Honor Reclaimed: POWs have their say

National Review ^ | 09/10/04 | Kate O'Beirne

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[zot]

Thanks for the ping -- and for all you have done to help make this possible.

[ride the whirlwind]

I'm so glad that Kate O'Beirne wrote this. God bless the veterans in PA who funded this documentary. I pray that some Kerry supporters will watch it out of curiosity and end up doing the right thing - dumping him like he dumped his fellow vets!

[Interesting Times]

Thanks for the ping -- and for all you have done to help make this possible.

You are entirely welcome.

[af_vet_1981]

Sinclair is trying to get Sen. Kerry on the show. Perhaps if more of his supporters called or emailed him he would do it.

From Sinclair's website

We welcome your comments regarding the upcoming special news event featuring the topic of Americans held as prisoners of war in Vietnam. The program has not been videotaped and the exact format of this unscripted event has not been finalized. Characterizations regarding the content are premature and are based on ill-informed sources.

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry has been invited to participate. You can urge him to appear by calling his Washington, D.C. campaign headquarters at (202) 712-3000.

if you would like to make further comments on this matter, you may do so at: comments@sbgi.net

[MeekOneGOP]

My thanks to BulletBobCo for the concept of this
pic and to Conspiracy Guy for the captions!

[bitt]

FAX to Kerry's National Headquarters
202-712-3001 (fax)

state contact #s - call them and challenge Kerry to appear on Sinclair's broadcast:

Contact National Headquarters
Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc.
P.O. Box 34640
Washington, DC 20043
202-712-3000
202-712-3001 (fax)
202-336-6950 (TTY)

Contact Your Local Office

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602-298-4200

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501-244-9999

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323-904-4985

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313-259-7730

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602 Virginia St., East
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Charleston, WV 25301
304-343-8661

[gitmo]

I hope these guys get the media attention they deserve.

This month.

[stockstrader]

Only liberals and democrats could side with a War Criminal over POW'S (real heroes)!

Only liberals and democrats would want to NOT give POW's their day in the public eye!

Only liberals and democrats would try to silence a company trying to give POW's their day in the public eye!

Only liberals and democrats would try to suppress the opinions, thoughts and free speech of POW's!

Only liberals and democrats would FLAUNT and SUPPORT the positions of Michael Moore over those of POW's!

[wizr]

Thank you, for all your work. :-)

[wizr]

Thanks, again.

[wizr]

I remember hearing a lot about Hanoi Jane, but did not realize what a powerful traitor Kerry was.

Either I've been blind, or it was a "right coast" thing.

Cannot understand how anyone can help put this con man in power. Especially for over 20 years.

[snippy_about_it]

We've been too busy to even attempt to see the President but I am hoping my vote puts Bush in the win column for Oregon. We got our ballots yesterday in the mail.

[88keys]

You know that quote about the "mills of God"?

Well, I think I see a parade coming!!

Pokey, thanks for the post, and Misty, thanks for the "ping"!

[calcowgirl]

IT, have you seen this account about POW Ed Elias. Perhaps they would authorize it to be republished.

Pownetwork.org

(snip)

One day Elias was blindfolded and put in a vehicle with another blindfolded American, Jim Padgett. they were taken into a room and seated at a table; their blindfolds removed. They saw five or six other prisoners sitting there. Minutes later, in walked Jane Fonda.

She talked 30 to 45 minutes about why she came to North Vietnam. She stood in front of the men and lectured them about committing genocide, destroying civilian targets and committing other atrocities. Fonda said she would be broadcasting a message asking their fellow American fliers to refuse to fly sorties agains North Vietnam. She dwelt on how much the people of the United States were against the war.

Later, Elias listened to what he thinks was a tape of the same speech broadcast over the loudspeaker in his cell.

Elias was not taken to hear former Attorney General Ramsey Clark speak, but once again tapes were played over the loudspeaker in his cell. Clark said how wrong the United States' actions were in the eyes of international law.

(snip)

The actual circumstances of Elias' release were a mystery to him at the time. The people who came to release him referred to themselves as "the Coalition." They included Cora Weis of the Faberge' family; David Dellinger of the Chicago Seven; William Sloan Coffin, a Yale University chaplain; and Professor Richard Falk. They were accompanied by NBC correspondent John Hart and Associated Press correspondent Peter Arnett. Elias says the whole thing was a propaganda effort to show that the Coalition could deal with the North Vietnamese government and the American government could not.

"I didn't know who these people were," he said. "I only knew I wanted to get back to the military." When he learned the Coalition was intent on preventing the military from "capturing" him, he got up from their table and left the room. A North Vietnamese political officer stopped him and said, "That is not intelligent."

Elias and the Coalition flew from Hanoi to Beijing, Arnett had given Elias the telephone numer of the satellite communication system that President Richard Nixon had used on his recent trip to China. When Elias walked into his hotel room, he picked up the telephone and dialed that number. A switch operator picked up the call in New York and passed it through to Elias' wife in Valdosta, Ga. "We talked no more than two minutes," Elias said. "No one ever knew except Peter Arnett, who was in the room when I called."

I came across quite a few articles in the powsmias FBI files on Major Elias, who returned home and stayed in the military. The 'Peace Movement' was not pleased that they failed in turning a POW into positive propaganda. Here's one snip from Cora Weiss at a press conference she and Ramsey Clark held on October 5, 1972:

PDF: Powsmias File 24c, Page 34

Cora Weiss spoke of her recent trip to Hanoi and the surrounding province in North Vietnam. She spoke of the medical facilities and of the three POWs, Mark L. Gartley, Norris Charles, and Edward Elias, who she recently accompanied back to the U.S.

Weiss was asked to explain her dislike for Major Edward Elias who had recently held a press conference and advised he would remain in the military. Weiss advised she differed with Elias' views and Elias lied to both her, COLIFAM, and the Communist to get back to the US. She did not further elaborate on her remarks other than "Elias was lucky he returned."

Someone needed to slap this woman (right into a cell).

[JoeGar]

... veterans were warned not to wear their uniforms ...

When we (four Marines) were departing for Vietnam from San Francisco, we were warned not to wear our uniforms in the city. Well, darn it, things got packed on the transports 24 hour prior to departure, and our uniforms were all we had. The four of us went into downtown San Francisco in our Class As, and could not have been greeted more graciously. Everyone wanted to buy us food and drinks. The people of San Francisco were magnificient. They would not let us pay for anything. They had no nice words for the hippies there.

[swheats]

While watching this documentary I was amazed that it has taken 30+ years for the POW's and veterans to be heard. Before no one believed or wanted to hear about it.

But now realizing that many men and women went to thier graves with the stain of dishonor, have now finally been vindicated and their honor somewhat restored for the sacrifices they made.

Another example of time being the great equalizer.

[Snoopers-868th]

"Time" did not equalize anything or the SwiftBoat Vets would not be on the march. They will NEVER FORGET..

[jmstein7]

BUMP!