Those of you who know me are aware of the mission I am on to have the 93 US Army Rangers and crew members aboard Flying Tiger line flight 739/14 which crashed March 16, 1962 en route to Saigon Vietnam recognized on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington DC.
March 16 2019 is the 57th anniversary of the crash.
Last March, my husband Bob Cornell and I, along with a friend who is an independent filmmaker David C Jones, were in Washington DC meeting with Senators defense legislative aides to garner support from the members of the Armed Services committee in my request for a Congressional hearing so that families can testify, share their stories, and ultimately have the Army, DoD and other bureaucrats to change the status of these soldiers, stop the lies, secrets, threats, and endless brick walls and Get Their Names on the Wall!
Next month, in March, we go back again to DC. This time, in addition to David and Helen Jones, we will be joined by Tommy Joe Myers, Kimberly Steinman-Elmquist, Robert Rogers and hopefully Catherine Nau.
This is a call out for a reunion of Flight739-14-1962 families in Washington DC.
I am working with Senator Gary Peters office (MI) to host a large group meeting on 15 March. To date, we have possibilities to meet with eight (8) different Senators offices, all of whom had passengers on that flight.
We have permission to gather and film at the Vietnam memorial Wall on Saturday. We are working on permission to film at Arlington National Cemetery.
I am trying a different approach to this mission. This passion of mine. Our father Staff Sgt Melvin Lewis Hatt was on that flight. He was 36 years old. Old by Military standards.
So many families have worked for years to get this done. I chose to target the Senate committee on Armed Services, one by one, with letters, documents and meeting requests. That led us to Washington DC last March.
There is power in numbers.
To give you a general sense of the anticipated meetings in DC:
The “ask” a Congressional hearing before the Senate committee for Armed Services
The second “ask” is for the Committee to carry a resolution for President Trump to sign an exemption as other Presidents have done to Get the Names on the Wall!
As I have written these letters, carried packets to DC and sent meeting requests, your loved ones NAMES were in those letters. Not 107 passengers but Names.
As I get more details I will do my best to keep everyone informed.
If you can be there in DC, bring your story! Bring copies of your documents.