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NSA/Smokejumper History Update-Forgotten By His Country

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59) |

As an interesting bit of our history, I'm going to reprint articles from 2003 issues of "Smokejumper" in honor of Ted Burgon and add some updates from additional research.

NSA Board Member Ted Burgon Killed in New Guinea Ambush

by Chuck Sheley (Cave Junction '59)

January 2003 Issue: What a way to start the day! I had just opened my email and there was one from the Portland, OR Oregonian asking for information on Ted Burgon (IDC-52) who was killed (Aug. 31, 2002) in Indonesia. After the initial shock, I was trying to guess what had happened.

Ted and his wife, Nancy, left Bend, Oregon, early in the month of August to head for Papua, New Guinea, where Ted would be taking over as principal at an English language school in Timika. Ted had taught overseas in ten different countries throughout his career. Even though he was retired, he continued to be called on to "go in and straighten out" schools that were having administrative problems.

A group from the school were returning to town after a picnic when their two vans were ambushed by a group with automatic weapons. Ted, who was riding in the front passenger's seat, was killed instantly. Nancy, who dove to the floor, was the only one of the 14 people in the two vans who was not wounded.

A great thing about the NSA is getting to meet jumpers from all the bases. I first met Ted when he decided to run for the NSA Board of Directors. He wanted to be a board member who was actively involved in helping the NSA and volunteered to write for the magazine. I jumped at his offer as the job was becoming full-time and my writers were dropping out at a regular rate. Ted took over the "Jump List." In addition, he did a lot of the Life Member Profiles. I later found out that Ted's son lives in Chico and had married one of my ex-cross-country runners--small world!

My wife and I like to visit Sunriver, Oregon, on short vacations. Each trip I would try to meet with Ted for coffee and a good visit. When we got together in July, he was happy to be called for this assignment. I think he enjoyed the challenge of being called to clean up a school that was in an administrative mess. Ted said that he could continue to write the "Jump List" and the profiles from New Guinea and send them to me via email.

I clearly remember asking if he was concerned about his safety in an area of Muslim militants. He said he thought the area was safe. I think back to his article on Daniel Pearl in the July 2002 issue of Smokejumper magazine. Ted had been in some tight situations before. How ironic it is for him to be killed just after writing that article.

A graduate of Idaho State University, Ted moved to the Bend area about nine years ago after working as the business manager for the Anglo- American School sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. He was president of the Oregon Water Wonderland Unit One neighborhood association and formed a group called the "Big River Baggers" who periodically cleaned up neighborhoods in the resort town of Sunriver just south of Bend. A marine, smokejumper, and teacher--what a shame this had to happen.

In the July 2003 issue of "Smokejumper," we did a follow up on the ambush and investigation.

Ted Burgon Update

NSA Director Ted Burgon was killed in an ambush in Papua, New Guinea, in August 2002 while on a teaching assignment. NSA members were encouraged to write their congress persons asking for an investigation of the potential involvement of the Indonesian Military in the incident. It looks like you might have helped.

The following is an email from Ted's son, Mark Burgon:

"On January 14-17 (2003), a victim (Patsy) who lost her husband and was shot twice herself, an attorney, my brother (Dirk), and myself went to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to jump-start the stalled investigation. We had 20+ meetings with Senators, Congressional Representatives, State Department Heads, FBI, and the Indonesian Ambassador. Patsy told the story, Dirk asked for confirmation of information (did not get any) and discussed many of the articles pointing to the Indonesian Military.

"I tried to make it more personal by putting a face to the names and help them see a person, lifestyle, and accomplishments.

"At first, I did not feel we could do much and almost did not go. Halfway through the first day, I had changed my mind. In a couple of the meetings with non-elected officials, we were given indications that we were being heard. One person in the state department commented that about three weeks before (about the time we had a letter writing campaign going), Capitol Hill started paying a little more attention. In the time we were in town, people we had met with were asking questions of the state department and FBI and putting more pressure towards getting a Bali-style joint investigation going.

"An amendment was sent to the senate by Senators Feingold, Leahy, Wyden, Boxer, and Durbin restricting funds available for Indonesian military personnel to ‘Expanded International Military Education and Training' unless certain conditions were met.

"One of the conditions: Taking effective measures, including cooperating with the FBI, to bring to justice any member of the Indonesian Armed Forces or Indonesian militia group against whom there is credible evidence of involvement in the August 31, 2002, attack, which resulted in the deaths of United States citizens. Make concerted and demonstrable efforts to find and prosecute those responsible for the murders of United States citizens Edwin L. Burgon and Ricky L. Spier. The amendment failed.

"We have made a difference, and I, for one, appreciate your involvement. We will continue to contact our representatives, so they know we are not going to let the issue drop. We received copies of letters from senators to the President and a joint one from Oregon's senators and congressional reps to assistant Secretary of State Kelly, requesting pressure be put on the Indonesian government. The FBI has had a team in Indonesia since January and from, what we understand, has been allowed an active part in the investigation. Thanks again for your help." Mark

Additional Research--Chuck Sheley

I want to make sure that you readers know this is my opinion. Facts are hard to find when the powers that be do not want them uncovered. What was at first attributed to "Muslim Militants" was later attributed to the Indonesian militia. The teachers were under fire for over 30 minutes with modern automatic weapons. The weapons were military type.

The FBI investigation, to my knowledge, never went anywhere. You can see by the senate vote that the U.S. did not want to delve too far into a country that we were sending funds to in order to fight "Muslim Militants."

As reported in the Los Angeles Times: "Two Toyota Land Cruisers carrying American teachers and their families slowly wound their way up the steep mountain road Saturday toward the giant Freeport mine in Indonesia's Papua province.

As the vehicles approached mile 63 of the winding road 8,200 feet above sea level, a dozen gunmen emerged from the trees and opened fire, some with M-16 automatic rifles. Three teachers were shot dead, two Americans and an Indonesian. Another 11 people were wounded, including seven Americans, mine company officials said. One of the injured was a 6-year-old girl.

"Indonesian authorities blamed the ambush on the Free Papua Movement, a group of poorly armed Papuan separatists who have waged a low-level campaign for independence for the last four decades. The rebel organization denied responsibility.

"It is becoming more and more evident that the Indonesian security forces are involved in creating provocations and instigating violence," the pro-independence Papua Presidium Council said in a statement. "The killing of foreign nationals has never been the policy of Papuans promoting their political aspirations."

"The idea that soldiers could pose as rebels and attack civilians might seem implausible in other countries, but the Indonesian army's track record prompted immediate speculation that it was responsible.

"In 1999, the military organized militia gangs in East Timor, then an Indonesian province, to intimidate supporters of independence. When the East Timorese voted in a referendum to break away, the militias slaughtered 1,000 people and razed much of the province."


Bottom line, in my estimation, Ted Burgon and the others were killed by the Indonesian troops. Maybe a mistaken venture, but one with political implications. What if U.S. citizens were killed and the blame was laid on the Indonesian rebels? Certainly, that would have a great effect on the amount of money the U.S. would send Indonesia to fight these extremist rebels.

Fast forward to 2008 and this information from Radio New Zealand:

"Fresh evidence has linked Indonesia's military to the 2002 murder of two American school teachers in Papua province. A newly published article by Southeast Asia Research cites sources pointing towards involvement of Indonesian intelligence agents in the planning of the attack, which is still the subject of an FBI investigation. They interviewed a 27-year-old member of the regional parliament, Agus Anggaibak, who reportedly helped plan the ambush and facilitated contacts between the shooters and military agents."

An investigation by University of California anthropologist S. Eben Kirksey and Andreas Harsono of the Pantau Foundation was also published in August 2008. "Credible sources link Indonesian intelligence agents to the planning of this attack," said co-author Eben Kirksey, an American anthropologist. "But Senior Bush Administration officials--including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, and FBI Director Robert Mueller--have covered up evidence of Indonesian military involvement in the murder of U.S. civilians," continued Dr. Kirksey. "The FBI has failed to bring this case to a definitive resolution. Credible journalists have long reported that the highest levels of the Indonesian military had foreknowledge of this murder. We have identified the probable field agent who carried out the plan."

"The US was keen to have the case resolved so it could resume defense co-operation with the Indonesian armed forces as part of the war on terrorism," said Tom Hyland, Media and Communicators Adviser at Independent Schools Victoria.

To my knowledge nothing has ever gone forward on the murder of Ted Burgon and the attack on the group of teachers. They were caught in a political situation where an attack on American citizens by the Indonesian military, blamed on a rebel group, was hoped to be the stimulus for receiving military aid and supplies from the U.S. A marine, smokejumper, and teacher--what a shame Ted was forgotten by his country.