To Lane who is no longer the little boy sat with me at Coalition Breakfasts and to my Brothers and Sisters - Veterans & POW Activists.

THE PASSING OF A GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOT

I awakened just about sunrise on Monday morning, May 11, 2009 and as I usually do, I checked the perimeter. On the northern boundary of the property, about three hundred yards out, I saw what appeared to be the image of a man. Wondering who might be so audacious to be trespassing in the middle of what is a vast open area, I reached for my binoculars. On closer examination, what I thought was a man was actually a hawk perched on my no trespassing sign. I gazed at the hawk for a few moments and then suddenly it took flight. It was only this morning that I realized what might have been the significance of what I had observed. The next day, I learned that my old friend, Ted Sampley, 'Red Hawk' (of Red Hawk Construction) who had undergone extensive bypass surgery on Monday had expired suddenly on Tuesday. In restrospect, I cannot help but wonder, not having seen Ted as frequently over the last few years (the last time at dinner in June 2007 with Earl and Patti Hopper, Billy Hendon, Top Holland, Jerry Kiley, Joe Millner, Frank Emiro,et al) if the hawk was a message from Ted.

Sadly, American prisoners of war have have lost one of their greatest defenders. Ted has gone to the place where he will be welcomed by other great POW`activists: Col. Nick Rowe, Col. Ear Hopper, Senator Jeremiah Denton, Col. Laird Gutterson... and all the American prisoners of war who have expired in enemy captivity but who Ted so ably defended. These giants and heroes will be in their rightful place in heaven and one can only hope that their (and our) opponents and detractors, opponents of truth, justice and freedom, will go to their rightful place.

I first met Ted on Sunday, November 4, 1984 in Lafayette Park, in Washington, DC at a POW Rally. I was in town to attend a meeting of representatives of veterans organizations from Long Island (NY) with government representatives (the usual dog and pony show) at the White House Executive Office Building. Along with other members of the RELEASE Foundation, I met with a few activists at the rally and I noticed a veteran wearing a green beret who did not seem to be feeling well. The veteran and I spoke briefly and he asked what I intended to discuss at the meeting. Unlike the others who were going to attend the meeting, I was wearing camouflage fatigues and green and black face paint. After emerging from the meeting, he learned that I had upset the other attendees not only because of my appearance but also from my comments about our government who was deceiving us under the facade of 'the highest national priority'. The veteran in the green beret was Ted Sampley. Our friendship began on that day over two decades ago. Thereafter, we shared many experiences in Washington DC, at the Mall, the White House, the Capitol the Laotian and Vietnamese Missions and at the UN fighting for the return of our missing men. POW-MIA family members, activists, organizations and the National Vietnam Veterans Coalition proudly accepted the label given to us by the government opposition in 1985: ' the Rambo Faction' as our nom de guerre and Ted though his actions and defiance was Rambo in every sense of the word.

Over the years, we continued to apply pressure to our government and communist adversaries though the number of activists and energy began to diminish. Ted was instrumental in revitalizing the effort by helping to initiate the first Rolling Thunder Rally in DC in 1988 and founding a newspaper devoted to the plight of our prisoners of war and missing in action: 'The Bamboo Connection' which over the years blossomed into the U.S Veterans Dispatch which continued to provide vital information on our POW-MIAs and on veterans issues. Ted's initiative, energy and brilliance enabled the POW issue to emerge from the activist stage to the intellectual via Ted's early mastery of the computer and the information highway. For a number of years Ted served as a senor officer of the National Vietnam Veterans Coalition and he continued to provide motivation for later activist and legislative efforts on behalf of our POW-MIAs. In the midst of all his efforts on behalf of our POW-MIAs, including traveling to Thailand to distribute the reward offer across the Mekong River, Ted managed a profitable business, and even had a personal life. His energy was boundless.

During one of my several 'interviews' with federal law enforcement officials (terrorist task force) during the 1980s who considered the activities of the RELEASE Foundation suspect, they asked me about Ted. I replied then and I still feel today: 'that Ted Sampley is one of the finest Americans with whom I would be most proud to serve in the save foxhole and die with'. I was called incorrigible, but Ted was incorrigibility personified and a true representative of the Spirit of America.

Ted, my friend you shall be greatly missed by many. You were truly today's Brave Heart and your boots will be extremely difficut to fill.

RED HAWK is on the wing and an inspiration to us all!

John J Molloy
Chairman
National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Coalition