Re: A WWII Travesty: Holding the Leader of the American G.I. Forum Accountable

Dear Joe A Ortiz & AGIF Body,

In this case Commander Tony Morales made a big, no I mean HUGE mistake when he made the decision to step in and intervene in negotiations with Telemundo. This reminds me of a Plant Manager with a big head and a know it all attitude; sometimes, the operators who have worked at the Plant for years and who have watched Plant Managers come and go; will try and warn the Plant Manager (that) the modifications and changes the Manager is making, are not going to work. A Plant Manager sometimes will not heed the advisement that experience beckons.

From before the Telemundo matter; the accepted and respected SOP has placed Joe A Ortiz in the negotiator's seat many times and Joe has done a fine JOB negotiating many a hostile situation (although he always wishes he could have done just a little better), he is never satisfied with a monetary amount as trade for humanity. My question to Tony Morales is:

How would he rate his own negotiation results?

Is Tony Morales going to continue to negotiate for the AGIF or is he going to lead by example?

Tony should have brought a negotiator with him to the negotiation table.

Tony, you should always bring Joe A Ortiz to the negotiation table and when Joe gets up and walks away you should follow.

It does not matter how much is in it for you or me but that you demand respect for your people in the public eye and you always respect each other as each knows his place. Joe is the Negotiator and the Commander should work with him for the benefit of everyone.

Send Joe to the table next time and let him do what he does.

Quit usurping the SOP of the AGIF!

Good Work Gayle and Gus!

Respectfully,

Jaime

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Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2007 16:13:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: A WWII Travesty: Holding the Leader of the American G.I. Forum Accountable

 

A WWII Travesty: Holding the Leader of the American G.I. Forum Accountable

 

Over the course of the last nine months thousands of Latinos and Latinas across the nation and abroad have risen and rallied to honor the memory and sacrifice of our forgotten World War II veterans and their familias.   Those that have called, no, demanded that the Latino and Latina WWII experience be included the in THE WAR, a national documentary by Ken Burns and PBS, have been the brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, nephews, nieces, cousins and countless others who see the exclusion and erasure or the BIG LIE of our elder's participation in WWII as unjust and against true American patriots

 

Starting in twenty days, September 23, 2007,  the world will begin to see the extent of the damage and insult to the Latino and Latina community caused by THE WAR and the impact it will have on the nation's historical memory. Simply stated, our Latino and Latina elders have been left out and relegated to non-existence status.

 

Unfortunately, at a secret meeting held on May 9, 2007 in New York City facilitated by Jesus Rangel, an executive corporate officer in the Anheuser Busch Corporation,  resulted in an "agreement" as publicly noted by National Commander Tony Morales of the American G.I. Forum in a letter dated May 17, 2007 to Senators Ken Salazar and Robert Menendez. 

 

The "agreement," resulting in two WWII Latino veteran's interviewed being included in the 15 hour documentary does not represent the Latino or Latina WWII experience.

 

Furthermore, the surrender and entrusting of the memory and honor of our Latino and Latina World War II veterans to Ken Burns is a shameful and unforgiving act of betrayal.  

 

The betrayal  is best characterized in an August 30, 2007 communication from Melinda B. Zarrett, Executive Assistant, International Center for the Arts, San Francisco State University.  She states in response to a Latina making an inquiry about THE WAR film showing at CSUSF, that upon inquiring with Florentine Films, a Ken Burns representative told her:

 

"Among the Latino leadership, the American GI Forum, which represents Latino veterans, and the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, which represents the most prominent Latino organizations in the country, are both satisfied with Ken's response to the Latino community's concerns."

 

Unbeknownst to Ms. Zarrett is the fact that Maribal acted on behalf of HACR in the "secret agreement" without the knowledge and pre or post approval of the HACR Board of Directors.

 

Accountability to the Latino Community

The concerns raised over the "secret agreement" signed by the American G.I. Forum National Commander and its impact on the erasure of our WWII Latinos and Latinas from our national memory are serious and require diligent attention. If  this had happened in the American Legion or Veteran of Foreign Wars organizations, the outcome would have been immediate, that is, the impeachment of their "elected" leader.

 

A course of action for accountability will be to consider a revocation of the American G.I. Forum's Congressional Chartered status due to Morales' probable violation of the spirit and intent of this recognition by surrendering the memory of our Latino and Latina WWII veterans to Ken Burns, a non-veteran.

 

Unfortunately, this may not be possible to do since; according to an article in the Washington Post dated April 9, 1992 the law granting charters was abolished in 1992-fifteen years ago. The article states " Congressional Charters Abolished; Laws Recognizing Organizations Seen as Meaningless `Nuisance' and "the charters did nothing - offered no benefits other than allowing the wording "congressionally chartered" on the organizations' letterheads.

 

The process for revocation of the AGIF Charter status will be continued by those concerned.

 

A second action to be considered is to call for an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audit of the National Office of the American G.I. Forum, a non-profit corporation, to determine if formally audited financial reports signed by qualified outside auditors for the past several years have been filed in compliance with IRS federal tax reporting regulations.   In addition, the IRS should make a public finding on the validity of all financial qualified expenditures relative to the mission and purpose of the AGIF, a non-profit corporation.

 

A third action to be considered is a review of the appropriateness, conditions thereof and wisdom of a public agency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), to have one of their public employees "detailed" to work all or part of his employment in a leadership position within   the National Office of the AGIF.  The public employee n this case is Roland Esparza, an Equal Opportunity Specialist ODEO assigned as the Chief Operating Officer for the AGIF in Washington D.C.

 

The FDIC is an independent agency of the federal government. It is highly probable that Ms. Sheila C. Bair, Chairwoman of the FDIC Board of Directors is unaware of the injustice caused by Ken Burns and AGIF National Commander Morales to Latinos and Latinas in the country.  The formal relationship between the FDIC and National AGIF Office needs to be examined.

 

These are difficult and challenging actions to be considered by the Latino and Latina communities throughout our country because as stated before, the disrespectful usurpation of the memory and contributions of World War II Latinos and Latinas must not and will not be taken lightly by our broad based Latino community.

 

Gus Chavez, U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Veteran 1962-66 and proud nephew of five WWII Chicano veterans

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Kenedeno & Associates