[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 21, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2658-S2659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMEMORATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PERSIAN GULF WAR

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, today I wish to add my voice to the many 
who have come before the Senate to honor the brave men and women who 
served our nation so honorably in the Persian Gulf War. March 3, 2001 
marked the tenth anniversary of the end of the Persian Gulf War. I pay 
special tribute to the families of those who gave their lives in this 
effort.
  I would like to draw my colleagues attention to an important event 
that will be taking place this Sunday, March 25th, 2001, in Manchester, 
NH. A group of dedicated Americans is gathering to observe the 10th 
anniversary of the Persian Gulf war, to honor those who served, and to 
evaluate the fulfillment of our promise to care for those who suffered 
as a result of their service. A driving force behind this event is the 
New England Persian Gulf Veterans Inc., NEPGV, and its dynamic 
founders, David and Patricia Irish. Since the NEPGV's inception in 
1996, David and Trish have worked tirelessly to promote the issues and 
challenges of Gulf War Veterans in New England and beyond. I want to 
publicly thank them for their efforts and let them know that I will be 
with them in spirit on the 25th of March.
  This is an appropriate time to remember the outstanding job our 
service men and women did in liberating Kuwait from occupation. 
Together with our allies, this action stated that in the post Cold War 
world, the unprovoked conquest of one's neighbors would not be 
tolerated. The unprecedented coalition of twenty six nations rolled 
back a tyrannical dictator and a military ill prepared for the 
determination of the United States and its allies, nor the might and 
professionalism of the soldiers involved. In the face of the poor 
performance of old Soviet equipment, the Gulf War firmly established 
the military superiority of the United States and confirmed our

[[Page S2659]]

status as the world's lone superpower. Our willingness to work together 
with our friends in the Arab world set a new tone in the region and 
ushered in a new era of respect for international cooperation.
  The Gulf War coalition also laid a foundation for a remarkable United 
Nations operation that for the first time, aggressively sought to 
identify and destroy any potential capability for development of 
weapons of mass destruction or manufacture of chemical or biological 
agents. While UNSCOM had a very difficult time carrying out its mission 
and was eventually forced to leave Iraq, the world community learned a 
great deal from the experience, and set any potential future 
proliferations on notice that these types of actions will not be 
tolerated.
  While peace process in the Middle East is at a low ebb right now, it 
is also appropriate that we remember how the Gulf War was a critical 
catalyst for the Oslo Peace Agreement between Israel and the 
Palestinians, the cornerstone for the wave of peace that swept the 
region during the 1990s. While subsequent agreements have been 
shattered by the recent violence, all sides still stand by Oslo, as do 
the moderate Arab nations who continue to insist that the risks they 
have taken for peace are worth it. Had it not been for US leadership 
and the success of the Gulf War, this would not be the case.
  As a senior member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, I take 
very seriously my obligation to address the needs of all our Veterans. 
Although it has been 10 years since this decisive victory in the 
Persian Gulf, servicemen and women continue to step forward with 
symptoms of illnesses and disease likely attributable to serving in 
Southwest Asia during the war. This was brought home to me by the death 
of a friend of my son Leonard, John Clark, Jr. A Gulf War veteran, John 
was stricken with colon cancer at age 31, two short years after his 
return home from the Gulf. John's case is similar to other service 
members coming back from the Gulf War. John passed away in 1996. For 
John and his family, as for many veterans, the war continues well after 
they have taken off their uniforms and returned to life as civilians. I 
will continue to work to insure that Gulf War veterans obtain access to 
VA health benefits and that meaningful research continues to determine 
treatment for these troubling medical problems. Our Gulf War veterans, 
having served in Active, Reserve and National Guard units, must know 
that we here in Washington will continue to fight for them as they 
fought for us.
  Once again, I remember, commemorate and congratulate the members of 
our Armed Forces who served with distinction during the Gulf War. I 
sincerely thank them for their service to our country on this, the 
tenth anniversary of this victory.

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