insider3
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Kudos, Joseph!
These quotes are from your post in the topic “ANTI-TORTURE voices are PERFECTLY CORRECT!” at
http://com3.runboard.com/btheowlsnest.fpolitics.t78
“I’ll preface this with the true and provable facts that I personally had officially learned (which required “SECRET” security clearance), and then personally had written the curriculum, set up the course, and taught to both officers and enlisted men, ”POW Survival”. I did this while I remained on active duty in the U.S. Navy for 10+ years after the Korean War had ended following my voluntary enlistment, and before I’d taken an Honorable Discharge as a Chief Petty Officer for family reasons after the Vietnam War-era had officially begun without my knowledge (making me an actual veteran of both of those War-eras, per:
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http://www.va.gov/pubaff/fedben/00Fedben.pdf
Wartime Service: Under the law, VA recognizes these war periods:
Mexican Border Period — May 9, 1916, through April 5, 1917, for
veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders or in adjacent waters.
World War I — April 6, 1917, through Nov. 11, 1918; for veterans
who served in Russia, April 6, 1917, through April 1, 1920; extended
through July 1, 1921, for veterans who had at least one day of service
between April 6, 1917, and Nov. 11, 1918.
World War II — Dec. 7, 1941, through Dec. 31, 1946.
Korean Conflict — June 27, 1950, through Jan. 31, 1955.
Vietnam Era — Aug. 5, 1964 (Feb. 28, 1961, for veterans who
served “in country” before Aug. 5, 1964), through May 7, 1975.
Gulf War — Aug. 2, 1990, through a date to be set by law or
Presidential Proclamation.
------------------------------------------- “
“Anecdotally, one of the earliest American pilots to be captured by the North Vietnamese, Capt Theodore F. Kopfman (captured 6/15/66, released 2/12/73), had happened to be my Division Officer in the Training Squadron VA-125 at NAS Lemoore, who had both approved and attended as a student the course that I taught there. Upon his release, which was 7 years after my discharge, Captain Kopfman had personally found and contacted me, to credit his own survival and that of others to ”POW Survival” courses such as the one that I taught to him and others.”
I found these to be, not only revealing as to your qualifications and motivations for starting and maintaining this board under your true identity, but also provable to your few remaining antagonists via separate contact with Theodore F. Kopfman.
It was amazingly ironic that your own Division Officer and former student became one of the first to be captured by the North Vietnamese, and it was a fitting tribute to the effectiveness of your course that he had successfully survived his very long time in captivity.
Respectfully,
Bob
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9/22/2006, 3:24 pm
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Joseph Sarandos
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Re: Kudos, Joseph!
Bob,
Please understand that I was not in favor of our involvement in the Korean War, and that it was not out of "pure" patriotism that I'd committed to joining the Navy at age 16 and entering it at age 17 while that war was still raging.
One of my brothers had volunteered into the Navy before me, and a few of my cousins and some of our family friends had been drafted or had volunteered into the Military.
I'd originally planned to join the Air Force, which was because I had no taste for killing, but only a desire to fly "search and rescue," "re-supplying" and other life-saving missions. The Navy recruiter had promised me (in writing) that I could do the same in Naval Aviation.
As it happened, the Korean War officially ended after I'd joined, but before I got old enough (18) to attend Flight School, so I declined to become a peacetime pilot or a commissioned officer, having no intent at the time to stay in for more than 4 years. But, I'd progressed through the NCO-ranks as quickly as was possible in peacetime, and had grown very fond of being in, so I re-upped for another 6 years after a few months of civilian life.
I spent the most of my time as 1st-class and then Chief Petty Officer as an instructor, which was why I'd set up and taught POW Survival, along with Moral Leadership, Instructor Training and Aircraft Hydraulics courses.
So, as it turned out, I was able to fulfill my desire to save lives, although indirectly, via helping to inform and prepare men to survive as POWs in the next war.
There was nothing courageous, life-threatening, or heroic on my part in what I did, and ironically, my spinal injury resulted from an Ejection-seat training accident during Flight Physiology recertification.
If I had it to do over again, I'd do exactly as I did, but minus the flying that I was allowed to do. I'm sure that many others would do the same, given the same circumstances and opportunities.
Joseph
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9/24/2006, 10:07 am
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NamVet2
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Re: Kudos, Joseph!
Insider Bob,
While Chief Sarandos is certainly not bashful or embarrassed about his service record, he does have a habit of withholding and downplaying the parts he'd played while on active duty, and of releasing just enough details to provide avenues for proving that what he does tell is absolutely true, i.e.; his naming of the still-living Captain Kopfman (Ret).
However, I can assue you that both retired and active members of the Navy, officers and enlisted men alike, and in various departments and divisions in which Chief Sarandos had served for long and short periods of time, have provided members of our vets organization with bits and pieces that combine into his true biography.
In short, I can tell you that his personal contributions have had important and unique effects and results, both directly and by "ripples," upon the thinking and actions of military men in leadership positions. As tragic were the actual results of the Vietnam involvement, they could and would have been far worse were it not for the competent training and teaching in both POW Survival and Moral Leadership that Chief Sarandos and his proteges had provided to our troops in advance of their deployment.
Neither do I consider him to be a "war hero" in the full sense of that word, but it is undeniable and provable that an uncountable number of actual heroes had emerged because of the lasting impressions that he had placed within their minds and mores.
Even today, Chief Sarandos' opinions and explanations are studied and given credence within the Military Establishment, as we have discovered through our private correspondences and pleadings, with quotes from, links and references to his writings in this and his previous version of The Full Truth Forum.
His personal courage, as well as his unflagging dedication to the Constitution, was not only proven by his voluntary enlistment during the Korean War, but is amply reflected in his decision to write under his true identity from his exposed addresses, while openly criticizing and opposing such men who retain direct and indirect control over his livelihood as an injured veteran, such as his Compensation ratings and attendant payments through the Veterans Administration.
I agree with him that others would have done the same under the same circumstances and given the same opportunities, but I realize that he was and is in a tiny minority of those who were and are both able and willing to do so.
Greg
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10/2/2006, 11:28 pm
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