[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 17, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1627-E1628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBER AMERICA'S PRISONERS OF WAR

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 17, 1996

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I commend to my colleagues the following 
speech which I will give on Friday, September 20:

       Good afternoon everyone. I am pleased and privileged to be 
     here to commemorate national POW/MIA Recognition Day. I would 
     like to thank Jack Kinny for inviting me to speak to you 
     today.
       As we commemorate national POW/MIA Recognition Day, it is 
     appropriate that we pay homage to those Americans who were 
     taken prisoner and have since returned, and those who are 
     listed as missing in action and presumed dead.
       It isn't easy to wear the uniform of one's country. No one 
     knows that better than a former prisoner of war. All those 
     who have been POW's know the true meaning of freedom and have 
     paid a tremendous price for the liberty we all cherish. Their 
     service and sacrifice, and that of their fellow veterans, 
     make possible our way of life.
       Throughout the history of the United States, in six major 
     wars spanning 219 years, more than 500,000 Americans have 
     been taken prisoner. Each of these courageous men and women 
     has experienced horrors unimaginable in the annals of 
     civilized existence. Most endured long-term deprivation of 
     freedom, the loss of human dignity, and many today continue 
     to experience prolonged battles with various disabilities.
       How can we possibly acknowledge their sacrifices or their 
     memories in the context of how they survived or how they 
     perished?

[[Page E1628]]

       National POW/MIA Recognition Day provides us with a limited 
     comprehension of the terror that these great Americans 
     endured in service of their country. While we can never fully 
     comprehend the suffering they experienced, we must respect 
     their unwavering dedication to life.
       Despite the suffering inflicted upon them, American POW's 
     have demonstrated an unfailing devotion to duty, honor and 
     country. Their service helped preserve our freedom through 
     two World Wars, regional conflicts of the cold war era and 
     since. They have given more than most Americans will be 
     called upon to give for their country.
       An inscription of a World War II cemetery reads:

     When You Go Home
     Tell Them of Us and Say
     For Your Tomorrow
     We Gave Our Today.

       In the Revolutionary War, more than 20,000 Americans were 
     taken prisoner and 8,500 of them died in captivity.
       During the Civil War, an estimated 194,000 Union soldiers 
     and 214,000 Confederates became prisoners of war. Between the 
     North and the South, 56,194 Americans died in captivity, 
     mostly from disease.
       In World War I, 4,120 Americans were taken prisoner--147 of 
     them died in captivity forcing a third Geneva Convention 
     covering the humane treatment for prisoners of war.
       No one could ever perceive or comprehend the absolute 
     barbaric treatment American prisoners experienced in World 
     War II, especially at the hands of the Japanese. In the 
     Pacific, 11,107 Americans, or 40 percent of those taken 
     prisoners died in captivity. In contrast, of the 93,941 taken 
     prisoner in Europe, all but 1,121, or 1 percent, were 
     released.
       Once again, outrage prompted the world community to pass 
     four new Geneva Conventions. In August 1949, the new treaty 
     strengthened the former ones by codifying the general 
     principles of international law governing the treatment of 
     civilians in wartime. Included in that treaty was a pledge 
     ``to treat prisoners humanely, feed them adequately, and 
     deliver relief supplies to them.'' Additionally, prisoners of 
     war would not be forced to disclose more than minimal 
     information to their captors.
       These new provisions were soon tested during the Korean war 
     where 8,177 Americans were classified as missing in action, 
     and another 7,140 were identified as prisoners of war. 
     Between April and September 1953, a total of 4,418 POW's were 
     released by the Communist Chinese, leaving 2,722 Americans 
     unaccounted for. Five months later, in February 1954, the 
     United States declared the remaining 8,177 Americans missing 
     and presumed dead.
       Perhaps more than any war, Vietnam continues to illustrate 
     the complexity of the POW/MIA issue. In 1973, the Pentagon 
     listed almost 3,100 Americans as POW/MIA's. In April 1973, 
     591 Americans were released by the North Vietnamese. 
     Currently, 2,146 Americans are still missing and unaccounted 
     for from the Vietnam war.
       For more than 20 years, the families of those men 
     classified as missing in action have suffered the anguish of 
     now knowing whether their sons, their fathers or husbands are 
     alive or dead.
       Throughout my congressional career, I have cosponsored 
     numerous pieces of legislation designed to resolve this issue 
     once and for all. The 1996 National Defense Authorization Act 
     codified and made more rigorous the policies and procedures 
     for the accounting of military personnel who are missing.
       As a cosponsor of the Missing Service Personnel Act, I was 
     pleased that the provisions of this bill were finally enacted 
     into law with passage of the Defense Authorization Act. 
     Unfortunately, the gains that were made just a few months 
     ago, have been mitigated in the 1997 Defense Authorization 
     Act, H.R. 3230, which was recently approved by Congress. This 
     bill includes provisions that make the statutes enacted 
     earlier this year substantially less rigorous and 
     restrictive.
       As a long-time activist on the POW/MIA issue, I am 
     extremely disappointed by this latest turn of events. 
     Therefore, I became an original cosponsor of H.R. 4000, 
     legislation which was introduced by Representative Dornan on 
     August 2, 1996. This bill restores the provisions of the 
     Missing Service Personnel Act which will be repealed upon the 
     enactment of H.R. 3230.
       H.R. 4000 is supported by all major veterans organizations 
     and POW/MIA family organizations including, the American 
     Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, the National Vietnam 
     Veterans Coalition, the Marine Corps League, Vietnam Veterans 
     of America, the Korean and Cold War Families Association and 
     the National Alliance of POW/MIA Families.
       The bill has 255 cosponsors and was recently approved by 
     the National Security Committee by a vote of forty-five to 
     zero. You can be certain that I will work with my colleagues 
     to secure the passage of this important legislation.
       Recently, the board of commissioners for Pasco County 
     passed a proclamation recognizing and expressing its 
     gratitude to those who have sacrificed their freedom in 
     service of our country. The commission pledged to do all it 
     could to ascertain information regarding the well-being of 
     any Pasco County resident who has been declared missing in 
     action or taken prisoner and to act to ensure their safe 
     return. I understand there is an effort under way to have 
     similar proclamations approved by other counties across 
     Florida and the Nation.
       We have a responsibility to determine to the fullest extent 
     possible the fate of our missing personnel and to share that 
     information with next of kin. A service member deserves to 
     know that we will do everything in our power to account for 
     their whereabouts if he or she is reported missing. 
     Therefore, I want to commend the members of Florida VETPAC 
     who initiated the proclamation and the Pasco County board of 
     commissioners for their actions.
       Recently, we lost a great American and a patriot, Jimmy 
     Young, who was committed to resolving the fate of our missing 
     service members. He played an important role in the passage 
     of this POW/MIA proclamation. With his wife Maria, his family 
     and fellow veterans, I mourn the passing of a fine military 
     veteran, and I salute his memory.
       I also want to commend those of you here who have also made 
     the fate of our missing service members a matter of personal 
     concern. Gaining the fullest possible accounting for our 
     MIA's must be a high national priority, not just in word, but 
     also in deed. Your efforts have brought America's missing to 
     the forefront of the Nation's conscience--which is just where 
     they should be.
       National POW/MIA Recognition Day allows us to keep the 
     memories of our missing service members alive and it serves 
     as a poignant reminder of the sacrifice and commitment of all 
     the American men and women whose patriotism has been tested 
     by the chains of enemy captivity.
       Their experiences underscore our debt to those who place 
     their lives in harm's way and stand willing to trade their 
     liberty for ours. As a nation, we must always remember the 
     sacrifices made by Americans who were captured and returned 
     home as well as those still listed as missing in action.

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