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POW MIA Bracelet
My sister called the other night and said she had a dream about my peace sign. She wanted to know if I still had it. I said no and she said "well... I found a POW MIA bracelet in my jewelry box I think it's yours." I got it 02-05 04. thirty one years to the day. Now I need to know if I can track it after all these years
Sgt. Joseph A. Matejov USAF 02/05/73 LAOS any help would be appreciated Deb |
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Deb :
Interesting story. Try some Google searches, or go to the POW-MIA websites. I am sure you will find some info. Good Luck ! Larry
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Loss Date - 02/05/73
Last Name - MATEJOV First Name - JOSEPH A. Branch - USAF Country - LAOS DOB - 02/02/52 Town - EAST MEADOW State - NY Remarks - "KIA, POSS CAPTURED" GROUP BURIAL 12/95 MATEJOV, JOSEPH ANDREW GROUP BURIAL 12/95 Name: Joseph Andrew Matejov Rank/Branch: E4/US Air Force Unit: Detachment 3, 6994th Security Squadron from Ubon, Thailand Date of Birth: 02 February 1952 Home City of Record: East Meadow NY Date of Loss: 05 February 1973 Country of Loss: Laos Loss Coordinates: 153755N 1065957E (YC143291) Status (in 1973): Missing In Action/Killed In Action Category: 1 Acft/Vehicle/Ground: EC47Q Other Personnel in Incident: Dale Brandenburg; Todd M. Melton; George R. Spitz; Severo J. Primm III; Peter R. Cressman; Arthur R. Bollinger (all missing); Robert E. Bernhardt (remains recovered) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1991 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998. REMARKS: KIA 3 - POSS CAPT 4 SYNOPSIS: On February 5, 1973, about a week after the signing of the Paris Peace Agreement, an EC47Q aircraft was shot down over Saravane Province, Laos, about 50 miles east of the city of Saravane. The crew of the aircraft consisted of the pilot, Capt. George R. Spitz; co-pilot, 2Lt. Severo J. Primm III, Capt. Arthur R. Bollinger, 1Lt. Robert E. Bernhardt, Sgt. Dale Brandenburg, Sgt. Joseph A. Matejov, all listed as crew members, and Sgt. Peter R. Cressman and SSgt. Todd M. Melton, both systems operators. The families of all aboard the aircraft were told the men were dead, and advised to conduct memorial services. It is known that Cressman and Matejov were members of Detachment 3, 6994th Security Squadron from Ubon, Thailand. The aircraft, however, was flying out of the 361st TEW Squadron (Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron) at Nakhon Phanom Airbase, Thailand. Primm, Melton, Spitz, Brandenburg and Bernhardt were assigned to the 361st TEW Squadron. Bollinger's unit is unknown. The men in the 6994th were highly trained and operated in the greatest of secrecy. They were not allowed to mingle with others from their respective bases, nor were the pilots of the aircraft carrying them on their missions always told what their objective was. They were cryptology experts, language experts, and knew well how to operate some of the Air Force's most sophisticated equipment. They were the first to hear the enemy's battle plans. Over five years later, Joe Matejov's mother, Mary Matejov, heard columnist Jack Anderson, on "Good Morning America", describe a Pathet Lao radio communique which described the capture of four "air pirates" on the same day as the EC47Q carrying her son was shot down. NO OTHER PLANE WAS MISSING THAT DAY. Anderson's information indicated that reconnaissance personnel had 40 uninterrupted minutes in which to survey the crash site. The report of the reconnaissance team, which was not provided to the families for over five years, showed that three bodies, which were thought to have been higher ranking officers because of the seating arrangement, were found strapped in seats. Four of the men aboard the aircraft were not in or around the aircraft, and the partial remains of the eighth man (Bernhardt) was recovered. No identification was brought out from the crash site, and no attempt was made to recover the three bodies from the downed aircraft. It is assumed that the reconnaissance team was most interested in recovering the sensitive equipment aboard the EC47Q. The EC47Q became known as the "Flying Pueblo". Most of the "kids" in back, as some pilots called them, were young, in good health, and stood every chance of surviving captivity. There were specific reports intercepted regarding the four missing men from the aircraft missing on February 5, 1973. Radio reports indicated that the four were transported to the North Vietnam border. None were released in the general POW release beginning the next month. Peter Cressman enlisted in the United States Air Force in August, 1969 and after two years at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska he volunteered for service in Vietnam and left for Da Nang in June 1972. In Da Nang, Peter spent his free hours at Sacred Heart Orphanage. His letters to his hometown priest in Oakland, New Jersey, resulted in the forming of "Operation Forget-Me-Not". Community schools, churches, merchants and citizens joined the effort to help the innocent victims of war. The group eventually provided a boxcar of supplies to the orphans. Peter was transferred to the airbase at Ubon, Thailand. He believed the secret missions being flown into Laos were illegal, and had written letters to his congressman in that regard. His family has been active in efforts to locate information on Peter and the nearly 2500 others who remain unaccounted for. They founded the National Forget-Me-Not Association for POW/MIAs in St.Petersburg, Florida, the largest POW advocacy group in the country. Joseph Matejov enlisted in the Air Force in 1970 from his home state of New York and went to Southeast Asia in April, 1972. Joe's father and two brothers were career military. His sister graduated from West Point in 1981. Steven Matejov died in 1984 not knowing what happened to his son. Joe's mother, Mary says, "Joe may be alive. If so, this government has a legal and moral responsibility to get him home. The next generation of servicemen should not have to wonder if they will answer the call to defend their country only to be abandoned. We must stop this tragedy now, and never allow it to happen again." Thousands of reports received by the U.S. Government have convinced many experts that hundreds of Americans remain captive in Southeast Asia. Members of a crew flying a secret mission after a peace agreement had been signed would likely be considered war criminals. If they are among those thought to be alive, the survivors of the EC47Q have been held captive over 15 years. It's time we brought our men home. ----------------------------------------------------------- [matejov.94 08/14/94] excerpts from letters.... August 6, 1994 from Mary Matejov to friends Enclosed are the papers I spoke to you about the latest game the Air Force is playing with me. There are remains, there are not remains depending on who you are writing to...... April 19, 1994 from Department of the Air Force to Senator D'Amato "....The Armed Forces Identification Review Board (AFIRB) has not met nor made any determination concerning a group burial which would include the remains believed to be of Sergeant Joseph A. Matejov. The recommendation of the Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii, will be only one of many factors evaluated by AFIRN. The United States Army is the Department of Defense Executive Agent for Mortuary Affairs and is responsible for identifying the remains of deceased personnel prior to 1993 ("ancient" remains). ...... May 14, 1994 Mrs. Mary Matejov to Col. Spinello, Commander PERSCDM "Enclosed is a copy of a letter sent to the Honorable Alfonse M. D'Amato which states there are remains believed to be Sgt. Joseph A Matejov...I would like these remains sent to Dr. Michael Charney of Colorado...." May 23, 1994 Department of the Army to Mrs. Matejov " ....Unfortunately, you have misunderstood what has transpired in this case as there has not been a recommendation for individual identification of the remains of Sergeant Matejov. CILHI recommended that comingled, unsegregated remains recovered from the crashsite of the aircraft on which Sergeant Matejov was a manifested crewman be identified as the group remains of the crew including Sergeant Matejov. Therefore, there are no individually segregated remains that can be identified as Sergeant Matejov available for an independent opinion......" May 25, 1994 Dr. Charney to Mrs. Matejov ..." It so happens that Mr. Huey was here this morning on another case, that of Mark Danielson, also airforce, shot down June 1972. I had spoken with Huey when he was last here, as I mentioned to you over the phone and in my note, about the fact that you would be asking that the "remains" of Joseph be brought, to me and that is when he said that there was ONLY AN IDENTIFICATION TAG. THAT WAS ALL. ......I will certainly look over the lot...as they did the teeth of Danielson today...." -------------------------------------------- National Alliance of Families, Bits n Pieces DESPITE THE VALIANT EFFORTS OF SENATOR BOB SMITH AND CONGRESSMAN BOB DORNAN AND THEIR STAFFS THE BARON 52 BURIAL REMAINS SCHEDULED TO MARCH 27TH, 1996. ON FEB. 23, 1996, DINO CARLUCCIO, OF SENATOR SMITH'S OFFICE AND AL SANTOLI OF CONGRESSMAN DORNAN'S OFFICE MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF DPMO TO DISCUSS THE VIHN PHU LIVE SIGHTING REPORTS, THE BARON 52 INCIDENT, LIMA SITE 85 INCIDENT, LAO POW/MIA ARCHIVES, THE CASE OF DAVID HRDLICKA AND THE MISSING SERVICE PERSONNEL ACT. REPRESENTING DPMO WERE SENIOR DPMO ANALYST, FOR LAOS AND CURRENT OPERATIONS, WARREN GRAY; DIXON JORDAN, LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS OFFICER; FRANCIS O'BRIEN, GENERAL COUNSEL; AND ELBERT HAMPTON, ASST . FOR POW/MIA AFFAIRS AND DRUG POLICY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS (OSD/LA). MONG POINTS ACKNOWLEDGED BY DPMO: VINH PHU LIVE SIGHTINGS - "THE ORIGINAL 1990 LIVE SIGHTING REPORT HAD BEEN RULED A FABRICATION WITHIN 9 DAYS OF THE REPORT ARRIVING IN THE THEN-DIA SPECIAL OFFICE FOR POW/MIA. MR. GRAY INDICATED THAT HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS DETERMINATION AND THAT THE SOURCE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMMEDIATELY RECONTACTED AT THE TIME FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE PERSON AT DIA WHO ANALYZED THE REPORT HAD ONLY BEEN THERE FOR A SHORT PERIOD AND HAD LEFT TWO DAYS AFTER THE REPORT WAS APPROVED AS A FABRICATION." "THE USG ASKED THE VIETNAMESE IN NOV. 1995, TO VISIT THREE MOUNTAINOUS LOCATION WITH GRID COORDINATES IN VINH PHU PROVINCE, NORTH VIETNAM..." "IN EARLY JANUARY 1996, THE VIETNAMESE INFORMED THE USG THAT SUCH AN INVESTIGATION WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED BECAUSE THE REPORTS OF AN UNDERGROUND PRISON FACILITY IN VINH PHU PROVINCE HAD ALREADY BEEN INVESTIGATED BY USG AND CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS IN RESPONSE TO BILL HENDON'S PUBLICIZED STATEMENTS..... MR. GRAY EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE USG HAD NOT YET EXPLAINED TO THE VIETNAMESE THAT THE AREAS IN QUESTION HAD NOT BEEN VISITED BY EITHER THE USG OR CONGRESSIONAL STAFF. THE PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS WERE REPORTEDLY LIMITED TO A VILLAGE AREA SEVERAL MILES FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS REGION BASED ON COORDINATES BILL HAD HAD OBTAINED FROM THE LIVE SIGHTING REPORTS. MR. GRAY SAID THAT THE COORDINATES IN ONE OF THE HEARSAY REPORTS HAD BEEN REPORTED ERRONEOUSLY BY A DEBRIEFER AT THE TIME THE REPORT WAS OBTAINED." "MR. GRAY SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE GENERAL WOLD HAD RAISED THE MATTER DIRECTLY WITH THE VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS DURING HIS TRIP. (NOTE: AT THE JAN. MEETING AT THE WHITE HOUSE ATTENDED BY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR ANTHONY LAKE AND THE MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATION, GEN. WOLD HAD CONCURRED THAT THE MATTER NEEDED TO BE RAISED WITH VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS, ESPECIALLY BY THE PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATION IF THE MATTER WAS NOT SATISFACTORILY RESOLVED BY THEN.)" BARON 52 AND THE NSA INTERCEPTS: "MR. GRAY INDICATED THAT HE WANTED TO CONDUCT HIS OWN ANALYSIS OF THIS CASE, BECAUSE HE APPARENTLY WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH A PREVIOUS ANALYSIS CONDUCTED BY MR. DESATTE IN 1987. "MR. HAMPTON FURTHER INDICATED THAT MR. GRAY SHOULD MAKE HIS OPINIONS KNOWN TO GEN. WOLD ON THE NEED FOR RE-EXAMINATION OF THE NSA MESSAGES, AND THAT, IF MR. TROWBRIDGE DID NOT OBJECT, DPMO STAFF SHOULD RECOMMEND TO GEN. WOLD THAT HE CONSIDER ASKING THE APPROPRIATE DOD OFFICIALS TO RESCIND THE DETERMINATIONS WITH RESPECT TO CRESSMAN AND MATEJOV.... IF MR. TROWBRIDGE OR OTHERS HAD OBJECTIONS, THEN MR. HAMPTON STATED THE ISSUE SHOULD BE FURTHER DISCUSSED BETWEEN MEETING ATTENDEES." "MR. CARLUCCIO INDICATED THAT HE HAD SEVERAL POINTS TO MAKE AT A LATER DATE CONCERNING THE ACTUAL NSA MESSAGES, AND THAT HE WANTED TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE RE-EXAMINATION OF THESE REPORTS BY DPMO ON BEHALF OF SENATOR SMITH. HE REMINDED THE PARTICIPANTS THAT IT WAS UNFAIR TO ASK THE CRESSMAN AND MATEJOV FAMILIES TO ACCEPT THE AFIRB (ARMED FORCES IDENTIFICATION REVIEW BOARD.) DECISION WHEN DPMO WAS CURRENTLY UNABLE TO DEMONSTRATE CONCLUSIVELY TO WHO THE NSA MESSAGES PERTAINED TO IF IT WAS NOT BARON- 52. HE A GAIN INDICATED THAT NO OTHER AIRCRAFT, SOUTH VIETNAMESE OR AMERICAN WAS SHOT DOWN IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ON THE DATE OF THE BARON-52 INCIDENT, AND, AS EARLY AS FEB. 14, 1973, THE DIRECTOR OF NSA HAD SPECIFIED THE LOCATION OF THE CAPTURED AIRMEN IN THE SAME REGION OF LAOS WHERE THE SHOOT-DOWN HAD OCCURRED." |
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My bracelet is for Maj. Richard G. Elzinga
USAF 26 March 1970 LAOS Here's what I know this soldier: ELZINGA, RICHARD GENE Name: Richard Gene Elzinga Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force Unit: 56th Special Operations Wing, Udorn AF TH (RAVENS) Date of Birth: 13 August 1942 Home City of Record: Shedd OR Date of Loss: 26 March 1970 Country of Loss: Laos Loss Coordinates: 175900N 1023400E (TF543931) Status (in 1973): Missing in Action Category: 4 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: O1 Refno: 1579 Other Personnel in Incident: Henry L. Allen (missing) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1990 with the assistance of one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998. REMARKS: SYNOPSIS: The Steve Canyon program was a highly classified FAC (forward air control) operation covering the military regions of Laos. U.S. military operations in Laos were severely restricted during the Vietnam War era because Laos had been declared neutral by the Geneva Accords. The non-communist forces in Laos, however, had a critical need for military support in order to defend territory used by Lao and North Vietnamese communist forces. The U.S., in conjunction with non-communist forces in Laos, devised a system whereby U.S. military personnel could be "in the black" or "sheep-dipped" (clandestine; mustered out of the military to perform military duties as a civilian) to operate in Laos under supervision of the U.S. Ambassador to Laos. RAVEN was the radio call sign which identified the flyers of the Steve Canyon Program. Men recruited for the program were rated Air Force officers with at least six months experience in Vietnam. They tended to be the very best of pilots, but by definition, this meant that they were also mavericks, and considered a bit wild by the mainstream military establishment. The Ravens came under the formal command of CINCPAC and the 7/13th Air Force 56th Special Operations Wing at Nakhon Phanom, but their pay records were maintained at Udorn with Detachment 1. Officially, they were on loan to the U.S. Air Attache at Vientiane. Unofficially, they were sent to outposts like Long Tieng, where their field commanders were the CIA, the Meo Generals, and the U.S. Ambassador. Once on duty, they flew FAC missions which controlled all U.S. air strikes over Laos. All tactical strike aircraft had to be under the control of a FAC, who was intimately familiar with the locale, the populous, and the tactical situation. The FAC would find the target, order up U.S. fighter/bombers from an airborne command and control center, mark the target accurately with white phosphorus (Willy Pete) rockets, and control the operation throughout the time the planes remained on station. After the fighters had departed, the FAC stayed over the target to make a bomb damage assessment (BDA). The FAC also had to ensure that there were no attacks on civilians, a complex problem in a war where there were no front lines and any hamlet could suddenly become part of the combat zone. A FAC needed a fighter pilot's mentality, but but was obliged to fly slow and low in such unarmed and vulnerable aircraft as the Cessna O1 Bird Dog, and the Cessna O2. Consequently, aircraft used by the Ravens were continually peppered with ground fire. A strong fabric tape was simply slapped over the bullet holes until the aircraft could no longer fly. Ravens were hopelessly overworked by the war. The need for secrecy kept their numbers low (never more than 22 at one time), and the critical need of the Meo sometimes demanded each pilot fly 10 and 12 hour days. Some Ravens completed their tour of approximately 6 months with a total of over 500 combat missions. The Ravens in at Long Tieng in Military Region II, had, for several years, the most difficult area in Laos. The base, just on the southern edge of the Plain of Jars, was also the headquarters for the CIA-funded Meo army commanded by General Vang Pao. An interesting account of this group can be read in Christopher Robbins' book, "The Ravens". This book contains an account of the loss of 1Lt. Henry L. Allen and Capt. Richard G. Elzinga: The post at Long Tieng had been under seige, and it became necessary for Ravens to live in Vietntiane in new quarters nicknamed Silver City, but they continued to stage out of Long Tieng. "They called the daily flight there and back...the 'commute.' "Hank Allen, an exceptional pilot with eyes like a hawk, took off with Dick Elzinga in the front seat of his O-1. Allen was 'short', soon to return home after a tour in which he had notched up four hundred combat missions, and he planned to return directly to the States and marry his fiancee within a fortnight. Elzinga had only just arrived in Laos, and it was his first trip up to the secret city. Allen intended to use the 'commute' as a checkout ride. It was a cloudy day. He took off and reported over the radio...that the O-1 was airborne. It was the last thing ever heard from them. Neither of the pilots, nor the plane, was ever seen again. "They had disappeared. Each of the Ravens spent at least two hours, on top of their usual day's flying, searching for the wreckage. No Mayday call had been heard, nor had a beeper signal been picked up from the survival radio, and no clue to the airplane's whereabouts was discovered. The disappearance was a complete mystery." The official point of loss was noted as 20 miles northeast of Vientiane, Laos. Both men were classified Missing in Action. Three years later, on March 10, 1973, a Pathet Lao agent was captured carrying three of Elzinga's traveler's checks and money of three countries. Elzinga had not been in Vientiane long enough to get a locker for his billfold. According to a 1974 list compiled by the National League of POW/MIA Families, Elzinga, at least, survived the loss of the O1 plane. Elzinga and Allen are among nearly 600 Americans lost in Laos. Even though the Pathet Lao stated publicly that they held "tens of tens" of American prisoners, not one American held in Laos was ever released -- or negotiated for. Since U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War ended, nearly 10,000 reports have been received by the U.S. Government relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia. Many authorities have reluctantly concluded that hundreds are still alive in captivity today. We, as a nation, owe these men our best effort to find them and bring them home. Until the fates of the men like Elzinga and Allen are known, their families will wonder if they are dead or alive .. and why they were abandoned. ================================= From - Mon Apr 10 13:05:06 2000 From: "Lee, Thomas E. - SAIC" Subject: Information correction First I would like to establish my credentials with you, before I point out errors in the descriptive write-ups on approximately 20 entries in your data base. I am a retired US Air Force Colonel who served in Laos covertly as part of DoD Project 404 from June 1968-June 1969. I was the intelligence officer in Savannakhet operating in "civilian" status working for the US Embassy. I carried civilian documentation for presentation but also possessed my military ID card. We wore civilian clothes. One of my roles was to support the Raven forward air controllers (FAC), the US FACs operating from "in-country" bases in Laos. See my website at http://members.xoom.com/targeteer. The following is a paragraph from your description of the "Raven" Forward Air Controllers operating in Laos. We lost 21 of them from 1966-1973. "The non-communist forces in Laos, however, had a critical need for military support in order to defend territory used by Lao and North Vietnamese communist forces. The U.S., in conjunction with non-communist forces in Laos, devised a system whereby U.S. military personnel could be "in the black" or "sheep-dipped" (clandestine; mustered out of the military to perform military duties as a civilian) to operate in Laos under supervision of the U.S. Ambassador to Laos." **** An error in the above description is that most of the US military personnel operating in Laos were NOT "sheep-dipped" as you described. We were in the "Black" in that we were technically not there, we were signed to out of country units and our in-country existence was generally classified for part of the 1964-1973 period. (The existence of these operations was revealed during Congressional Hearings in late 1969 or 1970). The Raven Program and the complementary DoD Project 404 both began in 1966. However, there was no mustering out of the sevice for the Ravens or the Project 404 personnel. To my knowledge the only program that was "sheep dipped" as you described was Project Heavy Green (the Air Force troops supporting Site 85 and the TACAN site support). That accounted for under 100 people. (13 were lost) There were military personnel operating within the Air America and CIA (CAS) operations that may have operated under different rules. Critically speaking the US devised the sheep dipping process. It was used across the US intelligence community. The non-communist forces had virtually nothing to do with that process. They did play a role in accepting the US military members in "civilian" status by accepting our presence and not "spilling the beans". We were not deceiving the opposition because they knew we were military. Our deception was aimed at the World scene and the US population regarding our activities in contravention of the 1962 Geneva Accords. **** This was a very unique period and very misunderstood period in our military history due to its classified nature. Fortunately, we are able to tell our story now. Those of us that served in Laos are trying to correct this mis-information and myth that has grown up around these activities so they are better understood in their real context. Respectfully, Tom Lee (Thomas E. Lee, Colonel USAF (Ret)) Savannakhet, Laos 1968-1969 You'd have to admit this background is pretty good. I'm proud to wear Maj. Richard G. Elzinga's POW bracelet in memory of his service to country, for his family and for me so I don't forget those who were left behind. I regret all those missing and will do what ever I can to keep their memories alive.
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Boats O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. "IN GOD WE TRUST" |
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