NTSB Appendix I enclosure: open letter and cartoons 'Who's Robbing Who?'

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD

Docket No [REDACTED] Exhibit No. [REDACTED]

Witness [REDACTED] Complainant's Defendant's Date [REDACTED] Government's Respondent's Protestant's Reporter [REDACTED] Applicant's Intervenor's

---

WHO'S ROBBING WHO?

---

[guess: Administrator] [REDACTED]

---

APPENDIX I, Page 1

DB Cooper-34034

---

b6 b7C

Dear Fellow Americans:

I come to you for aid in a battle, not against the structure of the government, but against the injustice imposed by two individuals within the government structure. The two individuals have misused the power of their offices, granted to them by the federal government, in an attempt to destroy my means of support for my wife and four small children, one which is an invalid for life.

This is what happened. Long before my wife came into my life or my children were born, I was a convict. I served all of my time and thought that I had paid my debt to society.

During my time in Federal prison, I was directed to a rehabilitation program in aviation; in previous years as a private pilot I had logged 9,815 hours. The Federal Prison education system purchased the necessary books, brought in outside instructors to prepare me for the FAA written examinations for Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor. After I completed the studies, the FAA examiners came into the Federal prison and gave me the examinations, which I passed successfully.

I was released from federal prison 14 years ago and became a professional pilot, licensed by the FAA. While making my livelihood in flying and through much more study, I earned by Airline Transport Pilot Rating, the highest attainable license that a pilot can hold.

One year after I was released from federal prison, I won the Eastern U.S. aerobatic championship. Nine years after my release from federal prison, I flew solo around the world from east to west, following the route of Amelia Earhart.

On August 1, 1968, Dr. Dalton Hoffman, Assistant Flight Surgeon of the Ft. Worth FAA region, grounded me because of my police record, although I have not had an arrest in all of these years since I left prison. I had learned to fly in 1944, and in the following 26 years and 22,000 hours, I have never had an airman violation.

In my 2½ years of personal battle with Hoffman and Dr. Seigle, Federal Air Surgeon, a frightening thing has become apparent to me. Americans no longer are led by the pride of the federal government; rather, they are driven in fear of it.

For instance, I have a friend who owns a large trucking company. He is afraid to openly come to my rescue in my battle with the FAA because of reprisals against his Interstate Commerce Commission license. I have another friend who directs a large television station and for the same reason, he stands in fear of losing his Federal Communication license. Yet another friend owns a large casino in Las Vegas. Although he is honest with his taxes, is afraid because of the Internal Revenue Service. I also have many friends in aviation who are afraid to help because of their fear that the Federal Aviation Agency will take reprisal against their operators licenses.

What has happened to America when even large corporations operate in frozen fear of the Federal Government. It is true that the fears of these Americans are justified, and it is time that someone stood up to fight. I am not joining or forming any left or right or radical groups. I am standing up as a citizen and I hope to be heard and listened to.

While I was in the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, I was a school teacher, and one of the subjects that I taught was history. This is one reason that I can see what has happened to our nation.

The story of what has happened to our nation is similar to the story of a person who had a beautiful rich and green forest. This person decided to build a rail fence around the forest to protect it. After cutting trees and building the protective fence, the person looked about and there were no trees left to protect.

In my travels all over the world, again because of my history teaching background, I have looked at the other systems carefully. Let me assure you that our forefathers designed the best government system in existance on the face of the earth today.

I would compare our government, at this time, to a fine stone house: a house which has unwavering foundations, uncracked walls; but the doors, windows and roof are deteriorating through the lack of proper care. I am sure the eyes of every American has viewed such a house.

---

APPENDIX I, Page 2

---

DB Cooper-34035

72557

---

APPENDIX I, Page 4

---

DB Cooper-34036

The deterioration to our fine government structure has, in the main part, occured during World War II, and since that time. During this time, the people that we have sent to represent us in Washington have been of four types. The first type are those who have been led to vote by the glitter of military heroes. The second type are those who have voted in total ignorance. The third type, and the most dastardly, are those who see money kickbacks in their vote. The fourth, and rare, are the minority who have fought for the people and--have preserved what little we have now. Otherwise we would have a total military dictatorship. God bless these few.

The thing that has been our greatest blunder, but was intended to be an honor of faith, was the priority of employment of military connected people. Do you know that more than nine out of ten of the employees in the Federal Government that are making decisions for you are ex-military trained people? You say, so what?

This is so what. I will take the example in aviation, because this is where I am an expert. We take a man who has spent his life in the Air Force and retired at 20 years. He has unquestionably become an expert in aviation, so he is employed through military priority into the Federal Aviation Agency. He now draws his military retirement check and a high Federal Aviation Agency pay. This man is financially secure, and his mind never has to dwell on how to make ends meet.

Let's go back through this man's career. Twenty years ago, he went into the service and learned to fly. During this time and since, he has never bought the first gallon of gasoline for his aircraft or suffered any financial burden in its operation. All that he has had to do was contact Capitol Hill, and in turn, Capitol Hill told the Treasury to write another hot check on the Treasury De- partment of the United States. This is the reason that our national debt is into the billions.

This man, through his aviation career in the service, discovered many good safety devices, and had them installed on all the military aircraft, not having to worry about their cost. So now, this man is working for the FAA and he remembers the safety devices that he developed in the service. Granted, they are good, but again not worrying about the cost of these devices, he writes the order to all civil aircraft owners. By a certain date, they must have this device installed on their aircraft, even if the device, in some cases, costs as much as the original aircraft. At this point, the aircraft owner is told to either comply or get out of the airplane business.

In all branches of government, this procedure has come about from the military minds. Their demands for our welfare and security has become more than we can afford. If we write hot checks to comply with their demands, we go to jail because we do not have the privileges of the Secretary of the Treasury. Through this procedure, there have been thousands of businesses forced to close, even though these businesses have been operated successfully within a family structure for generations.

The military mind in our civil agencies has become a disaster to the nation. The military should have its reward, for past wars fought and wars yet to come, but what about the poor guy who has stayed at home and worried years off his life trying to support the waste and blunders of the wars won or in pre- paration of those to come?

I need only your moral backing and any type of financial assistance is very much needed and appreciated. Your financial support will not be used to make bombs, set fires, or destroy our fine governmental system; but will be used to extract those individuals who are driving our government machinery in such a manner as to create fear of the machine. You can purchase the finest aircraft, ship, train, truck, or farm; place inconsiderate or incompetent people in charge of these investments and you are headed for disaster. This is the condition of our Federal Government Agencies. They are creating a disaster in our nation. -

---

Sincerely, Marion M. Cooper Capt. Marion M. Cooper P. O. Box 1166, Woodward, Oklahoma 73801 Phone (405)256-2318

---

APPENDIX I, Page 3 DB Cooper-34037