[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 12, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9730-S9731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    VIETNAM AND DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

  Mr. SIMPSON. Madam President, with regard to Vietnam, I fully 
understand the heartfelt emotions and strong feelings which surround 
the normalization. Obviously we do, especially the delicate and painful 
issue of the POW/MIA's.
  Nobody, nobody in their right mind wants Americans who fought for 
their country to be forgotten or abandoned, and in no way do I nor do 
any of my colleagues in this body want our Nation to forget any 
possible remaining POW/MIA's.
  I have always said this. If there is proof of any Americans--any of 
them--being held against their will--proof--we should get them out 
right now.
  I was involved in this process many years ago with Senator Cranston, 
my friend from California. We held hearings. I will never forget the 
gentleman, or I will say the chap, whatever lesser degree I can work 
up, who came before the Senate and said he had 287 minutes of a movie 
of someone in a cage imprisoned in Vietnam. We said, well, we would 
hope that you would produce that. He said, I will for 2 million bucks.
  I think that is the closest I came to fisticuffs, at least in these 
recent times, with that person. Absolutely absurd and disgusting. He 
said he had these films and, of course, he did not, and then, of 
course, we had pictures of people in uniform with weapons, and then 
upon close examination we would find they were taken in Hawaii or some 
other country in Southeast Asia. Absolutely absurd and disgusting.
  We said, ``You show us where they are and we will get them.'' I just 
believe we need to be very honest where we are with this gut-wrenching 
issue. 

[[Page S 9731]]

  Last year, I applauded the President's decision to announce the 
lifting of the trade embargo, especially in view of the fact that this 
has been such a painful issue for him, due to the previous campaign 
scrutiny of his antiwar efforts during the Vietnam conflict. I am 
pleased that he did not shirk from the responsibility of doing what he 
felt was right, even though it was not necessarily popular with all the 
groups.
  I visited Vietnam with some of my distinguished colleagues and saw 
personally the vast improvements taking place. Firsthand, I saw the 
continued progress in the area of human rights.
  In my opinion, the best way to encourage the Vietnamese to continue 
along this path of redemption is by establishing these full diplomatic 
relations with the Vietnamese Government.
  As a veteran myself, it is time to continue to march forward 
regarding this issue. Ever more effectively and positively we will 
learn about more of the POW/MIA issue, if business people, diplomats, 
military, American visitors travel and talk with Vietnamese all over 
that country.
  Much will be gained by a larger United States presence in Vietnam. 
Gaining information about POW/MIA's has been exceedingly difficult 
without an embassy or other contacts since 1975.
  Remember that, as we stiffed Vietnam for 18 years, we received 
nothing--nothing--in the way of cooperation, nothing in the way of 
information. Ever since we loosened our grip, much has come forward.
  While we speak of the POW/MIA's with great, great compassion, it 
would be interesting to me to know what happened to the 86,700 people 
missing in action from the Second World War. Who is out speaking for 
them, and raising money in the process? Or the 9,000 or 8,700 missing 
in action from the Korean war. Who is speaking for them?
  There had been an unfortunate test case of keeping the issue alive, 
with some groups, at least, with regard to their own personal 
gratification, and of course the aspects of the fundraising.
  It is going to be a good thing. I commend the President. We will now 
be the 161st country to recognize Vietnam. Hear that. Normalization of 
the United States and Vietnam puts the United States on the list at No. 
161. Because currently, 160 countries, including all of our major 
trading partners, have full diplomatic relations with Vietnam, 
providing their country's companies and citizens with a key political 
entry for vital decisions of procurement, vital decisions as to travel 
and intercourse among nations.
  I want to commend the VFW. I am a lifetime member of the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars, who said last month that, ``We are of the opinion if 
normalizing relations with Vietnam furthers the process toward the 
fullest possible accounting''--meaning POW/MIA's-- ``then we would 
support this decision.''
  I want to commend our sturdy friends, John McCain, John Kerry, Bob 
Kerrey, for taking the courageous position they have on this issue. 
Would it not have been for them, it would not have come to this point. 
All three serve as a remarkable testimony toward doing the right thing, 
putting the past aside, moving forward. That is what life is all 
about--change, moving forward, maturing.

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