[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.
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