"First I must ask you to excuse my English, because I cannot speak like you. I learned my english in concentration camps and my first teachers were kidnaped American officers." Testimony of Avraham Shifrin before the Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of the Internal Security Act and Other Internal Security Laws, Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate, February 1, 1973.

World War II - "As early as May 1945, three U.S. paratroopers veterans of D-Day were imprisoned in a Soviet camp near Dresden. Corp. Bucki Okhane, Private Billy Hafers and Private First Class Olen Taylor were reported by a German returnee Friedrich Grzybek. The German even brought U.S. military intelligence a signed picture of Taylor in U.S. uniform. The men were later believed to have been shipped "east" on railroad cars." From "Soldiers of Misfortune" by Sauter, Sanders and Kirkwood.

The source of this information is an August 20^th 1946 report on "Information Received from Illegal Border Crosser." The document reads, in part, "Grzybeck states that in May 1945 three United States Soldiers were brought to the Camp as prisoner. He gave their names as follows:

a. Pfc Taylor, Olen of [ redacted redacted redacted]

b. Cpl Okhane, Bucki of [ redacted redacted redacted]

c. Pvt. Hafers, Billy of [ redacted redacted redacted]

These names were written by Grzybeck and may not be spelled correctly, except of Taylor, Olen as Grzybeck has in his possession a picture of Taylor in a United States Army uniform, signed by Taylor. (See attached photographs."

"The three United States soldiers and Grzybeck were confined in the camp near Dresden from May 1945 to August 1946. Before being confined to this camp near Dresden, the three United States soldiers were German Prisoners of War, having been captured by the Germans shortly after the Normandy Invasion near Cherbourgh, France. According to Grzybeck, the three American soldiers were in an Airborne Division which called itself "King of the Air."

We Wonder - What must Pfc Taylor have thought? He sent a message in the form of a signed photo of himself. He sent his message and waited for rescue.... did he die, waiting for that rescue or perhaps he is still waiting....

Korea - "No. 947 The Embassy of the United States of America presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic and has the honor to request the Ministry's assistance in the following matter."

"The United States Government has recently received reports which support earlier indications that American prisoners of war who had seen action in Korea have been transported to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and that they are now in Soviet custody. The United States Government desires to receive urgently all information available to the Soviet Government concerning these American personnel and to arrange their repatriation at the earliest possible time."

"American Embassy"

Moscow April 5, 1954 (note: on the document April is crossed out and May is handwritten in.)

E O'Shaughnessy

DHHenry:mfc

Cpl. Richard G. Desautels captured December 1, 1950, at Sonchu, North Korea, last seen August 7th, 1953

"The above mentioned POW was taken into China... He returned to Camp No. 5, in March 1952, at that time he mentioned if he should disappear to make inquires concerning his whereabouts with the proper military authorities...." Statement of former POW Joseph [last name unreadable] - 16 June 1954.

"Cpl Desautels.... remained at POW Camp #6 two or three weeks and was then taken away by the Chinese." Statement of former POW Ellis P. Clark - 8 June 1954

"When we were repatriated, I saw him. He was taken away cause he could speak Chinese, so they took him out of the camp. They said he was a rumor spreader and blamed everything that went on in camp on him. So

they took him away and when I was released I saw him in Pyoktong village. He must of been held." Statement of former POW Richard Grenier - 12 June 1954

Richard Desautels knew he wasn't coming home. He expected his government to come and get him. We wonder how long Richard Desautels waited.... is he still waiting.....

Cold War - February 26, 2000 U.S. Obtains Russia Emigre's Memoir, from the Associated Press by Robert Burns - Washington (AP) - "Pentagon investigators have obtained the memoir of a Russian emigre who claims to have learned while in internal exile in the former Soviet Union that dozens of American servicemen from World War II and the Korean War were detained in Siberian labor camps.... "

"...The memoir is exceptional because it provides names of individual servicemen...."

"...Another section of the memoir describes the fate of 10 members of a 12-man crew of a U.S. Air Force B-29 reconnaissance plane, which was shot down by Soviet forces over the Sea of Japan on June 13, 1952."

"American search and rescue teams recovered no remains from the plane, and in July 1956 the U.S. government appealed to Moscow for information about the crew. The State Department note said an officer believed to have been a member of the crew was seen in October 1953 in a Soviet hospital north of the Siberian port of Magadan. The Soviets replied that no American servicemen were on Soviet territory. "

"The Russian emigre said that in the 1980s he was told by an associate with extensive experience in the far eastern reaches of Siberia that he had learned the names of two of the captured B-29 fliers: ``Bush and Moore.''

"The B-29's commander was Maj. Samuel Busch. A crew member was Master Sgt. David L. Moore. The memoir indicates that Busch and Moore were killed - possibly beaten to death - in the Siberian city of Khabarovsk, apparently a short time after their capture. Eight surviving crew members were put in solitary confinement in a prison in Svobodnyi, a city northwest of Khabarovsk near the Chinese border, it said...."

We wonder how long the crew of this B-29 waited.... are they still waiting.....

Vietnam - Intelligence Information Report - from the Central Intelligence Agency, 3 November 1970 - "Subject: Personal Views on Possible North Vietnamese Refusal to Comply Fully with Terms of a Prisoner Exchange Agreement."

Page 1 - REDACTED!

Page 2 - "1. At the end of hostilities in South Vietnam (SVN) whether or not a coalition government is formed there, or if a prisoner of war exchange should occur before the end of hostilities, North Vietnam (NVN) will make impossible demands in order not to comply fully with any agreement that might be made with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) and Allied governments. At the time when a prisoner exchange is to take place, NVN will also demand that all ralliers to the GVN as well as prisoners be returned to NVN. Since that GVN and Allied forces have offered sanctuary to all ralliers, this demand will be impossible to fulfill. However, it will give the NVN Government a reason for not complying fully with the terms of a prisoner exchange agreement and conceivable could be a reason for not returning all American prisoners."

"2. As of September 1967, [redacted redacted redacted redacted] a great deal of proselyting of American pilots was being carried out in an effort to try to convince them to go to other communist countries as advisers. [Redacted redacted redacted] Attempts were made to proselyte only those pilots who were considered the most cooperative during their interrogations. No effort was made to convert them to Communism but only to show them that the U.S. was doing great harm both the NVN and throughout the world through its military imperialism. The North Vietnamese claimed that Communist countries needed the advise of American pilots to counter any attack which the U.S. might make against the Communist countries. The NVN Government was successful in convincing some American pilots to accept this offer, and these pilots will be the prisoners which NVN will refuse to return. [redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted redacted]

Let's Be Clear About One Thing - we do not believe that any American pilot willingly chose to go to a communist country to assist with their military defense. However, we do believe it possible that the North Vietnamese were successful in torturing some POWs into submission and it was those POWs who after their their "interrogations" (translation - torture) were shipped to other communist countries. Based on this memo, it would seem that the CIA, in November 1970, considered the transport of American POWs to other communist countries a very real possibility.

Memo - 14 July 1973 "US Personnel Believed To Be In a Captured Status - " ... The information is a result of an analytical study accomplished by the Data Analysis Branch, CDD. Items studied were: The Operation Homcoming Debriefs, a dossier-by dossier review to include reviewing FBIS Reports, Publications, Intelligence Reports and Interrogation Reports (Ralliers and PWs). Classification of individuals into various categories becomes a matter of judgement based on the type and amount of information available. Individuals were placed in a captured status by Data Analysis based on information contained in the referenced documents."

The memo goes on to state "... JCRC records indicates that the DRV, PRG, Pathet Lao and Khmer Rouge governments are probably holding 101 US Military and 7 civilian personnel in a captured status."

One of the POWs listed is LCDR. John Graf, USN, lost November 15 1969. The comment reads: "Several reports correlate with his capture. According to source report subject died by drowning in an escape attempt and was buried at XR 65 67. Source identified picutre of subject as the man who died. Stated that GRAF was buried by locals in area of Old Long Toan airfield. Debriefing of returnee reports that he may have heard GRAF's name over NVN radio, perhaps late 1971. Reports on file that correlate to subject which indicates that his is alive. (1973)"

For more on John Graf, see Bits N Pieces March 25, 2000.

We wonder how long John Graf waited..... is he still waiting.....

Gulf War - The following comes from Jay Veith, author of "Codename: Brightlight" - "Subject: Verbatim transcript of the Feb. hearing that dealt with Cdr. Speicher"

"All, - Below is a portion of the unofficial transcript that deals with Cdr. Michael Speicher. The hearing has not been printed, and Sen. Roberts from Kansas is asking for a written assessment, which will be entered into the official transcript when it is printed by the GPO.

U.S. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE HOLDS A HEARING ON WORLDWIDE THREATS TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY, FEBRUARY 7, 2001

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, (R-KS)

Witnesses: George Tenet, Director, Central Intelligence Agency

Vice Admiral Thomas Wilson, U.S. Navy, Director, Defense Intellignece Agency

Thomas Singer, Acting Assistant Secretary of State

ROBERTS: Lieutenant Commander Michael Speicher, KIA in 1991, MIA in 2001. President Clinton said the following, as of last month, he indicated that the commander might still be alive. "We've already begun working

to try to determine whether, in fact, he's alive; if he is, where he is and how we can get him out," the president said, "because since he was a uniformed service person he's clearly entitled to be released, and we're going to do everything we can to get him out."

Senator Shelby, Senator Smith more especially, who came on the issue in 1996, I came on it in 1998, feel we've lost one of our own and we've left him behind. We think the system failed, we're trying to fix it.

Written testimony, if you could respond to the following questions. Please describe in regard to our efforts to establish within the intelligence community, quote, "An analytic capability with responsibility for intelligence and the support of the activities of the U.S. relating to POW and missing persons." We passed that in the authorization bill. We hope that there's been a big change, and I need to know the progress you've made in establishing this capability in regard to status, budget and the breadth of its activities.

To what extent has the new capability drawn on the resources of the DIA? I want to thank Admiral Wilson for his excellent work in this respect. I want to make sure that Admiral Wilson's right arm knows what your left arm is doing or vice versa. What is the role of the DIA as an organization, the DIA personnel in establishing this capacity?

And lastly, has compliance with this legislative directive changed the organizational relationship of the previous existing office structures within the CIA and the DIA? And I hope that's the case, and I would request a written report.

Now, on the same subject, just a couple of months ago the IG of the CIA and DOD gave a "noteworthy" -- I'm quoting -- "noteworthy assessment of the intelligence community support of the Speicher case, and, in fact, for the general quality of intelligence support for the POW-MIA matters."

I don't agree. I think it's noteworthy all right, but it's not the same connotation that was in that report. Were the factors that contributed to this allegedly high-level work in place in the early and mid-'90s, when must of the effort now regarded as incomplete -- and that's the nicest way I can put it -- in regard to the Speicher case, were they considered in that IG report?

TENET: I don't know, sir. I'll have to check for you. I don't know. Do you know?

(CROSSTALK)

SINGER: Did the IG look back as far as we had records dealing with the issue, but it was an independent investigation...

ROBERTS: From '91 up to '96, were those factors considered, Tom?

SINGER: As far as I know they were, sir.

ROBERTS: How on Earth could anybody reach the conclusion that they were noteworthy and excellent? That's beyond me.

SINGER: The conclusions reached were the independent actions of the IG, DOD and CIA IG.

ROBERTS: We might want to have the IG up for a smaller hearing, Mr. Chairman. Was the evaluation of the IGs based on process alone, or did it also evaluate the extent to which substantive information was developed and analyzed or the utility of intelligence for operational and policy purposes? You mentioned before, getting this information is one thing, and assessing it is another thing, and then the trigger to get it out to

the field is another thing. Now, this is not -- I guess, the USS Cole example is a better example of that, but that's where I'm headed. Your assessment of that, Admiral?

WILSON: I think they evaluated the intelligence work and not the policy bulk of it.

ROBERTS: OR the assessment?

WILSON: Right.

ROBERTS: Well, I have a lot of trouble with that and I think it's certainly worthy of expiration now, after those questions. Thank you for the job you do.

We wonder how long did Scott Speicher wait.... is he still waiting.

POWs - World War II - Korean War - Cold War - Vietnam - Gulf War - When does the lying stop!

On The Topic Of When Does The Lying Stop - Why does Johnie Webb still have a job?

New POW Burial Grounds Discovered In Siberia - IRKUTSK, Mar 22, 2001 By Vladimir Khodiy (Itar-Tass via COMTEX) -- "Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori will visit one of the 81 newly-discovered Japanese burial grounds in Irkutsk region during a visit to Russia on March 25."

"Professor Sergei Kuznetsov, a historian and the author of a book titled "The Japanese in Siberian Captivity (1946-1956)", told Itar-Tass that more than 70,000 soldiers and officers of the former Kwangtung army who had been taken into captivity during World War II stayed in prison camps near Irkutsk. They built the Taishet-Bratsk railway, erected apartment buildings in Irkutsk, worked at Siberian coal mines and extracted salt from local deposits. About 7,000 Japanese died with their graves scattered in different places."

"The largest burial ground is in Irkutsk. The graveyard, located in the city outskirts next to a Russian cemetery, used to belong to a former POW hospital. Each out of 406 graves has a brick tombstone with plates in two languages. On the morning of March 25 a table covered with the Japanese national flag will be installed near the cemetery's central monument where visiting Japanese Premier Yoshiro Mori will perform his memorial ritual"

H.R.62 - The Dumbest Piece Of Legislation Ever Introduced - (for details see Bits 2/24/01) - As of March 23^rd the legislation has ZERO co-sponsors.

National Alliance of Families Twelfth Annual Forum is scheduled for June 21st - 23rd, 2001. Our Forum is conducted to coincide with the governments annual POW/MIA Family Briefings. We urge all family members to attend this years government briefings, for Vietnam family members. Remember the government will provide free airfare to two family members to attend the briefings. There is no charge or registration fee to attend the government briefings. It is important that family members attend these briefings.

Our meeting will be held at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 1489 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington Va. Room rates are $106.00 single or double, plus tax. To make reservations call 703- 416-1600 Remember to say you want the National Alliance of Families Group Rate. The deadline for reservations is May 29th, 2001.

Remember, the Alliance is an all volunteer organization. Our meetings are open to all, without charge. At this time of year, we actively seek contributions to finance our Forum. If you wish to contribute, donations may be mailed to: