Donald Rumsfeld is known for being loyal to those he has served under, served over, and served with. One such loyalty dates back some five decades, and is being played out today -- on behalf of a friend who went missing after being shot down on a spy mission over China in the 1950s.

HIS reputation is one of a hawkish warmonger with a crusty demeanour and a heart of steel. But Donald Rumsfeld, it seems, has a little-known softer side.

Five decades after one of his US Navy friends was shot down over China during a Cold War spy mission, the US Defence Secretary is still waging a quiet campaign to win closure for the airman's widow. In the finest military tradition, he has vowed that Lieutenant James B Deane will not be left behind.

Leaving his normally hard-line views on communist China to one side, he has persuaded General Guo Boxiong, vice-chairman of China's Central Military Commission, to hand over once-secret papers divulging information previously unknown to the US regarding the fate of the young pilot.

Gen Boxiong ranks second only to China's president, Chairman Hu Jintao.

It was unclear yesterday exactly how much light the documents - which were handed over during a meeting at the Pentagon on Tuesday - shed on what happened to Lt Deane or whether he may even still be alive.

Lt. Deane was listed as presumed dead in 1057 -- only four bodies were recovered of the 16 crewmen who were aboart the plane. One declassified report indicates there may have been two prisoners -- including one who fit Deane's description.

Rumsfeld has been involved in the effort to find out more about his old friend since 1992, when he was in the business sector. His efforts have been quiet -- but intense.

"After her husband's shoot-down, my mother and Mr Rumsfeld stayed in touch, mostly through Christmas cards. When my mother began her search in 1992, Mr Rumsfeld was a business executive in Chicago. She addressed her letters to him as Rummy. He wrote back to Bo Bo, her college nickname," she explained.

He obtained letters to the Chinese government from former US president Gerald Ford, whom he served as a defence secretary, and former secretary of state Henry Kissinger, which called on Beijing to assist in unearthing the truth. His quest was resurrected after he joined the Bush administration as Defence Secretary.

May this act of loyalty and friendship be rewarded with some concrete answers about the fate of this American fighting man who gave his life for his country during the Cold War.

Posted by: Greg at 11:41 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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