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HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE
DIED FOR OUR COUNTRY
AND THE FREEDOM WE
NOW CELEBRATE!

HONOR THOSE WHO
SERVE OUR COUNTRY
AND THE FREEDOM WE
NOW CELEBRATE!
== THE VETERANS ==

USMC WWI MIA found after 92 years

George Henry Humphrey - 29

On Sept. 15, 1918, with World War I nearing an end, United States Marine George Henry Humphrey was killed by a machine gun bullet through his helmet. Pinned down by the Germans, George’s fellow soldiers hastily buried him in the woods of rural northern France.

They drew a map and later tried to explain the location to George’s family, but the grave could not be found.
Until now. A hobbyist with a metal detector made the discovery last fall. On Wednesday, George Humphrey will be reburied at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. He had family roots in Wisconsin, and a couple of his relatives from our state will be present when he is lowered into his final, final resting place.
“You’d think after 92 years he’d never be found. It tells people don’t give up. There’s always hope for families,” said John Humphrey of Oconomowoc.
John, a retired farmer, would be George’s first cousin once removed. He was born two years after George died, making him 90 now. Because of health concerns, he is not making the trip to Arlington this week.
But his two sisters are going at government expense. That would be Helen Neitzel, 77, of Horicon and Frances Richter, 83, of Watertown.
Helen said she was astounded when she got the news, though she and John admit they didn’t know much about George Humphrey or his sad and mysterious end. John thought maybe it was an identity scam when he first was notified.
“I called my sister first and told her. She said, ‘Are you sure you’re not drinking?’ ” Helen said. “It’s just such an amazing story. I said I had to go and see it through.”
How rare is it to find and identify remains of missing U.S. service members from the First World War? It’s happened just five times in the past seven years, according to Lee Tucker, spokesman for the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command in Hawaii.
That still leaves more than 3,000 Americans missing and unaccounted for in the so-called war to end all wars.
George’s father, Griffith, was a child when he emigrated from Wales with family and settled in the Jefferson County community of Ixonia, where they farmed. As an adult, Griffith moved east and settled in Utica, N.Y., where George grew up and eventually joined the Marine Corps.
He was 29 when he died in the St. Mihiel offensive, the first U.S. led offensive of the war and ultimately a success. He was buried near where he fell, not far from Thiaucourt in the Lorraine region of France.
A year later in 1919, George’s brother, Oliver, was able to track down a Marine who fought alongside him and helped bury him. George’s family was trying to find his remains.
“I know my parents would be equally as anxious as you are if the circumstances were reversed,” the soldier, Frank A. Cleland of California, wrote to Oliver. He described the battle and included a hand-drawn map.
“During the day, we buried your brother on the crest of that hill about 150 yards from that trail,” he wrote. “Whatever personal effects your brother had were buried with him as they were shelling the hill all the time and we didn’t have time to search him, and there was no one to send them in with anyway.”
More than nine decades passed before a relic hunter with a metal detector picked up a signal and began digging. When he realized he had found human remains, he alerted police who contacted the U.S. military.
A team was sent to the site in October. Every bone and every object were cataloged in a 74-page book sent to John Humphrey in Oconomowoc. George had folded a New York Times article from June 9, 1918, and tucked it in his wallet. Remarkably, the headline was still readable, even though the soldier was not buried in any kind of box: “Shelling near Montdidier; Heavy German fire may be the prelude of a new attack.”
His uniform had mostly disintegrated, though the helmet and some hardware survived along with coins, a canteen, razor, toothbrush, fountain pen, tobacco pipe and a marksman badge with GH Humphrey engraved on the back. Dental records confirmed the identity.
George never married, and neither he nor his only sibling, Oliver, ever had children. So the military turned to these cousins as next of kin. They started with Edith Scott of Washington, D.C., whose mother at one time had lived with cousin George and his family.
“When we would visit Arlington National Cemetery, mother would point to the tomb of the unknown soldier and say that could be your cousin George,” Edith, 85, said.
She plans to be at George’s committal there on Wednesday. She invited Major Gen. Gratien Maire, the defense attaché at the French Embassy in Washington. In accepting the offer, he praised the sacrifice of 1st Sgt. Humphrey.
“Young men like him came to France to liberate my country. What France has achieved since then, we owe it to them,” he wrote to her.
Horicon cousin Helen Neitzel feels a special bond to this long lost relative. Her own son, Lt. Col. Rob Neitzel, 42, has served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
She has trouble defining exactly the emotion she feels about George Humphrey.
“It isn’t grief. It’s admiration. I don’t know if that’s the right word. We’re free because of what he did for us.”

Seven Missing WWII Airmen Identified

The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of seven servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Captain - Joseph M. Olbinski - Chicago, Illinois
First Lieutenant - Joseph J. Auld - Floral Park, New York
First Lieutenant - Robert M. Anderson - Millen, Georgia
Technical Sergeant - Clarence E. Frantz - Tyrone, Pennsylvania
Private - Richard M. Dawson - Haynesville, Virginia
Private - Robert L. Crane - Sacramento, California
Private - Fred G. Fagan - Piedmont, Alabama

All were identified and all are to be interred July 15 in Arlington National Cemetery.

On May 23, 1944, the men were aboard a C-47A Skytrain that departed Dinjan, India, on an airdrop mission to resupply Allied forces near Myitkyina, Burma. When the crew failed to return, air and ground searches found no evidence of the aircraft along the intended flight path.

In late 2002, a missionary provided U.S. officials a data plate from a C-47 crash site approximately 31 miles northwest of Myitkyina. In 2003, a Burmese citizen turned over human remains and identification tags for three of the crew members.

A Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command team excavated the crash site in 2003 and 2004, recovering additional remains and crew-related equipment—including an identification tag for Dawson.

WELCOME HOME! - IT'S ABOUT TIME!

SUMMARY OF AMERICAN CASUALTIES

IRAQ - 4,412 - AFGN - 0,1186

TOTAL AMERICAN CASUALTIES - 5,598

Total Self Inflicted Casualties - 185
Army 154 * Navy 4 * Marines 26 * Air Force 1

SUMMARY OF PARTNER NATION CASUALTIES
Only IRAQ & AFGN
- 318 + 753 = 1,071

SUMMARY OF ALL NATION CASUALTIES

All Countries - IRAQ - 4,730 + AFGN - 1,939

ALL CASUALTIES IRAQ & AFGN - 6,669
(Includes United States Casualties)
Deaths In United States Away From Battle
Being Added At Bottom Of Each Page As
Numbers Do Not Always Total Same As DOD Reports
As I Add All Casualties Including Any In The United States

AMERICAN HOSTILE WOUNDED ONLY
Iraq - March 19, 2003 Through April 03, 2010
Afghanistan - October 7, 2001 Through April 03, 2010

	TOTALS	ARMY	NAVY	MARINES	AIR FORCE
IRAQ

HOSTILE	31,770	22,067	635	8,624	444

AFGHANISTAN

HOSTILE	5,510	4,657	104	1,207	142

SUM TOTAL	37,280	26,124	739	9,831	582

Afghanistan Numbers Include Afghanistan, Republic of the Philippines, Southwest Asia and other locations,
Per The Department Of Defense.

June 2010 Deadliest Month In Afghanistan
Since Beginning Of Conflict
- 102 -
ALL NATIONS
- 68 -
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

American

Casualties

United States Deaths By Month and Year
- IRAQ -
	Year	United States	Jan	-	Feb	-	Mar	-	Apr	-	May	-	Jun	-	Jul	-	Aug	-	Sep	-	Oct	-	Nov	-	Dec	x	ALL
	2003	486	N/A		N/A		65		74		37		30		48		35		31		44		82		40		580
	2004	849	47		20		52		135		80		42		54		66		80		64		137		72		906
	2005	846	107		58		35		52		80		78		54		85		49		96		84		68		897
	2006	822	62		55		31		76		69		61		43		65		72		106		70		112		871
	2007	904	83		81		81		104		126		101		78		84		65		38		37		23		961
	2008	314	40		29		38		52		19		29		13		23		25		14		17		14		322
	2009	148	16		17		09		19		25		15		0080		07		0100		0090		0110		04		150
	2010	042	05		05		07		08		06		08		*03		00		00		00		00		00		042
United States - 4412 ALL Countries - 4730 (Includes United States)
* Current Casualties For This Month

United States Deaths By Month and Year
- AFGHANISTAN -
Year	USA	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC	ALL
2001	12	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	03	05	04	12
2002	48	10	11	09	04	01	03	00	01	01	06	01	01	68
2003	48	04	07	12	02	01	03	02	04	02	04	06	01	57
2004	52	09	02	03	03	08	05	02	03	04	05	07	01	59
2005	99	02	01	06	18	04	27	02	15	11	07	03	03	131
2006	98	01	17	07	01	11	18	09	10	6	10	07	01	191
2007	117	00	14	05	08	11	12	14	18	8	10	11	06	232
2008	220	07	01	08	05	17	30	30	46	37	19	17	03	359
2009	319	15	15	13	06	12	25	45	51	40	56	18	20	521
2010	237	43	53	39	34	51	102	*86	00	00	00	00	00	368
The United States - 1186 All Countries - 1936 (Includes United States)
* Current Casualties For This Month

TOTAL FOR ALL COUNTRIES

BOTH IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN

- 6,669 -

The Department of Defense estimates that approximately 185,000 personnel are eligible for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay of $500 per month for every month of stop loss service. If you or someone you know is eligible for this payment, I hope you will visit one of these websites to learn more:

Army: https://www.stoplosspay.army.mil
Navy: send email to NXAG_N132C@navy.mil
Marine Corps: https://www.manpower.usmc.mil/stoploss
Air Force: www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/stoploss

VETERANS
OF
IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN

IF YOU FEEL ALONE OR
HELPLESS AT HOME
PLEASE CONTACT THE
IAVA PEOPLE ABOVE
(Click On The Graphic)

OR Look Below

PLEASE !!! USE THESE CONTACTS IF YOU NEED HELP OR FEEL YOU ARE LOSING SUPPORT FROM FAMILY OR FRIENDS.

To ensure veterans with emotional crises have round-the-clock access to trained professionals, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun operation of a national suicide prevention hot line for veterans. <<Click Here for more information >>

Department Of Defense
No. 495-10
June 15, 2010

Army Releases May Suicide Data

The Army released suicide data today for the month of May. Among active-duty soldiers, there were nine potential suicides, and all remain under investigation. For April, the Army reported 10 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, four have been confirmed as suicides, and six remain under investigation.

During May 2010, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 12 potential suicides: two have been confirmed and 10 remain under investigation. For April, among that same group, there were seven total suicides. Of those, two were confirmed as suicides and five are pending determination of the manner of death.

"The summer season traditionally represents the Army's peak transition timeframe as soldiers, families and Department of the Army civilians relocate between commands and installations," said Col. Chris Philbrick, director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force. "This turbulent period often compounds the amount of stress faced by our Army and members of the Army family. Everyone needs to know that despite an increase of anxiety or pressure, help is readily available, especially during these transition periods."

"We are making every effort to maintain contact with soldiers, families and civilians and sustain the Army's efforts to provide comprehensive behavioral health resources and support," Philbrick said. "We simply cannot afford to have any member of the Army family fall through the cracks when dealing with the additional stress transition."

The Army has identified additional crisis intervention resources available to the Army community. Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance are strongly encouraged to contact Military One Source or the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center (DCoE). Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The Military One Source toll-free number for those residing in the continental United States is 1-800-342-9647, the Military One Source Web site can be found at http://www.militaryonesource.com . Overseas personnel should refer to the Military One Source Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location

The Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, and at http://www.dcoe.health.mil.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For more information see: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ .

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention site is http://www.afsp.org/, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Council site is http://www.sprc.org/index.asp .

Information about the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at http://www.army.mil/csf/ .

The Army's most current suicide prevention information is located at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/ .

The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/default.asp .

Suicide prevention training resources for Army families can be accessed at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/training_sub.asp?sub_cat=20 (requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials) .

Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military One Source or the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center. Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

The Military One Source toll-free number for those residing in the continental U.S. is 1-800-342-9647

Their Web site address is:
http://www.militaryonesource.com . Overseas personnel should refer to the Military One Source Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location.

The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at:
http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/default.asp .

Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in newly revised Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) at:
http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_63.pdf
and Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention)
at http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p600_24.pdf .

Suicide prevention training resources for Army Families can be accessed at:
http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/training_sub.asp?sub_cat=20 (requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials).

The DCoE Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at:
http://Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at www.dcoe.health.mil .

Information about the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at:
http://www.army.mil/csf/.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:
http://www.afsp.org/.

Suicide Prevention Resource Council:
http://www.sprc.org/index.asp .

- VA's Suicide Prevention Hot Line
- Toll-free 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Veteran's PRESS 1 (one)

Need Help Now?
PLEASE !!! Call the National Hotline at
1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)

Department Of Defense

No. 477-10
June 10, 2010

Arlington National Cemetary

Mchugh Strengthens Arlington National Cemetery Management, Oversight

FORMER SENATORS DOLE, CLELAND WILL LEAD INDEPENDENT PANEL

Secretary of the Army John McHugh today announced sweeping changes in the management and oversight of Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) following completion of a months-long probe by the Army's Inspector General.

"While the Inspector General's (IG) team found that ANC employees – under an extraordinarily high operational tempo of 27 to 30 funerals a day – performed their jobs with dedication and to a high professional standard, they also found them hampered by dysfunctional management, the lack of established policy and procedures, and an overall unhealthy organizational climate," McHugh said. "That ends today."

McHugh ordered the investigation following allegations of lost accountability of some graves and poor record keeping, among other issues. The Army released its investigation findings at a Pentagon news conference today. The investigation followed an earlier inspection and management review ordered by McHugh's predecessor, former Army Secretary Pete Geren, which McHugh expanded shortly after taking office. Those findings were also released today.

"Both reports pointed to the lack of established policies and procedures, a failure to automate records, and long-term systemic problems," he said.

As part of a series of corrective measures, McHugh established the newly-created position of Executive Director (ED) of the Army National Cemeteries Program, whose duties will include oversight of cemetery management, reviewing and updating policies and procedures, and implementing corrective measures outlined in the investigation and inspection reports. McHugh appointed Kathryn Condon to serve as ED. Condon previously served as the senior civilian for Army Materiel Command - overseeing one of the largest commands in the Army, with more than 60,000 employees in 149 locations worldwide.

Among a host of other changes and initiatives, McHugh is establishing an Army National Cemeteries Advisory Commission, which will include officials from outside the Army to regularly review policies and procedures, and provide additional guidance and support. McHugh has enlisted the services of former senators and Army veterans Max Cleland and Bob Dole to begin that effort.

Dole represented Kansas in the Senate for three decades, and in 2007 co-chaired a commission investigating deficiencies at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In addition to serving as senator from Georgia, Cleland is a former head of the Department of Veterans Affairs and currently serves as secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission, which oversees American burial grounds in foreign countries, including the American cemetery and memorial in Normandy, France. Both are decorated Army veterans.

ANC Superintendent John Metzler Jr., will remain in his post supporting funerals and ceremonial activities until July 2 - when he retires from federal service. However, Metzler will now report directly to the new executive director, and has received a letter of reprimand from McHugh based on the IG's findings.

At McHugh's request, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is providing a detailee while the Army conducts a nationwide search for a new superintendent.

Patrick K. Hallinan, director of the Office of Field Programs for the VA, who is responsible for the development and implementation of National Cemetery Policy, will be temporarily reassigned to ANC as its superintendent. Hallinan has more than 31 years of cemetery service, and currently has oversight responsibilities for 130 national cemeteries.

The cemetery's deputy superintendent was placed on administrative leave pending a disciplinary review in the wake of the findings.

"Arlington National Cemetery is the place where valor rests, a place of reverence and respect for all Americans," McHugh said. "The Army recognizes its sacred responsibility to ensure America's confidence in the operation of its most hallowed ground, and to the heroes for whom this is their final resting place. I believe these changes will do just that."

In addition to Arlington National Cemetery, the Army National Cemeteries Program includes the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery in Washington, DC.

The IG's report and other documents are located on the Web at http://www.army.mil/arlington.


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