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JN173
Commander
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 341
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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 Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 8:53 pm Post subject: Who is Jon Bjornson? |
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In his suit against Carlson and the VVLF POW's
Legal Documents:
Bjornson alleges basically that he was libeled because he is in one of the pictures on page 81 of the Kerry's The New Soldier that was briefly shown in the video "Stolen Honor". His complaint indicates he can be identified in the photo because the"insignia of the 129th Medical Detachment is on his fatigues."
The pictures are at:
The only 129th Medical Detach with insignia I can google is a Vetinary clinic in Korea.
Can anyone identify Jon Bjornson in the picture?
note: URL error corrected/me#1
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A Grunt
2/503 173rd Airborne Brigade
RVN '65-'66 |
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kate
Admin
Joined: 14 May 2004
Posts: 1891
Location: Upstate, New York
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| Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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Who is Jon Bjornson?
He who claims in that lawsuit
| Quote: | 33. the above referenced statements, inferences, innuendos, and implications in Stolen Honor harmed Dr Bjornson’s reputation
34.the above referenced statements, inferences, innuendos, and implications in Stolen Honor
exposed Dr Bjornson to public hatred, contempt, and or ridicule, and injured him in his profession. |
However---
He also was a founding member of the VVAW in Phildelphia and was the Moderator of the Medical Session of the Wintersoldier Investigation transcript at wintersoldier.com
<snippets>
| Quote: | MODERATOR. Thank you. The first thing we will try to demonstrate is the variance of treatment, which was not medically sound, in terms of preference for patients. That is, Americans got the best treatment. If an ARVN had the same type of problem, wound, what have you, he got the second best. Prisoners got the worse by far. And we're going to take it by subjects. Mike, why don't you start off with something about how prisoners were treated by our medical people?
MODERATOR. David, you said there was an American doctor present when they tortured this guy?
MODERATOR. At an American hospital he would be kicked off any staff. Tell me, Jeff, you're pretty knowledgeable about medicine. How much training did you have?
MODERATOR. I have a sort of anecdote about napalm. I had a date with a representative of Dow Chemical Company who told me that most of these burn injuries were due to the fact the Vietnamese were using gas stoves and they were blowing up. Vietnamese use charcoal. How about white phosphorus? White phosphorus, I might add, is generally used for marking positions. It's absolutely against the Geneva Accords to use white phosphorus for military purposes. Did we? |
so now he's worried about his reputation, when he was leading a WSI panel digging for claims against the medical personnel, and um wouldn't that besmirch their reputations...ie making wholesale accusations as in that 1st snippet?!
sorry JN173, added nothing about the photo, just my own lil rant about this guy
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JN173
Commander
Joined: 10 May 2004
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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Both his statement at Winter Soldier and his Complaint say he was Army Medical Corp. I did run across one reference to the 129th Med Detach recieving an unit citation but that is the only reference for Vietnam I have found. Could the Vetinary clinic in Korea have been a normal medical unit in Nam complete with a phyciatrist. 
Of course even if we could find out what their insignia looked like, I don't think the picture is clear enough to identify it anyway. But that's what his law suit hinges on.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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Seems Jon Bjornson has a "special love of Vietnam". Wonder what types of photos he took in Vietnam and who he worked for? Maybe he did some news reporting with Al Gore?  
http://www.camellia-hotels.com/albums_left.htm
| Quote: | Welcome to our Photo Album
This album features the photos taken by our hotel’s staff during inspection tours round the North of Vietnam. Some of the pictures have been brought to us by an American tourist who has a special love for Vietnam; Mr. Jon Bjornson, present in Vietnam as a photographer during the American War.
<snip>
We would like to extend our warmest gratitude to Mr. Jon Bjornson for giving us his valuable pictures as a gift, hopefully we would have an opportunity to receive him in our hotel and admire those pictures posted in our hotel walls..
Mr. Jon Bjornson
(Personal Data Deleted by Admin) |
Admin note: Please refrain from posting personal data on private citizens in this forum. Thank you/me#1 OK/WP
========================================
Jon Bjornson's official congressional testimony should really be scrutinized, especially the part of using lethal gases in 1964-'65? Was he loading rocket pods or was he a medical officer?
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jksonc/docs/vietnam-sadhoc-19710423.html#jb
| Quote: | Full-text: April 23 1971
Senate Ad Hoc Hearing for Vietnam Veterans Against the War
(April 23 1971, 2:00-3:35 p.m.)
Witnesses:
Scott Camil 15392 Walter Mondale 15402
Vinny Giardina 15393 Forrest Berry Lindley, Jr. 15402
Melville L. Stephens 15394 Sam Miller 15402
Basil T. Paquet 15397 David A. Lamenzo 15403
Joe Nielsen 15397 Jon Bjornson 15404
Dale Granata 15401 Ken Provan 15404
Everett Carson 15401
<snip>
3. On December 25, 1965 we loaded rocket pods of approximately 50 armed UHIB helicopters with a gas mixture of CS, CN and DM. In mixing this gas on a soccer field next to an ARVN and province hospital in the city of Tay Ninh, the rotor wash spread these gases all over the city of Tay Ninh. OS causes neurolysis if there is an exposed nerve — that is it destroys nervous tissue. DM is a severe nausuant which can cause death if someone with an abdominal wound is exposed. We have no business using these gases in the first place and definitely have no business saturating areas with it — these were areas of “suspected VC” inhabited by civilians.
<snip>
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Also, the quantity (50 each UHIB) of choppers stated appears to be inflated, unless they were constantly reloading just a few. It is doubtful to me if there were 50 UHIB's mounted with rocket pods in 1965 at one location. |
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe the 129th was part of the 8th Field Hospital?
The Sixties Project
note: URL converted to hypertext/me#1
| Quote: | MEDICAL PANEL ROSTER
Moderator:
Dr. Jon Bjornson, 37, Major, Psychiatrist, Flight Surgeon, Deputy Surgeon, USASC, 8th Field Hospital, Nha Trang (May 1964 to April 1965) |
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Both his statement at Winter Soldier and his Complaint say he was Army Medical Corp. |
He stated he was Army? Wonder why he signed this petition as USAF?
http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0311-06.htm
| Quote: | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 11, 2003
3:54 PM
CONTACT: Veterans for Common Sense (VCS)
Tel.: 202.543.6176
Fax: 202.543.0725
In Letter to Bush, War Veterans "Strongly Question" Iraq Invasion, and Seek a Meeting
WASHINGTON - March 11 - In a letter delivered yesterday to President Bush, U.S. war veterans questioned the wisdom of invading Iraq now and sought a meeting with the White House to discuss their concerns. Initiated by the Washington-based veterans' group Veterans for Common Sense, the letter was e-mailed to veterans this weekend and quickly gathered nearly 1,000 signatories, including high-ranking officers and Kris Kristofferson.
<snip>
USAF Major Jon Bjornson, MD |
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JN173
Commander
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 341
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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| wpage wrote: | Maybe the 129th was part of the 8th Field Hospital?
The Sixties Project
note: URL converted to hypertext/me#1
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It's a possibility but I don't see anything difinite.
His "Complaint" (link above) 12. e says "From May 6, 1964 through May 5, 1965, was assigned to 8th Field Hospital, Nha Trang. ......filling in for unassigned flight surgeon ....in October, 1964 with 129th Medical Detachment, TonSanNhut. Returned to 8th Field Hospital in early 1965."
His "Complaint" (link above) 15 definitely infers that the 129th insignia is what identifies him in the referenced picture.
| Quote: | | 17. In Stolen Honor, the defendants improperly used photographs from "The New Soldier placing Dr. Bjornson (and other Vietnam combat veterans in a false light. |
| wpage wrote: | | Jon Bjornson's official congressional testimony should really be scrutinized, especially the part of using lethal gases in 1964-'65? Was he loading rocket pods or was he a medical officer? |
Note these "lethal gases" are in fact riot control agents.
| Quote: | After WWI, military and law enforcement agencies used CN for various purposes until CS, a more potent and less toxic compound synthesized by Corson and Stoughton (hence the nomenclature) in 1928, replaced it in about 1959. Today CN is in commercially available devices for selfprotection (MaceR), but CS is the agent otherwise used. The military forces of most countries use it in training as a confidence builder for the protective mask (the "gas chamber exercise"), and the United States used it extensively in Viet Nam, primarily for tunnel denial. Worldwide, police forces of many countries, e.g., Ireland, France, Russia, and the U.S., use it for crowd control or during riots.
The United States excludes these agents from international treaty provisions. They may be used in military situations by presidental order.
The agents in use today are CS and CN. CA is outmoded, CR is a British agent, and DM is neither used nor stockpiled. |
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Good find Jn173. Thanks. When googling "DM gas" I happened upon this VVAW member's testimony at the WSI 1971 Detroit meeting. Appears there was a preplanned and concerted effort by VVAW to demonize the use of tear gas. And where is the "COCLUSIVE PROOF" that David Braum tells of? A letter of patient observations by a Dr. Algy Vetama? Who is this doctor and what credentials do they have? Have found nothing on the doctor or "Canadian Aid Mission to Vietnam" in any searches.
edit add link: The Sixties Project
note: URL converted to hypertext/me#1
| Quote: | Testimony given in Detroit, Michigan, on January 31, 1971, February 1 and 2, 1971
Sponsored by Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Inc.
WEAPONS PANEL, Part I
MODERATOR. This afternoon the people on this panel are going to be testifying about weapons. And, I would like to take this time to introduce myself and the members who are going to give testimony. My name is David Braum and for military purposes my serial number was RA13766564. The Pentagon has a record of it and the paper can check it out. In Vietnam, in 1963 and 1964, I was a helicopter crew chief with the 119th Aviation Battalion,...
<snip>
The only ones that I know much about are CS, DM, and CN. CS is a fast-acting tear-gas. As you know, we have CS2 now which is very persistent. It is spread as small silicanized pellets and will last for many, many weeks. DM is a vomiting agent. CS and CN are so-called tear-gases. The U.S. has maintained that since these agents are in routine civilian use that they're just anti-personnel weapons. They do not constitute gas war. They are not lethal. However, I want to categorically state that there is conclusive proof that adamsite DM gas has killed people, civilians, and I want to read the letter. In 1967 I received a letter from Dr. Algy Vetama, the medical director of the Canadian Aid Mission to Vietnam...
<snip>
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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Note: This probable correlation of VVAW members testimony about supposedly gas being used can get confusing. Especially since David Braum claims to have been with the 119th Aviation VS the topic of the 129th Medical. My apologies for partially swinging the thread off-topic.
Seems that some chopper pilots that were in the same 119th Avn were possibly questioning the WSI statements in March 04? Some post were deleted?
http://www.campholloway.com/Webbbs/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=12839 |
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JN173
Commander
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 341
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| wpage wrote: |
He stated he was Army? Wonder why he signed this petition as USAF?
http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0311-06.htm
| Quote: | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 11, 2003
3:54 PM
CONTACT: Veterans for Common Sense (VCS)
Tel.: 202.543.6176
Fax: 202.543.0725
In Letter to Bush, War Veterans "Strongly Question" Iraq Invasion, and Seek a Meeting
USAF Major Jon Bjornson, MD |
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You had me for a couple of minutes.
| Quote: | | Major Kenneth E. Mayers, Ph.D., USMCR, Retired Major Thomas J. Treadway, USA, Retired Major William McEwan Cross, USA Major Donald McNellis, USAF Major Jon Bjornson, MD, USA, Retired Major James W. Strader, USAF Major Dean Wilson, USA, |
I would venture that the paper did a poor job of formating and dropped the coma between USAF and Bjorson. They did the same on McNellis. If you start from the beginning of the paragraph you will note that branch of service follows the name. They should have used a semi-colon to make it clear where the division should be. 
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2/503 173rd Airborne Brigade
RVN '65-'66 |
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| Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2005 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Darn. I thought I had something there. Should have done my checking a bit better. Thanks for the correction and easy out for a Grunt that needs to polish his research and grammer skills. WP |
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| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 1:55 am Post subject: |
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Same city & name. Wonder if this is the same as the Dr.? Wasn't Jon Bjornson very interested in photography also?
http://www.brochureplace.com/site/designers.php?state=PA&city=Philadelphia
| Quote: | Bjornson Design Assoc
Mr. Jon Bjornson
Owner
Philadelphia, PA |
Maybe he got bought out by 'Best Buy'?
Bjornson Design Assoc website:
http://www.siberra.com/en/index.html
| Quote: | Siberra helps consumers and companies live the promise of digital imaging. Consumers can instantly share photos, enhance and interact with their images, and preserve memories in new and creative ways. Companies realize that digital imaging is here to stay and it’s a big business opportunity – but are often unsure how to take it from test initiatives or early projects to high growth, mainstream business.
<snip>
Siberra is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Best Buy Canada and while part of our mandate is to provide Best Buy with digital media services, the other part is to offer these services to third parties. Siberra business processes and systems are designed to deal with each customer's information and business practices with the utmost confidentiality.
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| Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 5:22 am Post subject: |
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An excellent debunking of VVAW members WSI testimony on supposedly "lethal gases "being used by U.S. An excellent document and recommended read.
Originally from: http://www.viet-myths.net/
http://www.buttondepress.com/BostonManifesto/Boston_Manifesto_Text.pdf
| Quote: | THE BOSTON MANIFESTO:
A Statement by a Group of
Vietnam Veterans
Explaining their Outrage
Over the Nomination of
Senator John F. Kerry
to be President of the United States
Prepared by
VIETNAM VETERANS TO CORRECT THE MYTHS
October 18, 2004
© 2004 by VVCM
This document may be reproduced in full or in part and distributed on a
not-for-profit basis without further permission so long as credit is given to
the original source. Non-profit veterans organizations wishing to reproduce
and sell copies for the purpose of raising funds should request permission
from Steve Sherman , PO Box 926032, Houston, TX 77292-6032
<snip>
- 14 -
Following a pattern first begun by the Communists during the Korean War, Hanoi had long been accusing the Americans of using “poison gas,” and Jane Fonda picked up this lie in her own radio broadcasts to U.S. forces while she was in North Vietnam. It seems clear that the VVAW witnesses were also being pushed to document this particular “war crime,” as several made reference to having witnessed the use of “gas” and then discussed the evils of “CS”— which one called “the most powerful gas that can be used that will not kill you.”35 Another confessed: “I’ve seen hootches CS’d to drive people out”36— as if this were right out of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp.
In reality, of course, CS (Orthochlorobenzamalononitrile37) is a commonly used tear gas to which virtually all American soldiers were intentionally exposed as part of their training during the Vietnam period. We can all testify that being subjected to CS is not fun, but during Vietnam it was a lawful tool that saved many lives.38
Another of Kerry’s powerful first-hand testimonials came from a witness who described the mixing of a large quantity of CS for use in a rescue attempt of Americans who had been taken prisoner by the Viet Cong. “While they were mixing them, a helicopter landed improperly behind the area where they were mixing and a large cloud of gas settled over the entire city of Tay Ninh, including us.”39 Indeed, many of the statements reprinted in the book of “war crimes” clearly involved either accidents40 or alleged misconduct 35 The Winter Soldier Investigation p. 52.
36 Ibid. p. 75.
37 The name “CS” comes from the two scientists (Corson and Stoughton) who invented the gas.
38 In a setting where enemy combatants and noncombatants were blieved to be located in a structure, U.S. forces did not want to use fragmentation grenades or to expose themselves to close-range and often lethal gunfire. By tossing a CS grenade into the structure, the ccupants were forced to evacuate and would fully recover in a matter of minutes without long-term effects. Those who emerged shooting were lawful targets. Combatants who emerged with their hands up would become POWs, while non-combatants would be released. Most of us felt it was far better to “cry” than to “die” in such a setting. CS is still in use around the world as a riot control agent.
39 The Winter Soldier Investigation p. 80.
40 Ibid. pp. 88, 94, 118,
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