[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 30, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E802-E803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  A TRIBUTE TO ``VOICES FROM VIETNAM''

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. THOMAS M. BARRETT

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 30, 1997

  Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, on February 28, 1968, 
reconnaissance Sgt. Marvin Acker of Middleton, WI, wrote to his fiancee 
from the steamy, jungles of Hue and Phu Bai of North Vietnam. Acker 
wrote:

       I've seen how easy it is to die. So very, very easy. One 
     second you're alive and the next second you're dead. I can't 
     wait until I'm home again where there's peace and not half as 
     many worries as there are here.

  Sergeant Acker is one of more than 57,000 Wisconsin residents who put 
their lives on the line and served their Nation with distinction and 
honor in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam conflict. The emotions, 
thoughts, and observations of these brave men and women have recently 
been chronicled in one of the most important works to be published in 
recent memory: ``Voices from Vietnam.''
  Published by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, ``Voices from 
Vietnam'' is a bold and comprehensive project which chronicles the 
Vietnam war from the broad perspective of more than 230 Wisconsin 
veterans and their families. With their assistance, an incredible 
12,000 letters were donated to the Historical Society for this 
ambitious effort. The book covers the Vietnam experience from scores of 
sources, from those who were on the frontlines fighting the Viet Cong, 
to those who were held captive in the infamous Hanoi Hilton.
  Through their letters, their harrowing experiences are brought to 
life.
  Lt. Frederic Flom of Menasha spent 6\1/2\ years enslaved in the Hanoi 
Hilton after his plane was shot down over North Vietnam. During this 
time, Lieutenant Flom kept a diary written on 27 tiny cigarette 
wrappers which he kept hidden from prison guards. He wrote of ``tiny 
dark rooms with no windows * * * ungodly hot during the summer and 
bitter cold in the winter.'' Lieutenant Flom had the good fortune to 
return home alive, after surviving torture, rats, and starvation, but 
others were not so lucky.
  John K. Marshall was born in Green Bay and enlisted in the Marine 
Corps in December 1967, while still a senior in high school. The year 
1968 was tragic for this heroic marine. John wrote to his parents after 
receiving his first purple heart award during a mortar attack, ``you 
know if you get three purple hearts you get out of Vietnam.'' Less than 
6 days later, John received another purple heart during another 
firefight with the VC. Then, 2 months later on November 14, 1968, John 
wrote to his mother and father, ``I had a dream last night that some VC 
were coming towards me and I got shot up pretty bad but lived and got a 
third purple heart.'' Three days later, young John was killed in action 
and his parents were mailed his third purple heart which was awarded 
posthumously.
  Some of the letters, however, reveal a lighter side of the Vietnam 
experience of which we seldom hear. Larry Kammholz, a Milwaukee native 
and commander of the 736th Medical Detachment at Moc Hoa, wrote to his 
wife and asked her to mail cans of Schlitz, Pabst, and

[[Page E803]]

Miller, along with Wisconsin cheeses and sausage, so Wisconsin troops 
could throw a party for Illinois soldiers. Peter Ponti of Madison wrote 
to his Aunt Agnes from a USO show that ``Raquel Welch is just as 
beautiful in person as she is in the movies.''
  And Larry Bueter of Antigo and Sheboygan who served as a draftsman 
near Da Nang wrote to his family to describe a Christmas celebration 
thousands of miles away from home:

       We then observed a 5 minute silent prayer to usher in 
     Christmas Day after which we all took communion then returned 
     to our seats and sang ``Silent Night,'' to finish the 
     service. It was really an experience, and one I won't ever 
     forget.

  I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of the Wisconsin State 
Historical Society for realizing this tremendous project to its 
greatest potential. My good friend and former Wisconsin State Senate 
colleague Bob Jauch of Poplar, WI, who served in Vietnam, was 
instrumental in recognizing the need to publish this book, and secured 
the necessary funding through the State to make ``Voices from Vietnam'' 
a reality. I would also like to acknowledge Michael Stevens who did a 
remarkable job of editing the book. I especially want to thank John 
Koeppen, a Milwaukee native now residing in Racine whose story appears 
in ``Voices from Vietnam,'' for presenting me with a personal copy of 
this outstanding work. I urge all of my colleagues to contact me to 
learn more about ``Voices from Vietnam.''
  Of Wisconsin's heroic patriots, 1,239 never returned to the Dairy 
State and it is in their memory that ``Voices from Vietnam'' is 
dedicated. Indeed, the book is a fitting tribute to their deeds, their 
actions, and their unfailing courage.

                          ____________________