Appeal to Czech+Slovak nationals for help to the families of US POWs who didn´t come home…
Operation „Memory & Conscience“
Appeal to Czech+Slovak nationals for help to the families of US POWs
who didn´t come home…
Although we have adopted a law on
unlawfulness of the criminal
communist regime, our quickly come and go polititians don´t
seem to gather their courage to hold out a mirror to the past, to
condemn the condemnable (even if just morally), to disclose all still
classified bestialities, unhuman practices and crimes of the former
secret services under the directives of the Communist Party of
Czechoslovakia, so as our future generations could in time recognize
this evil and would be able to destroy it right in its seed. Instead,
our polititians disinform us with colorable democratic programs of
their strong political parties that are today all infiltrated by
former totalitarian structures, and they lead us again – all paid
for by our money – to the very edge of being. For there is no being
– dignified human existence – without freedoms, rights and
obligations that are guaranteed only by a wealthy democratic society
which was able to square up with its past and learn its lessons in
the process of doing so. Only such society gains respect, selfless
help and trust from other well-functioning and prosperous democratic
countries.
But corrupt and dishonest polititians do not form
the base of our Czecho-Slovakia. They are themselves too busy to
withstand at least one term without drowning in a cesspit of lies,
hypocrisies and swindles, and considering a fairly limited time they
have on hands, to be able to secure financially and otherwise
themselves and their closest ones. Let´s not look for honor
there. Let´s look for it within ourselves, for the base,
strenght and power of the nation it is us, ordinary folks.
Because the cooperation between our and American
sides – if we could at all call it a cooperation – didn´t
bring and isn´t bringing any positive accounting for regarding
the fate of US POWs, and results of many meetings and negotiations
are mere promises on our polititians part, promises that we very well
know even from other spheres of their service to the public, we have
decided – particularly as a matter of honor – to address our
fellow citizens in Czecho-Slovakia.
We call on everyone of you who went through the
horrific wheels of the Soviet Gulag system and was lucky enough to
come back home. If you, during your lenghty ordeal in various
force-labor camps, came accross or heard of any US POWs, do come
forward and provide us with your sightings and testimonies. By doing
so you will help to fill the ongoing research voids.
We also call on those of you who actively or
passively participated in then covert operations in Korea and Vietnam
(Laos, Cambodia, Cechoslovakia). Come forward and shed your dark and
heavy burden of the past, come forward with your evidence now. The
Soviet system of so called „cells“ unabled the participant of the
given secret operation to know and fully understand the entire
project and therefore it is more than likely that participants of
these project discovered by themselves and after a long time, what it
was really about…what they unknowingly participated in…
This appeal also goes for the scientists and
research workers in former Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia provably
assisted former Soviet Union in transferring the US POWs from war
theatres in Korea, Vietnam and other places to USSR, and even with
other top secret operations it was obligingly helping in fulfilling
the devilish Soviet plan.
After 2WW more than 25.000 US POWs from German
prisoner camps were transferred to USSR. Out of these only 4.165 were
later repatriated. From North Korea around 8.000 US POWs were NOT
repatriated, and almost 3.000 of them were transferred in 1953 and
1954 from China to Siberia. More than 3.000 US POWs didn´t come
home from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and further hundreds
„disappeared“ during a long period of the Cold war, when they
fell into the enemy´s hands while on various missions.
As important as it is, it is not vital that maybe
none of the US POWs is alive today, even though this is more than
likely considering numerous sightings and unexpected returns. Last
year in July, Franz Steeg, 2WW POW returned home to Austria after 60
years in Russia!… and his is not the only case during past decades.
We have testimonies directly from our fellow citizens who prove the
presence of US POWs both in our country and the former USSR.
To the memory of US POWs and to them alone if they
still, till today, live in captivity (or have a relative „freedom“
in some restricted space under some new identity, etc.), to their
service, families and to our NATO ally, we owe one thing: Truth.
This Appeal has purely human character, no
politicking or dishonest attentions and hyenism that we already met
with…
Confidentiality and discretion are, because of the
circumstances, fully guaranteed.
Any information, sightings or testimonies can be
forwarded, or personal meeting arranged, as follows:
-
by ordinary mail addressed to:
(World
Association of Former Czechoslovak Political Prisoners,
Zürich-Switzerland;
SZCPV – SR branch office in the
Slovak Republic)
Hana Catalanova – US POWs section
Nam. Sv. Egidia 102/14
058 01 POPRAD, SR (Ph.: ++421 52
7722626, ++421 903 142771)
-
by e-mail to Czech+Slovak representative of „Coalition of
Families of Korean & Cold War POW/MIAs“ addressed to:
hana.catalanova@worldonline.cz
On behalf of both organizations, I thank you for
your human approach towards our Appeal, for your courage to come
forward and for your good will to bring some light into the darkness
surrounding the fate of the US POWs… who didn´t come home
yet.
Hana Catalanova, May 2003
Operation „Memory & Conscience“
