Last Firebase

In the middle of a multitude of activities, The Southern Dem found time to research and write an excellent series of articles about a usurper of democracy, one Theodore Lane Sampley of Kinston. Sampley, a political provocatuer, is the originator and maintainer of an eyesore in the nation's capital, an unkempt shack which sits in plain view of the Lincoln Memorial, mocking Lincoln and the nation's political heritage. The culmination of this writing was a three part article, links to which I have re-posted to recognize the excellent research and narrative which may have been missed by some readers the first time around in the whirlwind of daily posts.

PART 1 : Who is Ted Sampley and Why do I Care?

PART 2 : A Darker Shade of Ted

PART 3 : Disreputable, Despicable, Dishonorable

Disclaimer - To my knowledge, no person mentioned in this article has committed a crime, pleaded guilty to or been convicted of any crime associated with events listed here.

The year 1992 appears to be a turning point for Ted Sampley. In his biographies Sampley says he testified before the Senate Select Committee on MIA-POWs in 1991. Most of the hearings were held in 1992. Senator John McCain and Senator John Kerry were involved in the hearings and both drew the ire of Ted Sampley.

The Senate Select Committee on POW-MIAs covered many issues. One of the topics was fundraising of the POW-MIA organizations. Several were singled out as using unscrupulous tactics and having dishonorable intentions. Sampley's Homecoming II was among those singled out. From the transcript:

In stark contrast to the vast majority of volunteer POW/MIA organizations, stand a few private organizations who solicit money from millions of American households. In response, the American public has contributed tens of millions of dollars to the POW/MIA cause since Operation Homecoming. In many instances, however, well over half of the money raised was spent on fundraising.

:::snip:::

The Committee found that professional fundraisers created solicitation materials designed to maximize the emotional impact of the POW/MIA issue by stating that POWs remain alive in Southeast Asia and by stating that for a few dollars more, a private organization can rescue them. In virtually every case, materials relating to the existence, identity and location of POW/MIAs and attempts to rescue them were held out as factual but were based on circumstantial and hearsay evidence far weaker than claimed.

:::snip:::

The Committee's investigation was hampered by the refusal of the most active fundraising organizations to cooperate, in particular when it tried to verify statements made in the fundraising appeals of Account for POW/MIA, Inc. (Skyhook II), Operation Rescue, Inc., American Defense Institute, Inc., Homecoming II, Inc., and Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. (Emphasis my own)

Please follow below the fold for more....

Disclaimer - To my knowledge, no person mentioned in this article has committed a crime, pleaded guilty to or been convicted of any crime associated with events listed here.

Every small town seems to have its hometown character - a person who annoys as many people as he or she charms. Some are more endearing than others, some more despicable. Then there are those who move beyond the city's borders to either delight or enrage a larger audience. Ted Sampley of Kinston, North Carolina appears to do all of the above.

If you haven't heard of the man, you're probably familiar with some of his work. He was instrumental in providing information that resulted in the identification of the remains of the Vietnam soldier interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. He was part of a group that developed a large clearinghouse for information on the POWs and MIAs from the Vietnam War. He has also initiated a couple of projects that might one day help boost tourism in Kinston. Along with the good, though, has come quite a bit of nastiness and years of questionable business practices. Sampley has gained some notoriety for his attacks against John McCain that have spanned well over ten years. He also attacked John Kerry during the Senate hearings on MIAs and POWs in 1992 and during the presidential elections in 2004.

With Sampley's fixation on McCain and Kerry and with both expected to run for the nomination of their respective parties in the 2008 presidential elections, it is easy to imagine that Ted Sampley is busy preparing fresh attacks on them. Sampley's attacks are vicious and rarely appear to be based on the truth. McCain referred to Sampley as "despicable" and said that Sampley has a nose for publicity and a knack for making money from invented controversies.

Follow below the fold for the beginning of the story...