[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 55 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     THE 23D ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF SOUTH VIETNAM TO COMMUNISM

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                          HON. JOHN M. McHUGH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 6, 1998

  Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind my colleagues of an 
important anniversary. Last week marked the 23rd anniversary of the 
fall of South Vietnam to Communism and the end of the Vietnam War. I 
was reminded of this date by a newspaper column written by the Army's 
10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, New York, Commander, Major 
General Lawson W. Magruder III. He marked the occasion by sharing his 
personal reflections on his time and service in Vietnam. I would like 
to share his column with our colleagues so that we may also remember 
the brave men and women who served this country in Vietnam.

              [From the Fort Drum Sentinel, Apr. 30, 1998]

                 (By Maj. Gen. Lawson W. Magruder III)

       April 30 marks the 23rd anniversary of the fall of South 
     Vietnam to Communism and the end of the Vietnam War. For this 
     reason, April has always been a month of reflection about 
     what the Vietnam War meant to me. It is a time for me to 
     recall the lesson I learned over 27 years ago when I returned 
     from Vietnam. I'd like to share some thoughts with you:
       My last day in Vietnam evoked many emotions as I waited for 
     the big ``freedom bird'' to wing me back to Texas and a 
     reunion with my wife, Gloria, and 15-month old daughter, 
     Shannon. It was a day filled with sadness, anticipation, 
     relief, hope, excitement, and pride. Sadness over the 
     soldiers I had led and grown to love in a special way who 
     were never to return to their families; anticipation over my 
     future and the future of our Army as we both transitioned to 
     a period of peace; relief that my separation from my loved 
     ones had gone without serious injury or illness; hope that 
     our lives would quickly return to normal and that our nation 
     would soon withdraw from the war without major casualties and 
     that South Vietnam would succeed on its own against 
     Communism; excitement about returning to Gloria and Shannon 
     and closing out an important chapter in my young career and 
     returning to the 82d Airborne Division to command a company; 
     and pride in having served my soldiers, my Army, and my 
     country honorably in the toughest environment. With the 
     exception of my feeling of sadness, it was a composite of so 
     many of the same emotions I had felt previously in my life on 
     the day of a major event: the first day at a new school, 
     ``season openers,'' graduation from high school and college, 
     commissioning day, reporting to my first unit, and my 
     departure one year earlier from Austin Airport for Vietnam.
       Aside from the already described feelings, on my last day 
     in Vietnam I took stock of the four most important lessons I 
     learned during the year--lessons that I have carried with me 
     over the past 27 years of my career. First, it magnified for 
     me the words from my oath of commission: ``. . .to obey the 
     orders of the President and the officers appointed over me. . 
     .'' and my father's advice (a veteran of three wars) to obey 
     orders no matter how distasteful they may be unless they are 
     illegal or immoral. I learned quickly as an infantry rifle 
     platoon leader in combat that my job was not to question the 
     prosecution of an unpopular war but to obey legal orders and 
     lead my soldiers to the best of my ability in the 
     accomplishment of difficult tasks. The second lesson learned 
     was that a leader should only focus on his ``piece of the 
     Army'' and make it the most professional team in the 
     organization. I saw to many leaders in combat worry about 
     ``higher'' at the expense of readiness and caring for their 
     soldiers. Third, the basics that leaders demand in training 
     work in combat and result in winning engagements and the 
     saving of lives. I learned that even with the most dynamic 
     tactics you will fail without adherence to the basics. 
     Leaders must set and demand high standards from their 
     subordinates to win! The last lesson that I took away from 
     Vietnam was the importance of faith and family in one's life. 
     Combat magnified for me the frailty of human life and the 
     absolute importance of having a ``true azimuth'' in your 
     life. Because I was at peace with the Lord and knew that I 
     was supported on the ``homefront'' by a loving and supportive 
     wife and family, I never worried about not coming home. 
     Consequently, then and today I am able to devote myself 
     totally to the leadership of America's finest Light Fighters.
       We are all ``defined'' by our past experiences. My 
     experiences in Vietnam is an important part of my makeup and 
     being. It will always be with me, and even though many view 
     the Vietnam War as a ``lost cause,'' I, along with thousands 
     of other vets, am proud of our service many years ago in that 
     sad country in Southeast Asia. May we never forget those 
     brave men and women who fought for democracy in Vietnam. Let 
     me close with this special quote that I've kept under my desk 
     glass for the past 26 years:

       ``If you are able, save for them a place inside of you. . . 
     and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the 
     places they can no longer go. . . Be not ashamed to say you 
     loved them, though you may or may not have always. . . Take 
     what they have left and what they have taught you with their 
     dying and keep it with your own. . . And in that time when 
     men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one 
     moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind. . . 
     .''--Maj. Michael Davis O'Donnell, Springfield IL, 1 January 
     1970.

     

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