[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.

                          ____________________