It’s Time to Re-examine the POW/MIA Issue!
The Department of Defense (DOD) has a long and sordid history of misleading Congress and the American people about the fate of U.S. soldiers who became prisoners of war (POWs) or went missing in action (MIAs).
And yet, Congress continues to accept DOD pronouncements that all POWs came home and all MIAs are dead, despite much evidence to the contrary.
For example, the story of Corporal Roger Dumas is well documented in the statements of fellow POWs. Returned POW Ciro J. Santo stated that Dumas was last seen on August 24, 1953, “He was to be repatriated on the same day I was, on August 25th. The Chinese took those guys away. But we don’t know where they took ‘em.”
Despite these eyewitness accounts, the DOD’s POW/MIA Office wrote to Senator Joseph Lieberman in 2000, “Neither this agency nor any other government agency has uncovered evidence, other than that which was solicited by Corporal Dumas’ family, to indicate that he was ever captured and held prisoner by communist forces during the Korean War.”
Many similar stories could be cited relating to more recent conflicts in Vietnam, the Middle East, and elsewhere.
The good news is that New York Congressman Peter King has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for the establishment of a select committee to “conduct a full investigation of all unresolved matters relating to MIAs and POWs.
The bad news is that Congressman King’s resolution (H. Res. 111) was referred to the House Committee on Rules, where it has been in limbo for more than a year, despite the fact that it has 264 cosponsors, which amounts to more than 60% of the total House membership.
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Thank you,
The John Birch Society
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Liberty Letters editor Steve Farrell is a pundit with America's Newspage, Newsmax.com, associate professor of political economy at George Wythe College, and the author of the highly praised inspirational novel, "Dark Rose." | More from Steve Farrell
Stumble It!
March 5th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Steve, by “issue” do you mean problem, matter, concern or what?