Vocalization of Read Their Names Bring Them Home

 Although this project has been planned out to be completed in pen and ink, I am adding another level to this.  I will be reading their names literally-using the official list available at

Korean War MIA/POW List - this link no longer works-the government has taken down their State by State reporting. Read their Main Page

I believe I found the lists by state in the National Archives  !!!!

I will be posting the vocal files on SoundCloud, as well as sending a micro sd card to specific government offices, such as The Department of State and the White House.

I am starting with Massachusetts, the state I have lived in for over 50 years. If you would like to read along as you listen, on the left below is the link to the state page and on the right, the link to the audio file.  I will be reading the name and Service designation.

Massachusetts MIA/POW Korean War - as of July 26, 2021 - audio file

(Mitchell, Bernard and Mitchell, Edwin Louis were read in reverse order)

1st Lt. Thomas J. Redgate, U.S. Army was not listed on the list, but his return and burial are scheduled for September 2021

Below are additional states as I record them.  I will be making these recordings as I personally relate to the state at the beginning, but will list them in alphabetical order. For example, the next state is Connecticut, the state where I was born, and the state from which my father joined the United States Army, and subsequently was sent overseas during the Korean War. My father was in Occupied Berlin during the Korean War, but had his orders been different, his name might have appeared on these lists.

It Starts With Family Military Service as of August 28, 2022 audio file

Connecticut MIA/POW Korean War as of July 29, 2021 - audio file

Alabama MIA/POW Korean War as of July 29, 2021 - audio file

Alaska MIA/POW Korean War as of July 30, 2021 - audio file

Arizona MIA/POW Korean War as of August 1, 2021 - audio file

Arkansas MIA/POW Korean War as of August 1, 2021 - audio file

California MIA/POW Korean War as of July 9, 2022 - audio file

Colorado MIA/POW Korean War as of August 1, 2021 - audio file

Connecticut MIA/POW Korean War as of July 29, 2021 - audio file

The Korean War Armistice Agreement

The Korean War Armistice Day is July 27 (1953)

South Korea has built a visitor's walking park on their side of the DMZ,potentially allowing tourists to be walking over the bones of our soldiers.

Article 1 - Korea's DMZ Where frontier meets funpark

Article 2 - South Korea opens hiking trails on world's most heavily armed border

Civilians

There are 64+ Americans currently publicly disclosed as being hostages or wrongfully detained.  Please help the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation advocate for their release.

Wrongfully Detained / Hostages Audio File James W. Foley Legacy

Please also see:

Bring Our Families Home Campaign

and the Pens will be Parkers

I have spent about two or three weeks, going through all of my pens, several different types, and how they write with different inks. I was disappointed when I found Sheaffer and then Speedball makes their pens in China now (only calligraphy sets by Speedball).

I have finally decided to use Parker Vector pens for this project-for a couple of reasons:

1. they write wonderfully

2. with Noodler's inks, they allow a sense of color and fun to a serious project

3. they are dependable, easy to fill, portable

4. they are made in either England or France.

I have several Parker Vector pens, and I talk about this in this video:

Writing, Remembering and Parker Pens

Trump, My Books of Soldiers' Names

The Trump administration glorifies the enemy. Kim Jong Un seems to be someone Trump is trying to emulate. This is treason. I posted this on the White House FaceBook page when I saw the number of "wonderful" photos of Kim Jong Un:

"Just noticed the header on this page-see how many "wonderful" photos of Kim Jong Un? Does anyone realize that the Korean War is still an active open war on the books of Congress? and that there are 7800+ MIA Korean War American solders? so, I'm sorry, but it is STILL treason to have photos glorifying the enemy when our soldiers are lying in North Korean fields of death. This White House page is treasonous."

The White House works for all Americans, is supposed to be reflecting and posting information for all Americans, and not propaganda. The White House FaceBook page is at this link, see the propaganda for yourself.

Instead of the brown paper I had been planning to use, I have switched to better art paper in sketchbook format, and colored inks. A rainbow of hope needs a light background.  Think of "The Diary of Anne Frank", as opposed to paper we would throw away. My little books of soldiers' names.

Noodler's Inks

These are the inks I will be using in my MIA Korean War Project- Noodler's Inks, Made In America. A Rainbow of Hope that the US government will wake up and get our soldiers home

Noodler's Inks website

I am using:

Black

Apache Sunset

Fox

Ottoman Rose

Burgundy

Hunter

Navajo

Legal Lapis (exclusive ink from Pendemonium)

and then there's China

I ran into this when making items for American Veterans- very few raw material products are still made in the United States.  It started with yarn. Lion Brand Fisherman wool yarn was my favorite yarn. Then I found out it is made in China, and I went back to spinning my own yarn, with wool from my brother's farm.

With art or in this case, calligraphy, and as a Fine Artist, I knew I would both not be able to remove all international products from my studio, but also that I probably didn't want to, simply because of quality.

I thought I had no problem with this project once I received an email from Hunt / Speedball about their pens, and the company stating all their products are made in America. Well, they should have clarified, and this is just like Crayola. No, actually, they aren't.  The older style pen nibs and holders are made in America. The current Speedball calligraphy sets are made in China.

This is like Singer, Levi's, Lion Brand, Sheaffer, Cross, and the list goes on. Almost any of my preferred manufacturers are now using China as a manufacturing point.

So, here I was, balancing India ink on thin brown paper with Hunt nibs, and it not looking all that "well" as a pen and ink artist would have it look, so I decided to look for the modern Speedball calligraphy pen, planning on using that for the lesser ink flow on this paper.  Boom! Made in China.

So, yes, Speedball Customer Service was selective in the facts they emailed to me. On the plus side, as an artist, I now know I probably cannot use an "all-American" pen type for this project, as Speedball was my last hope. The down side, what will I use?  I have several choices, but all roads lead to China. I am going to take the attitude that I can use ANY pen set, because I will be using what is current in today's world, and not necessarily what would have been true when these soldiers went to North Korea. Currently, we need to get people in high places to READ THEIR NAMES BRING THEM HOME, and fiddling over this manufacturing downslide is not helping that.  Maybe every page will now be different, in different colors. We will see what develops.......

I may use my glass pens. Most are made in China, so we'd be getting things directly from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Also China backs North Korea, and if the US administration played their cards right, could possibly assist in getting our soldiers home. Other than that, don't ask me, because I can't otherwise justify using Chinese-made materials on this project. Glass is molten and neutral is about all I got. If I use Sumi ink after I run out of India Ink, we will have the blessings of pine trees in Japan, the neighbors to our fallen soldiers, and those closest to their whispers.

But here is a fairly American choice - a Sheaffer Viewpoint pen, currently available, fine nib. And instead of the brown "trash" paper from shipping boxes, good old American, save a tree (plant one for every 3 taken), notebook paper. You see, I am trying to find a balance of respect and materials.

I just spent another hour reviewing all of my materials, brands, types, etc.  I have PTSD. One thing I had discovered lately is that using glass pens to write gives me more of "my own hand". With PTSD this helps determining how I am doing, and whether or not a seizure is about to begin. When I think of me, and this project is going to take quite some time, and because I am moving, perhaps not always in a studio, then yes, glass pens seem best.  They can also take any ink.  I would be using my own hand, on good days and bad days, to remember soldiers we have left behind in North Korea, or missing from the Korean War. It might be the most I can give them - my own handwriting, without special nibs.

Brown Paper and India Ink

I have decided to use Hunt / Speedball dip pens for this project. These pens were the "American" pen to me as I started pen and ink over 42 years ago, and I have just received an email response from the company that the pens are still Made In America!

Here is a video about choosing these and why: READ THEIR NAMES BRING THEM HOME, yes, all caps.

As I state in the video I will be posting photos of the pages as I finish each state.

Alabama, 148 soldiers missing

From the state of Alabama, there are 148 Korean War soldiers unaccounted for. I am starting here, with A for Alabama, and will go down the list of states.  I will post a photo when this first list is finished.

I have and will print the lists for each state before I hand-write each name - below are the lists for Alabama. "They" say that email and online communications are "better", but I disagree. I believe writing by hand is a gift we should cherish, just like our soldiers. I am not sure yet whether I will be mailing these to state Congressional leaders, or collectively to the White House. I think they all need a reminder.