# Air America documents released to Aviation Collection



## arizonaguide (May 22, 2009)

*AIR AMERICA documents*


> *Wednesday, April 15, 2009 *
> 
> *By JEFF CARLTON, Associated Press Writer *
> 
> ...


 
There is a DVD of the symposium available, which I have ordered, from the UTD. Seem like good folks.:cool:


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## EverSoLost (May 27, 2009)

I am not sure I  understand why things like this are ever released.  Not that it's not informative to me or the average observer, just why it "needs" to be released to the public.

Edit:

For clarity why classify something then release it.  Just leave it classified.


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## DA SWO (May 27, 2009)

EverSoLost said:


> I am not sure I  understand why things like this are ever released.  Not that it's not informative to me or the average observer, just why it "needs" to be released to the public.




Why not, the war ended (for us) 37 years ago.  These guys deserve to have their stories told before they die.


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## EverSoLost (May 27, 2009)

SOWT said:


> Why not, the war ended (for us) 37 years ago.  These guys deserve to have their stories told before they die.



There it is, that makes perfect sense. Thanks!


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## arizonaguide (May 27, 2009)

Some damn heroic bastards amongst them too! :cool:


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## arizonaguide (May 28, 2009)

For anybody who's as interested as I am, here's another great link:
http://www.air-america.org/
:cool:

Fantastic pictures and stories sections.
Much like the Merchant Marines of WW2, these folks have gone unrecognized for far TOO long!
Many are Combat Veterans, any way you slice it...and saved MANY lives.



> *Senator Harry Reid and Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Introduce Legislation to  Help Secure Benefits for Air America Veterans*​May 21, 2009 Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid and Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today introduced the Air America Veterans Act of 2009, legislation that will begin the process of providing Air America veterans with federal retirement benefits. This legislation addresses the first step of that process, which is to authorize a study to determine who would be eligible for benefits and provide the data necessary to help fix the problem. The study will provide information on Air America, its employees, the missions they performed, the casualties they suffered, and an assessment of the difference between those benefits and what they would receive if treated as employees of the United States.
> “Anyone who puts their life on the line in service of this country, as these Air America veterans did, deserves nothing less than what they earned,” Reid said. “These brave Nevadans and Americans risked their lives by flying covert missions in areas such as Laos, Vietnam and Korea. It’s unfair for the same government that asked them serve, to prevent them from being properly recognized for their sacrifice.”
> “The heroes of Air America risked their lives for our nation and we should fully honor their courage and recognize the critical role they played in U.S. military efforts in East Asia during the Cold War,” said Berkley. “The study authorized by this legislation will lay the groundwork for us to finally recognize the sacrifices made by Air America employees, and their dedication to our nation, by extending federal benefits to these brave Americans. The time is now for Congress to act on this issue and I am hopeful that we will see this legislation signed into law by President Obama.”


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