[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 19, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H6626]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



     TRIBUTE TO SFC. DONALD H. DUGAN
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Dornan] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, tonight I noticed in my clippings that the 
one businessman who was held hostage in Iran from Sherman Oaks, CA, Mr. 
Jerry Plotkin, died. He said, when Mayor Tom Bradley called Jerry 
Plotkin Day in Los Angeles, after his return from 444 days of 
captivity, that the treatment under the Ayathollah's henchmen in Tehran 
was horrible from the first day. He lost 40 pounds, began smoking 
again, and it obviously shortened his life. He died younger than I am.
  I looked at that figure, the Election Day was on November 4. They had 
been in captivity for 444 days. It cost a good man his Presidency, 
Jimmy Carter, a moral man, a decent man, a man who always tried to tell 
the truth, unlike some leadership now.
  I looked at that clipping about Jerry Plotkin's death and I said, as 
good a man as Jimmy Carter was personally, he deserved to lose. When 
the leader of the world's greatest free superpower cannot get American 
citizens, one businessman and 51 marines and other Government employees 
and high-ranking State Department people, when he cannot get them out 
of captivity, he deserves to go down to defeat.
  This is not to say that Ronald Reagan turned some magic key and got 
the 52 hostages home from Iran. But the change of leadership at the top 
gave the Iranians an excuse to say the Carter years were over. Here is 
your hostages. We got a fresh start.
  This thought hit me, Mr. Speaker. I am wearing the pin of the 1st 
Armored Division, the main division that is in Bosnia. It is now 
rumored, and Mr. Christopher and Mr. Perry come right out, our 
Secretaries of Defense and State, and said, we may have to leave them 
there longer. This thought hit me, that our men in Bosnia are a form of 
hostage.
  If Mr. Clinton is reelected, they are obviously going to stay. If Mr. 
Dole is elected, just like Mr. Reagan in 1980, our men are going to 
come home, men and women from Bosnia.
  They are no longer in an armored division. People who know what it 
takes to keep an armored division up to training speed are now pointing 
out that you take men out of their M-1 tanks and their Bradley's since 
last December with no training, it is not an armored division anymore. 
It is not a mechanized infantry division, it is a light infantry 
division.
  There are 139 days until election night, when we wake up in the 
morning. If America wants its men and women home from Bosnia, then the 
best thing they can do is to defeat Bill Clinton and elect the 43rd 
President of the United States, Bob Dole.
  Thinking about our men in Bosnia, I have been promising to do this 
for a widow, Miriam Dugan from Fort Hood, TX, for months now.
  When her husband, who I think is a hero, SFC. Donald Dugan was killed 
February 3, going beyond his orders to try and defuse a land mine that 
was set at child-eye level and said to these children, stand back, and 
told his friends, we are here to make this place safe for Bosnian 
children, and he said to these children, mine-o, mine-o, boom boom, 
move back, and then died a few seconds later, this man, who was called 
McGyver after the TV adventuresome character, here is his picture from 
the Army Times, Mr. Speaker. If that is not the poster for a manly, 
tough special forces or armored division sergeant, I do not know what 
is.
  I want to put in the record his widow's letter to the Army Times, who 
said,

       I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to 
     express their sympathy for my husband's passing. My family 
     and I hope that everyone who knew him remembers him the way 
     he was and not how he has been represented.

  She means by this administration, as though he did something wrong to 
keep Mr. Clinton's skirts clean.
  She said,

       He is deeply missed and thought of often. Donald will 
     always be close to the hearts of his family and his soldiers.

  Earlier she said,

       He devoted 17 years serving his country in the U.S. Army. 
     The Army was my husband's life. I am happy he was doing 
     exactly what he enjoyed most when he passed away, working 
     with and protecting his soldiers, his civilians and the 
     children.

  I put her statement into the Record.

             Dugan Widow Remembers Husband, Tells His Story

       I am writing this letter on behalf of my husband, SFC 
     Donald H. Dugan, and my family.
       My husband was killed handling an explosive device while 
     deployed in Bosnia.
       I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know 
     that he was not the type of person that the media has 
     represented him to be. He was portrayed as careless for 
     trying to disarm the explosive when specific guidance had 
     been issued to leave explosives alone.
       He was not careless--he was caring. He was a very loving 
     and devoted husband, father and military leader. My husband 
     made the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life to save others.
       Through the many cards and letters that I have received 
     from soldiers who worked with my husband, I believe he 
     attempted to disarm the device to protect children who were 
     playing in the area.
       Since he is unable to tell his side of the story, I felt it 
     was necessary to write this letter.
       No one will ever know the exact facts of what happened that 
     day, but one fact is certain: he was well loved and respected 
     by his soldiers, comrades, friends and family.
       Many unfavorable statements have been made about the 
     circumstances surrounding the death of my husband in Bosnia. 
     The people who made these statements did not know him or the 
     type of man he was. Donald was a selfless man who thought of 
     others' needs and welfare ahead of his own.
       He devoted 17 years serving his country in the U.S. Army. 
     The Army was my husband's life, and I am happy that he was 
     doing exactly what he enjoyed most when he passed away--
     working with and protecting soldiers and civilians. He truly 
     believed in the mission in Bosnia and was happy to go.
       I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to 
     express their sympathy for my husband's passing. My family 
     and I hope that everyone who knew him remembers him the way 
     he was and not how he has been represented.
       He is deeply missed and thought of often. Donald will 
     always be close to the hearts of his family and soldiers.

                          ____________________