Re: Memorial Day

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Comments:: : : Lets all remember the servicemen in the various branches of service who died in serving our country. : : Indeed. And thanks to all those, both living and since deceased, who were so blessed as to come safely home. : As citizens of this country free from Communism, let us remember those that lost their lives or were wounded by foreign hostile acts. : : The article, "Political Correctness Pervades History Textbooks", states (in part) To American veterans, the end result is quite obvious. ‘Our entire legacy is up for grabs---the worthiness of why we served is called into question in history text-books,” said Vince Milum, chairman of the Cold War Veterans Association. ‘We have an uphill battle in seeing that students receive a historically correct interpretation of what we accomplished.’ : "Cold War veterans will have to substitute historical fact for ideological fiction---and give recognition to those who served in uniform (especially the 382 Americans killed by hostile action), which is universally absent in history textbooks." : : Reference: The VFW Magazine, dated February 2005. : : There were a substantial number of American military personnel that died, or were injured which participated in the early occupation of Europe, including Germany, and Berlin. A total of 380 incidents of which 48 American soldiers were killed, and 189 injured during the period 9 May 1945 to 31 December 1948. : Reference: Report compiled September 2003 by Dr. Perry Biddiscombe representing the University of Victoria. : Obviously, his report does not identify all fatalities during the period. Lt. James Wilson was shot to death by a Soviet sentry on March 3, 1946. : Reference: Cold War Clashes: Confronting Communism, 1945 – 1991 by Richard K. Kolb, Editor VFW. : There were members of the military assigned as aircrew with the United States Army Air Corps, and USAF that performed an untold number of classified missions over, and near the Soviet Union. Numerous aircrews were killed, MIA or injured. Records reveal many American military aircraft were shot down or damaged by Soviet MIG fighters. Because the missions were classified, information was not revealed to the public for many years, sometimes as many as 50 years after the fact. Records reveal six USN aircraft were lost, and seven damaged by hostile fire during the period 1950 to 1959. There were approximately 147 aircrew members killed, 10 probable, 10 MIA, and 17 wounded during the period, 1946 to 1961. : References: : 1) The Price of Vigilance: Attacks on American Surveillance Flights by Larry Tart and Robert Keefe : 2) By Any Means Necessary: America’s Secret Air War in the Cold War by William E. Burrows : 3) Spy Flights of the Cold War by Paul Lashmar : The number of killed, MIA from hostile action experienced in the period, exceeds 56.5% of the total fatalities during the Cold War. : : President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 11016, Authorizing Award Of The Purple Heart, dated 25 April 1962. It identifies circumstances that authorized award of the Purple Heart without a formal declaration of war. : President Ronald W. Reagan followed by signing Executive Order 12464, Award Of The Purple Heart, dated February 1984. A number of circumstances were retroactive from March 28, 1973, including while serving outside the territory of the United States as part of a peacekeeping force, and as a result of an international terrorist attack. : Because of the two Executive Orders, members of the Armed Forces were recognized after 25 April 1962 for their ultimate sacrifice, and wounds. While others met their fate or wounded were not during the early part of the Cold War because there was no official “enemy” other than during the Korean War. : References: AR 600-45, dated 22 September 1943; 3 May 1944; 27 June 1950; and AR 672-5-1, dated 20 July 1956. : : Two examples of recipients being awarded the Purple Heart in Berlin after the Executive Orders were signed: : Major Arthur D. Nicholson was shot, and killed by a Soviet sentry on 24 March 1985. He was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit, and Purple Heart. How were the hostile acts different between Wilson, and Nicholson? The period when the killings took place. : : Finally, the Berlin disco, La Belle experienced an international terrorist attack on 5 April 1986. Of the total American members of the military involved, 2 were killed, and 79 injured, 40 were awarded the Purple Heart. : Resolution : WHEREAS, not all members of the military that lost their lives or were injured from special circumstances were recognized during the early period of the Cold War, : WHEREAS, President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 11016, “Authorizing Award of the Purple Heart” on April 25, 1962 for members of the military, and civilians who died or were injured without a formal declaration of war; and, : WHEREAS, President Ronald W. Reagan signed Executive Order 12464, “Award of the Purple Heart” : on February 23, 1984 for members of the military who died or were injured while serving outside the territory of the United States as part of a peacekeeping force; including as a result of an international terrorist attack; and, : WHEREAS, during the Cold War period after World War II to the early 1960s, the majority of service members lost their lives, or were injured to complete the mission; therefore, : BE IT RESOLVED, we petition President George W. Bush to sign an Executive Order that will recognize members of the military during the period 9 May 1945 to 25 April 1962 under identical circumstances as contained in the two Executive Orders. : Please open the URL to copy, sign, and send to the address posted on the bottom of the page. : http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v191/Robersabel/Petition/PetitionMaster.jpg : No doubt the next-of-kins, family members, and surviving wounded would appreciate all support. : Robert E. Johnson

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