 |
September NewsletterKorean War Project
P.O. Box 180190
Dallas, TX 75218-0190
214-320-0342
https://www.koreanwar.org/html/newsletter_september.html
September 26, 2000
==================================================
September 2000 Newsletter - A Must Read Edition
==================================================
Table of Contents
1. September Report On The Project
2 Membership Drive
4. Serious Problems With Korean War DNA Testing -
Call For Action to Representative Pete Sessions
5. Priceless Morning Reports Deteriorating
6. Korean War Casualty Database - Update
==================================================
1. September Report On The Project
==================================================
Greetings from Ted and Hal at the Korean War Project.
Since the last newsletter, we have been continuing to
improve both the looks of the site and the content of
the site.
On September 1, 2000, we will be upgrading our Reunion
and Unit pages to increase your interaction with the
Project.
We now have almost 2000 unit pages, an enormous task to
monitor and control.
We've fallen behind in our programming and updates due
to the increasing traffic on the site. On many days we
have over 3,000 visitors and dozens of emails.
The opening of the DNA notification project has also
increased traffic and questions.
In the .COM world, a site as large as the Korean War
Project would normally have at least 10 programmers,
designers, managers, technicians, and bookkeepers
with a very large budget.
What you see at the Project is done by Ted and I. We
are proud to provide this service to our Veterans and
Families.
Hal and Ted Barker
==================================================
2 Membership Drive - Help!!
==================================================
We really need your help. We are behind in our goal to
reach 5000 members.
As always, the Korean War Project is free to all visitors,
but our members keep us online.
We have not been able to find corporate sponsors, so our
sole source of funding is your Membership.
==================================================
Buy a bunch and take them to give out at your next reunion.
Help keep the Korean War Project alive.
==================================================
4
. Serious Problems With Korean War DNA Testing -
Call For Action to US Representative Pete Sessions
==================================================
Urgent Call For Action - Today, Not Tomorrow
One of our members, Laurence Jolidon, a noted writer and
journalist, recently published a disturbing report on
problems with extracting DNA from remains of Korean War
casualties.
Full Story --
https://www.ink-slinger.com
According to Jolidon, the Central Identification Laboratory
Hawaii is at a virtual standstill in its' attempt to extract
DNA from remains of servicemen interred at the Punchbowl
Cemetery in Honolulu.
Additionally, the government may have been sitting on
evidence that many of these remains were at one time
tentatively identified.
From Jolidon:
"Of 867 Korean War 'Unknowns" buried in Hawaii in 1956,
at least 239 had been returned in 1954 as "tagged remains"
with names, service numbers and burial records. Their
families have never been told."
"And now the government says it still can't identify them.
Even with DNA."
"They died in Korea, in combat or POW camps, and their
bodies were handed over by the Communists after the war."
"In 1956 they were re-buried in Hawaii and their families
were never told the Army had name-associations but couldn't
make formal identificaton."
"First it was because of missing dental records."
"Then it was a St. Louis fire that destroyed Korean War
personnel files."
"Now it's a mysterious substance government scientists say
is preventing the extraction of DNA from their bones."
"America can't seem to bring its Korean War 'Unknowns' all
the way home."
---
In a Korean War Project investigation of these allegations,
officials at CILHI confirm problems with the whole issue of
remains and DNA identification.
The remains are apparently contaminated with chemicals which
create problems with extraction of DNA.
The personnel at CILHI have been valiently attempting to
identify remains. Last year, CILHI received state-of-the-art
hardware and software to facilitate identification. But
apparently only four technicians and scientists are assigned
to this work.....
Budget cuts and restraints are killing CILHI's ability to
perform its' work.
U.S, Representative Pete Sessions of Dallas is the only member
of Congress who is also a member of the Korean War Project.
His father, former FBI Director Williams Sessions, is a Korean
War veteran. ( The words at the base of the flagpole at the
Korean War Veterans Memorial were written by Williams Sessions.)
We have asked Representative Sessions to investigate the
immediate needs of CILHI to determine what can be done
to increase staff and bring in outside DNA experts to assist
CILHI with the contamination problem.
-----CALL FOR ACTION-----HELP----HELP----
We ask you to take a few minutes and write a letter to
Representative Sessions outlining your support for immediate
legislation to let CILHI do its' work. Then send a copy of your
letter to your own legislator. Don't use email, use a letter
and a stamp.
In government, there is always tomorrow, and key problems
seem to slip away into an eternal fog. With Korea, that fog has
lasted 50 years.....
Let's make it clear now that the fog has lifted...
Please write:
Congressman Pete Sessions
ATTN: Korean War Issues
1318 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Editors' Note: I visited the Punchbowl Cemetery in Honolulu
on my birthday in 1994. The Unknown Soldiers lie on a solitary
rise at the east end. I took the time to walk past each and
every one of the lost. Not a single flower marked the simple
graves. Hal
==================================================
5. Priceless Morning Reports Deteriorating
==================================================
---This is a special report on the condition of records
at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.---
By Permission of Bruce Elliott
"NPRC: The planned research in St Louis was a complete
failure and a terrible disappointment. On the morning
of our arrival at the NPRC for our 3-day appointment,
we were given a bunch of reels of microfilm that supposedly
contained all of the morning reports of the 2nd Cml Mortar Bn
covering its time in Korea. The data was scattered throughout
the reels, in no logical order and mixed in with reports of
other units. It was a huge chore to find morning reports of
our companies. But we met total disaster when we found that
all of our reports were almost totally illegible, whether
on-screen or in printout. And many of the ancient micro-film
readers were disabled or nearly so. Within an hour or so,
we had no choice but to give up and leave empty handed."
"We were forced to rely solely on the deficient OSD data for
the names of KIA to put on our memorial plaque. We had a
beautiful bronze plaque made and it was solemnly dedicated
last Friday at APG-EA, MD. I had the privilege of delivering
the dedication speech in memory of our 61 veterans who did
not return."
"It is a crying shame that our government has allowed the
vital records of our military to deteriorate into such
disreputable and useless condition."
"Neither the Army, OSD or anyone else can provide complete
and certain information on casualties suffered by those
who fought to defend this country. I think it is an
incredible disgrace."
Bruce Elliott
Secretary/Treasurer
2nd Cml Mortar Bn Assoc
Editors' Note: We are also asking Korean War Project Member
U.S. Representative Pete Sessions to look into this issue and
others issues relating to the fire at NPRC. Our heritage is at
stake here....
==================================================
6. Korean War Casualty Database - Update
==================================================
We are continuing to update our Korean War Casualty Database
with rosters and unit information provided by Project Members
and visitors. This is a tremendous task.
A number of our Members have asked if we would be willing to
publish this list as a hardback book. With this in mind, we
have priced out the costs. Using our present software, we have
already created the layout and design of the book.
The decision to publish the Korean War Casualty book will be made shortly. Your input is
appreciated.
Hal and Ted Barker
Korean War Project
P.O. Box 180190
Dallas, TX 75218-0190
Telephone - 214-320-0342
EMAIL
hbarker@kwp.org
tbarker@kwp.org
|
