Vietnam POW quietly dies

[judyvillecco]

Hidden in the obituary section of the daily news Jerry J. Gavin, age 56, a former POW in Vietnam, the paper states, August 1, 2001 passed away at his home. He honorably served his country in the US Air Force. I for one was touched by his passing even though I didn't know him. Just because he was there, in that place, Vietnam, a POW. I felt he deserved more in our paper. His passing bothered me!

[Boats]

Attention on Deck! Taps are sounding (can you hear them?)

Mr. Jerry J. Gavin is now passing in review.
His dedication to his God and Country is his salvation.
Now gathered are the old soldiers of the past who await his arrival.
He has not been forgotten - as he like other countless numbers
who've passed before him await his arrival.
We salute his contributions to his Country.
Rest in peace old friend and remember us when our time has comes -
For we shall also need some reassurance from old friends in the promised land.

Boats

[THECOLONEL]

NO ONE BY THIS NAME IS IN MASTER LISTING OF VIETNAM ERA PRISONERS OF WAR AND THIS NAME IS NOT IN THE PRISONER OF WAR EMAIL DATABASE ...

PLEASE BE SO KIND TO ADVISE IN WHICH NEWSPAPER THIS OBITUARY NOTICE WAS PRINTED ...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

:cd: :cd: :cd:

[Arrow]

Online links to verify POW status (click on links):


[/url]

www.pownetwork.org/bios.htm (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pow/powhome.html)

[url]www.aiipowmia.com/

[DMZ-LT]

It's bothering me to mockingbird, I can't find his name on any of those data bases. Like 0-6 asked, what paper was this announcement in ? Thanks in advance for your response.

[kenmar]

FYI

Another POW-MIA search engine:

http://www.scopesys.com/powmia/powsearch.html

[David]

You can also find these lists here at this site for download under the KIA, POW/MIA download section at the link below.

http://www.patriotfiles.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Downloads&file=index&req=viewdownload&cid=25

[judyvillecco]

Daily News in Fort Walton Beach Florida is the Newspaper that reported it. in the Sunday edition obit. August 4.

[judyvillecco]

Don't know about details of your sites. I'm just reporting an article in the newspaper. I have an honorable discharge the Army didn't show because some Chief Warrant Officer decided to lose my records at Fort Dix, New Jersey.(Lucky for me I kept a copy!) So What do you want... to do with the dead guy COLONEL! You and SPARROW like to Control information so you set us all straight! Meanwhile I'll just mourn the poor dead guy with his family if you don't mind.

[Arrow]

Judy I'm sorry you took it that way if you will look above you will notice that two other people besides myself put up links to the POW data base. If that man is not a POW he should not be listed as a POW. No one was finding fault with you. The error is on the part of the publisher of the article.

[phuloi]

Catch an attitude,why don`t cha. There are alot of people on this sight,me included,who have tirelessly worked to identify and bring our POWs home,or at the very least to be sure that they are NOT FORGOTTEN!It is totally disrespectful to ALL former POWs and to the nearly 2000 still listed as POW/MIA to erroneously proclaim someone as a former POW.All we wanted to know was who published the obit.Take a chill-pill!

[judyvillecco]

Yes perhaps he shouldn't have been listed as a POW and our paper isn't perfect I only said it bothered me that a small mention was made.Perhaps he wasn't a POW,,,perhaps he wasn't even a vet...perhaps he a lot of things. Do any of you know for sure? Let he/she who KNOWS CAST THE FIRST STONE!

[Boats]

DMZ-LT;

I must still be gullable. I never think to question a MIA or POW as to whether or not they are or were what they say they are. My wife says I'm way to gullable.

Anyway I went to the site where the GI's were listed KIA/MIA/POW and have a question maybe you can answer.
When someone is listed as a casualty but listed as non-hostile death what does this mean?

[DMZ-LT]

Hey Boats. I am not an expert on these things but I think I know this one. KIA is Killed In Action , in a combat zone. Non hostile death is just that , death in a combat zone but not caused by enemy action............................ now I'd like Famous Germans for $200 please :a:

[Arrow]

Judy we were not doubting your sincere feelings for someone passing. However it is is no small thing to pose as a POW and deceive both family and friends for a life time. The families and friends of the POW/MIA have worked tirelessly to have accurate documentation of all POW/MIA. If I am understanding you correctly you feel there is a possibility that this particular man was left off the POW list after over thirty years of documentaion. I am forwarding the name of the man and the newspaper to one of the above web sites. I will ask them to post their answer to this site and on this thread.

[PHO127]

No one is faulting you or your feelings, We are doubting the accuracy or authenticy of the news report. DMZ-LT and I Knew a guy who was in Viet Nam but a non-combatant. One day he asked me if he could get one of the little decals like I had on my truck, I asked him which oneand he said the little blue one with the rifle and wreath. I politely said no and left it alone. A few years later he passed away and LT and I went to his service.
Imagine our supprise when at the eulogy given by the family we learned he was a highly decorated infantry soldier and had the purple heart (2) , the Silver Star and a Bronze Star With V device.
All from a guy who did not know what a CIB was.

PS I'll throw the first stone

[Keith_Hixson]

I would have never taken the time to examine the claims on an obituary.
Sad that people have to make up lives for themselves, and suck in others also. It happens all the time.
I am cynical about a lot of other things but I usually assume the family gives true obituaries.
Wasn't it one of Clinton's Cabinet members who had to be unburied in Arlington? It makes you wonder if he went to College and got a degree.

Keith

[Arrow]

I would venture to guess that most family members have never questioned the service records of their loved ones. We tend to believe what we want to believe about those we love.

It is not a very healthy or mature way to live but some of us have been there..

I am almost hesitate to inquire about the authenticity of this man's POW status simply because I don't want to hurt the family. He's gone now and maybe we should let them live with the man they thought he was.

I will leave it to the wisdom of the brothers.

[Arrow]

should explain why we feel so strongly about false claims:

www.pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies.htm

[sfc_darrel]

Who joined the Navy at the end of WWII. He was dishonarably discharged when he got in a fight on a gangway when returning to his ship drunk. His friend hit the dock and died.

He lied is way into the Army and got an honorable discharge.

He died when I was a child.

I saw a picture of his gravestone recently. It said he served in the Air Force. He wanted to but his paperwork caught up with him and they wouldn't let him in again.

His favorite song title was "How can you belive me when I tell you that I love you when you know I've been a liar all my life"

I was born on an Air Force Base in Alaska.

He was my father.

Always will hate stolen valor :d:

Joy

[phuloi]

I applaud your courage for posting that..

[PHO127]

DMZ-LT and I were discussing this POW thing and recalled the guy we met in a bar one day while playing pool. He was wearing a 25th div hat with Mech Inf on it. I went up to him and said I had served in the 25th and what unit was he in? I knew some people in the 222 mech inf. He replied to us that we probably never heard of his unit because it was a super secret pathfinder outfit. I remarked to LT what a novel idea, Mechanized Infantry Pathfinders. He cost LT and I a friend later because I punched him out to keep him from beating the little dweeb to death.

[RobH]

I always found it amazing that for the first 20 years or so....up until about 92' or so, I only ran into just so many Brothers.....and it was usually a "quiet" meeting, often by chance or accidental. I think usually it was the kind of meeting where you "knew" the other fellow was a Vietnam Veteran.....and he knew you were too....and there was no doubt about it. Not much said....respectfully and softly spoken "hellos", a hanshake, and small talk....followed by painful silences ......wanting to talk, but not wanting to get into the other fellows private space......

Then my God, the Cong killin' supermen, all bedecked in medals, with volume after volume of "war stories" all beginning with "no shit man, this is the truth" began crawling out of the woodwork like rats off of a sinking ship. Many of them had the stink of the rat...and it was amazing how many of them had no clue about the things that they should have known.......

Like all of you.....I met my share. Pathetic lot....and the worst of the bunch was the "professional politicians" who jumped on that bandwagon.

I think its sad when a person has to fabricate a "history" to make themselves look more important in the eyes of others..... Whats wrong with being who you are?

[vetgirl]

In Smalltown USA
I know a vet, 100% PTSD, whos reputation in his town was totally distroyed because "Mr Walking Dead Marine Guy" could not find his record on the internet. Mind you he never spoke to this man. He was misinformed by a guy in the bar reguarding what medals he really had.
This cost the vet dearly. He went back to the day he landed "home" His mental health took a nosedive. He lost his girl on account of that. He has given up. He's a total recluse now.
I went out of my mind, I was helping him find his war buddies so I had his record in my possesion.
Well the powers that be told me he probably typed them himself and I should produce copies. He got kicked out of the bar for causing "trouble" and he wasn't even there. I was though, and I was not shy.
Well I found his "imaginary" buddies. But the damage was already done. He won't leave his house.

P.S. I was his girl

[RobH]

Vetgirl...what happened to your friend is truly distressing. While it is hopefully the exception and not the norm, it is certainly a travesty, and should and could be righted.

It is also a travesty that anyone would rely solely on the "internet" for verification of anything relative to ones period of service. Frankly most of those records are not open to the public, and are covered by the privacy act. Anyone who relies solely on the records available on the web is making a mistake and if they are using the information or lack there of to villify or castigate someone, they are showing their foolishness and stupidity. In some cases they can even set themselves up for civil litigation.

Any jackass that knows what a DD-214 is, and especially if they possess one can spot a real one from 50 feet out. And anyone who spent time in the service knows that the military didn't leave them laying around for the taking. I would question the credibility of the naysayer loud and long. But then again....the opinion of a few is naught to be concerned about. It is only what you, and his true friends think. He knows what he has done in his life and what he has accomplished ....and that is all that counts.


I am a perfect example....I only know of a couple of places on the web you can find me....one of them is a site showing the roster of all American Troops who served in Viet Nam......and it shows my rank as "E00". Interesting since I was promoted to E-5, SP5 at the end of my first year there. Other than that I am "transparent" to anyone looking....but that is of my own design, and I made it pretty much that way. I'm kind of a private person. Other than that,
the only way you can find me is if you know a couple of my "handles" and then I pop up in some forum references....and thats it.

So tell your friend that he knows what he did, and his friends know what he did, and you know what he did....so in reality....the rest of them, the naysayers and the strangers "can kiss his ##@#**&^%$###$%^!!" What they think or say is of no consequence whatsoever.

When his time comes, he'll be welcomed home because he has already spent his share of time in hell.

Tell him that I, a Brother said: WELCOME HOME!!!

[judyvillecco]

Wow!When I posted a simple obituary little did I know it was going to create such a storm! I'm like you Boats I just assumed it was accurate and like Rob I would never trust a web site for verification. I know I'm not on there. I haven't ever found me! I have my smelley honorable discharge and I'll be damned if any nut tells me I typed it. Vet girl I'm sorry what happened to your friend and some people I guess have to play police to the rest of us but I'm not one of them. I guess I tend to take people at face value until they prove otherwise. I had a chief warrant officer who, I'm sure was decorated and legit by Army standards. By mine he deserves no valor, but a firing squad! Some of the others I knew when I was in deserve no better, I don't care how many medals they had from Vietnam or anywhere else! So I say valor is in the perception of those who see it. Valor is as valor does. Heroes stay heros! At least the ones I knew and know and many of them aren't in our military or government. Sorry! By the way I talked about another POW on Smell the coffee but no one seems to be arguing with me about him or checking him out so carefully. Has anyone read that post?

[vetgirl]

Just be careful what you say... cause you could hurt somebody and I wish I could tell him anything. Just like his welcome home and I was not there then, cannot tell him now. but he is lost to me... thank you very much "stolen Valor" (you guys probably think I'm full of shit)

[judyvillecco]

Your guy is lost because of what has happened here vet girl. he believed the lies people were telling him about himself. I was lost the same way for 26years but a strong therapist helped me find my way back out of the lies of the naysayers and government police reporters. I don't think you are full of shit. I wish your guy could find the help he needs to trust again in himself and you. He must never trust the government that sold him out in the first place to the extent he did before. That's what Vietnam was all about. The lies and promises our government keeps telling us. I for one do not think your friend stole his valor or typed it. Maybe some others here do but not I.

[judyvillecco]

I went to one of the web site where anyone can post people's names and I would think they could be sued for libel if they post names eroneously but the sad thing is they could post on a web site like that and the person who's name is posted wouln't even know. How can that be legit and taken for the gospel by anyone? Frankly Sparrow i looked at your last link and thought it was a hoax! Looks like a crackpot site to me. And vet girl dont get too upset at Joy...she likes to be part of the mind police where I'm concerned and control what you and others think about me and discredit. Frankly I'm beginning to wonder about a lot of other peoples stories around here.

[USMC0311]

Originally posted by vetgirl
Just be careful what you say... cause you could hurt somebody and I wish I could tell him anything. Just like his welcome home and I was not there then, cannot tell him now. but he is lost to me... thank you very much "stolen Valor" (you guys probably think I'm full of shit)

I stand with You!!
and Judy, You have a wonderful heart Miss. the sentiment is understood! ty 4 caring!!

[judyvillecco]

Thanks USMC we needed that!