Open Letter To Congressman Jim Ryun - Kansas

[HARDCORE]

Dear Congressman Ryun;

Thank you for responding by e-mail and for your Mr. Friezen chatting with me today! Although I sincerely respect your opinions on this matter, in all honesty, I must disagree with some of your conclusions and again ask that you re-think your possible position as concerns HR 2369!

I am sorry if your talented staff member felt that I was cutting fine hairs, but unfortunately, the removal of too many fine hairs can often leave a man bald, especially at my advancing age!

In particular, after confirming my belief that the Purple Heart Medal is not necessarily a medal awarded for valor as you claimed in your e-mail, and this through the Military Order of the Purple Heart Organization and others who back this fine Bill unanimously, I felt that it was essential that I correct what I perceived to be several misunderstandings about HR 2369, Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act!

I know that you have probably forgotten more about military decorations than I ever knew, but I thought that I would attempt to cast a little illumination on a portion of the subject, for I too know the true meaning of the word ?VALOR!" I further know that no greater love hath any man than to lay down his life for his comrades, and those who expired in enemy captivity displayed just such a magnificent love!

Beatings, starvation, lack of medical care, freezing to death and prolonged exposure, among other things, hardly make for a pleasant experience. Additionally, many of the thousands who met such an end, from 7 December 1941 to the present, and indeed into the future, never even had their remains recovered or returned to the nation that they died to help preserve!! And in all too many cases, there were no comrades around to comfort these men as they lay dying in abject agony!! And as far as the Prisoner of War Medal is concerned, this fine Medal did not even come into existence until 1989 I believe.

The key words in this Bill are ?Those Who Died In Captivity? after all, and not those who were held as captives! And for the record, a POW Camp "is" an instrument of war, and the armed enemy troops that are tasked with keeping you under lock and key, or murdering you should you attempt escape, are combatants, of this have no doubt!! The guns that these enemy troops possess are as loaded with death as any discharged upon the battlefield!!

I am thankful that you agree that we should properly honor our military heroes, and heroes these men were. But as far as the FY 1996 National Defense Authorization Act, authorizing the Purple Heart to be awarded to those who were injured by the enemy, this dear sir is simply not true!! Dying from the causes that I listed above, ie: Beatings, Starvation, Lack of Medical Care, Freezing to Death, Disease and Prolonged Exposure, etc are just as deadly as a round from an enemy weapon, and these too are implements of warfare!!

In closing, let me add again that: ?The POW Medal is available to ALL who were taken as captives in warfare, including those who came home!!? And again, the causes of death while in enemy captivity, and this at the hands of enemy soldiers, are just as fatal as a bayonet, a bullet and shell fragmentations. "Many who were wounded came home - those who died alone in enemy captivity, however, never saw their homes again!!"

?Cutting fine hairs indeed??

VERITAS (Truth)

[reconeil]

I wish you luck Buddy.
But, and to be totally honest, if you have to explain the difference between a healthy repatriated POW and a POW murdered executed, or tortured or starved to death by the enemy TO ANYONE,...I feel sorry for you.

After all, if such an: "ANYONE" is so dense that they cannot understand; "The difference between a healthy and repatriated POW and a POW murdered, executed or tortured or starved to death",...you've cut yourself out a veritable: "Mission Impossible" and/or pretty-much like trying to have a sensible discussion with a brick wall.

Whatever,...again I wish you luck Buddy.
Dealing with such myopic or tunnel vision types,...you'll certainly need it.

Neil

[HARDCORE]

NEIL;

The quickest way to start my motor is to hit me with what this Congressman did! Just tell me something can't be done, and I will show you that if it is worthwhile in my opinion, that it can be done, or I will die trying!!

RICK