I take great joy in being able to help pass along the word of truth and facts related to the Vietnam War Era, its casualties and tribute to those that gave it all and those that are listed as M.I.A. (Missing in Action) today.

    - Also, special acknowledgement to the following veteran

Don Thompson
Zoomie (BushBug)   U.S.A.F.
ACA #3460 (Air Commando Association)
TLCB #335 (Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood)
Commando Motto:   "Any Time, Any Place"
[email protected]   Littleton, California

    Fabricating stories and myths by MIA cult members seems to be the "rule of the day" these days ...   Taking advantage of the grief of MIA families and those that have lost a love one in 'Nam is so prevalent in our society today -- it is like a dreaded plague of vultures.

"So, what do I know about it?"

    Colonel Joe Schlatter's credentials are impecible!   A career-Army Officer, man of honor and senior staff member for D.I.A. (Defense Intelligence Agency) and for the Defense POW-MIA Office (D.P.M.O.) for several years up and to his retirement from the Army, his web site you can find at http://www.miafacts.org with some 75 articles providing insight into his findings and personal experience on the job.   I believe it is no (small) coincidence that his career retirement came at the end of his last assignment with D.P.M.O., if you catch my drift ...   1 April 95.

Credentials -   February 1986 - July 1990

    Some background on myself, Specialist Sixth Class E-6 Francis J. Picchione - served from November '66 to April '77 with a short tour of duty in the Hawaiian National Guard in '78.   My assignments were all in the administrative area from Company Clerk in Thailand to Computer Programmer at the Pacific Headquarters in Honolulu where the Army authorized me to attend college full-time to complete my bachelor's degree studies and graduation.   In 1967, the Army gave me the opportunity to attend Artillery O.C.S. (Officer Candidate School) and I allowed it to slip away ...   In 1973, the Army provided me with another opportunity of honor and pride, to represent the U.S. Army and my comrades in the Command Honor Guard Company as a Squad Leader.

    This - being Veterans Day ²⁰⁰⁰- is another point of pride and circumstance for me to take some of the skills the Army provided for me to learn in computer programming and publish for all of you to read and I believe enjoy the "fruit of knowledge" and truth about a conflict that took my generation of men and women to war and the great sacrifices made by over 50,000 Americans.

"May the truth be known!"

    Pride to be counted as an American Veteran, an American Soldier and foremost a man of integrity, this web site is dedicated to the advancement of your knowledge and experience of a war fought far from our shores in the sweat'n heat of Southeast Asia (S.E.A.).   An integral part of that story, that truth, is knowledge to be had from men of honor in high offices of our military "machine" and government offices as it relates to those ".. that gave it all", killed-in-action (K.I.A.) and missing-in-action (M.I.A.) and the integrity and loyal character displayed by all as prisoners-of-war (P.O.W.).

    What follows are some links to Colonel Joe Schlatter's web site for "M.I.A. Facts" that should be read in its entirety, but a very good place to start from is an (extreme) awareness of a generation-of-vultures that has been nurtured by our military losses in 'Nam and prey upon the victim families of those that gave their all.   Please print and save Colonel Schlatter's homepage for the myths versus the facts regarding M.I.A. personnel and keep that in mind when you visit extreme view web sites known as the "MIA cult or cults."   If something does not sound right, it probably isn't.   That is why I lead off this presentation provided with my personal assistance into such matters with "The Bogus Story of Mr. Somdee," a Laotian National with only one (1) interest, his own; the furtherment of his own financial well-being and absolutely nothing of concern to those with a desire to learn the truth.   Read it carefully, the language the Colonel uses, eg, "chit-chat with.." and decide for yourself.   I found it shocking as I served over a decade of my adult life as a soldier, listening to my leaders and hearing the same "sound of truth" in their language.

Colonel Schlatter's Web Site	Web Site Table of Contents	How a Myth is Born
	A Collection of Phony Stories
Reading Suggestions	Rich Daly Exposed - "Spinner of Myths?"
Wacko's R Us -- Read the Colonel's Choice Guestbook Remarks .. www.ojc.org/powforum/schlatter   <yawn>		(Continued - Ugly)
Breaking News - 11/10/00     Archive	The National "Alliance" "The Sky is NOT Falling - Part II"
Bring 'em Back Alive.   Would you like to rescue a US POW who is still imprisoned a quarter-century after the end of the war?   Sign up here, send lots of money, and go get 'em.   Don't be surprised if you come home empty-handed'n broke. - A "hand salute" to a man of honor - Colonel Joe Schlatter ! "Thank you for publishing the truth, this Veterans Day discovery for me   and others."   - Frank "mahknut" Picchione   (my Guestbook Entry)

    One of the little known facets of the MIA issue is that of individuals and groups who use the MIA issue to raise money.   Groups who do this fall into two categories:   (1) Grass-roots organizations who really are working to keep the MIA issue in the public eye, and (2) those who are making money off the issue.   This article reproduces the relevant sections from the final report of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIAs (the SSC).   I recommend strongly that interested folks read the book by Susan Katz-Keating, Prisoners of Hope.   Ms. Keating started off supporting the "activist" point of view.   She became known to several of them and they talked with her.   She soon realized that their views were not in accord with reality so she produced an investigative work that spilled the beans on many of them and that was documented.   She has been attacked by the "activists" for fabricating portions of the book, but none of them dare sue her because they know that she has the documents.   (1/29/00)

    On September 21, 2000, the MIA Facts Site was selected as "Political Site of the Day" and awarded this neat badge.

    For more information about Colonel Schlatter,
please email him at [email protected].

    For more (volatile) information on politically-oriented web sites,
please turn to http://www.aboutpolitics.com for the latest selections ...

"One Day Too Long :   Top Secret Site 85
    and the Bombing of North Vietnam"

368 Pages (Hardcover Edition - Apr'99 ;   Paperback will be available in June, 2000
Best price deal!   $17.47   (Hardcover)   ISBN   0312963408
Paperback - $12.76   when available!     ISBN   0231103174   (Paperback Edition - Jun'2000)
Usually ships within 24 hours.
  Larger photo

Background Information :     Major (General) Secord's book entitled " Honored and Betrayed"

WARNING:   READ "ONE DAY TOO LONG.." BEFORE YOU PURCHASE ANY OTHER ACCOUNT OF LIMA 85!

I FOUND SECORD'S ACCOUNT TO BE A SELF-SERVING PORTRAYAL OF THE EVENTS
VERSUS CREDITABLE RESOURCE.     READ THE INTERNET VERSION ONLY AND COMPARE;
ONLY ONE CHAPTER OF THE ENTIRE BOOK DEDICATED TO THIS ACTION.
Mr. Timothy Castle will give you a different perspective of the D.P.M.O. "machine" and the inherent internal polictics that siphened off productive mission objectives.

Colonel Schlatter has some favorite book suggestions you may find at - click here.

I have developed a list of books related to the topic of the Secret War in Laos that you may find here at - click here.

    Kham Phiou "Chaophakhao Red" Manivanh, friend of my Lao wife and R.L.A.F. Combat "Ace" T-28 Pilot with over 3,000 combat missions and another AC-47 Spooky 1,200 Combat Missions from his training to be a pilot at Udorn R.T.A.F.B. in Thailand in 1966 at just under the age of 18, to today - I am very proud (and honored) to call my friend too, receiving a copy of the the book, "The Ravens" at a recent Kmhmu Tribe Wedding Reception just before Veterans Day, 2000 !   A big "thumbs up!" to a real war hero !   And, thanks Ravens - for the personalized autographs for me !!!

    To learn more about this great bunch of combat veteran pilots that stripped themselves of their identity as U.S.A.F. officer personnel to fly combat missions in the secret war in Laos, please visit my web page for the Ravens.   Or, to simply order your own copy of their own story, their own book - visit the Ravens' Store !

    For more on the Secret War in Laos and my personal historical record of the facts, please visit my secret war page.

    Happy Veterans Day to my fellow veterans !

    And, to those of us that gave their all, never returned home - "You will never be forgotten by U.S.!"

    "Freedom is never free!"   As a fellow veteran - enjoying freedom, honor a fallen veteran ...