| A rescue chopper burst into
flames after descending into a verdant patch of jungle in
Vietnam. The flames took the lives of all four on board.
Jack Columbus
Rittichier, a former Lieutenant in the US Coast Guard who
earned six medals in his military career, was in charge of the
mission. Before coming to Vietnam, he saved many
lives.
He led a mission that
successfully saved the crew of the West German marine vehicle
"Nordmeer," which went aground in Lake Huron during Nov. of
1966.
Less than 18 months after this
medal-earning mission, Rittichier commanded a battalion in
Vietnam. Three weeks later, Rittichier helped rescue four downed
Army soldiers, earning him the Distinguished Flying
Cross.
Two months later in June of
1968, Rittichier attempted the rescue that led to his death. He
and three crew members aboard the helicopter were shot
down.
His charred remains were
recovered*. They have yet to return to American soil.
"He was no stranger to
heroism," said Stacey Jones, Texarkana senior and POW
activist.
Life goes on at NT as several
plaques
commemorating such fallen heroes stands a somber vigil over the
second floor of the University Union.
The letters are tarnished with
age. Passers-by laugh and converse around it, seemingly unaware
of the horrors these men endured in the name of
freedom.
A student leans against the
plaque talking on a cellular phone. He enjoys not only his
freedom of speech, but also the prosperity that allows him to
afford such advanced technology.
Two girls run past the monument
carefree, racing to their mailboxes in the Union Post
Office.
But Jones pauses for a brief
moment each time she passes the memorial.
"It is not morbid, but rather
respectful, to honor our prisoners of war, soldiers missing in
action, and other veterans every day of the year," Jones
said.
So she built a web site to
complement the Union memorial. She said a web-based memorial
allows the stories of those still unaccounted for to reach a
broader audience.
Each name listed on the
memorial plaque is electronically chronicled on the site. Jones
said she plans to research the lives of those listed on the
plaque.
"Honestly, I haven't had the
time to research any of the NT student casualties," Jones said.
"But I plan to someday, and am looking for more
information"
Not all of those listed on her
website are from North Texas, nor are all the honored soldiers
confirmed dead. There are also veterans from other parts of the
country who are (or were once) classified Missing in
Action.
The last are listed alongside a
graphic of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C.;
"Armstrong, Harwood, Kinsman, Vietti, Rittichier, Forrester,
Green..."
By clicking each name, a brief
description is given of each veteran, including hometown, last
known location complete with coordinates and a scanned image of a
wax crayon rubbing of the soldier's full name as it is engraved
on the national memorial.
People from many states and
other countries have written her to ask how to become more
involved in the POW/ MIA cause.
"Knowing that I've motivated
them to become involved in this important cause keeps me going,"
Jones said.
Jones was not reared to have
concern for veterans issues, nor did she have any particular
mentors to guide her in the cause.
"I didn't talk to my parents
much, and they didn't always know what is going on with me, let
alone my interests," Jones said.
Jones spent most of her
childhood in Richardson, where she lived with adopted
parents.
In the fourth grade, Jones went
into the custody of the State of Texas following several
instances of abuse. Through high school, she lived in the Texas
Baptist Home for Children in Waxahachie.
The School of Music drew her to
NT. She soon decided music wasn't her strength, so she decided
instead to major in political science, her second
love.
Jones immediately became
involved with conservative politics, which helped channel her
interest to veterans affairs. She joined the North Texas College
Republicans and has held several offices since.
Jones became a political
activist. Her personal web site boasts several photographs of her
with famous statesmen, including president George W.
Bush.
While surfing the web in 1998,
she came upon a web page devoted to a Vietnam MIA. She followed a
link to Operation Just Cause, one of two organizations on the web
that helps in POW and MIA "adoptions." Jones said she decided
this was a worthy cause.
Individuals who adopt a POW or
MIA receive in the mail a bracelet with information regarding the
missing soldier. The adopter in return makes an effort to
encourage members of Congress and other government officials to
search for and recover missing soldiers.
"I adopted first only one guy,
then decided to adopt the other guy in the incident with him,"
Jones said. "I was content with that, until I thought it a great
idea to adopt a female. Since the only female was a civilian, I
decided to go ahead and adopt a hero from all
branches."
The name of Dr. Eleanor Ardel
Vietti, the only listed female civilian POW from Vietnam, is
engraved on the bracelet Jones wears every day.
Jones also maintains a memorial
web page for two Army soldiers, and one each for The Coast Guard,
Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy.
While roughly 9,000 visitors
have viewed the site, few people offline expressed interest in
the project.
Few NT students she has sought
shared an interest in her project —- Even among the College
Republicans.
Jones spoke with many of her
instructors about this issue.
"The few I've talked to about
this seem to think that the POW and MIA issue is not an issue at
all," Jones said. "I haven't received good vibes from any
professor with whom I've discussed my involvement."
Jones said she doesn't think
anyone is completely uninterested in the issue, per
se.
"Some people are just more
aware than others," she said with a smile.
Jones authored an opinion
column for the NT Daily about POWs and MIAs for Veterans Day
last November.
The Commentary page editor at
the time politely refused to print the article.
Despite the lack of publicity
regarding her lone vigil, several students later applauded her
for the effort.
Jeff Jendel, Haslet senior and
former College Republican chairman said Jones' memorial is a
reminder of the intense struggle for freedom.
"Her efforts to help everyone
remember our fallen and missing soldiers are a constant testimony
of the high price that has been paid," he said.
Former College Democrat
president Rachel Burlage, a recent NT graduate, commended her
involvement.
"I think it's a good example of
taking the past with us into the future," Burlage said. "I don't
know if our generation could do what the previous generation did,
and frankly, that frightens me."
Susan Ganzer, Denton senior,
said Jones' website is a tribute to American values.
"It is a shame that so many
people spend their lives finding fault with our nation," said
Ganzer. "People like Stacey are out there reminding us what we
stand for."
Jones said she is reminding
local governmental agencies of what the POWs and MIAs stood for.
She is also investigating federal legislation requiring
government institutions to fly a black and white POW/MIA flag on
certain days.
Public Law 105-85 requires the
National League of Families of POWs and MIAs flag to be flown on
Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day,
POW/MIA Day (third Friday of Sept.), and Veterans Day.
Under the law, the United
States Post Offices, Veterans Administration, every major
military installation, the Capitol, the White House, the Korean
War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, each
national cemetery, and at each of the buildings containing the
official offices of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of
State, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the director of the
Selective Service System must fly the flag on the aforementioned
days.
"This is an excellent law, but
one that I notice the Denton Post Offices don't exactly obey,"
said Jones. "The Denton County Jail flies the flag daily, for
which it should be commended."
Jones is also reminding the
Denton County Republican Party of POW and MIA issues. She is
working with local party officials to assure a table at the
annual Lincoln Day fundraiser is left vacant in honor of missing
soldiers from all American wars.
"There are people out there who
tend to recognize special days or months only when they are going
on," she said. "Black History or Native American History or
similar 'months' and 'days' are observances that should be
recognized year round."
Christopher Schmidt, Sweeny,
Texas freshman, said veterans should be remembered despite the
ugliness of war.
"No one doubts that war is
bad," said Schmidt. "But it's important to constantly remember
the men and women who were willing to give their all despite the
horrors of war."
Jones said her goal is not to
spread accounts of blood and gore but rather to encourage others
and teach them to enjoy liberty and freedom.
"I am not saying that everyday
should be Veterans Day," said Jones. "But thanks to those who
paid the ultimate sacrifice, everyday is Independence
Day."
Stacey Jones' website is at:
http://geocities.com/vogeler_de
Contact Jones at:
s_n_jones@yahoo.com
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