THE
COLONEL CHARLES E. SHELTON
FREEDOM MEMORIAL DEDICATION CEREMONY
SEPTEMBER 18, 1999
SMOTHERS PARK OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY
The
Colonel Charles E. Shelton Freedom Memorial in Honor of Prisoners of War
and Missing in Action of all Wars was dedicated September 18, 1999, in
a ceremony at the memorial site in Smothers Park, on Veterans Blvd., in
downtown Owensboro, Ky.
The ceremony was attended by approximately 2000 citizens of Owensboro and the surrounding area. We realize many of you would have liked to attend. We apologize for our failure to notify you by keeping this site updated.
CALL
TO ORDER "TO THE COLORS' BUGLER JOHN MORTON
PRESENTATION OF THE COLORS
LEE DENNEY- CHAIRMAN OF THE FREEDOM MEMORIAL COMMITTEE SPEAKING: "Ladies and gentlemen, would you please stand and join Rosemary Lawson in singing our National Anthem." "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"
(At 6:03 PM the thunderous roar of a C-130 is heard as it flies over in salute to our fallen heroes.)
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Colonel Charles Sheltons brother, Larry Shelton, will now lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag."
LARRY SHELTON SPEAKING: "Attention, Salute, Pledge" I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "The invocation will be given by Charles' and Marian's eldest son, Father Charles Shelton, Jr. "
FATHER CHARLES SHELTON, JR. SPEAKING: "Thank you, Lee. Let us pray. Almighty God and Father, we praise you and we give thanks for all of your gifts, especially this day, in the peace and fellowship and the communion we share in your son Jesus. Send your Spirit among us. Bless this time together, and most of all, bless this stone, this rock. Let it speak eloquently of our love for Charles and for all of the others who gave up their lives and their freedom, that we might have the freedom and lives that we share. God, thank you for this opportunity and for the people who made it possible by their sacrifice. In the name of your son we pray. Amen"
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "The Walnut Memorial Baptist Church Choir, under the direction of David Taylor, will sing "The Battle
Hymn
of the Republic".
"THE
BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC"
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Mayor of Owensboro, the Honorable Waymond Morris."
MAYOR WAYMOND MORRIS SPEAKING: "I would like to welcome our distinquished guests, the Shelton family, as well as the family and friends of all POW/MIAs, our visitors from out of town, the veterans and all present today, to Smothers Park, located on the beautiful Ohio River, for the dedication of The Colonel Charles E. Shelton Freedom Memorial. Last June 14, on National Flag Day and the anniversary of D-Day, many of us gathered here to re-dedicate four blocks, which were formerly First Street, to Veterans Blvd. This area stretches from the River Park Center on the East to the Executive Inn on the West. It was renamed to honor and pay tribute to veterans of all foreign wars who sacrificed their lives to preserve peace and the freedom we enjoy today. It was particularly fitting to rename this portion as Veterans Blvd. because of the local homes of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which have been here for many years. Today it is the permanent home of the Shelton Freedom Memorial."
"When speaking of the death of Julius Ceasar, the great orator, Cicero, once said. "We have killed the man, but he is still with us through spirit and deed." Colonel Shelton and other Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, are no longer with us. They will go on in our hearts and minds, for this granite monument will be an enduring memorial to all men and women of all wars and a constant reminder to future generations of the debt of gratitude owed to them by all Americans." "Perhaps George Faber, German scholar, said it best. 'Death comes to all, but great achievment builds monuments, which shall endure until the sun grows cold.' I'd like to close with a poem written by Douglas Camus, and two letters from our United States Senators. The poem is entitled 'To Those Who Serve'.LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Judge Executive of Daviess County, the Honorable Reid Haire."
JUDGE REID HAIRE SPEAKING: "Good evening, On behalf of the Daviess County Fiscal Court, I wish to thank the Colonel Charles Shelton Freedom Memorial Committee for the work they have done and for the significant contribution they have made to this community. Daviess County government is pleased to have been asked to participate financially in this endeavor. This contribution, which we have made, will have a lasting impact for generations to come. This is a powerful and moving memorial. This memorial forces us to reflect on the sadness of the past and the hope of the future. You know, war is evil. And there are those here tonight who can testify to that fact, for their memories go back for a brief instant, to another time and another place. Europe 1944, Korea 1953, Vietnam 1968, and these memories weigh heavy on their hearts but crystal clear in their minds. Memories which they know they will carry with them forever. And this memorial should remind our community of how grateful we should be for these heroes in our midst. I thank all those here tonight who wore the uniforms of our armed services, who woke up each day to the sound of revelry, and for those who stood ready, just like Colonel Shelton did, to make the ultimate sacrifice for this nation. We honor you, as well, this evening."
"In the final scenes of the movie, 'Saving Private Ryan', a dying soldier looks up to Private Ryan and says"Earn it. Earn it. Live your life so that my death will not be in vain." Private Ryan kept that in his mind and in his heart for the rest of his life. Colonel Shelton sends us that message today, from this memorial. Earn it!
When we see hatred and intolerence and we fight against it, we earn it! When the burdens of commitment and responsibility weigh us down and we stay the course, we earn it! And when we choose duty over comfort, and dedication over personal desire, we earn it! Colonel Shelton did and so should we. Valor and courage are not qualities which can be obtained at the local market. They can be purchased, but oh, how dear the price. Colonel Shelton paid the price and while those of us in Daviess County would have it otherwise, we are immensely proud to call him one of our own. A hero in the midst of heroes. This memorial has been too long in coming. Were it not for the vision and the tenacity of a few in this community, it would not have happened. I thank you. You have given us a gift. A gift to be handed down to our childrens children, for generations to come. Thank you very much."
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Representing Governor Paul Patton, would you please welcome, John Trowbridge, Site manager of the Kentucky Military History Museum in Frankfort, Ky."
JOHN TROWBRIDGE SPEAKING: "On behalf of Governor Paul Patton, it is indeed an honor to be here this afternoon, for the dedication of the Colonel Charles E. Shelton Freedom Memorial. I'll just go ahead and read this proclamation for Governor Patton.
Seal of the Commonwealth this the 25th day of August, in the year of Kentucky of Our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety-nine and in the 208th year of the Commonwealth
Signed:
Paul E. Patton, Governor
Signed: John
Y. Brown, III, Secretary
of State
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Just about five years ago, a handfull of people met in the conference room at the WBKR Radio Station to explore the possibility of establishing a suitable memorial to an American hero and native son of Owensboro. The decision was a definitive, 'Yes, let's do it.'"
Within a couple of months, The Colonel Charles E. Shelton Freedom Memorial Committee, Inc. , launched what, at times, seemed like mission impossible. Local veterans organizations, the City of Owensboro, and the Daviess County Fiscal Court, gave us seed money to begin work on the project. We had a dream to build a memorial, ...................but very little money, no design, no where to put it, and no one to build it.
" Then Judge Executive Buzz Norris and Fiscal Court gave us permission to build the memorial on the Court House lawn. That meant we did not have to spend money on a location. Several years later, Mayor Morris and the City Commission, invited us to build the memorial here on the Riverfront in Smothers Park. With the County governments blessing, we accepted. "Soon after incorporating and obtaining 501-c-3 (non-profit) status, the Committee hired Keith Monument Company of Elizabethtown, Ky., to build the memorial. A design Committee was formed with Janet Brown as Chairman, to come up with an original concept. Over almost five years and numerous changes, that concept has evolved into the memorial we will unveil today. " " We established a budget of a quarter of a million dollars to finance the entire project. Any misconceptions of 'Announce it and the money will come' were soon dashed. There were many contributions..........but we quickly realized it was going to take longer to raise the money than we had anticipated. " " In addition to contributions from individuals and businesses, we raised money through a golf tournament, parking vehicles at Reids Apple Festival, the Kentucky Bikers Association has held a Poker Run on our behalf every summer, including this one. We showed up anywhere we were allowed to put out our pickle jar and collect funds. We sold pavers in the Memorial Plaza. By the way, there are pavers still available. The City of Owensboro pledged $35,000.00 and the Daviess County Fiscal Court pledged $25,000.00. But we were still $150,000.00 shy of our goal. We never really feared a memorial would not be built, just that it might not be as grand as we wanted it to be. " " Earlier this year, there was a major truning point. It was a red letter day, as far as the Committee was concerned, when Sanford Peyton agreed to take over our fund-raising efforts. Without his tremendous dedication to the project and that of Bank One, we would not be dedicating a memorial today. " "We expected to dedicate a debt-free memorial, but that is not the case. We learned a couple weeks ago that a grant we had counted on, did not come through. We are about $50,000.00 short, but Roy Keith has generously agreed to give us time to raise the rest. We have faith the remainder will come soon. " " A special thanks to Don Hagan and Hagan Construction, Robert Riggs of JRC Electric, Phil Carr of Personal Touch Landscaping, Schrecker Supply, Southland Electrical Supply, Hannon Electrical Supply, and ABC Rental for the work and materials donated for the memorial. That has helped a great deal. " " In addition to our regular committee, an entirely separate panel was formed to plan for this day. Serving on that Committee, along with four members of our group, were Asst. City Manager Bob Whitmer, Burley Phelan, Exec. Dir. of the Tourist Commission, John Froehlich of Downtown Owensboro, Inc. , Cyndi Sturgeon and Tony Cecil of the Parks Department. Their expertise and knowledge of how to get things done, were of tremendous help to us. " "Around Memorial Day for the past two years, Rolling Thunder, Kentucky Chapter 1, has conducted a candle-light ceremony in Owensboro to honor POW/MIAs. We sponsored The Moving Wall in May.Their presence helped to raise awareness of the memorial."
"The Committee long ago decided it would seek no personal recognition. You will not find our names on the memorial. There have been many people who came and went over the years, who made valuable contributions, in one way or another. We can not acknowledge them all individually, but we appreciate them all and value them as friends. Would everyone who has ever been a part of the Committee at anytime over the past five years, please stand and raise your hand." "One of those who has been with us all the way is Millard Hurt. He..........more than any of us, knew what this memorial could mean to other prisoners of war. Millard Hurt was a POW in Germany in World War II. Two people who were in that exploratory meeting five years ago did not live to see their dream realized....John Brizendine and Gordon Lawson. We also honor them today...........And we miss them."
"For the past six years, Downtown Owensboro, Inc. has produced a commemorative Medallion and Christmas ornament featuring something unique about Owensboros culture or heritage. This year the Medallion, sponsored by Bank One, honors The Colonel Charles E. Shelton Freedom Memorial to American POW/MIAs of all wars. Would you welcome Sanford Peyton, President of Bank One, Owensboro."SANFORD PEYTON SPEAKING: "As Lee stated, each year Downtown Owensboro, Inc, identifies that project which they feel will be most significant in defining who we are in our community, in Owensboro and Daviess County. We are really honored that this year they chose the Colonel Charles Shelton Freedom Memorial. We feel that their priorities are in the right place. They made the right selection. Downtown Owensboro, Inc, in addition to bestowing that honor, worked with local artist Shelley Edelschick in crafting a limited edition medallion. It's a silver medallion and 1000 have been produced. They just arrived this week. The medallion itself has a special story and it has been reported in the Messenger-Inquirer. They have done a great job in covering it, as well as the local broadcasting media. Shelly's inspiration and her gift as an artist will impress you, when you see the medallion and when you hear the story. The medallion was produced locally by Dan Clark, through his company, Hard Hat. At the conclusion of this ceremony we have the first medallions, which we will present to the Shelton family members who are present tonight. Thank You."
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: " The medallions will be available after tonights ceremony."
.................Charles Shelton was not there. We may never know the ultimate fate of Charles Shelton and thousands of other American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from all Wars, but perhaps we can take a measure of comfort from the promise God made to the children of Israel during their period of captivity in Babylon. Jeremiah 31: 16-17 reads: "Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; For thy work will be rewarded, saith the Lord. And they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come agian to their own border." "
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Dave Hendrix may know as much about Charles Shelton as anyone outside the immediate family. He is a newspaper reporter who has for 15 years, researched Colonel Sheltons story and that of other POW/MIAs. He is here today to share with us some of what he has learned. "
"David E. Hendrix is a projects reporter for the Press-Enterprise, a 175,000 daily circulation newspaper in Riverside and San Bernadino Counties in Southern California. The Press-Enterprise is owned by Belo Corporation, the same company that owns the Messenger-Inquirer." " Hendrix has been a reporter for 33 years. He graduated from California State University in San Fransisco in 1966, with a major in Political Science and International Relations. His search for information about Charles Shelton and the entire POW/MIA issue has taken Dave Hendrix throughout the United States. In 1992, the Senate Select committee on POWs and MIAs called him to Washington, D. C. as an expert witness. He has served as a research source for several United States Congressmen and their staffs." " Dave Hendrix has written dozens of articles about Colonel Shelton...........His exploits in captivity, his reported relocation to an island prison North of Hanoi in 1985 (20 years after his plane was shot down) and efforts by Marian and their children to account for his fate. Hendrix says that now, based on his research that Colonel Shelton was still alive as recently as the late 1980's and that, in his opinion, could still be alive today." " Hendrix's investigative research has led to exclusive stories about secret rescue attempts for POWs, the illicit trade of remains of MIAs and a U. S. Government program to secretly return some POW's under new identities. " Colonel Charles Shelton.........Marian Shelton and their children became a significant part of Hendrix's life. He considers it an honor to be part of the dedication of a monument to them and other POW/MIAs." "Ladies and Gentlemen.............Please join me in welcoming Dave Hendrix."DAVE HENDRIX SPEAKING: "Shelton and Vollman family members, all former POW/MIA families, honored guests, and Colonel Charles Shelton Freedom Memorial Committee, supporters, and friends. I count you as my friends. Thank you very much for letting me be here. Thank you very much for what you have done, not only for the Sheltons, Charles and Marian, and the Vollman families, but also for the other POW/MIA families. All of those we've had and all of those yet to come., because the last will not have been seen. I'm not here to speak about the deaths , or presumed deaths of Charles and Marian Shelton, or the others who have died or not returned. I'm here, as much as I can in a few minutes, to speak about their lives. I was introduced to Charles and Marian in 1984, through their son, Charles, Jr. who was a priest in Riverside. The introduction told a little about that story. I did not believe in POWs. I can't say that enough. I thought Charles, Jr. was a poor misguided priest, who just could not get over the fact that his dad did not return from Southeast Asia."
I was acting editor of the newspaper at the time, and I came to work that morning incensed that we had run that story. There was no such thing as POWs. Our country would not leave them behind. There is no such active case. So I directed the reporter to go and prove Charles, Jr. wrong. I told her which agencies to go to. The CIA, the DIA, even NSA, the Dept. of Defense, the Air Force, and the National League of Families. And as my daughter learned to say, even UPS. So we went pursuing and three hours later my reporter came back and said, 'There is one official Prisoner of War active case, and his name is Charles Shelton. God gives each one of us a knower somewhere in our lives, and my knower got twanged in the back of my head and I said we need to find out more about this. So I directed Sandy to begin the research, then after we were able to hire a permanent editor, and I was able to do the reporting. I told the editor that I would like to follow the POW/MIA case." " This is not about me. This just tells how I got involved. The first people that I had to go see was Marian and Charles, Jr. I had to go speak to Marian. In San Diego, I met this gracious, beautiful, small in stature but mighty in spirit, woman. Through her and her children, and Charles ex-sqradron mates and another former POW, I met Charles." "There are a few of their stories that I want to share of Charles and Marians moments. One of the things that Marian told me was a story that was unbelievable. You've probably heard about it before or will hear about it afterwards. It is Operation Duck Soup. She told me this incredible story about Charles Shelton, of after having been shot down on his 33rd birthday and captured, of actually having been freed and then returned to his captors. It was almost as hard to believe as I had found Charles, Jr.s story. We started searching and eventually was able to find information from other sources because the government would not even acknowledge that Operation Duck Soup existed. I felt that within six months, given the Freedom of Information Act, that we would have this story solved. It has been 15 years and it hasn't been solved yet. Yet the answer is out there somewhere. The government said Operation Duck Soup never existed, and they said that for years. Marian would never tell me, we had promised that we would tell each other everything that we knew or learned. There was one thing she would never tell me and that was the source of her information, the person who had told her about Duck Soup. So it took me eight years through other sources to find out who her source was." "There were two alleged rescues and returns of Charles Shelton. Let me tell you about the first one. It was in 1965, shortly after Charles was shot down over an area known as Sam Nue Province, which is over Northern Laos, during the time of the secret war. We know about it now. We've known about it for the last 25 years. At that time it was still a secret and Charles was flying these 'Mission Impossible' missions. When he was shot down, rescue missions were sent in quite extensively because, quite honestly, the government didn't want anyone to know we were there. They were afraid they would capture him and parade him around and televise him. They did not do this. One of the first things Charles did was, he started escaping. So they took him and put him in some caves. He was soon joined by another prisoner named David Hrdlicka. He and Charles Shelton shared prison areas for quite some time. Sometime around June there was a rescue effort to get both of them out. The United States government wanted to get them out. It took me until 1995 to get any proof that Duck Soup ever existed. Marian Shelton had told me the Duck Soup story for 25 years. It was not until after she died that the United States government acknowledged that she had been correct." "This wasn't the end of Charles Sheltons efforts to get out or to get away. In 1968, there is another story about Charles Shelton ........oh I'm sorry, in 1968 there are two escape stories. One is the famous story in which he, after another escape attempt, is pulled in for interrogation by North Vietnamese guards who figure that the Lao aren't doing their job, and it's in that meeting, according to CIA documents, that Charles Shelton got up and killed the three interrogators. According to CIA documents Charles was considered incorrigable by the Vietnamese. From what I am told it was part of that same spirit that he aquired and gained here in Owensboro; the same stamina from his family. I have heard him described by his ex-squadron mates as being built like a tree trunk. Well, Charles Shelton took that tree trunk with him and he kept that fighting spirit with him. Another story that was portrayed on 'Unsolved Mysteries' in which John Shelton played his father. He was kept in a shallow pit because of his escapes. Ernie Meis was a RF-101 pilot like Charles and as a matter of fact, was one of the instructor pilots who taught Charles how to upgrade to the 101. Ernie was in Thailand in 1968 flying missions over Laos as other people were and Ernie and another pilot were briefed that they were going to go on a mission to take pictures of this shallow pit where Charles was kept. An iron bar was kept on top of his pit and Charles was prodded and kept awake by his captors. They did the mission and took the pictures and came back but they were never told the results of the film they had taken. " In 1971, there was another rescue effort apparently successful. In this story, the group, made up of CIA and special forces, were about to be captured themselves, as they were trying to get away with Charles Shelton and David Hrdlicka and rather than have everybody captured, according to the story, Charles and David chose to stay rather than let the entire group be captured. They reasoned, the war is going to be over soon and then we'll be home. Well, we are still waiting." I was told that as short as a few years ago that Charles Sheltons escape and evasion efforts and stories of him, were a part of the official escape and evasion school that our air crew members go through. " I've wanted to come here since I started writing about the Shelton family. I wanted to find that tennis court where Marian first saw Charles when she was 13 and she said, 'I'm going to marry that man. And sure enough, five years later, that is what happened. " "What do we do with our heroes? For those of you who say that the U. S. Government would do all that they can,........Some do ........Some don't..........Marian helped me to understand this early on. I said, ' As often as I've talked to you, you've never said anything nasty or bad about anyone in the U. S. Government',and she said, 'Well, there are two reasons.' She said, 'I'm representing Charles and Charles is gone and I'm here, When he returns, I don't want any one to be able to say that I did something that he would be embarrassed of', and she said, 'Number 2 is that men and women and mankind make decisions, and they make wrong decisions sometimes and then when we make the wrong decisions, they have to lie about them and then they have to cover them up and then they are protecting their family or they are protecting someone elses family and they have to protect their careers'. So she says, 'It's not really the individuals that they start out to deceive but it just happens.' "
"I have here in front of me a document, dated June 21, 1986. It is written by the Under-Secretary of Defense for International and Security Affairs. A fellow by the name of Richard Armitage, who during most of the 1980's was responsible for POW/MIA affairs for the United States Government. In it he says that Vietnam wants a new formal policy on all relations, but the issue of POW/MIAs is still the sticking point and he suggests that what they do is re-instate a policy that was implemented on February 12, 1984, by the Secretary of State, George Shultz, and he goes on to reiterate this policy and he goes on to include a letter, asuggested letter, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Vietnam in Hanoi and mention that this is a significant issue, then he attaches to the end, thirteen conditions or agreements that the United States and Vietnam are going to have. I'll read you # 4: The United States will work sensitively and quietly to repatriate any personnel, regardless of status, that the Vietnamese find in their search efforts. Sensitively and quietly..........That's not an open welcome.........That's not a monument or .......well, a monument or a memorial has to be put up by the people who are here. But 'sensitively and quietly' is under the table. My friends, these people should not be kept under the table and I thank you , for at least bringing part of them out tonight. Thank you very much."
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Our next speaker has certainly earned our admiration and our gratitude. He is imminently qualified to speak to us today on the subject of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. On May 19, 1967, while on his 81st combat mission over North Vietnam, Eugene B. (Red) McDaniel was shot down while flying his A-6 Intruder Aircraft. He was listed as 'Missing in Action' until 1970, when the Hanoi government acknowledged that he was being held prisoner. A POW for more than six years, McDaniel was released March 4, 1973, after the Vietnam ceasefire."
Red McDaniel was one of the most brutally tortured prisoners of the Vietnam War. This torture resulted from his active role in camp communications, during an organized escape attempt by fellow prisoners. He is the author of 'Scars and Stripes", a book telling about his six years in a Communist prison." "When Red McDaniel returned home from Vietnam, he was awarded the Navy's highest award for bravery, the Navy Cross. Among his other military decorations are two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit with Combat 'V', the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars with Combat 'V', and two Purple Hearts for wounds received in the hands of the North Vietnamese torturers." "Captain McDaniel resumed active duty and served as Commanding Officer of the USS Niagara Falls and Commanding Officer of the Aircraft Carrier USS Lexington. Under his command, Lexington experienced no serious accidents while accomplishing more than 20,000 carrier landings. Red McDaniel served as Director of the Navy/Marine Corps Liason to the U. S. House of Represntatives from 1979 to 1981. In this capacity, Captain McDaniel worked daily with Congress on National Defense planning, and provided legislators with information vital to the strategic development of Navy forces throughout the world. He retired from the Navy in 1982." "Today, Captain McDaniel is President of the American Defense Foundation and the American Defense Institute, non-profit organizations headquartered in Washington, D. C. He founded ADF and ADI to increase public awareness of the need for a strong national defense." "Ladies and Gentlemen, help me welcome Captain Eugene B. McDaniel."CAPTAIN EUGENE B. (RED) MCDANIEL SPEAKING: "It is hard for me to know what to say to you at this momentous tribute to the sacrifices Colonel Charles Shelton and his family have made for our country. I want to bring words of comfort and of healing.......to somehow help us all find good in the tragedy the Sheltons have endured. The only way I can think of to do that is to share with you how God has helped me deal with my own sense of anger and outrage at the betrayal of Americans like Charles Shelton by the country that sent him into harm's way."
"When I was shot down and found myself on the hostile jungle floor in North Vietnam, I prayed for a miracle....that God with lift me bodily from that jungle back to the deck of the USS Enterprise. I was captured the next day. I asked God many times, "Why me, God? Why me?" when I got to the POW camp and saw men in dire straits who needed a helping hand, I changed the question from "Why me?" to Why not me?" " I've asked the same question during the long.......and as you know......lonely......battle for the men who did not return when I did.......men who, like Colonel Charles Shelton.....were known by our government to be in captivity. When I got involved in that effort, I learned right off the bat that it is dangerous to be right when your government is wrong. Not only did the battle bring harassment and heartache.........as you so well know......but everywhere we turned, we met opposition and seeming failure. Time after time, a news story would break, and we would all think, "This is it, Now we're going to break this issue wide open." Some of the American people would get excited for a little while then things would go back to normal. When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee report came out, we all thought we smelled victory. When the Senate Select Committee was formed, once again we smelled victory. Finally at long last, we thought, the truth about our missing men would be exposed and our government would be forced to bring them home to freedom. Every time, victory seemed to turn to defeat." "And, I continued to ask, "Why me? But just as I did in the early days of my captivity, I have changed the question from "Why me?' to "Why not me?" For one thing, by the grace of God, I was one of those who did return. It was but for the grace of God that I was not one of those left behind. And when I look at Colonel Charles Shelton's family, I know that there but for the grace of God go my family. But I think the main reason I have changed the question to "Why not Me?" is that I believe God's purpose in allowing me to be one of those who did return was for me to have a part in the effort to bring justice for those who did not. My six long years in captivity were, I believe, a training ground for the battle that continues to this day..........and will continue until the whole truth about our abandoned men and all it's ramifications for our country........and for the cause of Justice in the world........is known beyond a shadow of a doubt by all Americans." "For me, the most important thing about being a prisoner of war was to maintain my integrity. And that is still thecase. Through the years, I have learned this very important truth: To do the right thing is what matters most. Not the results. We may or may not achieve victory, but we have done our part in the battle. To do the right thing is what God expects.....no more.......no less. This very important truth was driven home to me recently when I heard a friend and fellow POW activist reassure my wife "that the truth will surface some day." I know that the truth will surface someday," my wife replied. "I just pray that it will be in our lifetime." "It doesn't matter," our friend said. "God sees the effort you have made. Whether the result is in your lifetime or not doesn't really matter." And I know he is right about that. To do my part in the right cause is the important thing. " "I don't know about you, but I have had a real problem with forgiveness. It was easy for me to forgive my Vietnamese guards, those who tortured me, and I did forgive them. But it has been infinitely harder for me to forgive those in my own country who could act on behalf of our abandoned men and who don't, those who know the truth and refuse to admit it, those who could bring justice to bear and refuse to do it. In fact, I'm still working on forgiveness, asking God to teach me to forgive those who have continued to ignore the truth about our men." " I had to cling to the promises of God while I was in captivity. It was all I had. The promises haven't changed. And it's still all I have. Here's a promise that worked for me while I was in Hanoi and it hasn't changed. I believe God when he says, "All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are fitting into his plan." I may not see some of the things I care about the most work together for good in my lifetime. You and I may not see the results of our efforts in our lifetimes. That's God's problem. Ours is to do the right thing........to do our part........to play out the role we've been given in what I believe is a much larger battle of good versus evil in our country. It isn't only to bring POWs home. It's a battle for truth and justice.......and a battle to be a nation of honor and integrity." " I am learning to trust God with the results. None of us here today may live to see the results of the noble service of Colonel Charles Shelton, of his wife and your mother and my friend Marian Shelton, or of your own noble service as members of the Shelton family on behalf of your parents and others who have fallen in battle. The well known Christian writer, C.S. Lewis put it this way:"The end of the story of Colonel Charles Shelton and others like him has not yet been told, and you and I may not be on this earth to hear the end of the story. We may not hear the end of the story until we hear it from God Himself when we enter eternity. In the meantime, may we all take comfort in these words of our Lord from Psalms 39: 1-9, 'Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass, they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy good pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noon-day sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn away from wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." "Thank you for allowing me to come here today to honor Charles Shelton and his family. They will live long in our memories as an American family who taught us about sacrifice......about courage......and about honor. God help us to be worthy of their sacrifice."we ride with our backs to the engine.......we have no notion of what stage of the journey we have reached. A story can not be understood until you have heard the whole of it."
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Flags representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines will be raised by a Color Guard from the U.S. Army Reserve, 100th Division, as the Choir sings a Medley of the Military Hymns. Would the Veterans in the audience please stand to be recognized as your branch is honored."
(While the Color Guard attaches and raises each flag, veterans throughout the audience proudly stand to salute, while the audience salutes each flag and the veterans. Thunderous applause is continuous.)
Army............"Over hill, over dale, as we hit the dusty trail, as those caissons go rolling along.............."
Navy.........."Anchors away, my boys, Anchors away......................................"
Air Force..........."Up we go , into the wild blue yonder........................................"
Marines............."From the hills of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli..............."
"The Coast Guard serves under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Department of Transportation......except in times of war when it serves under the Department of the Navy. In the event our country is involved in a future war, we will honor the Coast Guard by flying its flag at this memorial beneath the Navy flag. "LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "In the Twentieth Century, 92,637 Americans have known the deprivation, humiliation, fear, anger, bewilderment, anxiety, and in many cases, the physical torture of being a Prisoner of War or Missing in Action."
"Somewhere in our travels to this day, the Committee encountered a poem.........'Come For Me' which seemed to be, for us, in a small measure, what it must be like to be a POW in a far off distant land. That poem is engraved into six limestone panels on the back wall of the memorial." "Here to tell you more about the lady who gave us permission to use her poem and to share its poignant message with you..............a member of the Committee who has traveled from his new home in Eureka, California, to be with us this evening, please welcome Sergeant First Class U. S. Army, Ret. Fred Henniger."FRED HENNIGER SPEAKING: "It's great to be back in Owensboro on this momentous occasion for this long over-due dedication of the Colonel Charles E. Shelton Freedom Memorial. I feel honored to be able to participate in this event."
"There is a poem etched on the memorial.................written by a lady whose name is LeAnn Thieman. I'd like to tell you a little bit about LeAnn's story. She is a nurse, living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her family and her husband Mark. In 1975, LeAnn volunteered to travil to Saigon to accompany three Vietnamese orphans to meet their adoptive families in the United States. Upon her arrival in Vietnam, the fall of Saigon had begun and President Ford ordered what was known as Operation Baby Lift. It was a massive rescue of nearly 3000 Vietnamese orphans. LeAnn personally organized the rescue of 300 of these children, placing them in cardboard boxes to use as cribs, and loaded them onto a stripped down cargo plane for the trip back to the United States. All of these children made it to the United States safely, thanks to her caring devotion. LeAnn's father had been a Prisoner of War during World War II and had been the inspiration for her writing the poem you see etched on this memorial. I feel the words sum up the spirit of what this memorial is all about. I'd like to read it to you now."by LEANN THIEMAN
Many
years in the jungle has taken its toll on me,
I'm not the same man I used to be.
But one thing is consistent.....I long to be free.
Please, Mr. President, come for me.
The
scars of my torture will never go away.
I'm fifty pounds lighter. My hair is now gray.
But their shackles can't chain the freedom in me.
Please, lawmakers, come for me.
They'd fight to their deaths to prove I'm alive.
I last saw my son when he was just three.
Please, lovin' family, come for me.
That I'm doomed to this prison year after year.
God Bless America, the land of the free.
Please, friends and parishioners, come for me.
But refuse to accept the evidence, so clear.
Will some caring citizen hear my plea?
Please, fellow countrymen, come for me.
I'll
have faith in my country 'till my dying day.
I'll never believe you could leave me this way.
My country, 'tis of thee........
Please, please, America, come for me!
©1987
"Thank you very much."(At this time the Color Guard begins lowering the American flag in order that the POW/MIA flag can be attached beneath it and the flags are slowly and reverently raised to catch in the wind. The audience begins to stand, one by one until everyone stands at quiet attention, as the first notes of the lonesome sound of bagpipes playing 'Amazing Grace' is heard in the distance. And then closer, as the piper plays and moves slowly to the front of the Plaza. As the second verse is completed, piper Tom Fuller snaps to attention, turns, and slowly walks away.)
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Thank you, Tom Fuller."
"This memorial also honors all other U. S. men and women who have been Prisoners of War or Missing in Action. It acknowledges the sacrifices these brave members of the military have made in defense of our liberty, and recognizes the profound losses of the people who loved them." "Years after the guns of war have been silenced, there has never been a full accounting of all of America's sons and daughters. While their fate in a foreign land may never be known, they shall always be safely home within our hearts." "To express some thoughts on behalf of the Shelton and Vollman families......is Larry Shelton.LARRY SHELTON SPEAKING: "Thank you so much. How do you top that? It's impossible. Bagpipes just do something to me. It's really eerie...................... But I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of the Shelton and Vollman families.
Marian.............She is my sister. She always will be. I have a hole in my heart for Marian. I have a huge hole in my heart for Charles."
"I'd like to thank each and every one of you for coming out tonight. Just out of curiosity...........how many Sheltons are here tonight?...............How many of you here are related to a Shelton?..............One thing we're noted for..............Well, there's several things we are noted for. Probably number 1 is short legs and probably the biggie though is................the bull head. We are right. Even when we are proven wrong, we are still right. We get it set in our head. There are a few people who have been with the Committee since the very beginning, and Faye and I would like to make them 'Honorary Sheltons'. "The Col. Charles E. Shelton Honorary Shelton Award. This means you can be a Shelton all of the time. Or you can be a Shelton just for a day. But the bearer of this certificate may present it to any hotel, motel, or restaurant in Owensboro, Daviess County and you will reieive a very puzzled look...........You are entitled to at least two meals a day of beans and taters, and credit bureaus and collection agencies will get to know you by your first name. You will enjoy all the higher interest rates on loans. Always remember this.......The Shelton motto................'Be careful of the toes you step on today...........they may belong to someone whose butt you will kiss tomorrow.............!" "I would like to give this first one to Ray Plucknett. Ray has really worked hard. He's done anything we've asked him to do. "Maybe it's wrong to have a little humor here, but I think Charles would like it.....He had a great sense of humor.""The next one is close to my heart. The U.S. Postal Service.............Susan or Don...........will one of you please come forward..........I also have a little tid-bit here. I retired from the Post Office.........I wrote on here..'Thank you very much for your kind gesture and the check you send me every month..........
""Next is the City of Owensboro.Will Mayor Morris come forward. I put on here. 'Thanks Owensboro............the City with a heart.' "
Next is Larry McElroy......Anybody who knows Larry, knows he is a go-getter. They tell me he's gone to Colorado. Larry and I worked at the Post Office together. When we had POW day in September, we would ask if we could put up the POW flag, which was okay, but we had to get off the clock to raise it." "This one..........what can I say..........This memorial was his idea and words can't express what Faye and I feel and the hard work he has put into this. Faye and I knew it wasn't going to be an over-night success and I think Lee thought we would have it done in a couple of weeks. It's taken us five years and not once has Lee let us down. He's led us all the way. He's Chairman of the Committee and he always will be. Thank you, Lee." "The next one is here I know. I had lunch with him today and I told him today.........Robbie Miller..........I told him I feel cheated because he was one of Charles' best friends and I never knew him. I knew Gordon Lawson, I knew Shirley Ray, and they were all like the 'Three Muskateers or the Marx brothers'. Robbie.......if you will come forward... because I feel and I hope from now on you and I will be brothers and I want you to know, the Shelton family loves you." "The next one, Janet Brown. Is Janet Brown here? Janet worked with us on the Design Committee, got us going in the right direction. Faye and I just want to say , Thank you, Janet." "Army Armstrong,.........What can you say about Army. I never knew Army. I had heard about him all my life. I'd watch him on TV and I'd be star-struck because he is a star. He's as down to earth as anyone I've ever met and Faye and I want to give this to Army. Army had the Moving Wall brought to Owensboro for us. He did all the advance work. He bought the lumber............what can you say about Army?.....We love you, Army." "This next one is real special. She's our first cousin. ....Maggie Jackson..........Maggie has served as Secretary and Treasurer almost since the beginning. She's the 'BOSS'. Her hard work and dedication made a dream become this reality you see here today. We always knew you were special and we love you." "Millard Hurt...........Millard Hurt has not missed a meeting that I am aware of. He's done anything we've asked him to do. Even over and above. He's been down here everyday.........I don't know if he supervised or not..........but, he's been down here every day watching the memorial go up. Millard, would you come up here? By the way, Millard is an Ex-POW, too, and I always tease him............the only reason they released him is because he ate too much." "Gary Exline..........Is Gary here?.....................Gary is Lee's boss. This is presented to Gary and WOMI-WBKR for giving Lee the time to spend on this and all the support the radio station has given us. We just thank you, Gary, from the bottom of our hearts." "Curtis Johnson. Curtis is the Commander of the American Legion............where they let us have our meeting each month. This is just our way of saying 'Thank You' for the use of the American Legion." "Sanford Peyton.......Not many know this, but he used to be my boss. I'm sure he's glad I'm gone........but what Dave Hendrix was talking about........I've talked to Mr. Peyton about. Faye and I just want to say 'Thank you very much......' and I've put on here. 'Thank You , Boss.' " "Jane Lawson...........................Are you here, Jane? Jane is Gordon Lawson's widow. She's been a friend of the family since Day One. Gordon passed away while working at the Moving Wall in April, and I just want to say Thank You , Jane. I know Gordon is here, and you know it , too." "Now this one is a tuffy.........What do you give a guy who has everything? 'Red McDaniel'........He's our brother. He knows what the Shelton family has been going through for over 30 years. Red, I don't know what to say except , Thank you very much for being a partner,......for aiding Marian in all her endeavors and thank you for saving America." "Roy Keith............Roy's company did the monument......which has been outstanding. I put on here, thank you, Roy, your work is second to none. And I sincerely mean that and we appreciate every help that you have given us over the years. And I know Faye and I have gotten 'chewed' in Elizabethtown, but forgive us, you know what we've been through." "Next is Sam. Sam is my boss now. I work at Allshops Hardware. Sam has let me off ..........and I appreciate it and I want you to know that. The shop is owned by Don Pike and Don has worked real well with me because there were times when I just had to get away and I appreciate it." "Don Hagan........All this work was done by Hagan Construction, overseer, most of the work and materials were donated . I wrote on here, Your work is outstanding and we appreciate everything you have done and I can tell, everyday I was down here, you were enjoying your work. Thanks." "From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Owensboro. It's been a long time in coming."LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Representing the five Shelton children, here again is Father Charles Shelton, Jr."
FATHER CHARLES SHELTON, JR. SPEAKING: "Thank you, again, Lee. On behalf of the immediate family...........the five children......I want to thank all of you for coming out here today, for being a part of this celebration and for being a part of this magic moment. Do not think that it took too long to build this memorial and to place this monument stone for my father and those men who shared his fate. I'm just glad you got it up BEFORE he came home. God bless you."
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "At this time, would the Shelton children, along with the brother and sisters of Charles and Marian please come forward to assist in the unveiling of the Colonel Charles E. Shelton Freedom Memorial."
(The five children, along with Charles' sister Wanda Faye Newcom, his brother Larry, and Marian's sister Claire Bowles, approach the monument, which has been draped in black. As they tug on the golden tassels, the drape glides gracefully to the floor, exposing the life-size etching of Charles Shelton and other Prisoners of War. While they get a glimpse of the back of the memorial, where an image of Marian and the five children has been etched, Lee introduces the artist responsible for the etching.)
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Five years ago, a veteran of the Russian army moved from his homeland to America. He brought with him a very unique and wonderful gift.........the ability to draw and to etch into stone and granite the images of total strangers and give them life. For the past five years, he has been employed by Keith Monument Company in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. He lives in Louisville with his wife, Nina, and their sons Alex and Michael. Ladies and Gentlemen, would you please express your warm appreciation to a superb artist .....and one of America's newest naturalized citizens...........Valeriy Klinberg."
"Cadets from the University of Kentucky Air Force ROTC, under the direction of Captain Shane Prater, will lay a wreath at the base of the memorial as the Walnut Memorial Baptist Church Choir sings 'America, The Beautiful'."Oh
beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains
majesty, above the fruited plains, America, America, God shed his grace
on thee..............................................."
(As
the choir sings, Captain Prater and cadets march in single file to stand
before the image of Charles Shelton and other POWs. They place their wreath,
salute and stand at attention until the choir concludes the song. They
turn and silently march away.)
(In the distance we hear Lt. Col John Russell as he gives the order to fire three volleys. We hear the rifles. There is no other sound. Cadets from Apollo High School Air Force JROTC stand at attention. And then, from a spot near the memorial, overlooking the beautiful Ohio River, the first notes of the bugle echo across the water. 'Taps'.)
LEE DENNEY SPEAKING: "Enjoy your freedom,.............It has been paid for. God bless America's POWs and MIAs."
