Just Cause management team, we wish you a very happy, healthy and safe New Year.
Best Regards,
Steve Golding,
Executive Director, Operation Just Cause