Theodore's World

Perfect! We must never forget those who were left behind and those who never returned. May God bless them and their families forever more.

The POW/MIAs must always be remembered. Many times they were left behind for political purposes. May those politicians rot in hell forever.

Many thanks WT.

Today I remember Jim Thompson, the longest held prisoner of war, whose life was destroyed by the war. Frank Anton who was held from 1967 -1973, for 3 years in 4 jungle camps, where 3 prisoners were released, 9 died , before the remaining 12 being marched to Hanoi. The US knew where Anton was most of the time. Then there are those who we left behind, never to return. Let's not forget why either, the Case-Church Amendment halted all funds for Vietnam at a time Nixon and Kissinger had negotiated the release of additional prisoners based on a compensation scheme. This sealed their fate and with the help of John Kerry and John McCain these POW's and MIA were written off as dead. Interestingly one of Frank Anton's guards was Robert Russell Garwood, this man was an armed guard of some 24 or more Americans. Often cited as the last American POW from the Vietnam War, Garwood was reportedly released in 1973 along with all other American POWs, but did not return to the United States until 1979. In 1998, the Department of Defense officially changed his status from RETURNEE to AWOL/Deserter/Collaborator. Shame on you politicians, the only reason we don't have more POW's in Iraq and Afghanistan is because the enemy murders them, their blood and loss of life is on your duplicitous hands. The Communist lovers and facilitators have a long history of leaving behind Americans they have duped into serving and believing they will be repatriated. A nation where it's politicians prefer traitors like the Honorable Senator John Kerry, Jane Fonda profits with impunity from fraternizing with the NVA and Robert Garwood yet goes unpunished. Who controlled congress in all these events? No I didn't forget that honorable John Murtha either!!!

Jack - I met Col. Thompson at a Vietnam Vet/POW rally held in Dallas(in the Cotton Bowl) in April of 73. Ross Perot threw the rally which included a parade through downtown Dallas. Thompson was very unassuming and reserved. He introduced himself to me. My picture had been on the front page of the Dallas Morning News as a parade viewer and former Special Forces. We had a short but nice conversation and I did not know until a year later that he was the longest held POW.

I met quite a number of POWs that day and some of their family members later over the years. Another POW I remember well was Mike Benge, a civilian agriculture advisor who was catured during Tet 68. All that I met seemed like normal military guys, but some of them suffered mental stress after their release. Their divorce rate was high.

The actions of many of our politicians aainst our POW/MIAs should be capital offense issues. McCain and Kerry really took the public wind out of the MIA issue. Damn!

My Uncle Joe was a POW during the Korean War. He NEVER talks about it or his being in the military and neither does any of the family. The only way I knew about it was that my father told me some of what happened and he didn’t do this until about 15 years ago. He said when my uncle was being held, the North Koreans gave every POW a date and time that they would be executed. When the time arrived, they would come in, take the man out, and shoot him. When my uncle’s time came, they came in but took another POW instead and killed him. My uncle lives with the thought that another man died in his place. That’s a private hell to live though and no wonder he never speaks of it. This summer I visited Uncle Joe and he was complaining that it was too cold outside for his liking…it was 75 degrees. I mentioned this to my other uncle and he said Uncle Joe has always been like that and he believes it goes back to his being a POW when they kept them in freezing temperatures with basically no clothes to wear. He then told me my uncle spent 6 months in a VA Hospital after his release from captivity. I grew up with an uncle who sacrificed so much and I never knew it. The true hero’s never talk or brag about it.

Thanks Tom. But for the grace of God it could have been any one of us. Most former POW's I've met are very unassuming and reserved, one a Marine from WWII drank himself to death. Another was from WWI, he'd been gassed in the trenches, even at 40 below he kept the windows open for 'fresh air', otherwise he felt suffocated. There was one from the Bataan Death March he married a Filipino and always had a hard time holding down a job. They'd all disappear inside themselves, it's the mental scars that never heal.
Poor Jim Thompson never reconciled with the children he had, that was what had kept his hopes up during his imprisonment. "Glory Denied" is the story about him. Imagine being released from that hell and not getting proper treatment. It was bad enough for most of us who arrived home in jungle fatigues and 48 hours later were dumped on the street, no decompression time and admonished not to talk about it and for damned sure unwelcome.
Personally I was flown home on a C141, at McCord AFB after a 45 minute debriefing we loaded on to buses to Ft. Lewis. We were isolated from everyone but the out processing personnel, not allowed to speak to any of the gawking soldiers who knew by our dress that we were 'not right', still isolated from those green soldiers, we were issued dress greens, then we loaded on the Grey Dog and we were dumped back amongst the civilians. I arrived on the 11th, was out on the street on the 13th. Adrift and out of place, like a turd in a punchbowl.

Lynn, yes so much. I pray our government
never again leaves anyone behind.

Tom, AMEN

"May those politicians rot in hell forever."

I will never forgvie our government for
leaving men behind...never.

Jack, thank you for sharing about
Col. Thompson.

I agree too about Iraq and Afghanistan.

It sickens me about our government and
will always be an anger too.

Tom, thank you for telling about
meeting Col. Thompson and Mike Benge.

It breaks my heart how our politicans
have been about our POW/MIA's there
is no excuse and no reason they can
give for what our government has done
to them.

BobF.,thank you for sharing about your
Uncle Joe. How horrible to go through what
he went through.