The Last POW - Credits

To every meaningful venture two things are needed, Drive and Inspiration. I have had drive all of my life, but at times it was without a direction. Now in my 50's and looking back on things, I needed an inspiration that was not material, but of substance. Frank Roberts gave me that. Colonel Charles Ervin Shelton.

Over the past years, Frank and I have shared many memories of our times in SEA, he as a Navy man and me as a zoomie in the USAF. Some tales were humorous, some deeply moving of our times in an area that should have been a paradise but was torn by conflict and death.

I cannot remember when Frank mentioned Charlie for the first time, I think it was one late night when we were doing the "Ole Soldier" story swapping all vets do. The difference this time was the feeling I got. Suddenly I needed to know Charlie. Who was this man, what happened to him and more.

The curiosity lay dormant for a while but I found myself surfing the POW sites and learning more about this Kentucky Gentleman and his trials in Southeast Asia. Where was he, what happened started to weigh on me. How could someone so loved by so many and so brave be so forgotten? It bothered me.

Now I have become a partner of an internet service company and got thinking. Hey, I co-own server space, why not do something for Charlie? In mid July 2003 I asked Frank if he would like a dedicated, no ads space to honor his best friend. He was ecstatic and agreed with no hesitations.

Frank told me that there was a site for his friend, but it seems to have been just let go, he wanted it alive again. So as a whim, I searched and to my surprise, found lastpow.com available. We immediately purchased it and the venture began. We had a website, the server and a webmaster, Frank, but what now.

For a few weeks we swapped information links and history on Charlie. The vastness was overwhelming. I found our joint fire. The Drive and Inspiration had happened. Now was the task. Frank and I swapped "point and six" and searched. Then as if a higher power decided we needed help, we met Jeanine Notter.

Jeanine was a close friend of Marian Shelton during her quest to resolve where her husband was and his fates. After a few emails, she jumped in with us and the trio was complete. All the working parts of this project were as needed. Frank the power and inspiration, Jeanine the feeling and knowledge of the subject and this old guy with the way to make it happen on the net.

We opened the 1st of August 2003, with the resolve to continue Marian's quest to find answers and also to present Charlie or Charles as she called him, as not the POW, but the person. It just was a perfect start, something that rarely happens. Here we are making it happen.

With Frank as leader of the quest and Jeanine the holder of many keys to answers, it is happening. (Jeanine is a wonderful person, she is definitely "Charlie's Angel") I thank God for letting our paths cross.

I am proud or our team, and the many contributors present and to come. We have inaugurated "Operation Just Resolution". This is our effort to find the answers about Colonel Charles E. Shelton and the many other lost and forgotten patriots. Be assured, we have not forgotten. We hope you will join our quest for resolve!

God Bless our patriots defending Freedom, we stand beside you, always!