European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Alter the . Pullout in 1973, hundreds of Iowa. Such As he above group Ware released from Vietnam. More than 2,000. However Are still unaccounted Tor. Their famines still search Lor answers. The government says it is committed to resolving the status of the remaining pos and mias. Two Vietnam vets claim prisoners still held people who feel americans arc still being held prisoner in Indochina Are not hard to Lin Bui a soldiers Mark Smith and Molvin More Ihan an opinion Hoy claim Mohave Prool Smith a former army a or. And Mcl lire. A Lormor sergeant Lisl class claim to have photos and Irist hand accounts of american prisoners irom a number of sources and a videotape purporting to show american soldiers being used As slave labor in Vietnam among other information. Doth men arc Vietnam vets Smith spent 14 months As a prisoner of War in 1972 and 1973. Tho men have been reluctant to Provido the government Wilh All they have because they charge much of what has already been Given to the defense intelligence Agency and to Congress has been loss. Destroyed or leaked to me press Smith and Ucol lire filed Suil sept 4. 1965, in the Eastern District court of North Carolina a Amsl the u 5 government regarding the Issue of prisoners of War in Southeast Asia Tho suit names the president Secretary of state Secretary of defense director of the Dia and their predecessors and charges them with suppressing information on american prisoners in soul Casl Asia Pentagon officials say the charges Are ludicrous but the suit is slowly proceeding. Smith and Mcintire have had a turbulent relationship with Dod since they returned irom Tours of ouly Wilh Tho army s special forces group in Korea in 193-1 with Boos of files on american prisoners in Indochina that they mad Boon gathering since 19b2 malt of the information came irom thai a Point Locos troops and laotian and thai nationals a Pentagon summary of then Stales All the information has been determined to to hearsay from sources that could not substantiate the sight tags Inlo Malion that simply did nol relate to missing americans or information about an army officer who is known to have died in Captivity in 1961 Smith says that summary represents Iho typical Pentagon line " he claims the Dia destroyed informal Fri he had provided in an Effort o suppress die Issue a charge vehemently denied by Pentagon officials Smith charges Hal army brass Frieri to suppress his Dala incl her ways As Well a Gen Kenneth lever told to it would be Botler Tor my career and my country re i forgot Abou All the information i and Mcintire had he said. Lever commander of Trie sin inf div at fort Polk. Lawas assistant chief of Small for operations Tor the army in Korea when Smith was there he has denied Smith s allegations Smith s dealings with Congress have been equally Stormy. To obtained a picture of an american he said the pos wife and a in and of the pow swore Cut Al Davils stating Hal the photo was of the prisoner in question we gave the photo to the committee m closed session it ended up in the Washington Tirril a Story listing a committee stapler Ano a Navy sources to said a committee Staller said the times Hart Tho phone several Days before Smith gave it to Iho committee and added he had no idea Toiv the newspaper obtained ii the at Titusie of the committee As. Give us All you have and we ii go irom there " Srnish said Afler the business Wilh Tho photo our question was. Whal will you do with it 1h Smith said he has two opinions of Why Hie government would cover up inform Hon on Amican prisoners in Indochina one. The government does t want to Deal ill s been 13 years since to pulled Oul and no is viewed As an insurmountable problem that s boiler loll atone. He said i also think the government could i undertake a prisoner Rescue Mission it it Wanold ,1 he said 1 despite Tho billions spent on defense since 1980. Money Lor special forces has been scarce Loo scarce to enable us to carry out such a mrs sign smile said he s a Vare that Many to open on Srdar him and Mcl lire to be less than credible people can say what they want he said we re nol gelling anything Oul of his. La s ust our moral duly based upon our material we can state categorically that we have people Shii being held prisoner in Southeast Asia the Bollom line is the Rulh and one Way or another it s going to come . V.jplember-17,1986 the stars and stripes Page 15
