NV&GWVC; Remembers...

the men and women who were very much a part of this organization throughout the years. Everyone of them had a voice and spoke out on the issues including POW/MIA and Human Rights for Vietnam. All of them have earned their honorable place in NV&GWVC history. Others not mentioned here are listed on some of the pages and have given just as much to the causes for which we stand. May God Bless them and may they be at eternal peace. We miss them and will never forget them.

The memorial pages will be redone in good order. When they are completed, they will be posted in the archives.

LARRY STARK, POW

UPDATE ON FUNERAL SERVICES FOR LARRY STARK - JULY 7, 2022

Information for Larry's funeral service can be found here...

Our dear old friend, former POW in Southeast Asia, Larry Stark, had passed away. For nearly 50 years, Larry was faithful and dedicated in his search for American POW MIAs abandoned by our government in Southeast Asia. I am confident that he will now meet those whom he searched so faithfully.

May Larry's soul and the souls of all our departed unreturned POW MIAs rest in peace.

John Molloy, OSJ
Chairman
National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition

Bio, Stark, Lawrence J. - POW Network
https://www.pownetwork.org › bios
Jan 7, 2010 — More than 40 years after he was captured by Vietnamese forces and became a prisoner of war ( POW), Lawrence J. Stark returned to the Washington."

"THERE WERE DAYS OLD FRIEND IN ASIA WHEN YOU DROVE ME NUTS BUT I THIS DAY MISS YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. Major Mark A. Smith, USA, Retired

Tom Ashworth

Compatriots, an old friend and fellow POW-MIA Activist, Tom Ashworth, has joined the faithful departed. Tom served as USMC helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Now he shall be with those departed prisoners of war and missing in action whose freedom he worked so hard to obtain. I still remember one of my conversations with Tom when he was discussing an introduction for Moscow Bound and shared this statement with me: "George Orwell though he entitled his masterpiece: 1984, he really meant 1948."

Tom was completely correct in his assessment because by 1948, Gen. Patton having been terminated, America was on its downhill trek, having abandoned tens of thousands of American POW's of the Nazis not contesting their repatriation by the Soviet army and being sent to Siberia, and the CIA was created shortly thereafter.

Tom rest in peace and be there to await us when it is our time to join you.

John Molloy, OSJ
Chairman, National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Coalition

Lamont Gaston

Once again, it is my duty to share the sad news that Lamont Gaston, my predecessor as Chairman of the National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Coalition (2001-2003) passed away last Friday morning, POW MIA Recognition Day, September 17, 2021. Lamont, served in the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam and had been severely wounded in the service of our nation and the cause of freedom for the people of South Vietnam. Lamont was also a founder of VietNow, a renowned Vietnam veterans organization which was based in Illinois. Lamont journeyed to Vietnam with the late former Rep Billy Hendon, on behalf of America's unreturned prisoners of war and missing in action. Lamont had been ill for over a decade. He will be remembered as a true patriot for his many years of dedicated service to his fellow veterans and to our POW-MIAs. Rest in Peace old friend.

Larry J. O' Daniel, NV&GWVC; POW/MIA COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

It is my sad duty to advise you belatedly of the passing of Larry J. O'Daniel. The last time I spoke to Larry it was last Spring as he had planned to visit a friend in South Vietnam with whom he had served in military intelligence. Since then Larry had been off the radar. I just learned today that he died at home several months ago. Larry was a Captain in the United States Army and served primarily in the III Corp Area in i968/9 where his function was to identify and neutralize the Viet cong- including those holding American POWS. After leaving the military he continued his efforts on behalf of American prisoners of war and missing in action and was the author of "Missing In Action Trail of Deceit" in the late 1970s. It was so controversial that it was reportedly removed from the libraries as it was one of the first books to reveal that our government abandoned our prisoners of war and missing in action. He later authored additional books: "Help Me I'm Still Alive" and in 2000, "Trails of Deceit." Larry was relentless in his efforts on behalf of our missing servicemen and he will be missed. Rest in Peace, Friend.

John McCreary, Defense Intelligence Expert, DIA

John McCreary, an advocate for American prisoners of war and missing in action, departed for his eternal rest on August 14,2019. He worked for the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA (1991).

J. Thomas Burch, Jr., November 13, 2019

Tom Burch, a founder and former Chairman of the National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Coalition, began his final journey today at 0300hours on November 13, 2019. Tom succumbed to the effects of cancer after having endured the disease for several months. During this time of tribulation he bore his travails with strength and dignity. Tom is remembered for his lengthy and dedicated service on behalf of our POW-MIAs and fellow veterans. May Tom rest in peace.

Former Congressman William "Billy" Hendon (R-NC)

Former Congressman, Billy Hendo. POW/MIA activist and co-author of the book, "An Enormous Crime, passed away on June 20, 2018. Billy was a remarkable representive in Congress and a good friend to many POW friends and families. His endless struggle to expose the truth cost him his health and welfare as many in the halls of Congress tried to bring him down, especially the late Sen. from Arizona, John McCain, and the former Secretary of State, John Kerry, among others who continually made Billy's life miserable. Billy Hendon spent nearly 4 decades working intensively to bring American POWs home from Vietnam. He was co-author with Elizabeth Stewart of the New York Times Best Seller: An Enormous Crime The Definitive Account of American POWs Abandoned in Southeast Asia. Billy also produced the You tube video, only a portion of his dedicated efforts which caused him severe financial distress. He persevered to the point that years of devotion to this pain-staking cause also affected his health. We owe it to Billy to make every effort to get the sealed/classified records of the returned POWs opened so that we can obtain information on those who were abandoned and, also on the collaborators, such as was the late Sen. John McCain, who basked in the reputation of hero/patriot and "war hero" when, in fact, he had maligned both his brothers-in-arms and those who begged truth on the issue. For his relentless devotion to the cause, and to truth and honesty in government, may Billy's soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. God Speed, Billy!

Col. Nguyen Kim Ban

A good friend and member of the NV&GWVC with the Council
of Vietnamese-American Organization, Colonel Ban served in
the South Vietnamese Army and was a former Prisoner of War
of the North Vietnamese