[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 17, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2109-S2111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE COURAGE AND SACRIFICE OF SENATOR JOHN McCAIN AND 
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES HELD AS PRISONERS OF WAR DURING THE VIETNAM 
                                CONFLICT

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, as in legislative session, I ask unanimous 
consent that the Senate immediately proceed to the consideration of a 
resolution which I now send to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 196) recognizing and calling on all 
     Americans to recognize the courage and sacrifice of Senator 
     John McCain and the members of the Armed Forces held as 
     prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict and stating that 
     the American people will not forget that more than 2,000 
     members of the Armed Forces remain unaccounted for from the 
     Vietnam conflict and will continue to press for the fullest 
     possible accounting for all such members whose whereabouts 
     are unknown.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be 20 
minutes for debate on the resolution equally divided in the usual form 
and that, at the expiration of that time, the resolution be agreed to 
and the preamble be agreed to.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I would like to read just some portions of 
this resolution and then comment briefly on why we are doing it today:

       Whereas, John McCain's A-4E Skyhawk was shot down over 
     Hanoi, North Vietnam, on October 26, 1967, and he remained in 
     captivity until March 14, 1973;
       Whereas, John McCain's aircraft was shorn of its right wing 
     by a Surface to Air Missile and he plunged toward the ground 
     at about 400 knots prior to ejecting;
       Whereas, upon ejection, John McCain's right knee and both 
     arms were broken;
       Whereas, John McCain was surrounded by an angry mob who 
     kicked him and spit on him, stabbed him with bayonets and 
     smashed his shoulder with a rifle. . .;
       Whereas, historians of the Vietnam war have recorded that 
     ``no American reached the prison camp of Hoa Lo in worse 
     condition than John McCain.''
       Whereas, his North Vietnamese captors recognized John 
     McCain came from a distinguished military family--

  I might add, a family from my great State of Mississippi--

       and caused him to suffer special beatings, special 
     interrogations, and the cruel offer of a possible early 
     release;
       Whereas, John McCain sat in prison in Hanoi for over 5 
     years, risking life from disease and medical complications 
     resulting from his injuries, steadfastly refusing to 
     cooperate with his enemy captors because his sense of honor 
     and duty would not permit him to even consider an early 
     release on special advantage;
       Whereas, knowing his refusal to leave early may well result 
     [or might have resulted] in his own death from his injuries, 
     John McCain told another prisoner, ``I don't think that's the 
     right thing to do. . ..They'll have to drag me out of here.''
       Whereas, following the Peace Accords [in Paris] in January 
     1973, 591 United States prisoners of war were released from 
     captivity by North Vietnam. . .;
       Whereas, Senator John McCain of Arizona has continued to 
     honor the Nation with devoted service; and
       Whereas, the Nation owes a debt of gratitude to John McCain 
     and all of these patriots for their courage and exemplary 
     service: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses its gratitude for, and calls upon all 
     Americans to reflect upon and show their gratitude for, the 
     courage and sacrifice of John McCain and the brave men who 
     were held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict, 
     particularly on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of 
     Operation Homecoming, and the return to the United States of 
     Senator John McCain.

  Mr. President, in our daily duties, we quite often pass by men and 
women who have made a tremendous sacrifice in their lives or maybe have 
just done small things for individuals along the way. We begin to take 
them for granted. We begin to forget to say, ``Thank you for what you 
have done for me or for your fellow man or woman or for your country.''
  Today at our policy luncheon, one of our members stood up and 
reminded us that it was 25 years ago today that John McCain came home. 
There was a spontaneous applause and standing ovation, and it extended 
for a long period of time and extended a real warmth.
  While in the Senate sometimes we get after each other in debate and 
we don't approve of this or that, I really felt extremely emotional 
when I thought about the sacrifice that this man had made for his 
country and for his fellow men and women in the military and for his 
fellow prisoners of war. I realized that we had not said thank you to 
him, and that when we say thank you on behalf of a grateful country to 
John McCain, we are saying thank you also to all the men and women who 
served our country in uniform, who have been prisoners of war and, yes, 
those who are still missing in action to this very day.
  So, I think it is appropriate that we in the Senate today adopt this 
resolution in recognition of the 25th anniversary of John McCain, but 
also as an extended expression of our appreciation for all of those who 
served our country in such a magnanimous way. I yield the floor.
  Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The minority leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I join with the majority leader and with 
all

[[Page S2110]]

of my colleagues in reflecting upon this moment and in joining with him 
in offering our gratitude and our congratulations to this American 
hero.
  It may have been 25 years, and with years memories fade, but no one 
should ever forget the commitment made by John McCain and people like 
him on behalf of their country. They and their families can never 
forget the pain, the sacrifice, the commitment.
  Someone once said that democracy is something one either has to fight 
for or work at. John McCain has done both--fighting for democracy, as 
none of us could ever appreciate, and working at democracy as he does 
with us each and every day.
  There are thousands and thousands of people who have made a similar 
commitment, and were they here, I know that we would articulate in much 
the same sincere fashion our expression of gratitude to them.
  So, in some ways, John McCain not only represents his own experience, 
but that of all those he served with so valiantly during the Vietnam 
war.
  I join with my colleague Trent Lott, the majority leader, in 
recognizing that there are things that never go away: the importance of 
commitment, the recognition of the need for sacrifice, the continued 
need to work at and fight for democracy in this and in other countries.
  A resolution of this nature is certainly fitting, and on behalf of 
all of our colleagues, I hope we can say with unanimity, ``Thank you, 
thank you, John McCain.''
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I am proud to take this opportunity to 
honor my good friend and colleague from Arizona, Senator John McCain in 
the twenty-fifth anniversary of the homecoming of our American 
prisoners of war from Vietnam.
  What a career our friend John McCain has had: A graduate of the Naval 
Academy, twenty-two years as a naval aviator, a prisoner of war for 
five years, a recipient of numerous awards including the Purple Heart 
and Silver Star and a member of this body since 1986. I am honored to 
have worked so closely with him in the past and look forward to joining 
forces with him again in the future. John, I join with others in the 
Senate in celebrating the anniversary of your coming home and the 
coming home of those who served with you.
  Mr. McCAIN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, as my colleagues well know, I am not often 
at a loss for words. I certainly am at this time.
  I would like to, first of all, express my appreciation to Senator 
Lott and Senator Daschle, two honorable adversaries who continue to 
struggle on the ideological playing field, but do so in the most 
honorable and dignified fashion that reflects credit on the U.S. Senate 
and on them.
  I was very moved today at the luncheon when my colleagues applauded 
so warmly the commemoration of this date. I am also very deeply moved 
by this resolution. I accept with some humility the accolades and kind 
words that have been said about me and also that are in this 
resolution.
  I know that all of my colleagues recognize that I accept these words 
not on my own behalf but on behalf of two groups of people--one is 
those that I had the privilege of serving with in Vietnam, many of whom 
suffered far more than I did and displayed much higher degrees of 
courage. They are the ones I knew best and loved most and whose 
companionship I will treasure for as long as I live. But I also accept 
these very kind words on behalf of the real heroes of that very unhappy 
and tragic chapter in American history, and those are the heroes whose 
names appear on the wall at the memorial not very far from this 
building. They were called and they served with honor. The honor was in 
their service in what was a very unpopular enterprise and one for which 
the American people took a long time before we adequately thanked them 
for their service. They were brave young people, most of them 18 or 19 
years of age, who felt that answering the country's call was the most 
honorable of all professions. So on their behalf and that of their 
families who still mourn their loss, I accept for them with humility 
and with pride, because as we all know it is very easy to embark on a 
popular enterprise; it is much more difficult to serve in one which is 
fraught with controversy. And sometimes the young people who did return 
were not given the appreciation nor the accolades that they deserved 
for their service.
  So on behalf of those who cannot speak here today, whose names appear 
on the wall, I say thank you, and we will renew our dedication to see 
that never again do we send our young people to fight and die in 
conflict unless the goal is victory and we are prepared to devote all 
the resources at our disposal to winning that victory as quickly as 
possible. Although that didn't happen in that case, we cherish their 
memory, and for as long as Americans celebrate the service and 
sacrifice of young men, we will honor their memory. I thank you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, Senate Resolution 
196 is agreed to and the preamble is agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 196) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 196

       Whereas participation by the United States Armed Forces in 
     combat operations in Southeast Asia during the period from 
     1964 through 1972 resulted in several hundreds of members of 
     the United States Armed Forces being taken prisoner by North 
     Vietnamese, Pathet Lao, and Viet Cong enemy forces;
       Whereas John McCain's A-4E Skyhawk was shot down over 
     Hanoi, North Vietnam on October 26, 1967 and he remained in 
     captivity until March 14, 1973.
       Whereas John McCain's aircraft was shorn of it's right wing 
     by a Surface to Air Missile and he plunged toward the ground 
     at about 400 knots prior to ejecting;
       Whereas upon ejection, John McCain's right knee and both 
     arms were broken;
       Whereas John McCain was surrounded by an angry mob who 
     kicked him and spit on him, stabbed him with bayonets and 
     smashed his shoulder with a rifle.
       Whereas United States prisoners of war in Southeast Asia 
     were held in a number of facilities, the most notorious of 
     which was Hoa Lo Prison in downtown Hanoi, dubbed the `Hanoi 
     Hilton' by the prisoners held there;
       Whereas historians of the Vietnam war have recorded that 
     ``no American reached the prison camp of Hoa Lo in worse 
     condition than John McCain.''
       Whereas his North Vietnamese captors recognized that John 
     McCain came from a distinguished military family and caused 
     him to suffer special beatings, special interrogations, and 
     the cruel offer of a possible early release;
       Whereas John McCain sat in prison in Hanoi for over 5 
     years, risking death from disease and medical complications 
     resulting from his injuries, steadfastly refusing to 
     cooperate with his enemy captors because his sense of honor 
     and duty would not permit him to even consider an early 
     release based on special advantage;
       Whereas knowing his refusal to leave early may well result 
     in his own death from his injuries John McCain told another 
     prisoner ``I don't think that's the right thing to do--
     They'll have to drag me out of here''
       Whereas, following the Paris Peace Accords of January 1973, 
     591 United States prisoners of war were released from 
     captivity by North Vietnam;
       Whereas the return of these prisoners of war to United 
     States Control and to their families and comrades was 
     designated Operation Homecoming;
       Whereas many members of the United States Armed Forces who 
     were taken prisoner as a result of ground or aerial combat in 
     Southeast Asia have not returned to their loved ones and 
     their whereabouts remain unknown;
       Whereas United States prisoners of war in Southeast Asia 
     were routinely subjected to brutal mistreatment, including 
     beatings, torture, starvation, and denial of medical 
     attention;
       Whereas the hundreds of United States prisoners of war held 
     in the Hanoi Hilton and other facilities persevered under 
     terrible conditions;
       Whereas the prisoners were frequently isolated from each 
     other and prohibited from speaking to each other;
       Whereas the prisoners nevertheless, at great personal risk, 
     devised a means to communicate with each other through a code 
     transmitted by tapping on cell walls;
       Whereas then-Commander James B. Stockdale, United States 
     Navy, who upon the capture on September 9, 1965, became the 
     senior POW officer present in the Hanoi Hilton, delivered to 
     his men a message that was to sustain them during their 
     ordeal, as follows: Remember, you are Americans. With faith 
     in God, trust in one another, and devotion to your country, 
     you will overcome. You will triumph;
       Whereas the men held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam 
     conflict truly represent all that is best about America;
       Whereas Senator John McCain of Arizona has continued to 
     honor the Nation with devoted service; and

[[Page S2111]]

       Whereas the Nation owes a debt of gratitude to John McCain 
     and all of these patriots for their courage and exemplary 
     service: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses its gratitude for, and calls upon all 
     Americans to reflect upon and show their gratitude for, the 
     courage and sacrifice of John McCain and the brave men who 
     were held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict, 
     particularly on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of 
     Operation Homecoming, and the return to the United States of 
     Senator John McCain,
       (2) acting on behalf of all Americans--
       (A) will not forget that more than 2,000 members of the 
     United States Armed Forces remain unaccounted for from the 
     Vietnam conflict; and
       (B) will continue to press for the fullest possible 
     accounting for such members.

  Mr. WARNER. Parliamentary inquiry. Is it in order to ask to be an 
original cosponsor of the resolution?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WARNER. I thank the Chair.

                          ____________________