National Alliance of Families
For The Return of America's Missing Servicemen
World War II - Korea - Cold War - Vietnam - Gulf Wars
October 21, 2006 Bits N Pieces
Ê
Continued Prayers and Get Well Wishes Ð needed for Steve Golding. Please send your prayers and good wishes SteveÕs way. Cards may be sent to Steve Golding at 307 A Main Ave., Stirling, NJ 07980. You can also leave a message at a special blog site, set up by Mary Ann Reitano. Leave your messages for Steve at http://stevegolding.blogspot.com/
New Effort or Last Ditch Effort Ð On October 13th WKRC 12 Cincinnati reported on a new effort to locate Sgt. Matt Maupin, Prisoner of War in Iraq. According to the story filed by Local 12 reporter Paul Adler; "A new push by the Army to find Sergeant Matt Maupin has resulted in a paid advertisement that appeared on Iraqi television. A military official, close to the project, told Local 12 the ad produced no new leads during its run. That official also expressed doubts that Matt Maupin is alive. We want to make it clear, this military official requested his name be withheld as part of our report."
"Tonight he shows us the ad.... You may not understand the spoken words, but here's the translation. "Help heal the pain of these separated families." The ad is a plea to find Matt Maupin, but you don't see him until 15 seconds after the start. His parents don't appear for another 20 seconds....."
"An official in Iraq, close to the production of the ad, told us the men who attacked Matt's convoy are hard core opponents, very little will get them to talk. The military official told us the ad focused on Iraqis because, he says, the majority of Iraqis don't care what happens to Americans."
"Carolyn Maupin: "I'm just hoping and praying there's someone over there that's a little bit different than that. Maybe they feel a little bit differently, believe a little differently."
"Our source told us the ad produced no new leads. He went on to say it's decreasingly likely that we'll elicit information on Matt's location and increasingly likely he's dead or deceased. As you might expect, those are fighting words for Army officials who speak on the record, and they're fighting words for Matt's parents, too."
" Carolyn Maupin: "We're to keep our hope up. And praying until they can prove to us 100 percent either way. And that's what I'm going to do. And I realize we only have a 50/50 chance here, but I'm not going the low road. I'm going the high road."
"The Army's official stance is we're committed to tracking all leads. The goal is to return Staff Sergeant Matt Maupin. We have no substantiated evidence he's deceased..... While others express doubts, Matt's parents expect no less than a safe return."
"Keith Maupin: Just bring Matt home. That's all I ask from you."
Is the Army Preparing to Declare Matt Maupin Dead - Several months ago we were told, by a very well placed individual, that the Army believed Sgt. Maupin is dead and would like to change his status. We did not report this information, as we usually like a least a second source confirmation. WKRC has now confirmed that that information. While the WKRC story is soft in itÕs wording, no punches were pulled when we were told the Army believes Maupin is dead. When we were told of this information, we asked why the Army had not acted, on the status. Our answer was a pointed look, with a "Well....."
That trailed off into a shrug of the shoulders. Our response was "the POW/MIA groups." There was a slight nod of the head and the topic was changed.
Earthquake McGoon Is Going Home Ð Remains of one of AmericaÕs first MIAÕs in Southeast Asia have been identified as the legendary James B. McGovern Jr. better known by his nickname of "Earthquake McGoon." McGovern and his co-pilot Wallace Buford, both World War II veterans, were flying for Civil Air Transport, an airline owned and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency. Their aircraft was hit by ground fire, after a supply drop to French forces at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. An excellent article by Richard Pyle of the Associated Press describes the man, the mission and the secrecy surrounding the loss of McGovern and Buford, AmericaÕs first casualties of the Vietnam War. Excerpts from the AP article follow:
"More than half a century after he died in the flaming crash of a CIA-owned cargo plane and became one of the first two Americans to die in combat in Vietnam, a legendary New Jersey soldier of fortune known as "Earthquake McGoon" is finally coming home."
"The skeletal remains of James B. McGovern Jr., discovered in an unmarked grave in remote northern Laos in 2002, were positively identified on Sept. 11 by laboratory experts at the U.S. military's Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in Hawaii....."
"Six feet and 260 pounds - huge for a fighter pilot - James McGovern Jr. carved out a flying career during and after World War II that made him a legend in Asia. An American saloon owner in China dubbed him "Earthquake McGoon," after a hulking hillbilly character in the then-popular "Li'l Abner" comic strip, and the nickname stuck."
"The Elizabeth, N.J., native died on May 6, 1954, when his C-119 "Flying Boxcar" cargo plane was hit by ground fire while parachuting a howitzer to the besieged French garrison at Dien Bien Phu. "Looks like this is it, son," McGovern radioed another pilot as his crippled plane staggered 75 miles into Laos where it finally cartwheeled into a hillside."
"Killed along with "McGoon," 31, were his co-pilot, Wallace Buford, 28, and a French crew chief. Two cargo handlers, a Frenchman and a Thai, were thrown clear and survived. Ho Chi Minh's communist forces captured
Dien Bien Phu the next day, ending a 57-day siege that had captured the world's attention in 1954. It signaled the end of French colonial power in Indochina, and helped set the stage for the 15-year "American war" that ended with the fall of the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese government in 1975."
"Although civilians, the swashbuckling McGovern and Buford, an ex-World War II bomber pilot, were the first Americans to die in combat in the Asian country where war would later take nearly 60,000 American and more than a million Vietnamese lives."
"It was no mystery in 1954 that the United States was supporting colonial France against Vietnam's communist-led rebellion, and "McGoon" was already famous for his exploits when he was killed."
"The only secret was that his employer, a charter airline called Civil Air Transport, or CAT, "was owned by the CIA - lock, stock and barrel," Felix Smith, a retired CAT pilot and McGovern friend, said in an interview in 2002. The secrecy was maintained even after crash evidence was located, he said."
"The spy agency, which for decades did not acknowledge any connection, is arranging for James McGovern III to fly to Hickam Air Force Base near Honolulu and escort his uncle's body home, he said. The CIA did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the case...."
"McGovern first went to China in 1944, as a fighter pilot in the 14th Air Force's "Tiger Shark" squadron, descended from the famous American Volunteer Group, the Flying Tigers. According to Smith, he was credited with shooting down four Japanese Zero fighter planes and destroying five on the ground."
"At war's end in 1945, McGovern signed on with CAT, which was under contract to Chiang Kai-Shek's Chinese nationalist regime, then fighting a civil war against Mao Zedong's communists."
"Captured by communist troops after a forced landing, "McGoon" was freed six months later. Colleagues joked that his captors simply got tired of feeding him. CAT moved to Taiwan after Chiang's 1949 defeat. In 1950 it was secretly acquired by the CIA, and continued to fly commercially as a cover for clandestine activities. Three years later it was detailed by the Eisenhower administration to Indochina, flying supply missions for the French with its planes' insignia painted out. Ultimately, CAT morphed into Air America, the "CIA airline" that operated in Laos and South Vietnam during the second Vietnam war."
"McGovern's exact fate was unknown until a French visitor learned of the crash during a 1959 visit to the Laotian village of Ban Sot. That report was suppressed by the CIA, Smith said, but after a private historian found it in French files years later, a group of former CAT pilots led by Smith persuaded the CIA to back a search effort. The CIA-CAT connection was finally declassified in the 1990s."
"In 1997, an American MIA team investigating an unrelated case found a C-119 propeller at Ban Sot, and William Forsyth, a JPAC photo analyst, spotted possible graves in aerial photos. Excavation in 2002 uncovered remains that turned out to be McGovern's."
"JPAC experts are still seeking the remains of co-pilot Buford, one of 35 civilians among 1,797 Americans still unaccounted for in Indochina, said Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green, a JPAC spokeswoman.
19 New POW Cases Part V
Donald S. Newton was a member of a Long Range Reconnisance Patrol (LRRP) when he and Francis D. Willis
went missing on February 26, 1966. Both men were listed as Missing in Action, in spite of the fact that Newton was reported, by name, alive and in enemy hands. Government records state that at approximately 0745, on February 26th, Newton and Willis "Left the patrol to conduct a routine reconnaissance out from the patrol area, a distance not to exceed 250 meters and then return. By 1300 hours, they had not returned to the patrol area, search teams were sent to look for the two missing men. Again, on 27 Feb 66 search parties were sent to look for the individuals but with negative results."
On March 24th, ARVN (Army Republic of Vietnam) officer Lt. Tran Tien, provided information obtained from a source. According to Lt. TienÕs report; On 28 February 1966 two Americans approached from the north to grid coordinates BQ97733763. They dug a two man foxhole where they remained for the duration of the night of 28 February 1966. At approximately 0700 hours on 1 March 1966, an L-19 airplane flew over. The Americans signaled the airplane with three red smoke grenades. The Vietnamese Communists (Viet Cong) (VC) had
apparently been watching them from the time they arrived at BQ977373 until they threw the smoke granedes. The VC realizing they were in trouble then attacked the two Americans killing Willis and wounding the Caucasian...... The Caucasian was taken prisoner, given medical attention, interrogated, and then paraded before the local (word unreadable) for the purpose of propaganda.... the VC held the Caucasian in the area until the morning of 3 March 1966 when they moved him south... prior to moving the American they dressed him in a khaki uniform...."
The source described the captured American as Caucasian, 5'8" or 5'9", thin build with hair described as red or blond. He was wearing a camouflage uniform with soft brown wide brim hat, jungle boots. He carried a shot gun and .45 caliber pistol and his name was Newton.
On that same day, another source reported the incident stating that Willis "was captured by the VC during the fighting and then killed. Both sources stated that ÔNewtonÕ was wounded in the arm and then captured alive by the VC."
How did the description of "Newton" stack up against the description held in U.S. records? According to those records Donald Newton is described as Caucasian, 5'6", medium build with reddish blond hair.
Two additional sources report "that a Caucasian with a name tag "Newton" was paraded alive through several VC villages."
Four sources independently confirmed Donald S. Newton as alive and in enemy hands. It would be some 20+ years before the Vietnamese Government would acknowledge his captivity. It would be another 14+ years before that acknowledgment would be publicly known. Source reporting and Vietnamese official acknowledge Donald S. Newton survived into captivity. When will the U.S. Government acknowledge it and when will they ask the Vietnamese to return Donald Newton.
During preparation for the 11th Iteration of Joint Activities with the Vietnamese, in August 1990, a message was sent from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington D.C. to the Commander of the Joint Casualty Resolution Center (now JPAC.) Information contained in the message traffic was to be presented "in writing" to the Vietnamese. Outlining the case of Donald Newton and Francis Willis, the message stated;
"Sergeant Donald S. Newton was taken to the 102nd Dispensary under the jurisdiction of Military Region Five after treatment for injuries. Request you locate and make available to US any records concerning Sergeant NewtonÕs treatment at this medical facility Ð request that you locate and make available for interview individuals who served in the Prisoner of War section, the Enemy Proselyting, the Military Proselyting or the Security Section, of the Phu Khanh Province Committee during the time Sergeant Newton was in that area. Those individual would likely have information on Sergeant Newton."
"Request that you locate and make available for interview witness to the movement of sergeant Newton by the 250th Transportation Group or Military Region Five or the Prisoner of War section of B3 Headquarters." Request that you locate and make available for interview witnesses to Sergeant NewtonÕs movements up the Strategic Route which was under the jurisdiction of Group 559."
Why does Johnie Webb still have a job?
Dolores Alfond - 425-881-1499
Lynn O'Shea --- 718-846-4350
Web Site http://www.nationalalliance.org
email lynn@nationalalliance.org
Ê