Support by Cambodia and LAOS Helps U.S. POW/MIA Search

[thedrifter]

Jun 24, 2004
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Support by Cambodia and LAOS Helps U.S. POW/MIA Search


Concluding two days of talks in Cambodia and Laos last week, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs, Jerry D. Jennings,
announced several positive steps in America’s effort to account for servicemen
missing in action from the Vietnam War.


Jennings, who oversees U.S. policies to account for POWs and MIAs,
characterized his talks in these two countries as very positive. “I am encouraged by
the progress we are seeing and believe recent new developments will lead to positive
results,” Jennings said.


During meetings with senior Cambodian officials, Jennings learned that
Prime Minister Hun Sen accepted his invitation to speak in July at the 2004 POW/MIA
Consultations in Siem Reap, Cambodia. These consultations mark an effort by the
four countries to capture lessons learned on this sensitive issue and work toward a
common vision for the future of POW/MIA accounting.


Lao officials agreed to Jennings’ proposal for a five-ministry archival
research initiative. Under this plan, Lao archivists will review documents for any
information relating to American POWs and MIAs and provide their findings to U.S.
officials for analysis. The Lao committed to working with U.S. technical experts
over the next few weeks on details in order to formalize the arrangement by the end
of July.


Lao officials announced that their delegation will also participate in
the 2004 POW/MIA Consultations and voiced strong support for the initiative. These
four-nation consultative talks were held for the first time last year in Bangkok,
Thailand.



Ellie

[Sgt. Smitty]

Kinda late to be lookin for POW's.......they should be looking in Russia, China and Vietnam........after all these years i wouldn't blame any living POW's if they turned against the country that gave up on them and wrote them off as expendable, that is if they are still alive. My hatred for this govt. and the people in it goes to the very fabric of my soul. This country basically swept all the POW/MIA's under the carpet and forgot about them, and will never be forgiven by this Marine.

[Eaglestrikes]

Kinda late to be lookin for POW's.......they should be looking in Russia, China and Vietnam........after all these years i wouldn't blame any living POW's if they turned against the country that gave up on them and wrote them off as expendable, that is if they are still alive. My hatred for this govt. and the people in it goes to the very fabric of my soul. This country basically swept all the POW/MIA's under the carpet and forgot about them, and will never be forgiven by this Marine.

I will take issue with that. I served my time also. Why hate "this country" This country did nothing to you. If you feel after all this time you must hate, then your hate would be better directed toward those who "led" the country, and as far as I am concerned, sold it out. The Politicians in Congress, and the turncoats like McNamara. The POW issue is not swept up, and away. It lives with the families of POW's, and is never allowed to die. Bodies have been found, returned, and still are. As to live POW's, I just don't know. If there are some, in this day and age of technology, I believe it may be very hard to hide them. Not impossible just hard. I think every unit over there had it's "legend", the GI or Marine that deserted, and went to live among the natives. Hell, who knows maybe there was somrthing to the rumours. Hate this country?? I don't. I love it. Find me one better? You can't. It isn't out there. You can hate. Your hate is misdirected. The "People" include your fellow Marines, yours, and their families as well as a lot of good people that supported us then, and do now. Whatever you want to do, you do. It's a waste of emotion. America. God bless her.

[Sgt. Smitty]

It wasn't just this countries leaders that sent us to Vietnam....although most of the blame starts there. You have to consider ANY company that had anything to do with anything military........they were making money hand over fist and lovin every minute of it. It's those people and the politicians that my hatred is directed at. This country is being given away by it's leaders more and more every day. Billions and billions or our dollars are being sent out of this country to help other countries when they should be spent here for education and health programs for the people of this country. America is full of sheep that will let this govt. do any thing it pleases and do nothin about it........ if this country is so great then why do we still have people that live with no electricity or running water? What's more important.......the people of this country or the raghead towns that we are paying to rebuild? I hate the general population for being so much like a herd of sheep, and not doing nothing to preserve this country by letting our leaders give it away a little at a time. My hate is not misdirected......it goes right to the ones that deserve it.

[Sgt. Smitty]

P.S. The general public did do something to me.....starting with my FINE welcome home which included having garbage and rocks thrown at me and having to fight my way out of the L.A. airport to being treated worse than a second class citizen. If you never got any of the WELCOME HOME that most of us got you got lucky.

[Eaglestrikes]

Let's not get personal.

If you never got any of the WELCOME HOME that most of us got you got lucky.
The kind of reception I got was fine. First tour 67 return 68. Flew out of March. Returned through SFX to LAX. No problems. Jan of that year.
2nd Tour 70-71. Flew out of San Diego, return LAX. No problems.
While stationed at MCAS (H) Santa Ana (Tustin) received one comment from an idiot concerning baby killing. He was still holding his testicles when I last saw him. Other than that no problem.
Last tour 73. A Float. Never saw an airport on that one. I know a great many Marines who had no problems. So when you say "most" I gotta dis agree. However I am open to anyone else who was there posting their experiences, and let's see how it washes.
As to the people being sheep. They are not, that you choose to believe they are indicates a deep rooted problem with hatred.
Continue to hate. If at this late date you have not dropped that hatred then you never will and it is now an integral part of your persona.
I am however one of those sheep you refer to along with a great many of your fellow Marines, and I for one resent it.
I know the money being spent on this War on Terrorism is money well spent. NOTHING has been diverted from any of your pet projects. They have in fact increased funding (much to my disgust) for all those entitlements. Now as to places without electricity. Statements like that intrigue me. Pleas provide the name of those places. Where are they located? I myself am from Georgia (Atlanta) and my Father was from Grafton (West by God Virginia). That, for those without knowledge, is the Appalachia's. Jane Idiot, considers us to be backwards, living without electricity or water or sewage or any of those Nawthen conveniences.
I should really like to know where these places are.

if this country is so great then why do we still have people that live with no electricity or running water
By the way are you so consumed with hatred that you have to refer to it as "this country"?
It is my country.
I love it. I support it. It is not perfect, and if you seek perfection you must perforce go elsewhere to find it. That would be a search comparable to the quest for the Holy Grail.