VWP: JPA/JSF not catching failed Oracle insert

[thompsonwd40]

My JSF/JPA code does not halt processing on failed Insert into Oracle 8i, apparently because no error is caught/thrown from Oracle or Toplink, sample code logic shown below.

Clicking the "Add" button refreshes the web page initializing all data fields as if for a successful insert (that is, my users lose all their entered data). Server.Log output below shows Phase 5, where the addRcrt() method is executed - but no record is inserted. The server.log output is the same for a successful insert as it is for a failed insert. Edits pass validator and convertor logic. I am using JPA logic in NB6.1, VWP web app; and a separate J2SE model app linked by a Persistence Unit. After much time spent debugging, I must ask for help.

=== Persistence method, with Server.log output below ====
public boolean addRcrt(Rcrt rcrt) {
EntityManager em = getEntityManager();
try {
em.getTransaction().begin(); //Establish transaction context
em.persist(rcrt); //Make rcrt entity instance persistent
em.getTransaction().commit(); //Persist data to database
} catch (IllegalStateException ise) {
System.out.println("IllegalStateException Thrown: " + ise);
} catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
System.out.println("IllegalArgumentException Thrown: " + iae);
} catch (TransactionRequiredException tre) {
System.out.println("TransactionRequiredException Thrown: " + tre);
} finally {
em.close(); //End the transaction context
System.out.println("RcrtController:addRcrt() Data persisted to database. em.close() ");
}
return false;
}

=== Server Log, with Phase Testing Output ===
Phase Listener:BeforePhase: RESTORE_VIEW 1
Phase Listener:BeforePhase: APPLY_REQUEST_VALUES 2
Phase Listener:BeforePhase: PROCESS_VALIDATIONS 3
Phase Listener:BeforePhase: UPDATE_MODEL_VALUES 4
Phase Listener:BeforePhase: INVOKE_APPLICATION 5
ClassWorkload addRecordButton_action() Begin
RcrtController:addRcrt() Data persisted to database. em.close()
Phase Listener:BeforePhase: RENDER_RESPONSE 6
ClassWorkload: Prerender().. iter.hasNext is false - no Faces messages..