From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: U.S. Activist Claims Firm Evidence of Live POWs By Robert Birsel :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: BANGKOK, March 1 (Reuter) - A former U.S. congressman said on Tuesday he had solid new evidence that American servicemen remain alive in captivity in Vietnam 20 years after the end of the Vietnam war. ``Now we are absolutely certain that American prisoners are held and we want to go and get them,'' said Bill Hendon, a former Republican congressman from North Carolina. Hendon told a news conference he acquired the purported new evidence of live prisoners in northern Thailand last month but alleged that efforts to follow it up had been blocked by Vietnam's refusal to give him and his associates entry visas. The Vietnamese and Laotian governments consistently deny holding any U.S. servicemen. Washington says there is no proof of any American prisoners in Southeast Asia. Hendon declined to say what the new evidence of live prisoners was, saying to do so would jeopardise the search. He also said he would not reveal the evidence to U.S. authorities he accused of blocking efforts to find alleged American prisoners in Vietnam and Laos. ``We can take U.S. experts tomorrow, if we had visas (for Vietnam), to the exact site where American prisoners are held right now,'' Hendon said. He also criticised the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, accusing it of failing ``to lift a finger'' to help him get a Vietnamese visa. In a February 20 letter to U.S. Ambassador David Lambertson, Hendon accused the U.S. government of not trying to find missing U.S. servicemen. He also accused them of repeatedly denying to informants the existence of a $2.5 million reward which private groups in the United States are willing to pay for the return of live Americans. Hendon said the alleged denials discouraged informants from coming forward or following up reported sightings of U.S. servicemen. Washington has never offered rewards for information or remains of servicemen, believing to do so would trigger a flood of hoax claims. ``I must regrettably conclude that sharing the information I now possess with U.S. authorities will not yield any honest attempt to liberate the American prisoners currently held in Vietnam,'' Hendon said in his letter, copies of which he gave to reporters. ``The only prudent course of action is for me to physically accompany... experts to the sites in Vietnam where the Americans are currently being held. I insist on doing this,'' he said in the letter to Lambertson. A U.S. embassy spokesman said there was an office in the Bangkok mission -- the Joint Task Force for Full Accounting -- which was responsible for handling prisoner of war/missing in action (POW/MIA) affairs. ``If he has information about POW issues he should provide that information to that office. We have asked him to do that and he has declined,'' the spokesman said. There are still 2,211 U.S. Servicemen unaccounted for in southeast Asia, 1,621 of the cases in Vietnam and 505 in Laos, the spokesman said. .................................................................. #: 332146 S23/POW/MIA Issues 05-Mar-95 11:45:29 Sb: #331107-LIVE POW's REPORTED Fm: James D. Stewart 74357,1667 To: Charles Zeps 75321,3407 We need to have the CNN story that was taped on 2/27 in Bankock about Billy Hendon aired. It has been aired in thier foreign markets but not here in the states. According to CNN they are not sure there is "enough interest" here in the states to show it. The reporter on the story is Tom Miateer. Call CNN at 404-827-1519 and request (loudly if necessary) that they air the story. Then call your congressmen about getting Billy and his troop visas too Vietnam. Charles - sorry about using your post to air this but I am hunting (desperately) for any forum/place/soapbox I can find. Hendon and associates are extemely serious about the info they have dug up. Jim 05-Mar-95 14:20:07 Sb: POW/MIA *URGENT* HENDON Fm: J.OLSEN 74451,3340 To: JAMES D. STEWART 74357,1667 The following Fax I recieved this AM... It is seven pages... It is for IMMEDIATE RELEASE!!! PLEASE... get out as fast as you can... I will post in bits and pieces as I get it typed, so you can get started on it also.... ( I am so nervous, I hope I don't make too many typo.. [tears keep falling] ....just want to get this out ASAP) DStormMom ========================================================================= POW/MIA FAX NETWORK ... AIIPOWMIA - BOB NECCI The following is a handwritten note (cover page of fax) to Bob, faxed from Windsor Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand.. dated March 5, 1995 ========================================================================== For Bob (Necci) From Billy Hendon Sorry to wake you up, Bob. Thanks for everything- I really don't see how they can ignore this. Cross your fingers! Best B.H. ======================================================== Page 2.... of Fax ======================================================== WindsorHotel Bangkok 5 Mar 95 Honorable James Wold Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA OASD/ISA Washington, D.C. 20301-2400 By Facimile Dear General Wold, Jim As outlined in my attached letters of 20 Feb and 22 Feb 95 to Ambassador David Lambertson, I am in possession of irrefutable information concerning the whereabouts in Vietnam of living US prisoners of war currently being held by the Vietnamese government. According to the Defense POW/MIA Weekly Update of March 3, 1995, you will be here in Southeast Asia March 7 - 17 for discussions with senior Vietnamese officials and for visits to joint field sites in Vietnam where "recovery elements have recovered possible human remains along with personal and aircraft artifacts." General, I am writing to respectfully request that you scrap your plans to recover possible human remains, personal and aircraft artifacts and go instead with me and my team to recover living American prisoners of war currently geing held against their will by the Vietnamese government. General, when you and I were speaking to American Legion members at thier national convention in Minneapolis last fall, you assured Legionnaires that the American government will do "everything possible" to investigate reports of US servicemen kept prisoner in Southeast Asia, According to Associated Press, you stated "it is our intent that through the best efforts we can muster...we will do everything possible to account for our missing personnel." Further, you stated you were "not ruling out the possiblility of live prisoners." (Attachment) General, I have irrefutable evidence that there ARE living prisoners in Vietnam and I ask you to divert your aircraft to Bangkok to pick up me and my associates so that we might go with you to Hanoi to accompany you and JTFFA experts to the very sites in Vietnam, where the prisoners are held. To repeat, if you will get us into Vietnam and scrap your plans to visit aircraft crash sites, I will take you and JTFFA experts directly to the locations where US prisoners of war are currently held. I stand ready to assist you. With kindest personal regards, [ signed ] Bill Hendon Former Member United States Congress Attachments cc: Ambassador David Lambertson JTFFA, Hanoi, SRV US Liason Office, Hanoi, SRV ==================================================================== Page 3 of FAX from THE POW/MIA FAX NETWORK....AIIPOWMIA - BOB NECCI Sentences in * * are underlined.... DStormMom ==================================================================== Windsor Hotel Bangkok 20 Feb 95 The Honorable David Lambertson United States Ambassador to Thailand Wireless Road Bangkok, Thailand Hand Delivered Dear Mr. Ambassador, DAVID [hand written] I seek your assistance on a matter of great urgency. I recently acquired in nothern Thailand irrefutable *information concerning the whereabouts in Vietnam of living US prisoners of war currently held by the Vietnamese government.* Today I requested a visa from the Vietnamese Embassy here in Bangkok so that I might visit the new US liaison office in Hanoi and accompany JTFFA experts to the sites where the Americans are currently held. The Vietnamese, as they have done in the past, refused to issue my visa. (Attachment) I seek your assistance, Mr. Ambassador, in obtaining a visa for me and my party so that we may immediately depart for Hanoi and accompany JTFFA experts to the sites *where I am certain US prisoners of war are currently held by Vietnamese authorities.* Additionally, I invite you and your associates to join me and my team in our journey. With the full cooperation of the Vietnamese authorities, we can complete our work in Vietnam within 48 hours. The question may arise as to why I cannot simply give you and the JTFFA the information and expect you to act upon it. The answer, sadly, lies in the fact that JTFFA, Stoney Beach, SIRO and your own Embassy personnel *have consistantly denied to intelligence sources the existance of the 2.5 million dollar reward that I and my former Republican colleagues in Congress offer for the safe return of any American prisoner of war from the Vietnam conflict* (examples gleaned from US intelligence traffic are attached). Because of the outrageous actions outlined in this cable traffic and the clear lack of commitment of missing American servicemen that these actions expose. *I must regrettably conclude that sharing the information I now posses with US authorities will not yield any honest attempt to liberate the American prisoners currently held in Vietnam.* Thus, the only prudent course of action is for me to physically accompany the JTFFA experts to the sites in Vietnam where the Americans are currently being held. I insist on doing this. Regardless of our past differences, Mr. Ambassador, I extend the hand of friendship and cooperation, and request your immediate personal attention, and I await your early reply. Kindest personal regards, [signed] Bill Hendon Former Member United States Congress Enclosures ========================================================================= Page 4.....of FAX from THE POW/MIA FAX NETWORK....AIIPOWMIA - BOB NECCI Sentences in * * are underlined.... DStormMom ========================================================================= Windsor Hotel Bangkok 22 Feb 95 The Honorable David Lambertson United States Ambassador to Thailand Wireless Road Bangkok, Thailand Hand Delivered Dear Mr. Ambassador, DAVID [hand written] I am writing to urgently and respectfully request your further assistance in gaining the release of US prisoners of war currently held in Vietnam (my letter to you of 20 Feb 95, attached). I saw on BBC this morning that Assistant Secretary Lord is in Seoul. *Would you please immediately transmit to the Secretary a copy of my 20 Feb 95 letter and convey to him my urgent request that he come to Bangkok or Hanoi at the earliest possible moment to accompany me, my party and JTFFA experts to the sites in Vietnam where US POWs are currently being held by the Vietnamese government. I appreciate your assistance with this urgent matter and await your and Secretary Lord's early reply. Kindest personal regards, [signed] Bill Hendon Former Member United States Congress ===================================================================== .---. .----------- * ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: / \ __ / ------ * 75321.3407@compuserve.com / / \(..)/ ----- * ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ////// ' \/ ` ---- * //// / // : : --- * PERMISSION TO \\/ / * / /` '--* COPY ETC. OK \/ * //..\\ x-x-UU----UU-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- '//||\\` N E M O M E I M P U N E L A C E S S I T ''`` . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan archives by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)