H.R.4425 -- To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the Purple Heart to be awarded to POWs who die in captivity.
Mood:  special
Topic: Legislative Issues
The purpose of House Resolution is to amend title 10 of the U.S. Code to award Prisoners of War, who die in captivity, the purple heart. 4425 was introduced in the House of Representatives on the 20th of May (2004) by Representative Bob Filner of California. I'm going to show my ignorance here, but I was under the impression that POWs who died while in confinement already received the purple heart...guess you can learn something new every day!!! Anyway, I feel that they should and if you do to, please write or call your Representatives to get their backing on this as well.

Current status of 4425: 4 co-sponsors. Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services on 5/20/04. More information about 4425 can be viewed here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.04425: or at my website at http://members.tripod.com/thepatriotsinn/HR4425.htm

H.CON.RES.431 -- Urging the Government of Vietnam to provide to the United States all information in the possession of Vietnam r
Mood:  special
Topic: Legislative Issues
H.CON.RES.431 is a measure, drafted by Representative Mac Collins of Georgia, and presented to the House of Representatives on the 19th of May (2004). 431 is written to the Government of Vietnam and urges them to provide to the United States all information in the possession of Vietnam regarding Americans unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. In light of recent reports that I've been reading over the internet, it would appear that this is already happening...at least it has the "appearance" that it is, or will be happening.

Please write to your Representatives and express that you would like for them to get behind Rep. Collins in support of this resolution.

Lastly, while this resolution will not create a law, it will show the government of vietnam, that will are still resigned to hold them to the fire in accounting for our POWs and MIAs!

Current status of 431: No (0) co-sponsors. Referred to the House Committee on International Relations on 5/19/04. I urge you to contact your representatives right away and ask them to get behind H.CON.RES.431. We're stuck with the fact that the U.S. is way beyond normalizing relations with the communist government of vietnam. Therefore, we should be pushing them harder everyday to find out what they did with our heroes...for starters! There are thousands of questions that could be answered easily by them (maybe if our negotiators read the new book "Leave No Man Behind" by Bill Bell and Jay Veith, they could go into this a bit more informed about how they [the communists] wheel-n-deal); sorry for the bad sarcasm...it's been a long day. More information about 431 can be viewed here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.con.res.00431: or at my website at http://members.tripod.com/thepatriotsinn/HCONRES431.htm

H.RES.103 -- Establishing a Select Committee on POW and MIA Affairs.
Mood:  special
Topic: Legislative Issues
H.RES.103 was introduced to the House by Rep. Peter T. King of New York, on February 25, 2003, to establish a Select Committee on POW and MIA Affairs. When the Senate Select Committee on POW and MIA Affairs concluded in the mid 90's, they stated (for the record) that the U.S. had left men behind in Vietnam after Op. Homecoming...and than closed the books on the issue. They never did anything about to help those they stated we left behind in 1973. H.RES.103 will 'hopefully' pick up where the Senate committee left off...

As of today, there are only 53 Co-Sponsors of this highly important measure. There are still 28 states that have NO representatives in the House that have opted to support this resolution. The list follows and if your a resident of one of those states, I implore upon you to call or write your representative ASAP and demand that they get on track.

2. Here is a list of the States that currently have no Representatives signed on as Co-Sponsors:

State
AL - Alabama
AK - Alaska
AZ - Arizona
AR - Arkansas
CT - Conneticut
DE - Delaware
DC - The District of Columbia
GA - Georgia
HI - Hawaii
ID - Idaho
IA - Iowa
LA - Lousiana
MD - Maryland
MS - Mississippii
MO - Missouri
MT - Montana
NE - Nebraska
NV - Nevada
NH - New Hampshire
NM - New Mexico
ND - North Dakota
OK - Oklahoma
OR - Oregon
RI - Rhode Island
UT - Utah
WA - Washington
WV - West Virginia
WY - Wyoming
Total = 28 States

3. Here is a list of states who currently have Representatives that have signed on to this important measure as a Co-Sponser:

State # of Co-Sponsors
PA - Pennsylvania 10
MN - Minnesota 6
NY - New York 4
TN - Tennessee 4
CA - California 3
NJ - New Jersey 3
VA - Virginia 3
MA - Massachusetts 2
MI - Michigan 2
NC - North Carolina 2
OH - Ohio 2
CO - Colorado 1
FL - Florida 1
IL - Illinois 1
IN - Indiana 1
KS - Kansas 1
KY - Kentucky 1
ME - Maine 1
SC - South Carolina 1
SD - South Dakota 1
TX - Texas 1
VT - Vermont 1
WI - Wisconsin 1

Total 53 Co-Sponsors / 23 States


Summary:
Total States with Reps.:23 (45%)
Total States w/o Reps.: 28 (55%)

This bill was introduced to the house on February 25, 2003; that is 17 months ago...

For more information, turn the page to http://members.tripod.com/thepatriotsinn/HRES103.htm or http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.res.00103: (the trailing colon is part of the URL).

Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun
Mood:  irritated
Topic: Gulf War II POWs & MIAs

Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun

June 29, 2004: Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun was taken captive by an extremist group calling themselves "the Islamic Retaliation Movement/Armed Resistance Wing" on or about the 20th of June. Cpl. Hassoun, who was last seen on June 19th, was first reported as Absent Without Leave (AWOL) when he failed to report for duty the morning of the 20th. Today, the Marine Corps changed Cpl. Hassoun's duty status from "Missing" to "Captured."

His captors stated that they had infiltrated the Marine outpost where Cpl. Hassoun was [presumably] assigned, lured him out and than abducted him. In a video that was aired by Aljazeera TV on Sunday, June 27, his captors stated that Wassef would be beheaded if certain Iraqi detainees being held as prisoners aren't released.

Wassef is originally from the Lebanese town of Al-Safira and emigrated to the United States in the early 1990's. Prior to joining the Marines, he settled in West Jordan, Utah with his family.

According to an interview published in the online version of the Houston Chronicle (HoustonChronicle.com), Wassef's former sister-in-law stated that "ever since he was a boy he just wanted to be a Marine..." The same article identified Wassef as belonging to a unit assigned to the Marine 1st Expeditionary Force and that he was serving his second tour in Iraq.

While it is true that reports are circulating that speculate that Wassef had deserted, an investigation is currently under way and Wassef should be given the benefit of the doubt. He is a Prisoner of War, just as Specialist Keith Maupin was, and he, and his family, deserves our full support, assistance, and our prayers.

Specialist Maupin
Mood:  irritated
Topic: Gulf War II POWs & MIAs
Well, it's not yet official, but several sources are reporting that Specialist Keith Maupin has been executed. They are reporting that he was shot in the head.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family. If the reports are true, than may he rest in peace.

I truly hope those murderous filthy bastards pay for what they have done! Our boys and girls are over there trying to help them...thoughtless, ungrateful pieces of (*$&! Sorry...this just really tears me up inside.

Another South Korean POW escapes from the North
Mood:  special
Topic: Korean War POWs & MIAs
According to an article written in the Yonhap News website (dtd. June 24, 2004) a South Korean POW by the last name of Lee, who was taken during the korean war, has escaped North Korea and is currently in China.

The article states that he was classified as Killed in Action on July 16, 1953. If you do the math, you'll see that that was 51 years ago...

How many South Korean POWs have escaped the North in the last 5 years?

...still believe that it's impossible for the North Koreans, the Chinese, the Vietnamese, the Loations, the Cambodians, or the Russians to be holding American GIs from WWII, Korea, or Vietnam?

Here is the link to the article: http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20040624/300200000020040624220514E5.html

Where is Private First Class Keith Maupin?
Mood:  sad
Topic: Gulf War II POWs & MIAs
I've been asking myself this question everyday since April. In truth, I know where he is, so maybe I should be asking "What is the U.S. Government doing to get him out from where he is?"

I'm a pretty avid news-watcher (primarily FOX-News), but I have not seen one report about him since that video was aired back in April. There hasn't been one single story to remind us folks back here in the States that we have a soldier who is MIA; or to use the 'new' terminology -- missing 'slash' captured! True, the local news station, from Maupin's hometown, has a page dedicated to news about him (see http://www.onnnews.com/Global/category.asp?C=52339) and that is great! But one station in one small town is not enough...his picture and our voices need to be heard around the world...every minute of every day. Otherwise, it will take not less than a miracle to see him through this!

This terminology became a sore subject on Friday (6/25) at the National Alliance of Families annual meeting. When I arrived at the meeting early friday morning, I was briefed regarding some bracelets that had been created for PFC Maupin. They were sent to the family of PFC Maupin, but were then sent back to the individual who had provided them. Along with the bracelets was a note expressing that the family wished that the "POW" be removed. (My memory isn't quite what it used to be, so if this is incorrect...please email me right away or post it here).

With all due respect...PFC Maupin is a Prisoner of War...nothing less! We are fighting a WAR against terrorism and the war in Iraq is an extension of the WAR against terrorism. It is sad that mere words can have such a profound impact on the status of a man. Everyone is familiar with the "..we don't negotiate with terrorists for hostages" line. Well, that's great because Maupin is not a hostage...he is a POW...

SO GO AND GET HIM OUT!

Mood:  a-ok
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