Greetings,



As we all remember our fallen and missing, and as some make the extra effort to educate those who do not realize the sacrifices that others have made for them, I have some information that shows just how uncaring some are to our issues. This is of special import to persons visiting Washington DC and Arlington Virginia.



The Commonwealth of Virginia is an enlightened state that has adopted basically the same policy regarding the POW/MIA Flag that the Federal Government has. It is the home of the National League of POW/MIA Families, and it is visited every year by countless veterans. Like any government, it has the good, the bad and the ugly. Some of you will recall the issue posted after 2001 about some bad apples in Virginia who testified in a Virginia Court that the number one reason for doubting the mental stability and justifying the profiling of a citizen was that he had a POW/MIA flag on his vehicle.



The date was just six days from National POW/MIA recognition day, it was just the day after I had returned to my regular civilian role after being activated in the aftermath of the 911 attack on America. Yes, I am a citizen soldier now, and a former Marine. Yet, in an Arlington Court, it was argued that flying a POW/MIA flag from a vehicle was a sign of mental instability, and First Amendment aside, was worthy or profiling. That the type of sunglasses (Wiley’s) were an indicator of suspicion regardless of it being a sunny day. And, a VA State Trooper and His First SGT (who brags about his THREE years in the Marine Corps) state that wearing US Navy / USMC UDT – PT shorts on a hot day was also worthy of suspicion (Shorts bought at Quantico). The Trooper was John Defillipo from Norfolk (but bounces around the state a lot). His supervisor who is quite the expert from his three years in the Corps is 1SG Rick Keevil whose facility looks over the parking lots the Washington DC Rolling Thunder Groups have assembled at for years in Arlington. You can talk to their bosses at 804.674.2000 or Internal Affairs at 804.323.2383, or call their ultimate boss at 804.786.2211 and register your comment with the Governor’s staff, please be nice, they were not the rotten apples.



The Commonwealth Atty in this case who argued and used the flag as an issue is a US ARMY RESERVE JAG lawyer attached to the 1/154th USAR Unit In Northern Virginia. He was a CPT at the time, but I have now heard he is a MAJOR now. Mr. John Lynch’s CA boss may be reached at 703.228.4410. If you still have military connections, you might want to ask his commander what he thinks of his officer’s comments.



Please do not get me wrong, I work with professional law enforcement, some of whom are in the VSP. The comments from the few however, including three judges who had hearings on these matters should concern our community very much. Judge Richard McCue had the opportunity to decide it was a person’s right to fly a Federally and State recognized flag from their vehicle in a respectful manner but did not. He even failed to reverse himself after s STRONG letter from the National League of POW/MIA Families. The CA, John Lynch actually shouted down and interfered with the testimony of a Federal Law Enforcement officer who was my former USARNG First SGT and was testifying on my behalf.



For Virginia Taxpayers who are facing a state running out of money, and for the media, I suggest you look at how much the Commonwealth and Arlington County spent on this fiasco. All the worse since they were trounced and defeated. Any where else in the Commonwealth, it would have never even been written down as a charge, and certainly never made it past a magistrate. Anywhere else, an accusation of perjury against Defillipo and Keevil (between their testimony on public record and their written statements to the DCARNG (FOIA) and Federal Government were very different, and that alone is a class 5 felony which could cost them their badge and gun). As it is, 1SG Keevil’s promise to try to screw up my clearance nearly succeeded and still might, despite their defeat.



While you are in town, for the Washington DC Rolling Thunder Weekend, stop by and get the info at the Arlington County Court. As a matter of public record, I only wish it had been a hoax. Stop by and ask the DCARNG TAG what his predecessor did when he learned that two Virginia State Police officers had submitted false documents to his investigators (or maybe those documents were truthful and their court testimony was false, or maybe I can show supporting evidence that all of it was false. Every time they made a statement about the event, it was different). I’ll hand out some more detailed flyers at the wall to the groups holing Vigil there.



The case in Arlington and on Lexis Westlaw will be Commonwealth vs. DeGraffenreid.



There were other issues in this landmark case, Exception 3 to 18.2 308 being one of them, and other issues not resolved since a 1908 landmark Supreme Court of Virginia Case. Still standing, and un reversed is the Commonwealth’s attitude towards our flag of remembrance. Please recall that Arlington is the county where the county commissioner (reportedly) stated it was time to rethink Arlington’s emergency commitment towards the Pentagon just because he had not been invited to a ceremony



Other bizarre comments in Arlington included that the NRTA is not a shooting organization, etc.



For those who have followed this, and lent their encouragement, Thanks.



My email address is



rick.d@us.army.mil