[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 196 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
2d Session
S. RES. 196
Recognizing, and calling on all Americans to recognize, the courage and
sacrifice of Senator John McCain and the members of the Armed Forces
held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict and stating that
the American people will not forget that more than 2,000 members of the
Armed Forces remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam conflict and will
continue to press for the fullest possible accounting for all such
members whose whereabouts are unknown.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 17, 1998
Mr. Lott (for himself, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Warner, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr.
Hatch, Mr. Coats, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Allard, Mr.
Ashcroft, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Biden, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bond,
Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Bumpers, Mr.
Burns, Mr. Byrd, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Cleland, Mr. Cochran,
Ms. Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Coverdell, Mr. Craig, Mr. D'Amato, Mr.
DeWine, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Enzi, Mr.
Faircloth, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Ford, Mr. Frist, Mr.
Glenn, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Graham, Mr. Gramm, Mr. Grams, Mr. Grassley, Mr.
Gregg, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Helms, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Hutchinson, Mrs.
Hutchison, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Johnson, Mr.
Kennedy, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Kyl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr.
Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Mack,
Mr. McCain, Mr. McConnell, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Moseley-Braun, Mr.
Moynihan, Mr. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nickles, Mr. Reed, Mr. Reid,
Mr. Robb, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Roth, Mr. Santorum, Mr.
Sarbanes, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire, Mr.
Smith of Oregon, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Specter, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Thomas, Mr.
Thompson, Mr. Thurmond, Mr. Torricelli, Mr. Wellstone, and Mr. Wyden)
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing, and calling on all Americans to recognize, the courage and
sacrifice of Senator John McCain and the members of the Armed Forces
held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict and stating that
the American people will not forget that more than 2,000 members of the
Armed Forces remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam conflict and will
continue to press for the fullest possible accounting for all such
members whose whereabouts are unknown.
Whereas participation by the United States Armed Forces in combat operations in
Southeast Asia during the period from 1964 through 1972 resulted in
several hundreds of members of the United States Armed Forces being
taken prisoner by North Vietnamese, Pathet Lao, and Viet Cong enemy
forces;
Whereas John McCain's A-4E Skyhawk was shot down over Hanoi, North Vietnam on
October 26, 1967, and he remained in captivity until March 14, 1973;
Whereas John McCain's aircraft was shorn of it's right wing by a surface-to-air
missile and he plunged toward the ground at about 400 knots prior to
ejecting;
Whereas upon ejection, John McCain's right knee and both arms were broken;
Whereas John McCain was surrounded by an angry mob who kicked him and spit on
him, stabbed him with bayonets and smashed his shoulder with a rifle;
Whereas United States prisoners of war in Southeast Asia were held in a number
of facilities, the most notorious of which was Hoa Lo Prison in downtown
Hanoi, dubbed the ``Hanoi Hilton'' by the prisoners held there;
Whereas historians of the Vietnam war have recorded that ``no American reached
the prison camp of Hoa Lo in worse condition than John McCain'';
Whereas his North Vietnamese captors recognized that John McCain came from a
distinguished military family and caused him to suffer special beatings,
special interrogations, and the cruel offer of a possible early release;
Whereas John McCain sat in prison in Hanoi for over 5 years, risking death from
disease and medical complications resulting from his injuries,
steadfastly refusing to cooperate with his enemy captors because his
sense of honor and duty would not permit him to even consider an early
release based on special advantage;
Whereas knowing his refusal to leave early may well result in his own death from
his injuries John McCain told another prisoner ``I don't think that's
the right thing to do . . . . They'll have to drag me out of here'';
Whereas following the Paris Peace Accords of January 1973, 591 United States
prisoners of war were released from captivity by North Vietnam;
Whereas the return of these prisoners of war to United States control and to
their families and comrades was designated Operation Homecoming;
Whereas many members of the United States Armed Forces who were taken prisoner
as a result of ground or aerial combat in Southeast Asia have not
returned to their loved ones and their whereabouts remain unknown;
Whereas United States prisoners of war in Southeast Asia were routinely
subjected to brutal mistreatment, including beatings, torture,
starvation, and denial of medical attention;
Whereas the hundreds of United States prisoners of war held in the Hanoi Hilton
and other facilities persevered under terrible conditions;
Whereas the prisoners were frequently isolated from each other and prohibited
from speaking to each other;
Whereas the prisoners nevertheless, at great personal risk, devised a means to
communicate with each other through a code transmitted by tapping on
cell walls;
Whereas then-Commander James B. Stockdale, United States Navy, who upon his
capture on September 9, 1965, became the senior POW officer present in
the Hanoi Hilton, delivered to his men a message that was to sustain
them during their ordeal, as follows: Remember, you are Americans. With
faith in God, trust in one another, and devotion to your country, you
will overcome. You will triumph;
Whereas the men held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict truly
represent all that is best about America;
Whereas Senator John McCain of Arizona has continued to honor the Nation with
devoted service; and
Whereas the Nation owes a debt of gratitude to John McCain and all of these
patriots for their courage and exemplary service: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses its gratitude for, and calls upon all
Americans to reflect upon and show their gratitude for, the
courage and sacrifice of John McCain and the brave men who were
held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict,
particularly on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of
Operation Homecoming, and the return to the United States of
Senator John McCain; and
(2) acting on behalf of all Americans--
(A) will not forget that more than 2,000 members of
the United States Armed Forces remain unaccounted for
from the Vietnam conflict; and
(B) will continue to press for the fullest possible
accounting for such members.
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