1 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum CSPM Exhibit Text, Leah Davis Witherow, Curator of History

A National Icon

Former Colorado Springs resident and accomplished “Ad Man” Newt Heisley designed the iconic POW/MIA flag in 1971. Today it is the second-most-flown flag in the , the first being the Stars and Stripes. Heisley was working in advertising when the National League of Families approached Annin Flagmakers of Verona, New Jersey to create a symbol for POW/MIA advocacy.

Without an in-house art department, the company turned to Newt Heisley. He sketched an image in pencil of a man’s silhouette under a guard tower and behind barbed wire. The model for the soldier was Newt’s own son Jeffrey, who was home on leave from the Marine Corps. After adding the words “YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN,” his initial design was never revised. “It was typical to present it in black- and-white and his idea was to go back and do some color,” son Jim Heisley stated. “They came and looked at it and said, ‘That’s it.”

After working in New Jersey and New York City for 25 years, Newt and his wife Bunny headed west. On their way to California, they pulled into a Platte Avenue motel in Colorado Springs after dark. Early the next morning they spied the beauty of Pikes Peak and their journey ended. Colorado Springs was now home. Newt retired from Heisley Design and Advertising in 1987 and passed away in 2009.

A veteran of WWII, Newt Heisley was proud of his creation but never dreamed it would become such an enduring symbol. As he told the Gazette in 1997, “The flag was intended for a small group. No one realized it was going to get national attention.” Today, the POW/MIA flag continues to resonate with the public and is a potent reminder that not every soldier returns home from war.

Fly High – Fly True – Fly Proud

A few days after Helene Knapp was notified that her husband was MIA in North Vietnam, a package arrived. Inside was a plaque engraved with one of Colonel Knapp’s favorite poems “High Flight.” The plaque and poem were dedicated to his young son Robert on his third birthday accompanied by the words, Fly High – Fly True – Fly Proud, Love Dad. The timing was heartbreaking. Another eleven years would pass with Robert turning fourteen and his sister Cindy thirteen, before the family received an official Determination of Death for their husband and father in 1978.

In a 1969 Denver Post feature story, Helene reflected, “It’s been such a lonely wait. And each morning I think maybe today I’ll know for sure. I was so worried at first that I couldn’t handle the situation properly for them. But I learned to stop my tears, so tears would not fill their eyes. Now you don’t see many tears around this house. It’s been harder recently because I’ve had to talk about the situation in connection with the League’s work. But if it will help any of the men who are prisoners in Vietnam, it’s worth it.”

2 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Helene and other POW/MIA wives worked tirelessly. A sample of their activities, “The Civitan Club voted to donate $25...invitations to speak at two Rotary Club luncheons this month have also been accepted. On September 11, Libby Singer addressed a ladies group at a church in Manitou Springs…September 20 is an Air Force Day of Concern. Speaking at military chapels will be Helene Knapp, Mary Dodge, and Joan Pollard. St. Paul’s Methodist will host JoAnne Widdis…Ann Wolfkeil is representing us at Fort Carson…In October, seven ladies will travel to D.C. to attend the first meeting of the Nat. League of Families. On Oct 5-10 the retired SGT.’s Assoc. Convention will be addressed by our group.”

Through fundraising, letter-writing and public speaking engagements, they joined their voices with Americans across the country to demand that North Vietnam abide by the Geneva Convention and 1) make known the identity of prisoners 2) release the sick and injured 3) allow impartial inspection of POW facilities 4) allow free exchange of mail. It was reported that officials with the Hanoi delegation at the Paris talks declared, “The American people, “do not really care about 1500 men.” MIA wife Carol Helwig implored, “…we must show them that the public does care, that the whole world cares.”

In May of 1971, Helene Knapp and Mary Dodge travelled to the Geneva Conference on International Human Rights. As part of a delegation of wives, mothers and families, Knapp and Dodge lobbied delegates from thirty countries regarding, “…the plight of missing American servicemen and attempted to get countries in attendance to back requests for better treatment and accounting for prisoners by the North Vietnamese.” Asked by a reporter if the trip was successful Helene responded, “Yes, POW and MIA representatives told their story effectively. We made an impact on the conference; treatment of POWs and MIAs was not on the agenda, but it was brought up and discussed.”

The local branch of the National League of Families and Colorado Springs for POWs proved to be powerful advocacy organizations and their work in the Pikes Peak Region on behalf of POWs and MIAs did not go unnoticed. Helene Knapp helped raise $30,000 through the sale of Christmas Seals and coordinated the regional letter-writing-campaign that far exceeded the stated goal of 100,000 letters addressed to North Vietnamese officials. Helene’s excellent organizational skills, fundraising talents and leadership were quickly recognized by the National League of Families. She was honored with the election to National Coordinator in 1972.

In November of that year, Helene and her children relocated to Annandale, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C. Helene rented her home in Skyway and the family moved into a sparsely furnished townhouse to prepare for their sixth Christmas without Colonel Knapp. When South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu and First Lady Nguyen Thi Mai Anh made a state visit to Washington D.C., they asked to meet with a typical family of an American POW or MIA. Helene Knapp and her children were selected and welcomed the dignitaries in their home. Mrs. Nguyen elaborately braided Cindy’s hair and presented Helene with this beautiful lacquer jewelry box.

3 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Helene’s position as National Coordinator for the National League of Families was a volunteer position and came to an end after nearly 600 American POWs were brought home in early 1973 during Operation Homecoming. As hundreds of families rejoiced over being reunited with their loved ones who had spent years in inhumane conditions in North Vietnamese prisons, Helene prepared to testify before Congress in May 1973 on behalf of her own husband Colonel Herm Knapp and the approximately 1,300 MIAs who never came home from Vietnam. And the work still continues. Today the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s mission is to “Provide the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.”

Porter Halyburton

After flying 75 combat missions, U.S. Navy pilot LTj.g. Porter Halyburton was shot down over North Vietnam on October 17, 1965. With no parachute sighted and no radio contact, he was declared Killed in Action. His family held a memorial service and placed a tombstone over an empty grave. Unbelievably, eighteen months later they were notified that Porter was alive, and a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hilton.

After 7 ½ years of captivity, Porter Halyburton returned home in the spring of 1973.Following his homecoming, supporters from across the country returned nearly 14 lbs. of bracelets bearing his name. Porter and his wife Marty assembled them informally into a cascading chandelier that hung over their breakfast table. As Marty Halyburton stated, “We were surprised and overwhelmed with the incredible outpouring of hundreds, if not thousands, of people we did not even know. It was inspiring and touching beyond description for the men and their families.”

Marty went on to describe, “Ordinary American citizens rallied around the plight of American prisoners of war, those missing in action and their families at home, regardless of their views on the . Once the was signed, returning POWs were met at airports by thousands of well- wishers and flooded with phone calls, letters and the return of POW bracelets bearing their name. All of this came as a huge surprise to the POWs who were not sure how they would be received at home.”

Porter Halyburton personally answered over 1200 letters he received from well-wishers who had worn his bracelet and kept him in their hearts and minds during his 7 1/2 years of captivity. Reflecting on his homecoming, he stated, "I returned with joy and gratitude in my heart for all the wonderful people who had prayed for us, worn the bracelets and had worked for our release and better treatment."

Porter and Marty Halyburton, 'Chandelier' made of POW / MIA bracelets ca. 1972, copper, nickel plate, tin alloy, wire Courtesy Porter and Marty Halyburton

4 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Cadets Lend a Helping Hand

The wives and families of POWs and MIAs received a level of support in Colorado Springs that did not exist in other communities. One of the most extraordinary examples of assistance came from United States Air Force Academy cadets. In May of 1970, Keith Pranke, Bill Looney and Mark Ewig created CAF- POWs (Cadets to Aid Families of Prisoners of War.) The volunteer organization sought to help the families of POWs and MIAs in Southeast Asia and to be involved in the public awareness campaign to bring the prisoners home.

They sought to lend a helping hand in any way possible. As they stated in correspondence with Helene Knapp on behalf of the club, “Our aid may conceivably take several forms such as doing odd jobs or making repairs around the house, or helping your children with schoolwork, Boy Scouts, athletics, etc… Most of all, however, the cadets want you to realize that we share a comradeship with those men, your husbands and relatives, who fight this Country’s wars and who have sacrificed so much for all of us.”

Several of the CAF-POWs remember frequent ski trips and just “hanging out” with families on weekends. Scott Miller became a CAF-POW at the Air Force Academy in 1974 during his freshman or “doolie” year. Scott reflects, “It was an opportunity to do something to help the children of POW/MIAs by providing a “big brother figure” and to do activities with them. It allowed them to see a male figure within the family. I spent time with the Knapp Family and they were big skiers. I liked to think that I was a good skier but they would take me through the trails in the woods and sometimes I would wonder if I was ever going to come out. Helene also acted as a “surrogate mother” for me, she was very generous in giving me a wonderful environment, a second home if you will away from the challenges at the Air Force Academy. It was a mutually beneficial relationship.”

Former CAF-POWs express great admiration for the wives, daughters and sons of POWs and MIAs. They go out of their way to downplay their support roles and point instead to the reciprocity of the relationships. Time spent with families meant time off the Air Force Academy grounds. However, it should be noted that USAFA cadets have a notoriously rigorous academic and training schedules. Their involvement in the CAF-POW organization required significant sacrifices on their part.

In addition to working with families, CAF-POWs organized and contributed to letter-writing campaigns, assisted with public events and fundraising for our homegrown advocacy organization, Colorado Springs for POWs. When Helene Knapp and Mary Dodge travelled to Geneva as Colorado Springs families advocating on behalf of the POWs and MIAs, their hotel accommodations were paid for by donations from the CAF-POW club. The club was most active from 1970-1974, but continued to serve the families of MIAs for several more years.

Additionally, the POW/MIA families had the support of a tight-knit military community. Ent Air Force Base Chaplain Christian Martin co-founded Colorado Springs for POWs with Hal Blume. Chaplain

5 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Martin, a major in the United States Air Force had been in Thailand in 1967-1968 supporting U.S. efforts in Vietnam. As son Rick Martin recalls, “…that year Dad was in Thailand was formative for his mission in life, his service. That connection with the aircrew members, the fighter pilots…that experience defined what he felt strongly about. Dad got very involved in the movement here in Colorado Springs to bring the POWs home and to account for the missing in action.”

Rick Martin often accompanied his father to POW/MIA events in Colorado Springs in 1970-1972. He remembers, “I’d meet a lot of the families, the ladies and their children because Dad was somewhat of a surrogate father. He looked after the wellbeing, the needs of those ladies and their families, because that was the way Dad was. Whether it was evenings or weekends, Dad was often doing things for them or with them. And he included us, my mother, my sister, my brother and me in his work with the families of POWs and MIAs here in the Springs.” When Rick Martin entered the Air Force Academy as a cadet in 1977 he continued those relationships built years before, and served as a “big brother” to Robbie and Cindy Knapp among others. “It was a chance to give back. My Dad helped them and now in the next chapter I could return as a cadet and help them too.”

Former CAF-POW Mike Paquette remembered those years fondly and stated, “I feel that I speak for everyone when I say that there’s a terrific satisfaction you get from working with these kids that you can’t put into words. It was an honor to help them out in any way we could.” For most involved, the connections forged so many years ago between CAF-POWs and POW/MIA families continue today as life-long friendships.

A Sophisticated Campaign

Before moving to Colorado Springs in 1969, John Herzog had significant experience in public relations and marketing for firms in San Francisco and New York City. In the Springs he went to work for Chuck Bowling, former Air Force Major and owner of startup company Casyndekan. Bowling was a neighbor of Helene Knapp, an MIA wife. After learning about the POW/MIA issue from Helene, Bowling wanted to support the work being done locally to advocate on behalf of the POWs/MIAs. He asked Herzog to assist the Colorado Springs for POWs organization and paid him to do so. Herzog’s expertise was much appreciated and resulted in a sophisticated advocacy campaign with compelling visuals.

As Herzog remembers, “This was one of those once in a lifetime opportunities… We wanted a letter writing campaign, and petitions signed. We ended up getting 150,000 letters; that was one for every two people living in Southern Colorado, including kids. We had schools where the classes would start writing letters. We had people standing outside grocery stores collecting signatures. We created posters so the public knew what was going on — it was a coordinated effort.” The matter was urgent and Herzog created persuasive literature that described the need for the public to act, and to do so quickly.

6 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum “At the time we had 767 servicemen missing or held captive in South Vietnam, yet only 78 had been identified as Prisoners of War by the Viet Cong, 3 as prisoners of the Pathet Lao in Laos, and 11 men were listed as missing in Cambodia. China held two unidentified prisoners, and five others were listed as missing in action. Only nine men had been released by the North Vietnamese, none have escaped. Approximately 25 escaped or had been released by the Viet Cong or Pathet Lao. Out of a total of 1600 men, the families of 22 of them lived in Colorado Springs, slightly less than one-and-a-half percent of the number of missing or held prisoner…a rather high percentage for a community of our size.”

The marketing campaign was thoughtfully planned and far reaching. A poster designed for The National Week of Concern was paid for by the Association of Air Force Graduates and featured a heart- wrenching photograph of a POW. The posters were placed in stores windows throughout town. A series of billboards was unveiled, and advertisements appeared in local newspapers to coordinate with coverage on radio and television stations.

Recognizing the popularity of Colorado Springs to tourists year-round, Colorado Springs for POWs used it to their advantage. They produced POW/MIA awareness brochures and postcards that were handed out at local tourist attractions such as Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. Their marketing strategy was simple; they described the importance of the POW/MIA issue and asked visitors to get involved in a letter writing campaign or other advocacy work in their own communities.

The professional nature of the marketing materials did not go unnoticed. In 1971, John Herzog along with Chuck Bowling, Hal Blume, and Norman Postles received a certificate for “Outstanding Work for the POWs” from Dick Stanley, State President of the Air Force Association. In March of 1971, Helene Knapp and John Herzog attended the Advertising Club Awards Banquet to receive two awards for their public relations work and recognition of Colorado Springs for POWs “services to the city by informing it of an important issue.”

In December 1970, John Herzog served as chairman of Colorado Springs’ six-member delegation to deliver letters to North Vietnamese officials in Paris, France, written by locals on behalf of the POWs/MIAs. And perhaps most notably, Herzog edited and published a collection of heartfelt children’s letters sent to Hanoi seeking release of American POWs titled, Daddy Won’t Be Home For a Long Time.

Larry Ochs

Raised in Russell, Kansas, Larry, Harlan, Ken and Don Ochs learned the value of hard work and the meaning of “community” from their father David, who owned and operated a car dealership in town. Decades after his death in 1945, the Ochs Brothers remembered their father’s best qualities as, “honesty, industry, loyalty and sincerity.” In 1956, Larry, Ken and Don moved to Colorado Springs and opened the PDQ car wash and gas station on South Nevada Avenue. They were joined by Harlan in 1958, and soon after the brothers started a fuel distribution business which the family still operates.

7 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Each of the Ochs brothers: Larry, Ken, Don and Harlan sought their own unique ways to contribute to the community, with the goal to make Colorado Springs grow and thrive.

Oldest brother Larry Ochs served on Colorado Springs City Council from 1967 – 1979. He was elected by his fellow council members as Vice-Mayor 1969-1973 and Mayor of Colorado Springs 1975-1979. He enthusiastically championed the City of Colorado Springs and its citizens. As brother Harlan remembers, ““He loved Colorado Springs! He loved the people, the leadership, the history, and the beauty of the Springs. He delighted when he could do or say something that helped other people in any way. He wanted everyone to see and appreciate how wonderful Colorado Springs was.”

When Vice-Mayor Larry Ochs heard from local wives and families about their POW/MIA husbands, sons and fathers, he arranged for the group to have a permanent office and meeting space in the basement of the Colorado Springs Police Station on East Kiowa. He became very active in Colorado Springs for POWs, and in December 1970 he went to Paris, France as part of a six person delegation to deliver 125,000 letters demanding action on the POW/MIA issue. The letters were written by local residents and addressed to the North Vietnamese. When the Colorado Springs delegation was repeatedly refused entry by North Vietnamese officials, they organized a protest in the street outside the embassy.

On December 16, 1970, Larry Ochs, John Herzog, Diana Green, and Professor “Pete” Peterson picketed the North Vietnamese embassy. Their goal was to get arrested and bring attention to the POWs/MIAs. They knew that following the 1968 student riots, any gathering of more than 3 people on the streets of Paris was illegal. Eventually they were asked to disperse by the Paris Police (gendarmes) but not before garnering international media coverage of their efforts. They next traveled to Stockholm, Sweden to meet with U.S. embassy officials and members of the Swedish Foreign Office who promised to intervene on behalf of the POWs/MIAs. After returning to Colorado Springs, the group held a series of public meetings detailing their mission. When asked if it was too late to join the effort or if help was still needed, Vice-Mayor Larry Ochs stated, “Until the prisoners are released, it is never too late!”

Living With Uncertainty

After putting son Robbie and daughter Cindy down for their afternoon naps, Helene Knapp began to clean the kitchen cabinets in her Skyway home. She noticed her friend and neighbor freeze in her tracks while walking to the mailbox. Curious, Helene leaned over to look further out the window. She saw a military vehicle at her curb. The date was April 25, 1967. In most respects, life would never be the same. Helene had been knitting a very special pair of socks to send to her husband, featuring a jet and its beautiful contrails. The gift was never completed and remains in the exact state she left it that April.

She was informed that that her husband, Colonel Herman Knapp’s F-4 Phantom jet went down over North Vietnam. His plane was hit by ground fire and there was too much activity for anyone to notice a

8 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum parachute. Helene had been a military wife for over a dozen years by this time. Both she and Herm knew the risks but Colonel Knapp loved to fly. In 1954 early in their marriage, Herm’s plane suffered a mechanical failure which required him to eject before the plane exploded on impact. They both felt lucky after that close call. But for now, Helene had to live with uncertainty.

Her first priority was always her children, she wanted them to have a full and happy childhood. And they did. As the years went by, Helene served as both mother and father to Robbie and Cindy. Volunteering in their classrooms, serving as Den Mother for Scouts and making sure they learned how to ski. She even took them camping, despite what daughter Cindy remembered, “She hated camping! But, she knew that our Dad would want us to camp, hike and fish so she made the best of it. There was nothing she would not do for us, she was a totally devoted mother.”

Slowly, Helene connected with other POW/MIA wives in the Pikes Peak Region. After receiving letters from Sybil Stockdale in the spring and summer of 1969, local wives and families were encouraged to work more actively on behalf of POWs and MIAs. In their first organized effort of August of that year, they attempted to place bumper stickers and information at the Governor’s Conference at the Broadmoor. They were unsuccessful but undeterred.

Representing the growing number of POW/MIA families in Colorado Springs, Ann Wolfkeil, Mary Dodge and Helene Knapp attended Congressman Dickinson’s resolution on behalf of POWs presented in the House of Representatives that September in Washington D.C. Afterwards they listened to a “Next-of- Kin” briefing by newly-released POWs Bob Frishman and Doug Hegdahl who described the grim conditions in North Vietnamese prisons and challenged attendees to work on behalf of the POWs.

The three women gave numerous television interviews both in D.C. and Colorado Springs. Once back home, the women promoted a letter writing campaign and were frequent speakers to local organizations. They were soon joined by many others and by the time American POWs returned home in 1973, the families of 23 POWs or MIAs lived in the Pikes Peak Region.

On May 28, 1970, under the leadership of Sybil Stockdale, the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia was incorporated in Washington D.C. Those attending from Colorado Springs were Mr. and Mrs. Paul Helwig, Carol Helwig, Helene Knapp, Mary Dodge and JoAnne Widdis. In August of 1970, Helene and others appeared in an extensive interview on KKTV to explain the newly-chartered League and our own homegrown organization, Colorado Springs for POWs.

Colorado Springs for POWs was cofounded by Hal Blume and Air Force Chaplain Chris Martin. Helene Knapp declared, “At last! Solid backing and support for weary wives!” Up to this point, the wives and mothers of POWs and MIAs had done all of the work while simultaneously caring for their children and running their households. Hal Blume began to organize frequent speaking engagements for the wives throughout the region, at one time noting over 70 public talks in less than 2 months. Helene Knapp

9 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum coordinated the letter writing campaign and ran the office which was located in the basement of the Police Department building at 230 E. Kiowa.

Helene worked simultaneously on behalf of both organizations, the National League of Families and Colorado Springs for POWs. She told the Rocky Mountain News on June 12, 1970, that POW/MIA families were, “…a group of broken-hearted people, they explored every available avenue to obtain information about their sons and husbands, there is only one way left open, and they need the help of many sympathetic American people to make their plan a success. It’s been proven that world opinion can sway Hanoi. If enough American citizens would take the time and effort to write a letter…expressing their opinions in this matter, neutral nations might be persuaded to take up the cause and influence the North Vietnamese.”

Words of Love in Seven Short Lines

When Major Ben Pollard left for Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, his wife Joan and their two children Mark and Virginia (Ginny) went to live in Shelbyville, Kentucky to be near Ben’s parents. Major Pollard had previously served as an instructor at the Air Force Academy from 1962-1967. When Pollard’s F-105 fighter plane was shot down near Hanoi on May 15, 1967, the extended Pollard Family were a tremendous support to Joan and the children. While in Kentucky, Joan became the local coordinator for the National League of Families. And for the next 3 ½ years she waited to hear from Ben.

In September of 1970, Joan, Mark and Ginny moved back to Colorado Springs. Joan longed to once again be part of a deeply-connected military community and believed she could be a more effective advocate of the POW/MIA issue in Colorado Springs where the movement was robust. She quickly became the assistant coordinator of the local National League of Families and was active in all aspects of the organization from the letter-writing campaign, public appearances and lobbying work.

Two months after arriving, Joan was notified that a letter from Ben was on its way. Cora Weiss of the Committee of Liaison with Families of Servicemen Detained in North Vietnam had recently met with the North Vietnamese government and verified four previously unknown American POWs. Weiss’ group was in no way affiliated with the National League of Families so news of the letters came as a complete surprise. Unbelievably, Weiss and her group did not turn the letters over to the United States government but instead mailed them from New York. As a result, Joan Pollard and three other wives waited anxiously for the letters to arrive.

Local USPS officials instructed all employees to be on the lookout. When notified of the arrival of the letter, Joan, members of Colorado Springs for POWS including Chairman Hal Blume, fellow POW/MIA wife Helene Knapp and other friends gathered at the organization’s headquarters. Blume presented Joan with a large bouquet of red roses. As reported in the Gazette Telegraph, “…Her blue eyes sparkled as she admired them, adding they were of special significance to her. She told the audience that,

10 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum ‘When my husband went overseas, he arranged for a florist to send me a single red rose each Saturday. After he went missing, I continued to send them myself.’”

“When postal official Erman Biondini entered smiling broadly, shook her trembling hand and presented her with the long-awaited special delivery letter she clasped it to her chest and softly excused herself to read it privately. The air in the waiting room was heavy with tension when she shakenly returned. Turning to the group while steadying herself against a table, Mrs. Pollard’s face mirrored her elation and tears stood in her eyes. She said brokenly, its true! Yes, yes, it is his handwriting. Poignancy gripped that moment…The unsealed letter dated Sept 7 was packed with 80 words of love and personal remembrances for his family contained in seven short lines.”

Joan Pollard continued her work with the National League of Families and Colorado Springs for POWs until Major Ben Pollard finally came home in March 1973 after six years as a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Pollard returned to the Air Force Academy as a professor of Aeronautical Engineering before becoming the Deputy Commandant of the AFA and later Commander of the AFA Preparatory School. As Deputy Commandant he was responsible for all military instructional programs including Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training. According to his family, Ben was “…especially proud of playing a lead role in bring the first class of women to the Academy,” in 1976.

After 27 years of service to his country, Colonel Pollard retired from the Air Force in 1981. During his long and distinguished career he earned two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals with the “V” Device to signify combat heroism and two Purple Hearts. Ben Pollard passed away on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2016 in California. He was laid to rest at the United States Air Force Academy in May 2017 and the flag seen here was part of his memorial. He is not forgotten.

The Televised War

Vietnam (which was never formally declared a war) is often characterized as the "living-room war" or the "television war." It was the first war to be systematically televised, and it was so televised during a period when television was becoming a more compelling presence in American life. A survey conducted in 1964 revealed that Americans depended equally on television and newspapers for information. By 1972, the percentage of Americans who relied primarily on television for their news had jumped significantly. But more importantly, respondents had actually come to trust television more than they trusted newspapers. When faced with conflicting or contradictory accounts, 48% of those surveyed responded that they would trust television, while only 21% responded that they would trust newspapers.2

These statistics attest to the growing power of television that occurred during the Vietnam era. Though many have suggested some kind of correlation between television's ascendancy and coverage of Vietnam, the impact of seeing war on television is difficult to determine. Some scholars argue that

11 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum televised combat footage forced civilians to confront the dirty realities of war (contrary to popular belief, actual combat footage constituted a relatively small proportion of television coverage). Others argue that television was unable to convey the true nature of war.

Daddy Won’t Be Home Soon Letter Transcripts

1. Page 7-9

Dear Mr. Perot

My mom read to me you in Newsweek. I am trying to help the POWs too because I want Steve to be happy again. I wrote 5 countries and newspapers. Steve’s mom drew some pictures for us. Mom is sending them to Disneyland maybe they will put them in a window. I know you are busy helping the POW’s so it’s ok if you can’t answer my letter but maybe the next time you talk to the veitcong you could tell them that it’s fun to play ball with your friends but it’s not like playing with your dad, that’s why I’ve been writing. I am a cub scout and I am going to be an eagle scout too. I hope you can eat over with us some time mom says its ok.

Your friend Jim

2. Page 31

Office of the President Democratic Republic of Vietnam Hanoi, North Vietnam

Mister President,

I am only a young girl, but I can be concerned too. Don’t you have any feelings? Are you inhumane? How can you, a president, something to be honored, treat people like pigs! Indecent clothing, food, water, and medical care!

People say the prisons are filthy, but I’d say the ones in charge are the filthiest! How would you feel, how many tears would you shed, or maybe you’re a hard-hearted person with no feelings about prisoners that are so roughly treated!? Just for a moment think, think about the little children and wifes and brothers and sisters who suffer the pain of realizing that maybe their own loved ones are being brutally beaten by the Vietnamese soldiers! Just one thing I ask, just one, that you will send a letter to Richard M. Nixon, our president, giving him a list of people who are in these prisons.

Yours truly, Sally

12 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum 3. Page 67

Xuan Thuy North Vietnamese Delegation Paris Peace Talks Paris, France

Dear Sir:

I would like you to talk with the North Vietnamese, and see if they can give the prisoners a medical check up. Also give a list of names of those in prison. Also give them exercise 1 hour a day. Also a good meal 3 times a day. With vegetables, fruits, milk, meats, and breads. Also give them good clean cells. I am only ten, but I know the circumstances.

Sincerely, Kim 5th grade

4. Page 90

Dear Mister President,

Please give us back our POWs. Or treat them like humans and not like animals. And let them get mail. And give them decent food. And give them warm beds. We are treating your POWs nicely. Why can’t we inspect your camp. Do you believe in love? We do.

Love David

5. Page 101

Premier of North Vietnam Hanoi, North Vietnam

Dear Sir:

Why must you be mean to our fathers? Why must you be mean to the children in Vietnam who suffer in war? If you would change your heart, the world could be happy.

Sincerely, Mike Fourth Grade

6. Page 113

13 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Dear Mr. President

Please be kind to the prisoners at war. We want Peace for all man kind. Please let our loved ones write us. We want to make friends with you.

Carol

7. Page 134

Sirs:

I would like you to answer a question for me. What government in this world would be so low, so filthy rotten and inhuman as to let prisoners of war rot in a cell without adequate food and medical care, let alone not even letting their families know if their dead or not? I can answer that. You can, too.

You really must have a bunch of really cool people hanging around in Hanoi. Your leaders must be the best brainwashed people in Asia. They follow Communist doctrine perfectly: no love, no mercy, no conscience. Are you afraid it will destroy your image of ruthless, cold leaders to let the POW’s keep their brains from snapping?

Since you don’t believe in God you probably won’t be bothered much if I say you’ll probably damned for your actions against helpless men. I hope you will be. I really hope you’ll be sent straight down to your reward. HELL!

Never yours truly, Jeff

8. Page 138 (bottom)

Dear Sir

Please send my uncle home. He didn’t do anything how wod you like it if it was you. What did they do? He didn’t do nothing.

TO UNCLE TIMMY TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIM

9. Page 142

Government of North Vietnam Hanoi

Governor

My name is Pat Lacey. My age is 10 and I’m in 5th grade! Why do you keep our men? You’ve kept them like dogs! They are not animals. This is stupid! According to the Geneva Convention 1) At least tell us

14 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum there names 2) Let the Red Cross in. You make me mad! I’m sure our presidents would be glad to have talks. That one American that killed your people if he’s not sorry then I sure am! But if you’d leave South Vietnam alone we’d be glad to take our noses out! So lets have ☮!!!!

10. Page 151

Dear President Nixon,

Please try and get our fighting men home because they are loved more here than they are over there.

Sincerely, Daniel

The League of Wives: Vietnam’s POW/MIA Allies & Advocates

Traveling Exhibit Text, A special exhibit for the Dole Institute of Politics

A Reluctant Sorority

“The bravest most magnificent women I have ever met…The First Ladies of America!” – President Nixon’s toast to POW wives and mothers, May 24, 1973

As early as March 1964, even before active combat units were deployed to Vietnam, American servicemen were taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese.

For years, with little or no information about their husband’s status, wives waited at home in silence, following US government’s orders to “Keep Quiet”.

They decided to take matters into their own hands, organizing privately, until challenging the Johnson administration’s stance – and finding allies in President Nixon, his administration, Congress, and others.

On May 28, 1970, under the leadership of Sybil Stockdale, the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia was incorporated in Washington, DC.

Sybil, along with Jane Denton, Phyllis Galanti, Louise Mulligan, Helene Knapp, and hundreds of other wives were already the POW and MIAs most fervent advocates.

They would go to extraordinary lengths to facilitate their husbands’ freedom.

15 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Helene Knapp (December 9, 1928-) Helene’s husband, Air Force Colonel Herman Knapp, was shot down just after he taped and mailed a loving message to his family at home saying how much he missed them all. Helene relocated to Washington DC. from Colorado, bringing her two young children with her, to work for the National League. Her razor sharp memory for details and her fundraising ability made her instrumental in the organization’s success. Helene was elected Coordinator of the League in 1972.

Spreading the Word

Literature and material culture proliferated as public opinion about the Vietnam War and the POW/MIA issue gained momentum. In 1968, most military families supported the election of ; he campaigned to bring “peace with honor” to the Vietnam conflict, and POW/MIA families surmised that he would support “Going Public,” unlike his predecessor Lyndon Johnson. Fundraising and letter-writing campaigns were widespread, carried out by private citizen organizations and government offices, including the National League of Families of American Prisoners of War and Missing in Southeast Asia and the Bureau of Public Affairs. Groups showed their support for various causes by producing clothing, seals, postcards and jewelry. The student group Voices In Vital America (VIVA) raised money for the National League through the sale of bracelets printed with the name of a POW or MIA, while Another Mother for Peace designed pendants to display their opposition the war.

You Are Not Forgotten

Graphic designer Newt Heisley was a former World War II pilot who created the POW/MIA flag at the request of the National League. Heisley based the silhouette of the flag on the profile of his own son who became seriously ill during his Marine training.

The first POW/MIA flag was presented to Secretary of Defense by National League Coordinator and POW wife Evelyn Grubb and thereafter hung in his office at the Pentagon.

Heisley relocated his family and business to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1972, where he resided until his death in 2009.

Vietnam War: The Conflict from the Early 1950s to 1973

From 1945-54, the French fought unsuccessfully against a colonial rebellion led by Ho Chi Minh in what became known as the First Indochina War, losing conclusively at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. When the French were not able to re-establish control of Vietnam, US President and former General Dwight Eisenhower warned Americans that a “domino effect” might take place if Ho Chi Minh, the North Vietnamese communist leader, and his new regime were allowed to grow unchecked. If one Southeast Asian country fell to communism, the argument went, so would other countries surrounding it. This so- called “domino theory” became the basis of foreign policy from which the US government would operate during the Cold War for decades to come.

16 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

In September 1954, the US and its allies, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Pakistan, created the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), joining with the noncommunist Democratic Republic of (South) Vietnam against the communist forces of the National Liberation Front (the Viet Cong) in South Vietnam and those of the North Vietnamese Army.

US involvement in the region, which began in the early 1950s, under President Eisenhower, escalated in the 1960s during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. American combat troops fought in the Vietnam War from 1965 until 1973, making the conflict the longest war in American history until the war in Afghanistan, which began in 2001 and continues now. More than 58,200 American service personnel lost their lives in the Vietnam War.

“Many in Congress did not know the difference between an MIA and POW.” — Bob Dole, on Congress’s level of awareness on POW/MIA issues in 1969

What is a POW? Prisoner of War. A detained person as defined in Articles 4 and 5 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949. In particular, one who, while engaged in combat under orders of his or her government, is captured by the armed forces of the enemy. What is an MIA? Missing In Action. The casualty is a hostile casualty, other than the victim of a terrorist activity, who is not present at his or her duty location due to apparent involuntary reasons and whose location is unknown. In violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention, POWs were being tortured, starved, beaten, interrogated and forced to repeat Communist propaganda statements in written confessions and sometimes in televised interviews. The wives and families of these men were told by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration to “Keep Quiet” for fear of derailing peace negotiations with the North Vietnamese. This proved to be a dangerous policy. The wives realized long before their government did that the only way to free the men was to speak out publically, to tell the world the truth.

TIMELINE

1965 July 18 Navy Commander Jeremiah Denton shot down

Sept 9 Navy Commander shot down

1966 March 20 Navy Pilot James Mulligan shot down

June 17 Navy Lt. Commander Paul Galanti shot down

October 7 The first San Diego Area POW/MIA Wives meeting at 547 A Avenue in Coronado, California, around Sybil Stockdale’s massive dining room table.

17 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum 1967 At the urging of Naval Intelligence Officer Bob Boroughs, Sybil and her Navy POW and MIA wife colleagues create a formal POW/MIA awareness group called the League of Wives of American Vietnam Prisoners of War.

April 4 Air Force Colonel Herman Knapp shot down Air Force Wives in the interior West (led by MIA wife Helene Knapp,) and elsewhere in the Midwest begin joining the POW MIA cause.

October East Coast POW/MIA wives, including early leaders Louise Mulligan, Jane Denton and Phyllis Galanti begin to organize out of the Virginia Beach area, joining the efforts of the West Coast League wives. POW/MIA wives on both coasts join forces under Sybil Stockdale’s leadership.

1968 October 27 Sybil’s interview in the San Diego Union Tribune is the first published article about the POW MIA situation in Vietnam.

1969 January 20 President Nixon is inaugurated The East Coast POW MIA Wives also begin to “Go Public” about their husbands’ plight with Nixon’s President Nixon’s encouragement.

May 19 Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird hosts a live televised “Go Public” press conference to expose the North Vietnamese violations of the Geneva Conventions regarding American POWs and MIAs

June 8 Nixon announces the withdrawal of 25,000 American troops from Vietnam, beginning his process of “Vietnamization.” This strategy allowed for gradual withdrawal of American troops and the simultaneous training of South Vietnamese soldiers to take over the war.

December and his POW/MIA awareness group “United We Stand” begins flying POW and MIA wives and families to France to confront the North Vietnamese at their embassy in Paris. He also attempts to fly gifts and medical supplies to the POWs.

1970 February After a disappointing showing of POW/MIA support at Constitution Hall in DC, Senator Robert J. Dole is appalled by the lack of support for American prisoners in Vietnam. He calls Sybil Stockdale for help. Together, they vow to “Fill the Hall” with at least 1,000 by May.

18 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum May 1 International Appeal for Justice event, hosted by Senator Dole, opens the National League Conference. Louise Mulligan gives her famous “May Day” speech. Sybil Stockdale and Bob Dole “fill the hall” with 3,800 POW/MIA supporters.

May 2 First National League Conference held in DC. following the International Appeal for Justice event.

May 28 The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia is incorporated in Washington, D.C.

Military wives Become humanitarian activists

The League of Wives of American Vietnam Prisoners of War, known among the members as “The San Diego League”, was conceived at Sybil Stockdale’s dining room table at 547 A Avenue in Coronado, CA., in October of 1966.

Thirteen area POW and MIA wives came together to meet about their missing spouses. By the fall of 1967, the organization was established and quickly gaining membership.

By May of 1970, this regional organization had evolved into the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia and was incorporated in Washington, D.C., as a nonpartisan nonprofit.

Under President Nixon, this humanitarian group became a powerful lobby to bring the American POWs in Vietnam home and to account for all MIAs.

Organizing from Home

Informal gatherings at Sybil’s house in Coronado quickly revealed a shared frustration with Washington’s handling of the POW issue; as a result, the women organized into an active group intent on effecting change. Sandy Dennison was elected secretary of the San Diego League of Wives of American POWs in 1967 and had stationary printed for league correspondence. As their group grew, along with their activism, the women realized that formal organization at a national level would increase their media attention; Sybil recalls a conversation with Karen Butler, “What we need is a national organization to attract national publicity. We already have a national group with our people all over the country writing to editorial writers and sending telegrams to the North Vietnamese. We could get a post-office box and have stationary printed and we’d be in business.”

On the East Coast, Phyllis Galanti was a meticulous note-taker and organizer who always had her yellow legal pad handy. She and the other East Coast wives began meeting regularly by the fall of 1967 led by Jane Denton, Louise Mulligan and Janie Tschudy, and others in Virginia Beach. Phyllis and her friend Evelyn Grubb of Petersburg, VA., (who would later become a National Coordinator of the League), would often drive to Virginia Beach together for these regional meetings.

19 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

After Helene Knapp’s husband was shot down over Vietnam in April 1967, she immersed herself in the POW/MIA cause. In 1969, she became the Regional Coordinator of Colorado Springs for POW/MIAs, the Colorado chapter of the National League of Families of Prisoners of War and Missing in Southeast Asia. Under Helene Knapp’s leadership, and in partnership with Air Force Cadets to Aid Families of Prisoners of War (CAF-POW), the organization sold millions of “Silent Nights” Christmas seals in 1971. The response to the seal campaign was overwhelming: Helene and her group raised $30,000, all of which they contributed to the National League.

Helene’s hard work and outstanding fundraising ability led to her nomination and eventual election as the National Coordinator of the League for 1972-1973. Phyllis Galanti would work closely with Helene, serving as her National League Board Chair.

The Choice to Challenge Conventions

The expectations for military wives were like those for women in broader society in the post-war period. They were expected to be excellent wives, mothers, cooks, and hostesses, and most women still followed a domestic model where home and family were paramount.

However, the role of a military wife was steeped in a formal tradition that punished breaks in protocol. Outspoken or opinionated wives were often viewed as a liability. Wives and husbands often saw each other as an inseparable unit when it came to their “joint” military career. “Bad” behavior from a wife reflected upon her husband and could kill his chances for advancement.

The pride and cohesiveness these wives felt regarding their military status bonded them strongly together as a unit, but this distinction also made them feel like outsiders in civilian society. LBJ’s “Keep Quiet” policy separated the women still further from their civilian peers.

When tensions began to rise in the Gulf of Tonkin in August of 1964, Sybil expressed her dismay, noting:

“Being a navy wife was a hell of a way to live. Every night I dropped into bed exhausted by tension. Even in a crowd I felt lonely and different.” - In Love and War

The women’s frustration with the Johnson administration’s line on POWs and MIAs, and concern for their husbands reached a breaking point, and by 1968 they began to speak out and increasingly pressure the government to do the same. By doing so, they changed what it meant to be a supportive military wife.

Keeping Quiet, Going Public

Night — dark, dark dark night with the Johnson administration. Bright sunny days in the Nixon administration.” — Sybil Stockdale, in a 2000 oral history interview

20 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum Under President Johnson’s “Keep Quiet” policy, men’s wives and families were advised to say nothing to anyone except close family about their husbands’ POW or MIA status. Naval Intelligence officer Commander Robert S. Boroughs, known as “Uncle Bob” to many of the POW/MIA, secretly worked with many of the women to code letters to their imprisoned husbands. He also asked some of the wives to wear wiretaps to collect information on the home front.

In 1969, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird and Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Capen urged the new Nixon administration to drop the “Keep Quiet” ban and allow the POW/MIA families to speak out with the American government’s support. On May 19 of that year, Laird and Capen held a live, televised press conference in Washington DC. They announced to the world what the government had known for years regarding the POWs: they were being tortured, denied medical care, mail, and sufficient food. Worst of all, the North Vietnamese refused to identify the names of all the men they held prisoner. This press conference opened the door for more women to come forward with their stories and organize formally on a national level. The Nixon administration was careful to support the League’s initiatives, while recognizing the importance of their independence.

Once significant bombing of North Vietnam began in 1965, the anti-war/ began to take shape nationally. Left-leaning intellectuals, veterans of the American civil rights movement, students on college campuses and former Vietnam veterans’ groups who opposed the war organized demonstrations across the country.

Despite their conservative stance on the war, and resentment of antiwar rhetoric, the women of the League increasingly intersected with antiwar activists as information from the government regarding their husband’s fates became scarce.

By the late 1960s, much of the information obtained about the POWs from Hanoi came from antiwar groups like Cora Weiss and David Dellinger’s COLIFAM (Committee of Liaison with Families) whose publically declared purpose was the exchange of mail between the POWs and their families.

Many POW and MIA wives felt that relying on the antiwar/peace organizations to obtain information and letters was comparable to “making a deal with the devil.” But it was a bargain many were willing to make after years of hearing little from their own government.

Impact in Washington

The successful Appeal for International Justice event was the second of two attempts to demonstrate support and demand foreign due process concerning the treatment of POWs.

The Washington's Birthday Freedom Rally was held in Constitution Hall on February 21, 1970 and was poorly publicized, resulting in poor turnout. Senator Dole attended the Freedom Rally, vowing to revitalize the event and pay proper tribute to the prisoners by the end of May.

21 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum To reach their goal to fill Constitution Hall on May 1st, Senator Dole worked to secure Congressional backing while members of the imminent National League worked to advertise and raise awareness about the event.

Commander’s Digest reported, “Basically, the May 1 ceremony was an appeal sponsored by Congress for international justice… But it was the pleas of the wives and families of those held prisoner by the enemy in Southeast Asia that had the biggest impact.”

Before the evening rally, POW wives including Jane Denton and Sybil Stockdale were witnesses before a subcommittee of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Jane, whose husband had been prisoner for 5 years, testified, “We are not involved in the debate on whether we should or should not be at war in Southeast Asia; nor were our husbands. As military men they did not make foreign policy. Their job was to implement it. Ours is an appeal for human rights – a call for compassion!”

“Bob Dole was there from the beginning. We never could have succeeded without him. He has never given up on the cause.” – Dick Capen, Assistant Secretary of Defense

May Day Appeal for International Justice

Freshman senator from Kansas Bob Dole was one of the women’s few advocates in the beginning of their Washington awareness campaign. He delivered Congressional support and recognition for the POW/MIA cause.

After an initial public rally yielded a disappointing turnout — only 300 attended and most were POW family members - Senator Dole, Sybil Stockdale and Louise Mulligan worked together to fill the DAR Constitution Hall to capacity. This time, they hoped for thousands of attendees, not hundreds. The effort succeeded when, on May 1, 1970, POW wife Louise Mulligan delivered an emotional speech to a hall filled with 3,800 supporters. A Time of Unrest

On April 30, 1970, President Nixon made a televised address to the nation announcing his decision to cross the Cambodia border to fight the North Vietnamese. Reaction from the antiwar movement was swift; many college students organized massive demonstrations. Tragedy ensued at Kent State University: on May 4, four unarmed students were shot and killed by the Ohio National Guard during an antiwar demonstration. Ten days later, two unarmed students were also killed by city and state police at an antiwar rally at Jackson State University in Mississippi.

Covert Affairs

Bob Boroughs collaborated with the women to gather information from the prisoners through personal correspondence. This was critical for Naval Intelligence, and Boroughs was committed to bringing the wives and families helpful information and to cutting through the government red tape.

22 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum

Bob Boroughs and his wife, Ruth, were staunch advocates of the women and often entertained them in their Annadale, Virginia, home during and after the Vietnam conflict. Their thirteen-year-old daughter, Merriann, created a scrapbook that detailed her interest in and personal contact with POWs.

Boroughs helped the women use text and images to code letters to their husbands; Sybil encrypted her text with ciphers sent with a photograph of roses, which alerted Jim that the letter contained a coded message. “Doubletalk” was another coding technique; in an early 1966 letter, Jim Stockdale indirectly referenced Arthur Koestler’s novel Darkness at Noon, a book that describes torture inside a Soviet prison, to alert Naval Intelligence to North Vietnamese treatment of American POWs.

Allies & International Action

“She was controlling them and the situation. I don’t know how she knew to do that, but she did!” -Judi Clifford, Phyllis Galanti’s best friend and companion on her March 1971 trip to Sweden

Sybil Stockdale, Phyllis Galanti, and Helene Knapp all travelled to Europe to promote the League and POW MIA awareness. They hoped to confront North Vietnamese diplomats in Paris and Sweden at their consulates to demand the American POWs’ release and to obtain official lists of the prisoners and missing. Phyllis, Sybil, Assistant Secretary Capen and Senator Dole were among those who raised the possibility of interning the POWs in the neutral country of Sweden.

In December 1970, Colorado Springs Vice-Mayor Larry Ochs, Russell, Kansas native and friend of the Dole family, traveled with Helene Knapp to Paris in an attempt to meet with North Vietnamese representatives. Their delegation delivered 125,000 letters of support for the POWs to the North Vietnamese embassy. Ochs was a supporter of the POW/MIA cause throughout the war. Photos by Judy Jenner, of the Colorado Springs Sun newspaper. Courtesy Helene Knapp

Telegraph and letter-writing campaigns were tools to demonstrate support for the POW/MIA issue through sheer volume. Led by Sybil, the POW/MIA families deluged the new Nixon administration with telegrams in a “Telegraph In,” demanding that Nixon make the POW/MIAs a top priority, while the “Write Hanoi” campaign led by Phyllis Galanti and the American Red Cross sent truckloads of letters to the North Vietnamese government.

Sweden’s prime minister, Olaf Palme, ultimately declined to intern the American POWs, fearing negative reaction from Hanoi. But thanks to Phyllis’s efforts in Stockholm, and other League efforts in Paris and Geneva, the world was watching the POW/MIA situation.

The POW Issue Becomes Political

The National League began to fracture into splinter groups as peace talks between the United States and North Vietnam continued into 1972. Groups like POW/MIA Families for Immediate Release, led by former League member Valerie Kushner, decided to take a more political stance to further their goals.

23 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum The “Christmas Bombing” of Hanoi in December 1972 and the subsequent signing of the Paris Peace Accords on January 27, 1973 brought an end to U.S. combat in Vietnam. The U.S., North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong signed the Paris treaty, which included provisions that all prisoners of war be released and returned home and that all missing soldiers were to be accounted for by the North Vietnamese to the fullest extent possible.

Allies & International Action

Phyllis Galanti traveled to Stockholm with her friend Judi Clifford to meet with the North Vietnamese consulate in 1971. Prior to the visit, the North Vietnamese had requested that the Americans leave their 'Nixon propaganda' at home. To deliver a silent but powerful message of patriotism, Phyllis accessorized her outfit for the day with a red, white and blue neck scarf.

Following their return from Sweden, the State Department presented Phyllis Galanti, Judi Clifford and Connie Richeson each with an eagle brooch to recognize their efforts in Europe.

Many Returned Home, Many More Still Wait

After the Paris Peace Accords, Operation Homecoming brought 591 American POWs home between February 12 and April 4, 1973. Most POW wives left the National League immediately, leaving the MIA wives to continue their efforts to ensure accounting for their missing husbands. The North Vietnamese refused to provide the fullest possible accounting for missing Americans despite their agreement to do so in the Paris Peace Accords.

“More than 1300 men are still missing, still unaccounted for. My husband, Colonel Herman L. Knapp, is one of these men.” — Helene Knapp, testifying before Congress on May 23, 1973, regarding Americans Missing in Action in Southeast Asia.

Agencies still exist to serve the families of those Missing in Action in Vietnam, including the U.S. government’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency’s (DPAA). The DPAA continues to search for the remaining 1,617 military personnel still missing in Vietnam, as well as those missing from all other American wars.

Today, the National League of POW/MIA Families sole mission is to obtain the release of all prisoners, the fullest possible accounting for the missing and repatriation of all recoverable remains of those who died serving our nation during the Vietnam War. MIA sister Ann Mills-Griffiths was the Executive Director of the League from 1978-2011 and continues to serve today as the League’s CEO.

24 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum A Transformative Period

Whether they remained active in the National League or discontinued their involvement after the war, the personal emotional and political effects of their years of activism during this period is well documented by POW and MIA wives.

Sybil Stockdale discussed battling depression following her move to Washington, DC, in 1970. In an interview for 60 Minutes, Air Force MIA wife Barbara Raucsh stated, “I myself have changed. In the beginning, I was a backup for the president. I have wrestled with my conscience very deeply before I have come to my decision to withdraw any support from the president.”

Phyllis Galanti followed, “I have wrestled with my conscience also and I used to be very, very conservative. I am changing a lot in myself…We have been told for so many years, ‘There are delicate negotiations going on, don’t rattle the cage.’ And you can believe in that for so long, but I am a real doubting Thomas now, I need some facts, I need something to back it up. I find that I’ve become very cynical and I don’t like that in myself, but we just haven’t been told the truth!” Phyllis’ husband, Paul, told reporters when he returned home, “Phyllis was pretty shy when I left, and I came back to a real tiger.”

After Operation Homecoming both Helene Knapp, national coordinator for the league, and Senator Dole continued their work to secure full accounting by the North Vietnamese.

On May 23, 1973, Helene Knapp testified before a subcommittee of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs: “Americans should not forget that the North Vietnamese have lied to us time and again . . . We want this accounting now; we want our dead returned; we want our search teams to be allowed to go into all areas where our men were last seen alive.

On May 31, 1973, the Senate rejected an amendment offered by Senator Dole that would have permitted the continued bombing of Laos and Cambodia if the President certified that North Vietnam “is not making an accounting, to the best of its ability, of all missing in action personnel in Southeast Asia.”

25 Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum