November 2009

Newsletters like this are easy to write – quite a bit has happened and most is good. Also there are two sources that have given permission to quote articles which were carried in their publications.

The first of these is a new newspaper – the “Dega News”. This monthly newspaper is developed by the Montagnard Dega Community news group. The newspaper is free but it would be good to send a dollar or so to help cover mailing costs. Their address is: 611 Summit Avenue, Suite 10, Greensboro, NC 27405. Note: the Dega News is printed in three (3) languages-two are Montagnard and then in English, but in any language the message is the same – the need to bring their people to freedom.

The annual Dega Day was held on September 19th at our site, and this is the Montagnard Memorial Day. An excellent way to understand their feelings is a quote from the Dega News

“This is our time to stand up and be the rock for the future. This is the first step that we have to take and be the solid ground for the young Montagnard Dega people. We cannot forget the ones who gave up their lives to fight for us back in the Vietnam War because they gave up their families and left everything behind. We also cannot forget those who are still left back in Vietnam. We cannot just abandon them and our land, the land that GOD has given to us.”

The feelings of the Dega community are also reflected in a report of a visit in spring of 2009 to a village in Vietnam.

“Finally, a visit home after 17 years in the USA. H’Juel Ya made her first trip back to her native country of Vietnam – the Central Highlands. Filled with excitement, fear, anxiety, she didn’t know what to expect after hearing many different stories of others who had been back to visit the Highlands before her. …The excitement of being home, made H’Juel’s stay of being in the country a lot more enjoyable. H’Juel and her family stayed a full 3 weeks in Vietnam and headed back to the states on July 9th. “My heart was broken to see the destitute living conditions of the Montagnard people in the Central Highlands, but there was nothing that I could do to help them to get out of that situation”, H’Juel says. “Saying goodbye was hard. In the olden days I only heard and knew the Vietnamese Communists through the newspaper mass media, but now I see the real world of the Communists, how miserable the Montagnards are treated in the Central Highlands”.

Immediately after Dega Day was the Special Operations Association Reunion (SOAR), held in Las Vegas. Earlier in the week, a load of sales items was driven there by members and they were met by our other members who flew out after the Dega Day event.

SOA has always been very responsive to our cause. Perhaps one reason can be explained by a quote from their magazine - ”This Year in Special Operations”. This glossy, 160 page magazine is published by FaircountMediaGroup (one word) at 701 N. W. Shore Blvd., Tampa, FL 33609. They had a 5-page article with full color photos about STMP and our people. Copies of this annual are said to be available at some newsstands and also Barnes & Noble.

“Of all the social deviations that came into prominence during the 20th century none arguably reflected the troubled history of human relations more than genocide on a mass scale. The Armenian genocide, the Nazi Holocaust of World War II, the “killing fields” of Cambodia, and the Rwandan massacre are simply the best known of these scars on the history of mankind. Many others are simply forgotten or unknown. This is a story about one of those genocides, its victims, and the small group of Americans still trying to make it right for the Montagnards of Vietnam’s Central Highlands: Save the Montagnard People, Inc.” (Quoted with permission from “This year in Special Operations 2009”)

As you all know, for many years we have asked (politely at times), that our government take action to ease the conditions of Dega in the SRV and the various camps in Cambodia.

“Since 1986, thanks to the ODP and the fierce dedication of former special operations warriors, church groups, and others, more than 5,000 Montagnards now reside in North Carolina. Each step in the process of getting the Montagnards to American from their homeland is harrowing and sometimes filled with risk. It is people like Clark, Knul, and Todaro, along with numerous other former special operators that have joined together within organizations like STMP, who lead the lobbying fight with legislators and governments officials, and even go back to Southeast Asia to bring out Montagnards on their own. Clark is adamant, however, that STMP will save every Montagnard possible.” (Quoted with permission from”This year in Special Operations 2009”)

However, the funding for the ODP has been cut off as of this spring. To this end, there is a letter attached that you should copy and send it to your senators and representatives. About 3,000 plus of the last letter were sent. We hope to have many more sent this time. Print an extra copy and have your friends and relatives write. It only cost the price of a single stamp and who knows – yours might be the one that touches someone who can make a difference. It would be wonderful if next year at Dega Day there was something more to celebrate. It would be wonderful if there was a group of newly arrived Montagnards to hear their national anthem played, see their flag flown, and eat a traditional feast. But most of all that they could meet and pray with old friends in freedom.

Your continued pressure on Congress and your prayers are the best hopes of making this happen. There are only about 400 members of STMP. That’s not enough to move Congress so we HAVE TO REACH OUT. That’s the main reason STMP has a table at the Special Forces, Special Operations and Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association meetings. That’s the reason we will talk to any group who will invite us. Please carry on this mission where you live with friends or groups – however you can. STMP is reaching as far and as often as possible to motivate our Congress – now please make an individual effort. DO WHAT YOU CAN!!

Another excerpt from SOA magazine:

“GENOCIDE - The end of the American involvement in Southeast Asia in 1975, along with the fall of the RVN to the North Vietnamese Army in April of that year, was the beginning of a dark time for the Montagnard people. For years, thousands of Montagnard fighters continued their fight against the communists, long after America and its allies had gone home and turned inward, away from the problems of a troubled world. In retaliation for fighting on, along with their strong religious beliefs, the SRV began a program of systematic repression and genocide against the Montagnards that continues to this day. Following the 1975 communist victory, the non-combatant Montagnards were forced into “restricted areas” and denied medical care and supplies. All books, Bibles, and anything written in the Montagnard languages were burned. Called “cultural leveling”, the aforementioned practices are a central part of the SRV’s suppression and elimination efforts toward the Montagnards. Clark summarized the results: “In 1975, there were 7 million Montagnards. Today there are only about half-a-million left in Vietnam.”

“Thirty-five years after he left Southeast Asia, Clark is today fighting for his Montagnard comrades and has traded in his weapons and ammunition for a new armament of e-mails and faxes. As president of STMP, Clark is leading his charges against legislative paperwork and lobbing, helping them navigate the U.S. governmental bureaucracy and political arena in an effort to extract them from the continuing repression and genocide of the SRV government. Bottom line: If Clark and his organization can get the Montagnards onto U.S. soil, their people and culture have a fighting chance of survival. In the latter part of last year, (2008), 56 Montagnards in a U.N.-sponsored refugee camp in Cambodia were given back to the government of Vietnam, and none of them have ever been seen again,” Clark said.” (Quoted with permission from ”This year in Special Operations 2009”)

As we all know, these are not the best of economic times. Jobs have been lost all over the country and central North Carolina is no exception. A few of the STMP members, Offices and Directors have always looked for jobs for Montagnards. One place they have actively looked is at Fort Bragg – and it finally paid off after years of trying. It has always been thought that Montagnards could be very valuable to S. F. trainees. By giving the Montagnards the jobs of acting as indigenous troops in this training program, a two-fold purpose is being served. The first exercise took place in mid-September and the second training exercise occurred a month later.

The first group of over twenty-five was so impressive to everyone involved that more were included in the second exercise. Hopefully, future exercises will employ even more. The first group consisted of ages 20-60 of both sexes. The training exercise lasts a bit less than two weeks – all outdoors. The Dega are well paid for their efforts and skills and they can take part in the program each month. Those who participated couldn’t have done as good a job without training. Again, STMP has older Montagnards and retired military in the area who have a whole lot of experience. Their skills went a long way toward getting the new S.F. troops ready for their assignments overseas.

On that note, there are currently about 130 Dega on active military duty and many are in combat roles. This is just another example of how the Montagnards, as a people, are valuable additions to our country. Special Forces Chapter 57 is again live and well in Asheboro and many Dega have joined. If you are eligible to join, contact either “Bulldog” Smith (336-0475-3908) or Sam Todaro (336-669-4294).

Preserving their culture would also be valuable, and there has been some progress in that direction since Memorial Day. A select group of members who have various areas of expertise and are willing to help have been meeting to coordinate efforts toward the next phase of building. (IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER AND BE PART OF THIS TEAM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.) We can use all the help we can get with any part of this process. With the recommendations of this group, the Board has decided to build the caretaker’s cottage first. The location has been set but the exact building hasn’t been determined since there are several options. A professional fund raiser with years of experience has agreed to work with us. Currently she has requested and received an idea of who we are and what we want to do.

Two containers have been located in Asheboro. Obtaining these rather than the two originally found will save STMP about $1,000. These containers will be set on foundations soon. They will be set apart from each and the area in between will be used for storage. One of the containers will be air conditioned so that we can safely store the various artifacts which are being donated to us.

A drawing of the actual center has been made and the drawing you see in this letter is the first revision. It is far from final and your comments would be greatly appreciated. You as members need to let us know your thoughts. The center itself will likely be a simple rectangular building. The Bahnar building will serve as a welcome area. It won’t be up on stilts or have a thatch roof.

Preparation work which includes our mission and operating plans has been completed so that we can apply for possible grants. The mission has been fairly well determined, but how to get there is subject to discussion – we have also cleared all the preliminaries with the various county agencies.

That leaves us where we have been for at least 10 years – LOOKING FOR MONEY. It seems we are always doing that. That’s an unfortunate part of being a very active charitable, all volunteer organization with a goal. We all get letters which are sent to millions of people -asking for donations. This letter only goes to less than 400 special people. WOULDN’T IT BE AWESOME IF AT LEAST SOME OF THOSE WHO RECEIVE THIS LETTER WOULD COMMIT TO A DONATION OF $1,000 TO JUMP START THIS PROJECT? (By the way, it would be a great tax write off!)

Our retail sales have done well, the raffle sales did well, and your donations have been generous. (The winner of the raffle first prize had written “STMP” as the recipient and we truly thank that individual.) The full 2008 financial report was available at the general meeting. If you would like to receive a copy of the report just ask. You could say our finances were hung on a wash line for all to see. This line is short. We need a longer one to really start the Cultural Center.

Any group thinking of giving us a grant takes past performance into account and we can very proudly point to the outright ownership of the land, the building of the longhouse, the picnic pavilion and all the other improvements. The amounts of time STMP members give counts toward our contribution. We are working on grants, but any help from members really counts. The generosity of grant agencies is unknown. The generosity of our members is a sure thing. This gift giving comes in many ways. Quite a bit of the meat served at Dega Day came from a Boy Scout troop in Virginia. In addition to having plenty for the day, there was some left for the Saturday work parties.

Another form of giving is the scholarship. It was thought that this project would have to end soon, but it will continue. There will be some restrictions, but it will be available to any Montagnard who is serious about continuing education.

And finally, of the signs of our care and love is the Christmas Party. Due to the general job situation, Christmas will be slim for many Montagnard children. Our Christmas party has been held for over seven years and it’s a great time for all those who participate. The date for this year has been set for SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12TH. Fruit and toys will be given out at the longhouse. You are very welcome to come and be a part of the joy (AND BRING A TOY).

Thank you for all you’ve done and made possible during the past year. This coming year should be very busy in many areas. Pray for success.

George Hadeler, Secretary,

481 Almond Drive,

Luray, VA 22835-3521

(540) 743-2943