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T A L I B A N S A Y T H E Y H E L D I N D I R E C T TA L K S W I T H U. S . A B O U T P O S S I B L E P R I S O N E R
E X C H A N G E I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Taliban say they held indirect talks with US about possible prisoner exchange
1
From the Desk of the President
3
From the Desk of the New England Regional
4
Rolling Thunder® New Hampshire-1
Chapter Officers
5
DPMO Reports
73 POW/MIA’s Recov-ered in 2013
Their Names
6
U.S. Senetors Kelly Ayotte and Claire McCaskill,Requests Full Investigation of JPAC Ethics Issues
7,9,10
& 11
POW/MIA Flag Re-quirements
Coming Events
8
Bring Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Home
9
RTNH-1 Photos and Photo Tribute to Michael “Pops” Gouin
12 & 13
RT National Bike Raffle 14
The major function of Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is to publicize the POW/MIA issue:
To educate the public that many American Prisoners of War were left behind af-
ter all previous wars, and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans
from being left behind should they become Prisoners Of War—Missing In Action.
We are also committed to helping American veterans from all wars.
R O L L I N G T H U N D E R ® , I N C . M I S S I O N S T A T E M E N T
By KATHY GANNON, AP
First Posted: February 19, 2014
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Wash-
ington has held indirect talks
with the Taliban over the possi-
ble transfer of five senior Taliban
prisoners from Guantanamo Bay
in exchange for a U.S. soldier
captured nearly five years ago, a
senior Taliban official told The
Associated Press.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 27, of Hai-
ley, Idaho, was last seen in a
video released in December,
footage seen as "proof of life"
demanded by the United States.
Bergdahl is believed to be held in
the border regions between Af-
ghanistan and Pakistan. He is
the only U.S. soldier to be cap-
tured in America's longest war,
which began with the U.S.-led
ouster of the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan for sheltering al-
Qaida in 2001 in the wake of the
Sept. 11 terror attacks.
The talks, which the Taliban offi-
cial said took place sometime
over the past two months in a
Middle East country, would be
the first significant movement
toward an exchange since it was
last discussed by the U.S. and
the Taliban in June 2013. That
earlier initiative, along with the
overall peace efforts, lost steam
after Afghan President Hamid
Karzai argued over the name of a
Taliban political office that
opened in the Gulf nation of Qa-
tar. The office was eventually
closed but several Taliban have
remained behind in Qatar.
A U.S. official said the Americans
are considering a prisoner ex-
change but would not comment
on whether any new talks have
taken place. The official, who has
been closely involved with this
issue and has knowledge of pre-
vious talks with the Taliban, re-
fused to give more details.
State Department deputy
spokeswoman Marie Harf would
not confirm the efforts.
"We are not currently involved in
active negotiations with the Tali-
ban," Harf said Wednesday.
"Clearly if negotiations do re-
sume at some point with the
Taliban, then we would want to
talk with them about the safe
return of Sergeant Bergdahl."
In Kabul, a senior Afghan official
said the U.S. has recently been in
touch with Karzai's government
over a possible exchange involv-
ing Bergdahl, who was captured
on June 30, 2009.
Time might be ripe for a swap.
(Continued on page 2)
THE THUNDER
Rolling Thunder®, Inc. New Hampshire-1
February 2014 : Volume 17 : Issue 07
A Chapter of Rolling Thunder®, Inc., a 501(c) 4 Non-Profit Organization
THE THUNDER Page 2
P O S S I B L E P R I S O N E R E X C H A N G E F O R P O W S G T . B O W E B E R G D H A L
Karzai has refused to sign a bi-
lateral security agreement that
would allow the U.S. to leave a
residual force in Afghanistan
after the NATO-led combat mis-
sion formally ends at the end of
this year. Karzai says he must
first see movement on reconcilia-
tion with the Taliban. He main-
tains that Washington has con-
nections with the Taliban that
can help with this process.
But there are potential road-
blocks.
The five Taliban detainees cur-
rently are not among those
Guantanamo Bay prisoners who
have been approved for transfer
once their home countries pro-
vide security guarantees. The
Obama administration, which
wants to close the facility, has
argued that many approved
transfers effectively have been
blocked by rigid restrictions im-
posed by Congress. Recently,
Congress eased the restrictions,
including the toughest one, re-
quiring the secretary of defense
to "personally certify that there
would be no recidivism for any
detainee he certified," according
to Pentagon spokesman, Army
Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale.
The transfer process, once it has
begun, would take about two
months, a senior U.S. official
said, also speaking on condition
of anonymity. Both U.S. officials
and the Afghan official spoke on
condition of anonymity because
they were not authorized to dis-
cuss the issue publicly.
It was not clear where the five
Taliban prisoners would go if
released from Guantanamo Bay.
Karzai has demanded that they
be transferred to Afghanistan.
The Taliban want them released
to Qatar, suggesting they could
be helpful with the peace pro-
cess.
The senior Taliban official said
leaders of the movement "are
serious about the pris-
oners' issue." He said
the talks were held
through an intermedi-
ary and did not involve
direct discussions with
U.S. officials. He re-
fused to give more
details and spoke on
condition of anonymity
because he did not
have Taliban leader
Mullah Mohammed
Omar's permission to
talk to the media.
The five Taliban detain-
ees at the heart of the
proposal are the most senior
Afghans still held at the prison at
the U.S. base in Cuba. Each has
been held since 2002.
They include:
— Mohammad Fazl, whom Hu-
man Rights Watch says could be
prosecuted for war crimes for
presiding over the mass killing of
Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan in
2000 and 2001 as the Taliban
sought to consolidate its control
over the country.
— Abdul Haq Wasiq, who served
as the Taliban deputy minister of
intelligence and was in direct
contact with supreme leader
Mullah Omar as well as other
senior Taliban figures, according
to military documents. Under
Wasiq, there were widespread
accounts of killings, torture and
mistreatment.
— Mullah Norullah Nori, who was
a senior Taliban commander in
the northern city of Mazar-e-
Sharif when the Taliban fought
U.S. forces in late 2001. He pre-
viously served as a Taliban gov-
ernor in two northern provinces,
where he has been accused of
ordering the massacre of thou-
sands of Shiites.
— Khairullah Khairkhwa, who
served in various Taliban posi-
tions including interior minister
and a military commander and
had direct ties to Mullah Omar
and Osama bin Laden, according
to U.S. military documents. His
U.S. lawyers have argued in court
papers that his affiliation with
the Taliban was a matter of cir-
cumstance, rather than ideology,
and that he had backed away
from them by the time of his
capture. His lawyers also have
argued that he was merely a civil
servant and had no military role,
though a judge found otherwise
and said there was enough evi-
dence to justify holding him at
Guantanamo. His lawyers have
appealed.
— Mohammed Nabi, who served
as chief of security for the Tali-
ban in Qalat, Afghanistan and
later worked as a radio operator
for the Taliban's communications
office in Kabul and as an office
manager in the border depart-
ment, according to U.S. military
documents. In the spring of
2002, he told interrogators that
he received about $500 from a
CIA operative as part of the un-
successful effort to track down
Mullah Omar. When that didn't
pan out, he says he ended up
helping the agency locate al-
Qaida members.
Associated Press writers Deb
Riechmann and Lara Jakes in
Washington contributed to this
report.
Page 3 THE THUNDER
Until They All Come Home
F R O M T H E D E S K O F T H E P R E S I D E N T
Greetings ALL !
This last year has been a good
year, as we have helped Veter-
ans in so many ways from escort-
ing, and assisting families in
several Funeral Services,
to helping Veterans Directly with
Donations. All of our regular
events from the NHSVC clean-
ings, to the Tilton Vet Home visits
and of course, the Liberty House
were well attended.
Unfortunately we did attend
many funeral services/wakes.
That holds the same for this year
already. Mike Gouin, US Army
Veteran, Vietnam Era. Not only
was he Joe Pepin's step-father,
but he was RTRI's Chairman of
the Board. Most recently, we lost
RTMA1 VP Carl Sutera, US Army,
as well as Former RTNH1 Secre-
tary/Marsha Bailey's Brother in
Law who was an Air Force Vet.
We bid them all a heartfelt fare-
well, and thank them and their
families for their service!
This past year Bob McGuigan
arranged and installed 4
POW/MIA chairs in town halls,
stadiums, etc. The next Chairs of
Honor we have on our schedule
for 2014 will be dedicated at The
Lee Speedway, as well as
Hooksett, Belmont and Salem,
NH. The NH Statehouse is also
next on our list!
We have a great crew on
Board as far as leadership goes,
please feel free to contact any of
us at any time. As far as other
Chapter Positions, with the ex-
ception of a “Asst Jr Member
Director, all of our positions have
been filled ! This is awesome,
and I applaud all of you that have
stepped up to give more of your-
selves to fill these positions that
have been vacant for some time
in this Organization. The website
is fully updated with contact in-
formation for all of your officers
and all other positions.
Going forward, I would like to
remind all of us that, we are a
very large group with many di-
verse backgrounds, but we are
all here for the same reason: The
Mission statement. I am trying
very hard, to smash this en-
tire ”Click Mentality” that may be
perceived by some. I want every-
one to feel welcome and wanted
in this organization. Yes, most of
us ride, but as stated in the
Member Info page on our web-
site, It states: “We are a Veter-
ans service organization, NOT a
motorcycle club.” I would like
you to think of this group as a
'family' if you will. If something
happens to a member, or a mem-
bers’ family i.e. a loss, a sick-
ness/crisis - Contact me, or one
of your Board Members. At every
monthly meeting "sick and dis-
tressed" is brought up. Not only
do I welcome people to contact
me in efforts to keep me in-
formed as to sick and distressed,
I ask at every meeting if there is
anyone that is hurting and needs
prayers. I do care about all mem-
bers’ statuses, and make person-
al phone calls/In person visits in
order to check up on people in
crisis.
Just a friendly reminder that
membership dues are due. To be
a member in good standing, not
only are dues required, but you
should also be showing up to at
least 3 meetings and 3 events.
This is the required minimum to
remain a Member in Good Stand-
ing. If you cannot attend for
health or work reasons, please
call or email me letting me know
of your situation. Please continue
to update your Secretary, D with
your email address and physical
address for our files
If you haven't been to a meet-
ing, and/or an event in a while;
please remember WHY you
joined Rolling Thunder® NH1.
Was it because you are a Veteran
and wanted to connect with oth-
er Veterans, people that give
back, and events dedicated to
Veterans? Was it because you
have a spouse, family member or
friend that serves/has served,
that drives you to put your time
into giving back? What is your
motivation for becoming a mem-
ber? Let 2014 be the year that
you comeback and out some
time into this organization. Give
some of your time to the Veter-
ans at the Tilton Vets home serv-
ing them Ice Cream, or cleaning
the NHSV Cemetery coming up in
April. We also have the Milford &
CO Swap meet on April 6th, as
well as the Lee Speedway
POW/MIA Chair of Honor Dedica-
tion that we are combining with a
Social Luncheon, more details
TBD. This season, Help US - help
Veterans by working an event
that raises money. SPRING IS
AROUND THE CORNER, If you are
riding through the Winter, please
be careful of ice patches, salt
and sand! See you in March !
A Reminder: I use Facebook for
very light social activity, as I don't
have time to spend on it daily to
read updates on a regular ba-
sis. Please contact me with a
phone call, or an email. My
phone number is included on my
email signature. I am very easily
reachable by theses means.
Janice Maramaldi
President
RTNH-1
Page 4 THE THUNDER
F R O M T H E D E S K O F T H E N E W E N G L A N D R E G I O N A L
L I A I S O N
The 2013 season is officially
behind us and the 2014 season
is upon us. The Chapters are
getting their 2013 reports into
National and from early discus-
sions with National, we as a Na-
tional organization had a very
busy and productive 2013. I
hope to have more specifics out
for you all in April as National is
crunching the numbers and
such. Congratulations to Rhode
Island Chapter I for being the
first New England Chapter to
have their 2013 reports complet-
ed and submitted!! From a Re-
gional perspective we are contin-
uing to grow and push our Mis-
sion! OUTSTANDING WORK!!
On December 3, 2013 we lost
Michael “Pops” Gouin to Cancer.
Yes he was Joe Pepin’s Dad and
he was the Chairman of the
Board for RI Chapter I. On Janu-
ary 7, 2014 we lost Carl Sutera
who was the Vice President of
MA Chapter I. The loss of both of
these two men struck us hard as
an Organization. We mourned
with their Families. Both men
were incredibly dedicated to their
Families and to Rolling Thun-
der®, Inc. I feel confident and
comfortable knowing both men
as I did that they felt Rolling
Thunder®, Inc. was an extension
of their families. Both men
stepped forward when asked or
when they saw the need within
the Chapter. They went the extra
mile and worked many-many
hours behind the scenes ad-
dressing issues, building relation-
ships, supporting Veterans, and
supporting our Mission.
When I think of Pops, I am re-
minded about quiet, strong hum-
bleness and easy to speak with.
When I think of Carl, I think
strong dedicated beliefs with a
giant smile and mischievous
twinkle.
Very different Men, very different
personalities, came from differ-
ent backgrounds but yet they
were pulled together by our
Cause and Mission. That Cause
and Mission is the one that
unites us all in our activities with
Rolling Thunder®, Inc. I know
not everyone in the New England
Chapters met or knew Pops or
Carl, I wish you had. I believe
each man would have left a
slight impact on you in their own
way.
For those of you who knew Pops
or Carl, I know they left a positive
impression. I hope that as we
grieve their loss, we take a mo-
ment to remember that two very
different men were united in one
cause – to not forget those who
were left behind after past wars,
to educate the public about the
POW-MIA issues, to ensure those
who may become POW-MIA’s are
not forgotten and to support
American Veterans.
That cause is our Mission. We
do not forget. We may bicker as
brothers and sisters but bottom
line we are united to brining
home all POW-MIA’s and support-
ing all American Veterans past,
past, and future. We are Rolling
Thunder®, Inc.
Be Safe & Be Healthy
Doc Stewart
New England Director
Rolling Thunder®, Inc.
Michael “Pops” Gouin Carl Sutera
We Will
Never
Forget
THE THUNDER Page 5
CHAPTER APPOINTED OFFICERS
PRESIDENT Janice Maramaldi
VICE PRESIDENT Bill “Top” Downs
TREASURER Mike Desjardins
SECRETARY Dee Reagan
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Tom Bennett
BOARD MEMBER Rich Deneka
BOARD MEMBER Dan Pendleton
BOARD MEMBER Robert McGuigan
BOARD MEMBER Richard Borghi
BOARD MEMBER Rick Smith
BOARD MEMBER
1st ALTERNATE Darryl Cook
2nd ALTERNATE Kevin Marcy
CHAPLAIN Richard Borghi
SGT AT ARMS Jon Dion
PUBLIC RELATIONS Jeffrey Smith
NEW MEMBER LIAISONS George Thompson
Teresa McGuigan
NEWSLETTER Bruce Garry
FACEBOOK PAGE Bruce Garry
PHOTOGRAPHER Kim Hebert
Dan Pendleton
WEBMASTER Pat McGhie
EVENTS CHAIRMAN Teresa Parker
ROAD CAPTAINS Scott Suchovsky
Tom Bennett
QUARTERMASTER Jeffrey DiVincenzo
LEGISLATIVE LIASON John Domenicis
Diane Domenicis
POW/MIA OFFICER Bruce Garry
HISTORIAN Becca Lynn
HISTORIAN Vacant
JUNIOR PROGRAM DIR George Thompson
ASS’T JUNIOR DIRECTOR Vacant
CHAPTER OFFICERS
CHAPTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rolling Thunder® New Hampshire-1 Chapter Officers
CHAPTER CONTACT
INFORMATION
Rolling Thunder® NH Chapter 1
PO Box 343
Epping, NH 03042
Phone: 978-394-0010
Email to:
WEB Page:
http://rolling-thunder-nh1.org/
Facebook:
Rolling Thunder Inc. New
Hampshire Chapter 1
Rolling Thunder® New Hampshire-1 Monthly Meetings: First Tuesday of Each Month @ 7:30pm
LOCATION: R.A. Mitchell
American Legion Post 51
232 Calef Highway
Epping, NH
PUBLIC IS ALWAYS WELCOMED!!!
Page 6 THE THUNDER
Total Accounted For in 2013
WWII Korean
War
Cold War
Vietnam War
Gulf War
Iraq Other
Operations Total
Total MIA 12 34 0 27 0 0 0 73
DPMO REPORTS 73 POW/MIA’ S RECOV ER ED IN 2013
A L L R E C E I V E D F U L L M I L I T A R Y H O N O R S B U R I A L
T H I S I S T H E E X A C T S A M E N U M B E R T H A T W A S R E C O V E R D I N 2 0 1 2
Cpl. Cletus R. Lies (Korea)
Cpl. Joe W. Howard (Korea)
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph E. Gantt (Korea)
Cpl. William A. Newton (Korea)
Pfc. Jerry P. Craig (Korea)
1st Lt. Louis L. Longman (WWII)
Cpl. George W. Conklin (Korea)
Capt. Franklin B. Tostevin (WWII)
Staff Sgt. Lawrence Woods (Vietnam)
Technician Fifth Grade O’Neal Rush (WWII)
Cpl. Harold A. Evans (Korea)
Pfc. Norman P. Dufresne (Korea)
Cpl. Robert J. Tait (Korea)
Col. Francis J. McGouldrick (Vietnam/Laos)
2nd Lt. Vernal J. Bird (WWII)
Sgt. Melvin E. Wolfe (Korea)
Pfc. Ronald C. Huffman (Korea)
Sgt. Charles L. Scott (Korea)
Pfc. Herene K. Blevins (Korea)
2nd Lt. Valorie L. Pollard (WWII)
Sgt. Dominick J. Licari (WWII)
Capt. Henry S. White (WWII)
Staff Sgt. Thomas L. Meek (WWII)
Pfc. Jonathan R. Posey Jr. (Korea)
Sgt. 1st Class William Robinson (Korea)
Sgt. Clement Thibodeaux Jr. (Korea)
Cpl. Glydon E. Moyer (Korea)
Pfc. Armando Alvarez (Korea)
Pfc. Manlet F. Winkley (WWII)
Lt. Col. Robert E. Pietsch (Vietnam/Laos)
Maj. Louis F. Guillerman (Vietnam/Laos)
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph D. Steinberg (Korea)
Cpl. Donald V. Maclean (Korea)
Cpl. Marvin E. Omans (Korea)
Master Sgt. Olen B. Williams (Korea)
Pfc. James L. Constant (Korea)
1st Lt. Robert G. Fenstermacher (WWII)
Sgt. Charles Allen (Korea)
2nd Lt. Richard Vandegeer (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Bernard Gause, Jr
(Vietnam/Cambodia)
Hospitalman Ronald J. Manning (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Lance Cpl. Gregory S. Copenhaver (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Lance Cpl. Andres Garcia (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Pfc. Daniel A. Benedett (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Pfc. Lynn Blessing (Vietnam/Cambodia)
PFC Walter Boyd (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Pfc. James J. Jacques (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Pfc. James R. Maxwell (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Pfc. Richard W. Rivenburgh (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Pfc. Antonio R. Sandoval (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Pfc. Kelton R. Turner (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Maj. Howard V. Andre (Vietnam/Laos)
Sgt. Jerome E. Kiger (WWII)
Sgt. Charles R. Marshall (WWII)
Maj. James E. Sizemore (Vietnam/Laos)
Lt. Dennis W. Peterson (Vietnam)
Ensign Donald P. Frye (Vietnam)
Aviation Antisub Warfare Tech William B. Jackson (Vietnam)
Aviation Antisub Warfare Tech Donald P. McGrane (Vietnam)
Maj. Larry J. Hanley (Vietnam/Laos)
Sgt. Bernard J. Fisher (Korea)
1st Lt. Douglas H. Haag (Korea)
Master Sgt. Ernest W. Grainger (Korea)
Cpl. Billy M. McIntyre (Korea)
Lance Cpl. Merlin R. Allen (Vietnam)
Master Sgt. Robert A. Stein (Korea)
Pfc. Daniel A. Benedett (Vietnam/Cambodia)
Pfc. James R. Hare (Korea)
Lt. Richard L. Laws (Vietnam)
Cpl. Robert W. Scott (Korea)
Cpl. Robert G. Archer (Korea)
Pfc. Weldon A, Davis (Korea)
Pfc. Bobby L. Byars (Korea)
THE THUNDER Page 7
U.S . S E N E T O R S K E L LY A Y O T T E A N D C L A I R E M C C A S K I L L ,R E Q U E S T S F U L L
I N V E S T I G A T I O N O F JPAC E T H I C S I S S U E S
By Matthew M. Burke
Stars and Stripes
Published: January 28, 2014
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan —
Internal communications ob-
tained by Stars and Stripes allege
a troubling pattern of wrongdoing
and violation of scientific ethics
by JPAC’s Central Identification
Laboratory, the section responsi-
ble for the lion’s share of efforts
to search, recover and identify
American personnel missing from
past military conflicts.
The documents contain allega-
tions of botched recovery and
identification efforts that span
modern American military history,
including World War II dead on
Tarawa Atoll; Korean War dead at
Upo Lake, South Korea; and Vi-
etnam-era war dead on Koh Tang
Island in Cambodia.
The offenses allegedly committed
by laboratory personnel include
possible desecration and mishan-
dling of remains, failure to keep
critical records, excavation of
incorrect sites and waste of tax-
payer funds on duplicate efforts
caused by shoddy performance.
“These charges echo concerns
that have been raised before
about JPAC’s performance, and
there needs to be a full investiga-
tion,” said U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte,
a Republican from New Hamp-
shire, after viewing a portion of
the documents Jan. 23.
The allegations are the latest
stain on the reputation of the
Defense Department’s Joint Pris-
oners of War, Missing in Action
Accounting Command, which has
been described as “lacking in
structure, leadership and ac-
countability” in Congressional
hearings. It comes on the heels of
a recent scandal involving JPAC
and the Defense POW/Missing
Personnel Office, with revelations
that JPAC held phony repatriation
ceremonies with alleged remains,
and multiple reports about agen-
cy deficiencies and impropriety.
Stars and Stripes has previously
reported charges that JPAC and
DPMO officials ignored leads on
MIAs in Southeast Asia, prema-
turely declared Southeast Asia
MIAs deceased and unrecovera-
ble, and actively argued against
identifying unknown World War II
remains in government custody
when evidence suggested they
could be identified.
In 2010, Congress mandated
that the agency increase its annu-
al recovery number from 70 to
more than 200 by 2015, but the
numbers have changed little, or
in some years, actually fallen.
JPAC’s operating budget has dou-
bled since fiscal 2006 to more
than $100 million in fiscal 2012.
JPAC officials declined to com-
ment last week, citing an
“ongoing investigation.”
Waste, incomplete records
In a memorandum to the then-
commander of JPAC dated May
17, 2011, a JPAC forensic anthro-
pologist outlines serious deficien-
cies at the Central Identification
Laboratory.
Jay Silverstein wrote the memo to
Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Tom,
who served as JPAC commander
until October 2012. Stars and
Stripes obtained the memo from
a source, and its authenticity was
confirmed by several former and
current JPAC employees who
requested anonymity, citing fear
of reprisal. Silverstein, they said,
had been treated harshly for
sending the memo.
JPAC officials declined to make
Silverstein available for an official
interview, and he declined to
comment.
In the document, Silverstein stat-
ed that he personally worked
cases in Tarawa, Upo Lake and
Koh Tang, and had an intimate
knowledge with aspects of all
three. Silverstein wrote that the
Central Identification Laboratory
made unsubstantiated determi-
nations about sites because sci-
entific data contradicted their
recommendations and conclu-
sions; repeatedly wasted a
“considerable” amount of taxpay-
er funds on missions because of
shoddy work; and was unable to
track JPAC activities and elabo-
rate on recovery efforts due to
improper record keeping.
He also accused the Identifica-
tion Laboratory of breaking JPAC
(Continued on page 9)
Page 8 THE THUNDER
UPCOMING EVENTS 2014
February 18 President’s Day
February 23 High Hopes Foundation of NH Breakfast (8-Noon)
March 4 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
March 23 Hairs 2 U Family Salon Cut-A-Thon
April 1 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
April 6 Milford & Co. Bike Swap and Show—Concord
May 6 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
May 22-26 Rolling Thunder® Demonstration—Washington, DC
May 30 Memorial Day
June 3 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
June 14 Flag Day
June 28 Cookout - New Hampshire Veterans Home Tilton
July 1 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
July 4 American Independence Day
August 5 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
September 1 Labor Day
September 2 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
September 11 9-11 Remembrance Day
September 20 POW/MIA Day
October 7 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
October 13 Columbus Day
November 4 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
November 11 Veterans Day
November 27 Thanksgiving
December 2 7:30 pm Monthly Meeting Epping American Legion
December 25 Christmas
Federal law requires the POW/MIA flag to be flown on the following days 2014:
Armed Forces Day: Saturday, May 17th
Memorial Day: Monday, May 26th
Flag Day: Friday, June 14th
Independence Day: Friday, July 4th
POW/MIA Day: Saturday, September 20th
Veterans Day: Tuesday, November 11th
P O W / M I A F E D E R A L L A W F L A G R E Q U I R E M E N T S
Page 9 THE THUNDER
policy and instruction, abusing
the U.S. Government Merit Sys-
tem to control employees and
shield the laboratory’s archaeo-
logical work from outside review,
and putting the agency in
“awkward” situations where they
are unable to provide “fullest
and most complete and scientifi-
cally valid findings and account-
ing from our field investigations”
to families, non-government
groups and even members of
Congress.
“In some cases, we are unable
to answer fundamental ques-
tions like, ‘How do we know
there are no Americans in that
grave?’ or ‘Could those remains
uncovered been American?’,”
Silverstein wrote in the memo.
Johnie Webb, JPAC’s deputy to
the commander for external
relations and legislative affairs;
Dr. Thomas Holland, director
and deputy to the command for
Central Identification Laboratory
operations; and JPAC command-
er Air Force Maj. Gen. Kelly
McKeague declined interview
requests last week through JPAC
spokesman Army Maj. Jamie
Dobson.
A violation of ethics
Today, 513 American service
members remain unaccounted
for from the Battle of Tarawa,
where 1,143 Americans — in-
cluding 978 members of the
2nd Marine Division — were
killed while assaulting fortified
Japanese positions in November
1943. The majority of those
unaccounted for are believed to
be buried in mass graves on the
atoll, according to Rick Stone,
former deputy chief of JPAC’s
World War II Research and In-
vestigation Branch.
Silverstein asserted in the memo
that during excavations on Tara-
wa Atoll in 2010, the Identifica-
tion Laboratory employed “poor
methods” and failed to “conduct
proper scientific work on numer-
ous levels,” which led to ex-
tremely suspect conclusions.
He stated that after a geophysi-
cal survey using ground pene-
trating radar was approved — the
best practice for locating the
graves — CIL staffers canceled it.
Silverstein claimed staff mem-
bers also used improper excava-
tion techniques that increased
the chances of missing buried
remains; conducted a leading
interview with a witness; dis-
counted remains as Japanese
just by looking at photographs;
and later withheld reports and
information from other JPAC
sections conducting analysis.
Charges detailed in the Silver-
stein memorandum also involve
mishandling of remains.
While on Tarawa, CIL staffers
accepted two sets of remains
into their custody. According to
Silverstein, they did not write the
required reports documenting
where the remains came from,
the circumstances of recovery,
witness interviews and invento-
ries. This information would
have helped investigators draft a
short list of potential candidates
for possible DNA testing and
identification.
“Apparently no such documenta-
tion was made,” Silverstein
wrote.
Stone was assigned the task of
drafting a short list for each set
of remains. He told Stars and
Stripes that the Identification
Laboratory repeatedly declined
requests for information and
reports that might help him nar-
row down the identities.
“I thought this was resolved,”
Holland, the CIL director, wrote
an email to Stone’s supervisors
in March 2012. “We aren’t turn-
ing over field notes or anthropo-
logical profiles. The J2 short list
should be based on independent
historical data, not the lab’s
(Continued from page 7)
(Continued on page 10)
55 Months!
That’s how long
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
Has been a Prisoner
He Needs
To
Come Home
NOW!!!
JPAC E T H I C S I S S U E S
Page 10 THE THUNDER
work products. You can’t mix the lines of
evidence.”
Stone sent memos to his supervisors at the
Directorate for Intelligence, J-2.
“In the final analysis, it is obvious that the
short lists provided in this report have little or
no value to assist in the identification of
[Case] 2010-150 based on the failure of the
CIL to provide absolutely any information
necessary to produce a viable short list of
most likely matches,” Stone wrote in the
memo, which he made available to Stars and
Stripes. “This assignment by the CIL is analo-
gous to investigating an X-file case for an
“Unknown” and finding all the pages in the
case file to be blank, or for the CIL to receive
a box of remains without being given any
additional information and being asked to
produce a short list of possible identities.”
Stone resigned in August 2012.
Silverstein also alleged in the memo that
skeletal elements taken as samples on Tara-
wa compromised the chain of custody and
jeopardized the status and fate of the rest of
the remains. Silverstein claimed that the
excavation reports did not include infor-
mation on the individual the remains were
taken from, nor did they include a provision
for replacing the sample.
“Sample skeletal elements removed from an
articulated burial context is a questionable
moral and ethical practice,” he wrote.
“Disassociation of remains may be consid-
ered a desecration and disrespect of the
buried subjects and should certainly be re-
viewed by the American Anthropological As-
sociation and/or Register of Professional
Archaeologists for violation of ethical stand-
ards regarding the treatment of human re-
mains.”
Wire handcuffs
At least three U.S. Marines were left behind
on Koh Tang after a battle in May 1975 and
were later killed by the Khmer Rouge.
Pfc. Gary Hall, Lance Cpl. Joseph Hargrove
and Pvt. Danny Marshall were among the
Marines from 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines
dispatched to the fortified Khmer Rouge
island stronghold to free the crew of the
American merchant ship SS Mayaguez, which
had been seized by communist forces. A 14-
hour battle ensued, involving more than 200
Marines, airmen and Navy corpsman. Fifteen
were killed in the fighting, and their bodies
were left on and around the remote island in
the Gulf of Thailand.
In the confusion of forces leaving Koh Tang,
Hall, Hargrove and Marshall were left behind.
Witnesses have said that requests to go back
for the men were denied.
Since 1991, JPAC has conducted about 10
excavations and 20 investigations looking for
the missing from the battle. They have repat-
riated numerous sets of remains. However,
JPAC says that Hargrove, Hall, Marshall,
Lance Cpl. Ashton Loney and Air Force Staff
Sgt. Elwood Rumbaugh (who was lost at sea)
remain unaccounted for.
Silverstein’s memorandum once again cen-
ters on the CIL’s failure to fully record its
work, “some of which may cover the only
evidence thus far related to the possible fate
of one of those that was left behind.”
Some of the best leads JPAC has had for
those left behind were uncovered in 1999,
according to Silverstein’s memo. Two sites
were excavated that year.
Only one detailed report of excavation, which
includes only preliminary information, was
completed for two cases. Only one search-
and-recovery report — the more detailed
technical scientific report outlining the meth-
ods, data recorded and scientific findings —
was completed.
There is no search-and-recovery report detail-
ing the excavation of a site that matched a
witness’ recollections and was possibly relat-
ed to a missing Marine. According to Silver-
stein's memo, the preliminary report said:
“THE ANTHROPOLOGIST OBSERVED A SIN-
GLE PIT FEATURE IN THE EXCAVATION FLOOR
WHICH CORRESPONDS NEARLY EXACTLY IN
TERMS OF SIZE, SHAPE, AND ORIENTATION
TO THE WITNESS DESCRIPTION OF THE BURI-
AL PIT DUG IN 1975. THE TEAM RECOVERED
ONE POSSIBLE SET OF WIRE HANDCUFFS
THAT COULD POSSIBLY RELATE TO CASE
1998.”
Silverstein said in the memo that the lack of
a report was a clear violation of JPAC proce-
dure.
“It also makes it difficult to systematically
track our efforts and locations where we
have worked,” Silverstein wrote. “This leaves
a serious void in our record on this case and
makes it impossible to answer questions
with any authority or scientific validity.”
Some family members of the missing and
Marines who survived the battle were shown
the document last week by Stars and Stripes.
“It confirms what I’ve been thinking all along
(Continued from page 9)
(Continued on page 11)
JPAC E T H I C S I S S U E S
Dr. Jay Silverstein, Anthropologist, (on the left) in the field with JPAC
Page 11 THE THUNDER
and what my witnesses have been saying, that
there has been a cover-up with leaving the three
behind,” said Hargrove’s cousin Cary Turner.
Turner has been to Koh Tang investigating his
cousin’s death and has been one of the govern-
ment’s harshest critics in the case.
“This travesty is simply a disservice to those
family members who want those remains
brought home,” said retired Marine and Koh
Tang battle survivor Larry Barnett, who founded
the Koh Tang/Mayaguez Veterans Organization.
“These are real people and they deserve real
answers. ... We need to get JPAC cleaned up.”
'Take action now'
In the summer of 2008, Silverstein was as-
signed to lead efforts begun a year earlier at
Upo Lake, South Korea, according to the docu-
ment. He alleged that after the 2007 mission,
the lab again failed to complete the required
search and recovery report as well as the exca-
vation summary report.
Silverstein wrote in the memo that all he had to
go on when he went to South Korea was the
verbal description from the previous team lead-
er, who told him to “dig deeper [in the same
spot] and to shore up the walls with braces be-
cause of the presence of unstable fill.” Due to
this recommendation, special equipment was
rented and transported to South Korea at con-
siderable cost.
Silverstein described beginning to re-excavate
the trench, but soon realizing due to the soil and
topography that the 2007 mission had been
digging in the wrong place. This was confirmed
by discussions with locals and a visit to town
government offices, he wrote.
“Had there been an interim report that was
peer-reviewed by a competent archaeologist,
the presence of modern fill and the aspect of
the site on the slope in conjunction with the
witness statement would have made it apparent
that the excavation was situated in the wrong
location,” Silverstein stated in the memo.
After reviewing the document last week, Sen.
Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., a member of the Senate
oversight committee, called for immediate ac-
tion.
“The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command is
permeated by in-fighting, retaliation, and child-
ish behavior, to the point that I have serious
doubts as to how any work gets done,” she said.
“The command’s management and Defense
Department leadership have failed to adequate-
ly address these problems, and that failure dis-
honors the mission, and dishonors those who
have served our country. The Pentagon needs to
take action now, and I will be pursuing all neces-
sary reforms to ensure that our sacred obliga-
tion to our POW/MIA is honored.”
JPAC ET HI C S IS SU ES
A U.S. JPAC team searches for U.S. MIA remains in Khammouan Province, Laos.
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