JOHN HARLEY ROBERTSON THIS GUY POSING AS ROBERTSON HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE A FRAUD BY THE FBI. BE AWARE!

THE FORGOTTEN SOLDIER

20 May 68- Robert D. Plato, MSG E-8, Hatchet Force, KIA-RR John Hartley Robertson, SFC E-7, USASF, FOB-1, Phu Bai, Ops 35 and a Vietnamese Pilot, Co-pilot, and door gunner names unknown) SFC Robertson and the Vietnamese, MIA-Presumptive finding of death. (These individuals were on a kingbee helicopter, CH34, 4 miles inside Laos, south of A Shau; on a medical evacuation helicopter and to resupply a recon team and hatchet force in combat with the enemy when the helicopter came under intense enemy fire, smashed into the trees, and caught fire in the A Shau Valley, Laos. SFC Robertson was the Covey rider who supported RT Alabama on 4 May 68).

 

This info from SGM (R) Billy Waugh, MACVSOG

Sorry that the information concerning John Hartley Robertson (JHR) flying around the net for the past days, has become confusing.
    According to persons in the USG, working in Phnom Phen, the Caucasian depicted in the photo has been proven not to be JHR, but to be a French citizen, long time in Cambodia, with a Vietnamese wife, and several children.  Proof was produced by a DNA sample, more than one year back.
    On receiving a message via email, for a solid contact, from the USG, with this info, who received this from his USG organization in Cambodia, I have become convinced that the brothers Faunce (Joseph and Thomas) are being duped by this Caucasian, whose language is pidgin English and Viet. 
    I did speak to Joseph Faunce on 25 Feb, prior to his departure / return to Cambodia that very day.  These Faunce lads seem thoroughly convinced (that) they have JHR, but those USG personnel on the ground, who have taken DNA from this same man (according to the info I received) are certain this man is a fraud.  I wish this was not true; however, it surely seems to be true.
    Ex-POW (Mark Smith) in a message I received on 28 Feb and shown below, is convinced this Caucasian male is a fraud, having dealt with him 18 years back. 

 

    In talking to Mary Shantag, who, with her husband, operate the [email protected]  
in searching out those making false claims, agree with Mark Smith, that his Caucasian male in Cambodia, is attempting to fraud the USG.  The USG has completed several actions involved with this man (according to info I have received)
    I regret (that) the Faunce brothers, and several other fine American citizens, are taken in by these actions.  I surely regret that the real JHR is not alive, for I worked in the same project as did this fine man. 

Click--> Defense of Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office's Official Report dated 19 February 2009 to view their report on this fraud, which was reviewed by DPMO, 

Just think, their claim is that a supposed SF guy who had the intelligence and language aptitude to earn a Green beret, would totally lose his ability to speak or understand English just because he had not spoken it in years and he was a Sergeant First Class so he was not some young kid and in his 30's when he was lost. It would be impossible for him to forget his basic language, even after 44 years. 

Statement from Major Mark Smith (Zippo) who has dealt with this fraud for many years when he tried to impersonate other lost Americans fromt he Vietnam war:
 

In a message dated 5/1/2013 5:14:55 P.M. Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:

 

Perhaps Robert it is best to look at the trail of this from the beginning.At the time I was the bodyguard for a Cambodian Princess(Khety Tiolong) who was a Deputy director of UNESCO.The first inclination something was afoot was in 1991 and continued through the first part of 1994. First came the blood with a picture of the individual in question(very hazy) shown providing the sample.The claim then was that he was Larry Stevens and I took the sample to America and a fine patriot paid for Gladys,Larry's mother,to go through the process which proved,via DNA,that this individual was not her son.I was angry that this wonderful lady and her family were put through this and I helped get that done.

During the same time frame half-French Claude Clement(e) was being shopped by this same crew but he quietly told me who he was and I took him away from the Vietnamese Intelligence operatives trying to shop him(this after many years in 're-education'. They were the same ones shopping 'Stevens' above.I warned them then but they felt that they were close enough with Hun Sen and his police chief Hok Lundy to pull about anything but Hun Sen has always been shy about taking me on because I also know his true background('buffalo boy' my fourth point of contact).

I finally met the individual,in the latest pictures,being then shopped as 'Colonel John L. Robertson,USAF',who was also missing and along with Stevens and Lundy was one of the subjects of the "Three Amigos Photo" which also came out.I sat next to this individual and talked to him in Vietnamese and by his features alone It was obvious that he was not Colonel Robertson. He had no trouble speaking Vietnamese and when I told him that he was a fraud,his response and that of Cambodian General Minh was that ethnic Lao Khambang(bailiff of Judge Hamilton Gayden in Nashville) thought he was indeed Colonel Robertson.I then threatened to shoot him if he ever tried this again. This then led to the rumor that my 'real job' was that of an assassin to kill POWS(that I had been one myself seemed lost on all).I later was able to meet with the late Debra Robertson Bardsley(sp) and alert her to the scam prior to her traveling to Cambodia and they failed to scam her.

This latest iteration started when they contacted Billy Waugh my old friend and I was able to intercede before more money was invested in this but it obviously did not work.I told everyone,who would listen that this guy had already failed one round of DNA testing and was then told that this same individual was 'John H. Robertson' but this was put aside by most, outside the circle of brethren within SF, because of my new reputation as the "CIA assassin" assigned to 'kill all the live POWS.'

The folks involved in this film at some point,in my opinion,ceased to be well-meaning' and became part of just trying to at least recoup their monetary losses.What they actually achieved is to assist Vietnamese authorities in providing ongoing bogus data to derail any serious effort to ascertain what truly happened to missing Americans.

The true tragedy was/is that the United States Government has always happily sat by while honest folk burn themselves out on false leads,trails and big-nosed Jarai Montagnards like this guy. I shall be forever ashamed that I put Larry Steven's momma through DNA tests before I ever saw this same fellow.That made me forever vigilant and after nearly fifty years these folks do not 'all look the same' to me. The worst thing is that many of us know that men were left behind and those like Claude and this Jarai are the products of Vietnamese Intelligence continuing to muddy the waters of intelligence.

Thank you for all you and others did to expose this latest episode in chicanery.

I am copying Billy,Don et al on this.

Mark Smith(Zippo)

If Billy W or any of the others want to contact reporter directly to add quotes or detail they can call or email him today. This article will be accessed by others in the future and this is the best chance to get the story accurate and bulletproof.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2317464/Revealed-Vietnam-veteran-alive-jungle-44-years-exposed-FAKE-ex-special-forces-secretly-collected-DNA-22-years-ago-prove-it.html

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Wednesday, May 01 20133PM

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2317464/Revealed-Vietnam-veteran-alive-jungle-44-years-exposed-FAKE-ex-special-forces-secretly-collected-DNA-22-years-ago-prove-it.html

FRAUD! US Vietnam 'veteran found alive in jungle after 44 years' is exposed as a FAKE

By James Nye

PUBLISHED:19:25 EST, 30 April 2013| UPDATED:

 

The astonishing claims of a 76-year-old man found living in Vietnam who says he is a U.S. war veteran presumed dead 44-years ago have been exposed as a hoax.

The story of Sgt. John Hartley Robertson as told by a new documentary 'Unclaimed' gripped the world on Tuesday - raising the astounding possibility that an American POW escaped from his Vietnamese captors and began a family in secret with a local woman - while his wife and two children grieved back home.

However, it can be revealed that the man is not Sgt. Robertson, rather he is a conman who has attempted to suck in members of the Vietnam MIA/POW community and that the CIA performed a secret DNA test on him 20-years ago that confirmed his lies.

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Discovery: Special Forces Green Beret Master Sgt. John Hartley Robertson is the subject of a documentary which claims to have found him alive - now revealed as incorrect - 44 years after he supposedly died in Vietnam

Discovery: Special Forces Green Beret Master Sgt. John Hartley Robertson is the subject of a documentary which claims to have found him alive - now revealed as incorrect - 44 years after he supposedly died in Vietnam

Mystery no More: Dang Tan Ngoc (pictured) has been revealed to be an imposter who had repeatedly tried to impersonate a MIA Vietnam veteran

Mystery no More: Dang Tan Ngoc (pictured) has been revealed to be an imposter who had repeatedly tried to impersonate a MIA Vietnam veteran

A 2009 Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) memo sent to the MailOnline on Tuesday acknowledges that the man, known as Dang Tan Ngoc, came to the attention of U.S. personnel in Vietnam in 2006.

He was claiming to be Sgt. John Hartley Robertson, who is thought to have died in a special forces op mission over Laos in 1968.

He was interviewed and under questioning admitted that he was not Sgt. Robertson but a Vietnamese citizen.

However, in 2008 he again tried to pose as the MIA veteran and was taken to the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh where he was fingerprinted.

 

They were evaluated by the FBI, which, in a February 2009 report, concluded Ngoc's fingerprints did not match those in Sgt. Robertson's official records.

They believed that these attempts to claim the identity of a MIA solider were to defraud the U.S. Government of money in military back-pay.

These revelations follow swiftly on from the release of 'Unclaimed', a new documentary that questions whether Ngoc - found living in south-central Vietnam, could be Sgt. John Hartley Robertson.

Fake? Robertson, a former U.S. Army Green Beret and member of an elite MACV-SOG unit, was listed as Missing In Action in 1968. But a fellow Vietnam vet who claims he has met a man claiming to be him set off a media storm on TuesdayFake? Robertson, a former U.S. Army Green Beret and member of an elite MACV-SOG unit, was listed as Missing In Action in 1968. But a fellow Vietnam vet who claims he has met a man claiming to be him set off a media storm on Tuesday

Don Bendell (left) has spent years debunking the claims of a Vietnamese man who says he is missing American veteran Sgt. John Hartley Robinson - his friend Major Mark

Don Bendell (left) has spent years debunking the claims of a Vietnamese man who says he is missing American veteran Sgt. John Hartley Robinson - his friend Major Mark 'Zippo' Smith (right) apparently collected DNA from this man which proved Bendell right

Don Bendell (left) has spent years debunking the claims of a Vietnamese man who says he is missing American veteran Sgt. John Hartley Robinson - his friend Major Mark 'Zippo' Smith (right) apparently collected DNA from this man which proved Bendell right

Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Billy Waugh - with his extensive knowledge of special forces and covert operations - Mr. Waugh also refutes the claims of Ncog to be Sgt. Robertson

Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Billy Waugh - with his extensive knowledge of special forces and covert operations - Mr. Waugh also refutes the claims of Ncog to be Sgt. Robertson

Out of sight: Dang Tan Ngoc (pictured) claims to be Robertson, but has forgotten how to speak English

Out of sight: Dang Tan Ngoc (pictured) claims to be Robertson, but has forgotten how to speak English

In the course of the film, 76-year-old Ngoc, claiming to be Sgt. Robertson, is shown to be unable to remember his birthday, his American children’s names, or how to speak English.

Despite this, he manages to convince a number of people, including Sgt. Robertson's 80-year-old sister, Jean Robertson Holley.

The climax of the film is a tearful meeting between Robertson Holley and Ngoc - during which she unconditionally accepts the man is her brother back from the dead.

MISSING IN ACTION: WHO WAS JOHN HARTLEY ROBERTSON?

According to best selling author and former special forces soldier Don Bendell, the individual who claims to be Sgt. Robertson, is most probably a Vietnamese-French man who has been manipulating vulnerable veterans searching for MIA/POWs since 1991.

Mr. Bendell served in Vietnam assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group from 1968 to 1969 and counts influential friends such as fellow veteran and former member of the Reagan administration, Orson Swindle as friends.

In an email seen by the MailOnline sent to the organizer of a veterans film festival that will show 'Unclaimed', Mr. Bendell says, 'The man seen in the documentary posing as John Hartley Robertson is a guy from France, an impostor, who has been used to scam money from well-meaning veterans and others who would LOVE to see any POW rescued.'

Reports suggest that Ngoc has been attempting to impersonate Sgt. Robertson since 1982.

Senior members of the special forces veterans community have also made it clear to the MailOnline their disgust at the man's claims expressed through the new documentary.

It is thought that the individual has possibly scammed tens of thousands of dollars from well meaning veterans who want to believe him.

Indeed, Mr. Bendell reveals that influential former POWs Major Mark 'Zippo' Smith and Orson Swindle - who was Senator John McCain's cellmate during their incarceration by North Vietnamese forces - are aware of the fraud the man claiming to be Sgt. Robertson is attempting.

Soldier: Robertson is pictured left in 1968 - the year he was declared missing after his helicopter crashedSoldier: Robertson is pictured left in 1968 - the year he was declared missing after his helicopter crashed  

 

 

NOTE: After this article was published with the abovce picture, I received this email:

In a message dated 5/1/2013 7:07:24 P.M. Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
In your article you have a photo that is of four young men. The man on the left is Identified as John Robertson. His real name is William "Billy" Wilson. I am the person on the extreme right and I own the photo. It appears the film maker took the photo from an article written May 25, 2006 by reporter Charles Webster for the Trentonian a newspaper in Trenton, New Jersey. The article was about a SOG soldier that went missing on February 11, 1969 by the name of Harold "Bill" Kroske who was from Trenton. There can be no confusion about the identities of the people in the photograph as they are listed in the article as well as identified me as the source of the photo. This particular photo was taken in early 1969 so it could not be of Robertson. None of the people in the photo arrived before September 1968 and since SFC Robertson went missing in May of 1968 there is no way that it could be of Robertson. If you would like to contact the Trentonian to confirm any thing that I have said tell them it was "The Trentonian Special Advertising Section-Hometown Heroes" published May 25, 2006. As an aside I served with Captain James Nye.

Orson Swindle seen in June 2008 in his role as Commmissioner of the Federal Trade Commission - Mr. Swindle was a Vietnam POW who shared a cell with one-time presidential candidate Senator John McCain

Orson Swindle seen in June 2008 in his role as Commmissioner of the Federal Trade Commission - Mr. Swindle was a Vietnam POW who shared a cell with one-time presidential candidate Senator John McCain

In fact, 'Zippo', who currently lives in Thailand and and legendary CIA Paramilitary Operations Officer Billy Waugh, traveled to meet the man portraying Sgt. Robertson in 1991 to find out the truth for themselves.

Mr. Waugh is a renowned former Special Forces Sergeant Major who was instrumental in the capture of terrorist Carlos the Jackal and tracked Osama bin Laden for a year in the mountains of Tora Bora, in Afghanistan following 9/11.

Mr. Bendell reveals that 'Zippo' and Mr. Waugh came to the conclusion that it was a total scam and crucially - collected DNA.

Such is the anger aimed at the imposter inside the Special Operations Association (SOA) veterans group, Mr. Bendell claims the Vietnamese man is well advised to stop making these claims.

Put simply, members of the SOA are adamant that if the individual in Vietnam was their missing comrade, he would have been welcomed back with open arms.

Retired special forces Captain Robert Noe, the owner and editor of Vietnam veteran website MACVSOG explains the reservations his fraternity have always had over Ngoc.

'One of the things that struck me first was that he had forgotten how to speak English,' said Noe, who served in Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, North during the conflict.

'Robertson was a special forces soldier which would have meant he had specific language capabilities and he was a Sergeant 1st Class in his 30s.

'No one forgets to speak their native language after that long. The claims are bulls**t.'

At work: Cinematographer Allan Leader and filmmaker Michael Jorgensen pictured in Vietnam in 2012

At work: Cinematographer Allan Leader and filmmaker Michael Jorgensen pictured in Vietnam in 2012

Michael Jorgensen (pictured) is the writer and director of new documentary 'Unclaimed' - which follows the story of a Vietnam veteran as he travels back to the South East Asian Country

Unclaimed movie poster

Michael Jorgensen (pictured) is the writer and director of new documentary 'Unclaimed' - which follows the story of a Vietnam veteran as he travels back to the South East Asian Country

Vietnam veteran Tom Faunce has become obsessed with proving that the 76-year-old man he has found in Vietnam is indeed Sgt. John Hartley Robertson

Search: Vietnam veteran and humanitarian Tom Faunce, pictured, has become obsessed with proving that the 76-year-old man he has found in Vietnam is indeed Sgt. John Hartley Robertson

Questions: Faunce walks along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.

Questions: Faunce walks along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.

Email exchanges seen by the MailOnline reveal it is the deepest wish of the ex-special forces community and U.S. government that Sgt. Robertson be found.

POWS IN VIETNAM: COULD THERE STILL BE U.S. PRISONERS?

'There are lots of us who would love to find a POW and bring him home, many willing to accept less due diligence just to show as proof the American government left men behind, but we are not willing to accept some obvious fraud who has already been exposed,'Captain Robert Noe to Mr. Bendell in an email to Mr. Bendell.

The documentary makers, led by Emmy award winning filmmaker Michael Jorgensen have made it clear that they are making no judgement about the claims of the man who says he is Sgt. Robertson.

Their film is about the journey of one Vietnam veteran, Tom Faunce, as he seeks to find the truth behind the astounding claims.

The makers of the documentary were approached for comment by the MailOnline - but at the time of publication had not responded.

However, despite the potentially astonishing discovery made during the course of the documentary, Sgt. Robertsons two daughters - refused to take a DNA test to prove his identity.

The wife and daughters of Sgt. John Hartley Robertson, a one-time Green Beret, initially agreed to participate in DNA testing, before changing their minds last year, according to Jorgensen, whose documentary asks whether the man is indeed who he says he is.

'Somebody suggested to me maybe that's (because) the daughters don't want to know if it's him,' said Jorgensen. 'It's kind of like, "That was an ugly war. It was a long time ago. We just want it to go away".

'I don’t know. What would compel you not to want to know if this person is your biological father?'

Jean Robertson Holley, said she will not have a DNA test as she knows it's him

Jean Robertson Holley, said she will not have a DNA test as she knows it's him

The tearful meeting between Ngoc and Robertson Holley is the climax to the documentary.

The scene was filmed in Edmonton, Canada, because Ngoc could not gain a visa to enter the United States.

According to Michael Jorgensen, 'Jean says...There’s no question. I was certain it was him in the video, but when I held his head in my hands and looked in his eyes, there was no question that was my brother.'

A simple DNA test could confirm the claims of Ngoc once and for all, but she said she does not need to take the test to know the man is her brother.

Is this missing US Army Vet Sgt. John Hartley Robertson?

Indeed, Sgt. Robertson's name is etched along with 60,000 others onto Washington D.C.'s poignant Vietnam memorial, but the documentary questions whether he is actually alive and well.

The now exposed fake, 'Sgt. Robertson' tells Emmy-award winning filmmaker Michael Jorgensen that when his flaming helicopter crashed to the ground during a firefight on a Laos mountaintop, he was captured immediately by North Vietnamese soldiers.

Stunning story of a Vietnam vet shot down in 1968. See the...

'They locked me up, high in the forest, in a cage,' he claims. 'I was in and out of consciousness from torture and starvation. The North Vietnamese soldier hit me on the head with a stick, shouting, "American!"

'Then he would hit me even harder; I thought I would die. I never said anything, though they beat and tortured me.'

According to his story, he escaped after four years, hid in the woods and was found in a field by a woman who nursed him back to health and then became his wife.

He said he borrowed her late husband’s surname and birth date and was registered as a French-Vietnamese resident named Dan Tan Ngoc.

The couple then had children but no recorded attempt was made to contact his wife or children back home in America.

The main focus of the documentary is the quest of Vietnam veteran Tom Faunce as he seeks to prove that the man he first heard about in 2008 while on a humanitarian mission was indeed a fellow serviceman.

Younger years: Jean and her younger brother are pictured center while growing up in Alabama

Younger years: Jean and her younger brother are pictured center while growing up in Alabama

Fonce contacted Jorgensen to see if the filmmaker would follow his story to establish that Robertson was still alive - but at first the director was cautious.

'The MIA story was pretty unbelievable, pretty grandiose,' he said to the Globe and Mail. 'I was very skeptical.'

However, what struck Jorgensen more than the idea a Vietnam veteran could have stayed undetected for 44 years was Faunce's own journey as a soldier, alcoholic and victim of child abuse.

Jorgensen said he was inspired by how Faunce would 'go all the way in helping someone he didn't even know.' He added that 'no matter how the story turned out with John, I knew there was just a great "once upon a time" with Tom.'

In Vietnam, Faunce tracked down the man who was locally rumored to be a former American Green Beret who had never returned home.

'Tom went to meet him and was very skeptical, grilled this guy up and down trying to get him to break, to say, "Oh, no, I’m just making it up." And he was adamant he was that guy,' Jorgensen told The Toronto Star.

Growing up: Robertson is pictured with his older sister Jean, other siblings and their parents

Growing up: Robertson is pictured with his older sister Jean, other siblings and their parents

John H. Robertson's Parents, JC and Mildred

John Robertson, 1955

Former life: Robertson's parents, JC and Mildred, are pictured left, while Robertson himself is pictured in uniform in 1955, when he would have been 19 years old, two years after dropping out of school

Heroes: American flags stand at the base of a statue of American Soldiers of the Vietnam War in D.C.

Heroes: American flags stand at the base of a statue of American Soldiers of the Vietnam War in D.C.

Read more:

 

 

From: Thomas Faunce <[email protected]>

Date:
Sunday, January 18, 2009, 9:26 AM

 The Forgotten Soldier

I am sitting here at home after a long and tiresome trip to South East Asia. It is very cold here, subzero temperatures, not like the heat I became accustomed to in South East Asia. This trip has been both a great trial and a challenging test. I have been working in Cambodia and the Vietnam border now for a while. We have been putting wells in villages that are in need of good water. This has given us an open door to minister the gospel to those in need. About a year back I was told by the Cambodia Christians and the Vietnamese that there was an American from the Vietnam war that was still living in the highlands of Vietnam. I, like many veterans, have heard similar stories and took this one with a grain of salt. However, by the next trip there was more interest on their part to let me know of this man; so I did acquire who he was and what his name was. I was given the name: "John Hartley Robertson". I came home and checked into this information and found out that this man was shot down in a helicopter on a mission into Lao. I returned alone to Cambodia to see if I could make any contact. I did meet with some individuals who brought me some photos and information. I was not sure of these men, I felt they were middle men using the situation for their own gain. These men had been contacted by the church members because of the information they had in their possession. However, the church had no dealings with them up until this time. I made arrangements for another trip in so that I could meet with John. They told me they could bring him into Cambodia. I agreed and headed back home. My return trip was with my cousin Joe who is from San Antonio, Texas. Joe has gone to many places with me and is a very strong part of the ministry of Frontline Outreach. Joe also was with me on the well projects in this area.

I came into Cambodia a day earlier than Joe and met up with Ratha our friend and interpreter. Joe came in the next day. That same evening we contacted the Vietnamese, they told us we would have to come into Vietnam to meet with John. I was a little discouraged and had a check within my heart about these folks. I felt they were leading us on. The next morning we traveled all the way to the border. When we tried to get into Vietnam we found out we had to go all the way back to Phnom Penh the capital of Cambodia and get our visa. We did not know that they did not give them at the border. To say the least we were discouraged about the delay, however we headed back in hope to get a visa in time and return before ten o'clock evening when the border would close. Our delay seemed to put a damper on the Vietnamese who claimed they had John with them. They told us John and his family who had not been out of the village for many years were getting scared and wanted to return. We encouraged them to wait for us. This situation seemed tense. I felt within that these men were leading us away from where we needed to go. We did make it back to the border before it shut down. It was late evening before we were in Vietnam. The men told us that they had to leave Saigon and go another way, because Johns family was scared. By this time I knew within we were being mislead into something, we did not know. I was a little irate at this time and told our friend the Cambodian pastor that we needed to change direction. While in Vietnam, the pastor found he had a number to reach John's son by cell phone. He called, found out that they were not with the men who had set up the meeting and that they knew nothing of our meeting in Saigon. We realized we were being set up for a rip-off. We decided to head up to the central high lands where the village was, the place in which the American reportedly had been in. The pastor from Cambodia has met with John and knew exactly were we should go. We ended up in a town up in the hills close to the village. By this time it was early morning. We were informed that they were fearful up in the village of any foreigners coming  there, so we decided to wait in town for John and his son to come and meet us. It was not long after that a motorcycle pulled up to where we were staying. It was John and his son. The first time he saw us he came up and hugged us and started weeping. They told us before hand that his mind was not right. He could hardly speak any language. I soon found out that this man who in my heart I believe is John Harltey had a real problem mentally. I do not know what happened the day he was shot down, however knowing war, I knew it had to be very traumatic. I found out from his son that he had been this way as long as he remembered. I was told that when he is at ease that his mind worked better, He showed us his gut wound from the day he was shot down. I do not know how he escaped, except that somehow he was found and stayed in some Buddhist sanctuary for a while in Lao. What we gathered is that he had tried to escape back into Vietnam to reach a US military outpost to try and return home. They informed us that he and some other Vietnamese encountered a battle. They were on a river in a boat and again had to escape for their lives. It is at this time how he met his now wife. They have been up in the hills ever since.


We persuaded John to return to Cambodia with us so that we could try and see what we could do to see that he could return to the Untied States. His family was very hesitant to let him go. We found out that two years back he was taken across the border and locked in a room until he was interviewed. They said that his life was in jeopardy  by the Vietnamese who took him across if he did not agree to stay. He did escape from them and returned to the hills. I met with his daughter Twee, who was deeply concerned for her father. You could see in her face a fear and sadness of what was ahead for her dad. I thought of my daughters and how they would respond to such an arrangement. John told us over and over he wanted to return to America, that he was an American Soldier. He also pointed to his son and daughter in regard to their safety and possibility of them going with him. Truly this is a man caught in two worlds. They agreed to let John go with us accompanied by his son. When we arrived at the border, Joe and I crossed separately. The Vietnamese and Cambodians crossed at another location in which there's no questions asked for a price. I will not disclose much more details on this, for the sake of those involved. We arrived in Phnom Penh at the hotel we often stay at. I was looking forward to what was ahead, but never expected the disinterest we encountered.

The days we spent with John have been one of joy and sadness. I see in this man a real struggle to find his way out, a prisoner of his own mind and circumstances. We sat and reminisced with him as best as we could, and seen him respond to only things most Americans recognize. He even played tic-tac-toe with Joe. We did go to the embassy with him. On the day we arrived, as he walked down the sidewalk to the entrance, behind Joe and I. Joe happened to turn around and was caught off guard by the sight before him. John stopped and was looking up at the American flag with tears in his eyes and than proceeded to salute the flag in a military fashion. He did not know anyone took notice, but we did, it was a sight to see. In his child like mind he mentioned to us Texas, and San Antonio, a place he seemed to know about. One afternoon he pointed to my hat that is similar to a cowboy style and mentioned Mexico and Indians. There were so many little things, his gestures, his politeness. When there was a woman ready to be seated he would get up and offer his seat. His whistle, his stand, his response to things that were recognizable by any American but not custom at all to the Vietnamese. It is hard to explain on paper how to describe this person. John is close to eighty years old. His oldest son is going to be thirty-five. He too is at least six foot tall, though he has more of the Vietnamese features. His daughter Twee on the other hand is more of the Caucasian side of the family. These must be taken into consideration There is too much at stake to just right this man off. I do not understand how we can, justify not following through on this man. In the military we were taught to leave no one behind, a band of brothers watching out for one another. I do not believe there is a Veteran in this country who would not want to see this followed through on a much greater scale than what has been done. With all this information out, I fear for this mans life.

We were told by our government that there was not enough creditable evidence on this man. They even asked me for some ID from him. I could not understand such a question. I told them he has been an MIA for nearly forty years, where was he supposed to get ID. They had based their decision as far as we know by the interview two years before. You cannot interview a man with dementia and come up with any solid conclusion. However, this is what seems to be the basis of them not following through on this man. I was to say the least shocked by the coldness and lack of interest.

This story is hard to believe and put together, however we have a man who is clearly not of Vietnamese decent lost in a village for all these years, wanting to come out and find out who he really is. He told us by what means he could, that he knows he is John Harltey. Before I came I did contact a fellow soldier and friend of his that did recognize John's photo and said that he was very sure that this man was John. This gave me the encouragement and stamina to press on to find this man. As a Christian and a Veteran I know the importance of the value of one life. I could not just turn away from this because of the difficulties or the lack of evidence. I have been criticized. Some saying I was loosing my perspective.  As a Christian in missions the gospel must be first and above all. This I agree with. I cannot help feel that the reaching out to any life is the gospel in action. It is so much more than passing out booklets and bibles, but love in action. How can we turn any one away even at the chance of being foolish to find out the truth?

The frigid cold and Arctic air outside are a reminder of how this all has been handled by our government. As a Vietnam Veteran I find it very hard to accept such apathy in regard to a human life that is very possibly John Hartley Robertson. As I travel this country I have seen the flags, bumper stickers, and signs in remembrance of our POWs, and MIAs. However, it now seems that if one is located that there is not much in remembrance or caring. We will go and dig up the bones at crash sites, but we dare not say one is alive. The Vietnamese government has already stated years back there is no live MIAs. This seems to have closed the books on it. If this is how our government handles such information than truly there are no MIAs, they are all KIAs, because they have already been written off. Regardless of who this man is, there needs to be more than what has been done to prove his identity. More than government officials checking into it, but an independent study from those who have nothing to gain or loose. We spend so much in weapons to take lives why is it we cannot spend just a little to try and save a life of a possible Veteran and by all rights an American hero? We owe all Veterans this right. God help us if we have lost the moral backbone to do the right thing.


By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John
3:16 NKJV)

In Christ service
T.M. Faunce

Hillman MI 49746

Edward T Mahoney, 234 Deer Drive, Ruckersville, VA 22968-3161, [H] 1-434-985-1918, [Cell] 1-434-996-4775

[E-MAIL] [email protected] 

To: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.

Please help me to get someone in the  appropriate US agency’s to examine the finger prints taken at our US Embassy in Cambodia that were sent to  Washington DC for verification. These finger prints were not examined in Washington DC and need to be, to determine if they belong to SFC John Hartley Robertson. The letter below was sent to Ambassador  Carol A Rodley. 

Thank you for any consideration you may provide. This letter will be sent to every US Senator. 

Edward T Mahoney 

Subject:

MIA/POW: SFC John Hartley Robertson. MIA in Laos on 20 May 1968 while riding on a covey SOG supply helicopter to secret outpost in Laos.  MIA/POW case #1184, Army serial number #56299302.

20 May 68; Robert D. Plato, MSG E-8, Hatchet Force, KIA-RR. John Hartley Robertson, SFC E-7, USASF, FOB-1, Phu Bai, Ops 35 and a Vietnamese Pilot, Co-pilot, and door gunner (names unknown) SFC Robertson and the Vietnamese, MIA-Presumptive finding of death. These individuals were on a King bee helicopter, CH34, 4 miles inside Laos, south of A Shau; on a medical evacuation helicopter and to re-supply a recon team and hatchet force in combat with the enemy when the helicopter came under intense enemy fire, smashed into the trees, and caught fire in the A Shau Valley, Laos. SFC Robertson was the Covey rider who supported RT Alabama on 4 May 68 

SFC John Hartley Robertson. Causality Office Case # 1184. US Army serial number # 56299302, born on 25 October 1936 at Birmingham, Alabama. Entered U.S. Army on  15 June 1954 

This correspondence is to corroborate my two associates Mr. Thomas Faunce and his Brother Mr. Joseph Faunce’s visit to our US Embassy in Phnom Pehn on  9 January 2009. Your personnel members “ Mary and Pete” were presented with a person who claims to be SFC John Hartley Robertson {later  promoted to MSG after the helicopter crash, hereafter referred to as the “person“} for additional vetting to ascertain the comprehensive truth as to his identity. 

This person presented to “Mary and Pete” was in fact the same person who two years prior to this visit was simply vetted one day {while he was locked in a room for 24 hours} and not found credible in spite of that no finger prints were taken during this time period. The person’s fingerprints that were taken at our Embassy in the presence of Mr. Thomas Faunce and Mr. Joseph Faunce and were sent to Washington DC for certain recognition . Later a answer concerning the fingerprints of the person  that was in attendance was not “credible evidence” with reference to the person in question. Ironically the fingerprints of the person in question were not examined at all by some one in Washington D.C. 

“Mary and Pete” were persuaded by Mr. Thomas Faunce and his Brother Mr. Joseph Faunce that this person was too tall to be a Vietnamese man and had functioning memory of details concerning  his crash. Both Mr. Thomas Faunce and his Brother Joseph Faunce and myself are convinced that this person is MSG John Hartley Robertson. This person may well be another American soldier, a very tall Vietnamese man or an impostor. Please keep in mind that this person suffers from memory recall and his language translated from Vietnamese to English may be misinterpreted.  Upon photographing this person to disclose the extent of his stomach injuries sustained in the helicopter crash it was discovered that he was circumcised!  How many Vietnamese men do you suppose were circumcised  in 1936? 

The widow of MSG John Hartley Robertson as well as a former retired NCO in Delta Company 1/503 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg NC were not able to positively identify the photo that I sent to the both of them. As of today I am the only person who identified the photo as SFC John Hartley Robertson. During the period from 8 Jan 1959 to 1 August 1961 I served in the same platoon as Sfc John Hartley Robertson { then a Staff Sergeant} 

My initial e-mail sent detailing all present and past information with reference to SFC John Hartley Robertson to our Embassy in Phnom Phen during the occasion Mr. Thomas Faunce and his Brother’s visit was opened but not answered. All further e-mails sent to our Embassy at Phnom Pehn were sent back as undeliverable but were sent to four e-mail locations in Washington DC. 

It is very disconcerting that as an American citizen expressing his Constitutional rights concerning this incident to have my e-mails go unanswered  or very possible not sent to your attention. regarding this event. 

In conclusion it is crucial that you absolutely substantiate the identity of this person as it is in he best interests of our nation. As you know the POW/MIA issue must not be glossed over and deemed “not credible” considering the considerable effort in time and money in returning an American MIA/POW in question, home where he belongs. Dismissing this issue concerning  the true identity of SFC John Hartley Robertson will not be tolerated by persons in our government who are responsible to insuring that all vetting takes place when logical uncertainty is presented concerning any POW/MIA

Respectfully, 

Edward T Mahoney