I AM REQUESTING ANYONE WHO POSSIBLY CAN TO SEND SOME FORM OF COMMUNICATION TO AMBASSADOR BURGHARDT TO SHOW THERE IS SOME SORT OF BACKING FOR THIS EFFORT. At present, I have only the address and FAX number which you can use to contact him. I will post an email address for the Embassy if I am ever able to come by one to make things a bit easier. In the meantime, ANY SUPPORT IN THIS EFFORT WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
What follows is a TEXT VERSION of my telefax to Ambassador Burghardt:
John Paul Rossie 6454 South Datura Street Littleton, CO 80120 303-762-9540 - Voice 303-798-5468 - Fax jrossie@rossie.com ---------------------------------------- January 17, 2002 Mr. Raymond F. Burghardt United States Ambassador United States Embassy Hanoi 7 Lang Ha Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Vietnam FAX: 844-772-1510 Dear Ambassador Burghardt: I am writing to you in regards to a situation that you may be able to address and assist with as Ambassador to Vietnam. It involves a Vietnam War Memorial Plaque honoring American soldiers killed in action in 1968 during the Vietnam War. This Plaque went missing from the American Embassy following the American departure from Saigon on April 30, 1975. The Plaque came to my attention on May 13, 1999, as it was found to be on display at the Vietnamese Revolutionary Museum in Saigon. I have made numerous attempts since the Spring of 1999 to gain information regarding American re-possession of this War Memorial with your predecessors in State Department Services, including: former Ambassador to Vietnam Douglas "Pete" Peterson; former Consulate General Charles A. Ray; and Defense AttachÚ, LTC Frank Miller, still on staff. A complete history with details and photographs regarding this missing American War Memorial and my efforts to repatriate it can be found on the Internet at any of the following URLs: http://vietvet.org/plaquepage.htm OR http://vietvet.infopsyc.com/plaquepage.htm OR http://vets.appliedphysics.swri.org/plaquepage.htm The identical information is found at each site, but I am providing all three Internet locations to make it easier for you to successfully access this site to obtain details on this matter, including a photograph of the Plaque itself. If you have any difficulty retrieving this information directly from the Internet, I would be happy to send you hard copy of these pages upon your request. I have these two specific questions to ask you regarding this situation: 1) Can the original Plaque be retrieved from the Vietnamese and be relocated in our American Embassy in Vietnam or in some similar place of honor to the men it is dedicated to? 2) Can some sort of replacement for this Plaque be constructed and be placed in our American Embassy in Vietnam or in some similar place of honor to the men it is dedicated to? I would very much appreciate hearing your thoughts on this matter. I would also like you to know that all public correspondence regarding this matter will be posted to the above Internet URLs so that all Veterans of the Vietnam War, and other interested parties, can be kept appraised of my efforts in this matter and of their consequences. I can be contacted by any of the means noted in this Letterhead. Direct email correspondence would be the most cost efficient and expedient manner of communicating, but please feel free to use whatever method is most convenient to you. I have begun my initial contact with you via telefax because I do not have a reliable email address for you. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest opportunity. I also wish to extend my wishes for a successful and enjoyable tenure as Ambassador, and to welcome you into the New Year with a fond Chuc Mung Nam Moi! Sincerely, John Paul Rossie Vietnam Veterans Home Page, Visits To Vietnam Section
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