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:

PresidentRTNH1@gmail.com

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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