[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 50 (Monday, May 2, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: May 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS MADE BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, AND THE PRESIDENT AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE TO THE
MEN AND WOMEN KILLED IN THE FRIENDLY FIRE INCIDENT OVER NORTHERN IRAQ
Mr. THURMOND. Madam President, last Monday, I had the privilege of
attending the memorial service for the 15 Americans killed in the
tragic friendly fire incident over northern Iraq on April 14, 1994. The
service was held at the Fort Myer Memorial Chapel. It was conducted
under the joint leadership of the chief of chaplains of the Air Force
and the chief of chaplains of the Army.
I want to commend chaplain, Maj. Gen. Matthew Zimmerman, chief of
chaplains for the Army, chaplain, Maj. Gen. Donald J. Harlin, chief of
chaplains for the Air Force, and their deputies, chaplain, Brig. Gen.
Donald W. Shea and Brig. Gen. Arthur S. Thomas for the solemn and
moving ceremony. It brought comfort to everyone in attendance and honor
to the dedicated Americans who gave their lives in the service of our
Nation.
Madam President, the death of the 15 Americans and 11 Allied
personnel was a national tragedy. Its impact on the Nation was
reflected by the attendance at the service of President Clinton,
Secretary of Defense Perry, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, General Shalikashvili. Each spoke eloquently and emotionally on
the dedication and sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and their
commitment to our Nation. Without slighting the President or Secretary
of Defense, I want to read an excerpt from General Shalikashvili's
remarks that sum up the emotions that ran throughout the chapel that
day:
And so to family and friends, know that we grieve with you
and that your loss is our loss. They were your sons and
daughters, your parents, your friends, but they were our
comrade in arms, fellow soldiers and airmen and State
Department officers. I will not presume to say I know your
hurt, I only know that very special hurt when any serviceman
or woman you have given into our charge falls in combat or
suffers accidental death.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the complete text of
the general's remarks and those of the President and the Secretary of
Defense be included in the Record immediately following my remarks.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Remarks of President Bill Clinton at Memorial Service To Honor Victims
of ``Friendly Fire'' Incident in Iraq
Today in this chapel built for heroes, we come to mourn the
lives and to celebrate the lives of those who died on April
14th. To all the families who are here present and the
families who are not here, I think it should be clear that,
in addition to the distinguished leaders of our military, the
clergy and the friends, the spirit of all Americans is in
this chapel today. The hearts of all Americans have gone out
to these families.
When we joined three years ago with Britain and France and
Turkey to protect the Kurds of northern Iraq, to shelter them
from air attacks, to sustain them with shoes and coats and
food and fuel and medicine, the world took note of something
continually special about our great nation and what drives
us. The lives of the Americans and their 11 compatriots who
were lost reflected that spirit, those values, that heart,
that hope that brought us to protect the Kurds in the first
place. They were literally part of a mission to provide
comfort. They have honored us all with their compassion and
courage and ultimately with their sacrifice.
We know, as has already been said, that those who enter the
military understand clearly that they assume great risks,
that even though the world has changed, that the specter of
the Cold War is fading, the way of life we cherish as
Americans and our hopes for the rest of the world still
depends upon their skills, their sacrifice, their courage,
and their clear willingness to undertake those risks. And yet
I have to say that, as president and as an American, when it
becomes the job of those of us in positions or responsibility
to explain loss to these wonderful families that came about
through a terrible accident, the burden of reminding all of
us that all who serve undertook those risks is still very
great.
We must remember not only those who died for their service
to their country but for how they were loved. We must, all
the rest of us in America, pray for these families--for the
husband and the father whose young child will now have to
learn about him through photographs and stories, for the
family of an ambitious young man who wished to go to college
and become an artist, for a distinguished American veteran of
more than two decades whose soldiers loved him for his steel
and his heart, for the wonderful daughter and sister who
lifted those around her with her vigor and promise, for the
young pilot who grew up with his heart set on the skies, and
for all the others. Their lives were suddenly taken from
their beloved families and from our nation in our service and
their important mission.
No one's words can wipe away the grief, the pain, the
questions. It is our duty first, to continue the mission for
which they gave their lives; second, to find the answers
which they rightfully seek; and third, to pray that together
they will find the strength as the days go forward to ease
their grief and lean on their faiths.
The Americans we honor today represented the best in our
country. In a tragic irony, all who were involved in this
accident, including the pilots of the two jets, were there on
a common mission to save the lives of innocent people. We
know that just as we are all proud of their ability and their
bravery, their readiness for any challenge, their devotion to
their families, we all understand that they, like we, none of
us are immune from error, from tragic circumstance.
One of the fathers, himself an Air Force Colonel, said that
he though his daughter was a hero. Well, they're all heroes,
and we owe it to them to honor their lives and their service,
to answer the questions of their families, but more than
anything else, to remember when words fail that we are taught
over and over again in the scriptures things will always
happen that we can never fully understand, that, as President
Lincoln said, the Almighty has his own purposes, that the
faith which sustains us, according to the scripture, is ``the
assurance of things hoped for, the convictions of things
unseen.''
As I look out into the faces of mothers and fathers and
wives and sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, I say on
behalf of a grateful nation, we honor your sacrifice and we
will do our best to live every day with the memory of your
sacrifice. And we pray for you, that time will give you the
strength and the faith to remember the very best and finest
of the lives of your loved ones, to be always grateful for
what they did and never cynical, even in the face of this
tragedy, for there are things which happen to us all which
can never be fully understood. What is clear and beyond any
doubt is that they loved their country and they swore an
oath, including a willingness to give their lives for their
country. They did it in a very noble cause. We share your
grief, we honor their lives, we pray for you and for their
souls.
____
Remarks of Defense Secretary William Perry at Memorial Service To Honor
Victims of ``Friendly Fire'' Incident in Iraq
I want to share my deep sense of personal loss over the
deaths of the fine men and women we mourn today. I also want
to extend my most heart-felt sympathy to those who lossed
loved ones in this terrible tragedy. And I want to share my
deep sorrow with the other nations that lost their sons.
Those who died were brave, generous individuals doing a tough
job under hazardous conditions. They gave their lives so that
others may live. This is the greatest work that God can have
us do. In our hearts and memories, they will always be with.
Lieutenant Laura Piper's mother summed it up with great
wisdom. She said, ``People are always wondering where are our
role models today; well, here they are.'' Their mission was
critically important. While the world's attention has been
captured by other conflicts and crises, Operation Provide
Comfort continues. We've saved tens of thousands of lives.
We've escorted a half a million Kurdish people from exile in
bitter cold mountains and returned them to their homes. The
no-fly-zone we continue to enforce over northern Iraq has
stopped Saddam Hussein from using air and ground attacks to
terrorize the Kurds.
America and our Gulf War allies decisively won Desert
Storm, but we cannot and will not turn our backs on the
innocent people who would suffer from Iraq vengeance. Those
we remember today were on a noble mission, and America deeply
appreciates it. The Kurdish people appreciate it too. Last
week, a Kurdish religious leader said: ``They came to us to
save us and give us dignity. Their sacrifice will remain in
the minds of our children for the rest of their lives. We
will teach their names to our children and keep their names
in our book of history as heroes who gave their lives for our
freedom.
In the military, we are family. When we lose members of our
family, particularly in tragic circumstances, it's hard to
take. While all servicemen and women are prepared for the
risks that come with military lives, we are still shocked and
devastated when the lives are actually lost. It reminds us of
the dangers that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines
face every day and how vigilance and courage are part of the
job.
This was a very complex operation, and no system will ever
be 100 percent perfect. Flying these sorts of missions is a
task of immense difficulties. Quick judgments, fast reactions
and great skill are constantly required. I have flown in the
back seat of an F-15 on a simulated mission, and I've some
understanding of the strains and the fast paces of events,
but we are deeply committed to ensuring that our men and
women in uniform can meet this challenge safely by providing
the best, the most challenging, and the most effective
training possible. And when something does go wrong, I pledge
to you that we will have a full accountability on what
happened, and I also pledge to you that we will ensure that
it cannot happen again.
All of us recognize that defending our nations and
deterring aggression will never be risk free. General Robert
E. Lee once said, ``There is always hazard in military
movements, but we must decide between the possible loss of
inaction and the risk of action.'' That risk is the price we
pay for freedom and security, and in the ultimate display of
patriotism--pride and public service--our men and women in
uniform have agreed to pay this price for us. Their friends
and families also pay a price. Family members face long
periods of separation and often endure agonizing uncertainly
when service members are sent on hazardous missions. We owe a
special debt of gratitude to the families who have waited and
hoped and suffered.
Those we honor today, both military and civilian, are in
our thoughts and our prayers. We remember their courage,
their devotion to duty, and a commitment to their countries.
They and their families deserve our deepest thanks.
There's a painting that hangs across my office at the
Pentagon. It depicts a soldier in church praying with his
family, perhaps before an overseas deployment. Below this
picture is an inscription from Isaiah. It says, ``Whom shall
I send, and who will go for us?'' When the individuals we
remember today received that call, they answered, ``Here am
I, send me.'' Today we pay tribute to all of those who
answered the call and ask God to take them in His care.
____
Remarks of Gen. John Shalikashvili, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff at
Memorial Service To Honor Victims of ``Friendly Fire'' Incident in Iraq
We have come here today to mourn and to honor the men and
women, military and civilian, from five different nations,
who so suddenly, on April 14th in northern Iraq, lost their
lives in a most terrible tragedy.
The men and women who wear our nation's uniform or serve
our Foreign Service understand full well the dangers of their
profession. I have been around them for 36 years, in peace
and in war, and in far away places like northern Iraq, and I
know they seldom talk about it openly, but they know all too
well that the dangers are ever present and that tragedy can
strike at any moment.
There is a special bond, a special bond among us, and we
feel a special loss each time a comrade in arms is taken from
our midst, and so it is this time. But this loss cuts deeper
for this tragedy touches the very fabric of our institution,
an institution whose code, whose passion it is to take care
of each other and to protect each other from any danger. And
when that goes wrong, as it did 11 days ago, our hearts are
doubly heavy and our grief especially deep.
And so to family and friends, know that we grieve with you
and that your loss is our loss. They were your sons and
daughters, your parents, your friends, but they were our
comrades in arms, fellow soldiers and airmen and State
Department officer. I will not presume to say I know your
hurt. I know only that very special hurt when any serviceman
or woman you have given into our charge falls in combat or
suffers accidental death.
As much as each of us desire to alter the events of April
14th, very sadly, we cannot. We can only mourn, we can
streghthen our resolve to learn the truth and to fix the
wrong and take great solace and deep pride in the work that
they were doing to help others.
The Scriptures tell us that greater love hath no person
than when they lay down their life for a friend. Feeding
starving children, protecting a people from a tyrant who
twice before had brought death and destruction and
unspeakable cruelty to his own people, they sacrificed their
lives so that others might live. They, and those who went
before them, gave life and gave hope to a people who without
them would have had very little reason for themselves and for
their children. Their efforts were selfless. Their service
was valiant. And their cause was noble.
To the Kurdish people of northern Iraq, to each of us here,
to their brothers and sisters throughout the services, they
are extraordinary heroes and shining examples. Perhaps no one
understands that better or more clearly than the very people
these men and women were protecting. In the dusty streets of
Zakhu in northern Iraq, just below the Turkish border, the
people have hung hundreds of banners in remembrance of these
heroes. ``We mourn the loss of our heroes,'' the banner tells
us. ``God bless their souls, and God be with their
families,'' it concludes.
We, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the men and women of our
Armed Forces and our families, offer our prayers and our
deepest sympathies to the families of all who died that
tragic day. And we honor and salute them and pray that God
will now embrace them in His kingdom. Thank you.
____________________