|
Post by dmether on Aug 28, 2014 11:59:43 GMT 8
"JPAC is a disgrace to all who have worn the uniform and a stain on the memory of the fallen." Again, I'm not defending the leadership of JPAC, but to smear everyone who has been assigned there, and are proud of the work they did, as having "sold out" and are "swine" because you don't like how the organization is run is in itself a pretty disgraceful thing to do.
Are these men swine: The U.S. casualties on-board a helicopter that crashed in 2001 in Vietnam while looking for the remains of Americans killed in the war- U.S. Army Lt. Col. Rennie M. Cory Jr., U.S. Army Lt. Col. George D. Martin III, U.S. Air Force Maj. Charles E. Lewis, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Steven Moser, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Pedro J. Gonzales, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Tommy J. Murphy, and U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert M. Flynn
|
|
|
Post by dmether on Aug 28, 2014 8:45:12 GMT 8
One example; Major Funck, West Point graduate and Army Airborne Ranger. Multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not ashamed to have worked for JPAC.
|
|
|
Post by dmether on Aug 28, 2014 8:27:02 GMT 8
I'm not saying that JPAC doesn't have problems, nor am I defending everything it has done, but get your facts straight: "The DoD's POW/MIA office budget for 2013 was about $21 million...JPAC on average has been bringing home 72 remains a year. Congress directed the Pentagon in 2010 to ramp up so that it could average about 200 a year by 2015."
Also take into consideration that over the years the easy recovery cases were done first, meaning that as time goes on JPAC is going after harder and harder cases while it's budget is reduced. And in 2003 it began to actively search for WWII MIA's as well, which the POW/MIA organizations hadn't done before.
I wore the uniform, both Army and Air Force, for 22 years. JPAC isn't a disgrace and it's members serve proudly. The problem isn't it's members, who are mostly enlisted military, many are combat veterans, and do the best job they are able to do (and yes, they are proud to work for JPAC). The problem is the civilian leadership. Perhaps we can keep that in mind and keep the two separate.
|
|
|
Post by dmether on Aug 26, 2014 9:46:46 GMT 8
Hiill 604 on the Villa Verde Trail
|
|
|
Post by dmether on Aug 23, 2014 10:41:41 GMT 8
One problem for the Philippines in general is how hard it is to get anywhere. Try to find Cabanatuan, there is not a single marker directing you to it, you have to know someone who has been there before. Manila has some great historical sites, but try to find one of them. That would be the first step for anything, including Corregidor, is making it easier to get to the place.
|
|
|
Post by dmether on Aug 23, 2014 10:34:40 GMT 8
I'll put this down to "hope and change." JTF-FA was merged with the CILHI to form JPAC. It was suppose to fix all the problems. Now JPAC is merging with DPMO which will also fix all the problems. "Working with civilian groups" "openness" "transparency" I'm trying to think of a single government agency that actually follows that. New way of doing business sounds great but I order a single file from the US Army, 4 years ago I'd get it in about 3 months, now it takes up to a year.
As for sexual harassment and sexual assault, a very broad category to begin with. However, how many of those complaints included formal allegations that turned into convictions? Anyone can make an allegation, but we are innocent until proven guilty. And take a look at how the military has cracked down on sex, buying a lady a drink at an overseas bar can lead to a sex crime charge, the military is far harder on sexual misconduct than the civilian world is. "Low moral" is something I've read about for JPAC but have never seen. I met with JPAC last month in Manila, there was no low moral in that group.
Personally, I do wish that things change in the accounting community, however realistically I don't see anything changing for the better.
|
|
|
Post by dmether on Aug 19, 2014 10:03:30 GMT 8
I emailed some of the guys I know that still work at JPAC, they said only Dr. Holland has been told he is no longer needed. Bill Belcher said he hasn't heard of any of this.
|
|
|
Post by dmether on Aug 16, 2014 19:50:26 GMT 8
Frank Betron didn’t have a long military career but he went a lot of places: Service Dates: 1895 – 1902. Campaigns: Indian War – Spanish American War (Cuba) – Philippine American War (advance to San Fernando) – Boxer Rebellion – Philippine American War (Samar). Sergeant Frank Betron was born at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1874. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 26, 1895 and served in “H” Troop, 2ndSquadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment stationed at Fort Apache, Arizona. They patrolled the Mexican border preventing hostile forces reentering Mexico after raiding settlements. In the Philippines, Betron went with Company “C” to Balangiga, Samar. A month after arriving 400 bolomen from General Lukban’s Filipino Guerrilla Army attacked the 74 men of Company “C” while they were eating their breakfast. In a few minutes, three officers and 29 men had been hacked to death except four isolated pockets of soldiers who managed to regain their weapons and fight back. Sergeant Betron led one of these groups and fought hand-to-hand with several of the attackers, regained his weapon and started to counter attack. Eight rifles were secured from Sergeant Betron’s squad barracks. After about fifteen minutes half of the enemy force had been killed or wounded. Sergeant Betron was the senior non-commissioned officer standing after all the officers and senior NCOs had been killed. The group gathered the wounded, secured the flag and disabled as many Krag rifles as they could before moving to the riverbank. Sergeant Betron then organized the survivors into five native dugout outrigger canoes and despite his wounds kept the men together in two of the largest until they reached the next nearest outpost at Basay, Samar. In 1932 Sergeant Betron was nominated for the Medal of Honor for his actions during the massacre, he was included in a bill to the U.S.Senate. Unfortunately, the bill was not passed. It's a shame his headstone says "Civilian Employee" and not US Soldier. 1928 picture of the survivors of the Balangiga Massacre, L to R: John Uhtop, Charles Marak, Elbert DeGraffenreid, and Ernest Ralston, from David Demether.
|
|
|
Post by dmether on Aug 15, 2014 18:52:50 GMT 8
Another non-WWII item, but again I think it is interesting. One of the many interesting people buried on Clark is Edward Dumaresq who enlisted in the Confederate Army on 7 September 1861 as a Private and ended the war as a 1st Sergeant. In 1864 he was recommended for the rank of Lieutenant for "distinguished valor" at Sharpsburg. He also engaged in hand-to-hand combat, once wrenching a pistol out of the hand of a Union soldier, forcing his surrender. He eventually made his way to the Philippines where he died in 1901 and is buried in the Clark Air Base Cemetery.
|
|
|
Post by dmether on Aug 15, 2014 17:36:00 GMT 8
Not WWII, but interesting. Doing some reading on when the Brits visited Manila from 1762-4. They lost a few men while here. If I remember, the Brits usually left the remains in place, not sending them back like the US did when we got here. If so, did the Brits establish the English Cemetery to bury them? I've found it on a couple of old maps. The Manila South Cemetery was built in 1925, just to the south of it. The cemetery was bought by the Ayala Group in the 1970's and turned into a housing area. Horner came out of the English Cemetery when it was closed in the 1970's, through an agreement between ABMC and the British War Graves organization. He was assigned to the light cruiser Carlisle and drowned. Frederick W. Horner Chief Petty Officer Royal Navy Date of Death:November 10, 1920 Buried: Plot G Row 9 Grave 11 Manila American Cemetery Manila, Philippines The rest of the cemetery may have been moved to the Columbarium in the Forbes Park community between Makati and Ft. Bonifacio. 1908 map 1920 1944 The English Cemetery is on the upper left of the South Cemetery in this 14 December 1944 shot:
|
|