Article on ex POW Gen. Flynn

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/r)tliough hc r'"'as torltlred by tlie Nol'tlr Vie'.lr;tnt'.'se at.ri i:,'pt in :scr' lalion for a good porticn of liis five' . and'a-hali r'.: ir ls of calrt iI'it1' thr:t'c, P.

Fl1'nn sa,1's he fccl.s if I-r'csident Jti:ion favors e<:onotr-iic airi to't.hc Vir:tn:rt-l1ese,

tvc shoul.l givc

ii."

"Thtn I thin!:

F-l1'ntr, spt:akinl-1 at I Irress con' fercuce al I{cesicr.{IrB I'rida.y aftcrnoon, stated tirat iie fireis, "'I'iiis idetr r-rf cxtctrsion of liatc is a very hurrtat: cxpt'cssiotl, httt clte 1 don't pcl'soriallrv ilg1'ce v.'iih. 1 think that tircrc is a blicge tc tllc fLiture atrd ihc irridgr: to the futu: c irivolvcs strch thir:3s as tc('rionl;c assis;tatnce to those i;eoPlc ri'ho need it, provicle <i, of cor:r-sc,lve arc not taken ilr L-v them." He said lte believcs ihe .{nreri' can people ttrusi. bc verv cnrciul as to the tcrnts of the goocl "i'iil, but. that he is sure thc 1'l'esidcnt is rvell arva.r'e of tiicsc ter11s.

Gctrcr'al }rlynn. a native of Cicve' tancl, Ohio, rvhose family rcsiCes in Shalin.rar, Fla., u'as -cl.iot do',vn

lrn F-105 combat nrissioir over liortir Vict'

in October

136? during

nam. Fie rvas a colonel at thc tilrte'

although he -sai{i he rvas not thc

first full colonel shot

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Daill' Ilcrald St:tfl \i'ritr.:r

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He u'a.s norninatcci for prol:lction to brig;ac[er gcneral a nd receivcr]

r*'ord of his ofticia) clcvation irri' dal' nrorning. Fl1'nn served as cc-rlulllander pf the Irourth Allied PO\Y \\'ing dttt"

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General Flynn ex' presscd regrct that many

ing his inrprisortt:tcnt. I-Ic: said the name was c):,.rsen bccattsc "l his rvas the fottrth rt,ar itr u'hich rvc Iorrgirt as allics. " At one point, hc ci,:scribcd trt.at'

nlcnt as "somctit:",crs hrulai,

peopir had assurred thc

ha.C becn to'ld byr the Fovern'inent rvhat to ser', vrhen, in f aci., his o.,,/n e.s. .cor'i ofiicer to Clark told hiln he cor-:ld off er lio 8'1lid' ance as to rvhrrt thc fornter POW should say.

men

tlrcsl"

oitelr indiifcrcrl'., sotnetit-t-les kind." Hor,,'cver, ire said, that it

never canie up to',lte interna.tiortal standards prescriLcd by thc Genc' va C()r: \'i l:t iotl. I{c said he is distl'cssed tirat the Nol'th \rit:tnatncs:e hat'e llot vel re" leaseci trvo 'Ihai prisot-lct's, no'rii 8

lie ui:dcr-stantis

c,,tre

Concerning

tolri a last re'

an, " l'ic as c !e l1 Cr:ionci Irl)'nn to 8'et lnc o'.t'L of hcre." Flynn se.id hc is sure iiie i.ri

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A r:-ic

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U.S. govtrnniei.rt, r','lIi cxercise "a1l

tlrc le\.crarle I'o:slblc'' tc (ri.laiil thc lclc,rst'of titl :;tctt, "sc tl.rt "i'':

crn ciose thc Iinal chaptcr'-tiral rtil the mct: in thc irourth lVirg trra-v rettirtr in accordaticc r';ii.h our *'iltg motto, ilctiirn Iii'Lir I'loncr." r\skeci u'lli' rto Ilt.itli' of thc rat-,kirg offrcers depl;ri-rirrg a'L Clark .\ir Easc itr tire Philipplrles atld ins'";;-i" lations aroultd the countrl', ltird made similar sir,lements, i'11':n sa.icl, "You're loollil.rg at the guiil,y

" ile saicl he quiie often pt-tt ottt

pari-v".

nlcs-qages tc the t:ren, althcuglt a.t no tinte did hc ever tcll therl, speelllU(rll.\,

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sage did not [Jo o'!:t as a dilective

possible

coui't nrartial procec'Jings

,

he said, btrt as an adi'isorY. be' c:-usc he felt an appropriate str-tc' mcnt rvould bc. "I have bectr

privilcgeci to sr:rve my cour!trJ" un'

dcr diificuit circurrrstances," and

a(ainsl nten \\';-ro a)lu3coi1' coiiai:oratcri, tr'i:inn said, "It is my unrlerltanding that the Departmcni of Dc[ense, a; an agcncy, l:a,s sratcd that it is r:ot going to take a.n1' action agaittst sn:rone rvho rnade sta'rements whiie theY were in l{orth Vieinam,"

Hc aride<i h1s Personal assurance tirat he agrees

vrith the Po)icY' bccaltse "to the best of mY knov.''

lcdxe, thc

Yiettta n.tcsc absotutelY r','ortid not have gottell anY st.itcr:,ctrts hail

[h.r" ltot becn toriure' pressuies, <luresse, so 1 ii.rink thin is a vcrY viise thing." He said the North Viet' namese " arc- cons',ttnnrate nlasters at establishing siluations rvhich inciicalc thal sotrie n-ien are coaPer' ating antl lhci' do t)ris itt

rnan]' \\'iLl,'s. Thct'c

erc n:anY vciticies availrblc to

the:n. So. in t:ian-v ir-istancesr one might tliini< a

Reproduced at the Richard Nixon presidential Library DECLASSIFIED This document has been review pursuant to Executive Orderl2958 and has been determined to be declassified.


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