[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H3346-H3349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL FORMER PRISONER OF WAR RECOGNITION DAY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) is recognized
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, our brave men and women in uniform continue
to risk their lives at this hour in Iraq, and let there be no mistake:
there cause is noble.
They are disarming and deposing a ruthless tyrant who has brutalized
the Iraqi people for more than 20 years, and who has threatened the
security of the Middle East region and the world.
As the result of the courage, sacrifice, patriotism and
professionalism of our American Armed Forces--as well as our Coalition
allies--the Iraqi people have broken free of Hussein's stranglehold.
Who could not be moved by the scenes broadcast from Baghdad, where
thousands of newly liberated Iraqi citizens celebrated Hussein's
defeat?
However, danger still lurks around every corner. Thus, we pray for a
successful conclusion to this war and our troops' safe return.
We also pray for the loved ones and families of the American
servicemen and servicewomen who will not be returning safely to our
shores; those who have given their lives for their Nation and the cause
of freedom.
And we say a special prayer for the seven Americans who are listed as
prisoners of war and eight who are listed as missing.
As we come to this House floor to commemorate national former POW
Recognition Day, which was observed this past Wednesday, April 9, let
us join together and offer this solemn pledge: the United States of
America shall never--never--rest until every single American who is
believed to be in enemy hands is freed, and every single American who
is missing is fully accounted for.
Freedom's defenders must never be forgotten, and thus our mission in
Iraq is far from accomplished.
[[Page H3347]]
Our former prisoners of war are national heroes who deserve our
gratitude and respect.
Their service placed them in dangerous circumstances, causing their
capture and imprisonment, often in atrocious conditions.
We also owe a debt of gratitude to their families for weathering
agonizing uncertainty while demonstrating support for their loved ones'
service to our country.
Although former POWs returned home, too often they carried the extra
burden of physical and emotional scares.
They are a testament to history's eternal truth--freedom is not
free--as well as its unforgiving lesson: the price of freedom is always
great.
We remember these courageous heroes in the shadow of the dramatic
rescue of Pfc Jessica Lynch on April 2.
She owes her life to the American commandos who stormed the hospital
where she was being held and rescued her, as well as the brave Iraqi
man who risked certain death by providing our troops with accurate
information regarding her whereabouts.
We recognize the tremendous sacrifice of former prisoners of war like
Jessica, and we pledge that our Nation will keep its promises to all
former POWs and veterans.
Let me close, however, by saying that even as our servicemen and
women are overseas defending our values, freedom, democracy, human
rights and the rule of law, there are schemes afoot in this very
Capitol to give them short shrift once they return home.
While President Bush has extended his appreciation to members of
veterans service organizations for ``the lifetime of service you have
given to our Nation,'' some have proposed cutting veterans' benefits
and health care by more than $28 billion to help pay for a tax cut.
This is not only bad policy, it is, in my view, immoral.
This Nation, as far as I am concerned, has an irrevocable contract
with America's veterans. And it is one that we must always honor.
Our veterans and former POWs deserve more than medals and a thank you
for their service and sacrifice.
At a time when we are sending thousands of America's sons and
daughters into harm's way, we should be investing in the programs and
services our veterans and former prisoners of war deserve, not pulling
back on our promises.
We must stand behind our words of gratitude by honoring the
commitment we made to them for answering freedom's call.
Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to be here today to
address the situation of former American POWs.
In this time of war, it is especially important to recognize April 9
as National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day.
While the plight of courageous soldiers such as Pfc. Jessica Lynch,
who had been captured with 11 other U.S. soldiers from the 507th
Maintenance Company, brings the concern of POWs to the forefront of our
minds today, I would like to address my concerns for a group of POWs
from a previous war, the war from which this important date of April 9
was chosen.
I am speaking of those who fought in the Pacific Theater during World
War II.
I would especially like to talk about one former POW, Dr. Lester
Tenney. Dr. Tenney's story mirrors what many of our WWII POWs in the
Pacific went through.
Mr. Tenney became a prisoner of war on April 9, 1942, with the fall
of Bataan in the Philippines. A survivor of the Bataan death march, he
was sent in a ``hell ship'' to Japan, where he became part of the slave
labor force in a Mitsui company coal mine.
Dr. Tenney has stated, and I quote, ``I was forced to shovel coal 12
hours a day, 28 days a month, for over 2 years, the reward I received
for this hard labor was beatings by the civilian workers in the mine.
And if I did not work fast enough or if the Americans had won an
important battle the beatings would be that much more severe.''
These POWs who survived the Bataan death march only to be transported
to Japan in the infamous death ships and forced to work for private
Japanese companies under the most horrendous conditions are the true
heroes of our Nation.
After the war, approximately 16,000 POWs returned--all battered and
nearly starved to death, many permanently disabled, all changed
forever. More than 11,000 POWs died in the hands of Japanese, among the
worst records of physical abuse of POWs in recorded history.
Now, like many other victims of World War II-era atrocities, the
remaining survivors and the estates of those who have since passed away
are seeking justice and historical recognition of their ordeal.
The former POWs do not seek any action or retaliation against the
current Japanese Government or against the Japanese people. Nor do they
seek to portray Asian-Americans in any sort of negative light.
Rather, they simply seek just compensation from the Japanese
companies who were unjustly enriched by their slave labor and
sufferings.
I am honored to stand here in the House of Representatives, to let
these men know that I will work with my colleagues to see that there is
justice done in their situation.
We must never forget, these are the men of our Nation's greatest
generation. They volunteered to serve our country, some only 17 or 18
years old at the time.
They survived the ordeal of a forced surrender in the Philippines,
they survived the cruelties of the Bataan death march, they survived
the hell ships, they survived being POWs in Japan and the tortures of
slavery.
For the sake of the past, for the sake of these men today, and the
sake of our future, we must do right for these men.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to address the House floor
this evening on this very important matter.
Mr. McNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with my colleagues, the
gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Hoyer, and the gentleman from Missouri,
Mr. Skelton, in solemn observance of National Former Prisoner of War
Recognition Day.
At this hour, thousands of brave young Americans in the Armed Forces
of the United States are carrying out a dangerous yet necessary mission
in Iraq. Like many Americans, I hoped and prayed for a diplomatic
settlement to the crisis posed by Saddam Hussein's refusal to disarm.
Unfortunately, 12 years of diplomacy did not produce the desired
result. With all other options exhausted, we were forced to proceed
with the action that should always be reserved for last--the use of
military force.
Our troops have heroically responded to this call to arms with
unyielding courage, devastating efficiency, and unparalleled concern
for the safety and well being of countless thousands of Iraqi
civilians. I continue to pray for a swift end to this conflict, and to
hope that our military personnel will come home soon and safely, having
liberated the citizens of Iraq from the nightmare they have endured for
a quarter of a century.
Despite the unprecedented success of our military forces, Mr.
Speaker, scores of American families have already had to come to terms
with the horrible and irrevocable reality of war. Nearly 100 brave
soldiers have been killed in action. They were mothers, fathers, sons,
daughters, sisters, brothers and lifelong friends, and my heart goes
out to all those who loved them.
My family knows the pain of war. On August 9, 1970, my brother, H.M.
3 William F. McNulty, a medical corpsman in the Navy, was in the field
in Quang Pam province, patching up his buddies. He stepped on a land
mine and he lost his life.
But his body was recovered. And he was brought back home, and we had
a wake and a funeral and a burial. Our family suffered a tremendous
loss, our small village of Green Island, New York, suffered a
tremendous loss--but we had some closure.
Mr. Speaker, the families of seven American serviceman and women
currently listed as prisoners of war, and the families of eleven
soldiers listed as duty status unknown, or missing in action may never
enjoy this sense of closure. Just ask the families of the 1,887
Americans still missing and unaccounted for from the war in Vietnam.
I have always wondered how terrible it must be for an MIA family,
never exactly knowing what happened to their loved one--not for a day,
a week, a month or a year, but for decades.
Every once in a while, this profound sense of frustration and loss is
interspersed with joyous news of rescue and heroism. By now, we are all
familiar with the story of Pfc. Jessica Lynch. Pfc. Lynch was captured
with 11 other American soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company but
was later rescued from a hospital in Iraq on April 2, due in no small
part to the superior skill and preparedness of our Special Forces, as
well as the courage and humanity of an Iraqi civilian who risked his
own life, and the lives of his family, by walking 6 miles to inform
coalition forces of Pfc. Lynch's location. Thanks to these efforts,
Pfc. Lynch escaped further torture and abuse at the hands of Iraqi
forces, and lays tonight in an American military hospital in Germany,
enjoying the company of her family.
Mr. Speaker, we pay tribute tonight to courageous American heroes
like Pfc. Lynch. She and so many other former prisoners of war suffered
through the atrocious coditions of capture and internment, sacrificing
so much of their freedom in defense of the citizens of this nation and
the world.
In the name of all former POWs, I pledge to continue to work to
ensure that future generations understand the courage of these heroes,
and that our government follows through on all promises made to former
POWs--and all veterans.
Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our esteemed
whip, Mr. Hoyer,
[[Page H3348]]
and the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Skelton,
for organizing this time to reflect on those who have sacrificed so
much for this country.
Those members of our military who are still prisoners of war or are
missing in action have made the ultimate sacrifice without the
opportunity to return home.
We can only hope that those young men and women who have been taken
captive in the current conflict will be treated humanely and returned
home to us soon.
Mr. Speaker, there is one former POW I would like to single out,
current Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan. He entered the United States Navy in 1969
and served as a naval flight officer aboard the USS Kitty Hawk.
In May of 1972, Lt. Joe Kernan was shot down by the enemy while on a
reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. He was held as a prisoner of
war for nearly 11 months.
Joe Kernan was repatriated in 1973 as part of the last convoy of
prisoners of war exchanged that ended the war, and continued on active
duty with the Navy until December of 1974. For his service, Kernan
received numerous awards, including the Navy Commendation Medal, two
Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
He never forgets May 7, ``the day I was shot down.''
It was his 26th mission. He was in the rear seat of an RA-5C
Vigilante reconnaissance jet, on a picture-snapping mission to assess
bomb damage. They raced along at 650 mph, 80 miles south of Hanoi, then
navigated down Highway 1 to take photos of traffic.
They were relatively low--4,500 feet high, compared with the 35,000-
foot altitude a B-52 bomber would fly--when anti-aircraft fire hit the
plane's tail.
``The nose pitched down very violently,'' he said, and the pilot
tried to make it to the potential safety of the U.S.-controlled Gulf of
Tonkin. The jet couldn't make it. Kernan ejected, followed closely by
the pilot.
``I blacked out on the ejection,'' Kernan said.
``I landed in somebody's front yard on a beautiful Sunday
afternoon,'' he recalled. ``When I woke up, I found myself on the edge
of a group of people, surrounding me, watching me get up, with people
coming at me from everywhere.''
March 27 marked the 30th anniversary of his release from captivity.
When looking back on his time in captivity, he minimizes the details of
his treatment there, saying the end of the war was not as bad as the
beginning.
``What you rely on is your faith, your family, your desire to see
them again, your will to survive and the knowledge that you're not
going to be left behind. We won't go home without them. That has been a
commitment made to everyone who wears the uniform, and it will be
honored,'' Kernan said.
We remember those who are still fighting the past wars, those who
have not had the chance to come home to the families.
I ask unanimous consent to place in the Record the names of those who
have not had the chance to come home from the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Thank you Mr. Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Korean War POW/MIA--Indiana
Floyd Neal Acton, James Dwight Adams, Herbert D. Akers,
George Anspaugh, Robert Gene Archer, David Baker, Donald
Lewis Baker, Donald Lee Barker, Lester William Bauer, Robert
Allen Beard, Milton Marion Beed, Lowell W. Bellar, Victor
Vernon Bender, A.D. Berry, Charles F. Binge, William Stanley
Blasdel, William J. Bowerman, Allen Milford Bowman, Eldon R.
Bradley, Kenneth Wilber Brock, Kenneth Brown, Thomas James
Brown, Hugh Maynard Burch, Forrest S. Burns, Billie Jack
Byard, Donald Caddell, Stanley Louis Calhoun, Jr., George R.
Chadwell, Richard A. Chappel, Gene Franklin Clark, Harold
Robert Clark, Clyde R. Clifford, James Allen Coleman, Louis
Bernard Conde, Jack Dwayne Conrad, Richard Leon Conrad, James
L. Constant, Folton Cosby, John Harold Cowger, Clarence
Vernon Cox, Jr., Kenneth Lee Cozad, George Eldon Cranor.
Reed A. Criswell, William R. Cunningham, Kenneth Horton
Dally, Howard Dale Dalton, Ezekiel Alfonso Davis, Jack A.
Davis, Norman Glen Davis, George Debaun, Jr., Hobart Decker,
Raymond Alfred Decker, Clayton C. Delong, Gene Alton Dennis,
Stanley L. Dewitt, William L. Dick, Jr., Milton J.
Dinerboiler, James Thomas Doody, Donald D. Drew, James R.
Dunn, Joseph Durakovich, Donald Wayne Eads, John Omer Eaton,
Herbert Phillip Eggers, Howard W. Emrick, William Chester
Enright, Robert Vernon Estes, Don Carlos Faith, Jr., Robert
Clarence Finch, Peter Paul Fluhr, Jr., Edward Leo Frakes, Ned
Charles Frankart, Jack Marvin Frans, George Arthur Frantz,
Charles Garrigus, Clifton E. Gibson, Willard M. Gibson, Clyde
Goe, Robert Goodall, Joseph P. Greene, Jack Walter Griffith,
Edward Allen Gude, John Edwin Guynn, Donald Sewell Hamilton.
Donald Lane Hamm, Keith Edward Hammon, Gilbert Larry
Harmon, Elmer Harris, Jr., Max Eugene Harris, Bannie
Harrison, Jr., Gene N. Hatch, Kenneth Verne Hay, Leo Joseph
Henkenius, James Fella Hill, Robert Lee Hinds, William M.
Hodge, Joseph Francis Holle, Charles Rutherford Holman, Floyd
E. Hooper, Ralph Ernest Hubartt, Jr., Paul F. Hukill, Richard
George Inman, Edward R. Jaynes, William F. Jester, William R.
Jester, Leonard W.E. Jinks, Cornelius A. Jochim, William H.
Johnson, Paul Martin Killar, Lawrence Edward Lander, Robert
Warren Langwell, Everett W. Leffler, Harry H. Liddle, Jr.,
Larry Loveless, Earl Paul Lykins, Delbert Ulysses Mace,
Donald F. Mangus, Everett D. Manion, Donald Lee Marlatt,
Albert F. Martin, Herbert O. Martin, Steve A. Mastabayvo,
Earl E. Mcclain, Charles H. Mcdaniel, Raymond John Mcdoniel,
Edward Q. Mcfarren, James T. Mcintyre, Herbert V. Mckeehan,
Joseph Lawrence Mcanally,
Morris Meshulam, R. Maurice Metzcar, Melvin J. Michaels,
Harry Richard Middleton, Robert G. Minniear, James E.
Mishler, Donald K. Mitchell, John D. Moore, Jr., Clarence
Taylor Morris, David Wesley Morris, Russell F. Morris,
Richard Everett Mullett, Jackie Lee Murdock, Donald William
Myers, Thomas W. Neiswinger, Richard L. Nicholson, Charles
Northcutt, Jr., Richard Lee Olcott, Raymond Edward Pearson,
Virgil L. Phillips, Russell B. Pickens, Lewis Peifer Pleiss,
James Plump, Bobby Lee Pothast, Bernard Clayton Reynolds,
Donald Ray Rice, Alexander David Rider, Charles D. Riley,
Marvin L. Rodman, Edward F. Ross, Robert Lewis Ross, Gene
Robert Ruby, John Earl Rush, Marle D. Scott, Richard Dale
Scott, Donald R. Sechman, Clifford Gene Selman, Luther Dean
Serwise, Gerald Ivin Shepler, Wallace Simmons, Jr., Charles
Edward Sizemore, Charles E. Smith, Leland Ford Smith, Marvin
W. Soderstrom, Donald E. Spangler,
Alvin Lowell Stebbens, Paul P. Strawser, Charles
Sturdivant, Gene Alfred Sturgeon, Harold Paul Suber, Edwin
Felix Tabaszynski, James Willis Talley, John Edward Thurman,
Robert Eli Titus, William Wilber Toops, Robert Jerome Tucker,
Robert William Turner, Gene Lewis Wagner, Richard L. Wasiak,
Robert Lee White, Robert Louis White, Robert Dewitt Wilder,
Grover Lois Williams, Merble Eugene Wilson, John George
Woliung, Bernard M. Zekucia,
vietnam war pow/mia--Indiana
William W. Bancroft, Jr., Charles Elberg Beals, Quentin
Rippetoe Beecher, Stephen Eugene Briener, Harry Franklin
Carver, Charles Dennis Chomel, Lawrence Clark, Thomas D.
Clem, Kenneth Lloyd Crody, Gene Edmond Davis, Phillip Allen
Ducat, Dean Arnold Duvall, George Curtis Green, Jr., Ralph L.
Harper, Steven W. Heitman, John Wayne Held, Samuel Eugene
Hewitt, John Russell Hills, Donald Russell Hoskins, George A.
Howes, Paul F. Johns, James Reed Johnson, Grayland Jones,
Karl E. Klute, Charles Allen Knochel, Robert J. Kuhlman, Jr.,
Bennie Richard Lambton, Michael Lautzenheiser, Karl Wade
Lawson, Charles W. Lindewald, James Michael Lyon, Robert L.
Mann, Jerry Dean Martin, James Maurice McGarvey, Francis B.
Midnight, Harry E. Mitchell, Ronald Wayne Montgomery, Ralph
Edward Moore, John M. Nash, William L. Nellans, Larry Stephen
Newburn, Thomas Aquinas Parker, Russell Arden Poor, George
Ray Posey, Billy L. Rogers, Charles Edward Rogers, Charles
David Schoonover, Ronald Eugene Smith, Ronald P. Soucy, Sr.,
Bruce Wayne Staehli, Kenneth A. Stonebraker, John F. Stuart,
John Steiner Stuckey, Jr., Donald Joesph Trampski, Raymond
Anthony Wagner, Junior Lee Whittle, Thomas T. Wright, Robin
Ray Yeakley, Jeffrey Jerome Young.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the fact that I frequently
take time in this chamber to salute the men and women of our nation's
armed forces who serve America so well. Today, I am proud to join my
colleagues in this special order to express gratitude to a special
category of U.S. veterans on National Former Prisoner of War
Recognition Day.
While the men and women of our Armed Forces may expect to experience
some hardships during their service to our country--perhaps in boot
camp, or in time away from home and family, or even in combat--our
soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who have been captured and held
as prisoners of war have experienced hardships we can barely imagine
and frequently even they cannot bear to share with anyone.
Last year, our former colleague from Florida Representative Karen
Thurman hosted a briefing with two survivors of World War II's Bataan
death march and the Japanese prisoner of war camps. They came to
Washington to discuss their war experiences with Members and with
staff. It is no exaggeration to say that after hearing their testimony
and other similar accounts, it is simply a wonder and a miracle they
survived. A majority of their comrades in arms did not.
One of the veterans said that although more than 50 years have
passed, it was only in the last several years that he had even told his
wife about the horrors he and his fellow soldiers suffered. After the
war, I am told, many of the heroic Americans who made it through
unspeakable suffering were encouraged not to tell anyone about their
prisoner of war status. If this is true, and I have no real reason to
doubt it, that in itself is shameful and I am so glad we can put that
sentiment to rest by honoring and recognizing our former POWs today.
[[Page H3349]]
Proclamations declaring National Former Prisoner of War Recognition
Day happen every year, but this year it is particularly meaningful as
we remember those from past conflicts and also focus on those service
members who are currently engaged in the war in Iraq. Our thoughts and
prayers are with all of our coalition forces and their families,
particularly those who may have lost a loved one or whose family member
or friend has been listed as missing or as a POW. Many families
throughout the United States are having to call upon reserves of
strength to get through this difficult time, but they should never
forget that the entire nation shares their hope for the future, their
joy in times of good news, and if need be, their grief in loss.
In recent days, the harrowing accounts told by Americans who were
held by the Iraqis during the 1991 Gulf War have raised fears that the
men and women who are missing today may suffer similarly criminal
treatment. The evidence that we have so far indicates that this is the
case. I am very concerned, as I am sure my colleagues are concerned,
that we must do everything in our power to ensure that those who have
committed war crimes are brought to justice.
Last Friday, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing to
examine the international law regulating the treatment of prisoners of
war. Yesterday, House Armed Services Committee Chairman duncan Hunter
and I sent a letter to the President suggesting that post-World War
II's Nuremberg trials be used as a framework to convene an
international military tribunal for the prosecution of war crimes
committed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Just as the Nuremberg trials
were conducted by the four nations who won that war--the United States,
Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union--so, too, could a tribunal
resulting from this war be conducted by the principal coalition
partners: the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, and
Kuwait. Whatever system is put in place, justice will be our priority.
Without a doubt, we live in a special country. Americans have a
spirit of idealism that cannot be broken, and our citizens strive to
serve our country however possible. This spirit is evident throughout
our nation, but also in the U.S. Congress, where several former POWs
serve with distinction. Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas, Senator John
McCain of Arizona, and former Congressman Pete Peterson of Florida
could have very easily and justifiably returned home from Vietnam and
devoted their lives to things other than government service. But they
chose to continue their contribution by participating in electoral
politics and doing the work that makes our American democracy a
success. Their stories, as young men in uniform and in their later
careers, inspire us all.
On this National Former POWs Recognition Day, we honor and express
our gratitude to all former prisoners of war, whether they served
during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, or
the current Iraq War. There is absolutely nothing we can do to make up
for the sacrifices our service members and their families endured
during their captivity in enemy hands. But as a nation, we can, and we
must, thank them for their willingness to pay the price required to
ensure America's freedoms. In the Congress, we must also be vigilant to
ensure that our nation follows through on the promises we have made to
our veterans and former POWs. As fellow citizens, it is the least we
can do to begin to repay the debt that we owe them for their service to
the American people.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor former prisoners of
war, and to thank them for their bravery and dedication to our nation.
The United States military has no equal. Our servicemen and women are
the best-trained and are the best-prepared to accomplish successfully
their missions. However, as the war in Iraq has reminded us, we cannot
always prevent the worst from happening.
The conditions for POWs, more often than not, are too difficult and
too painful to imagine. I can only imagine the worry and the
uncertainty that their families must feel each day until their loved
one is brought home. The rescue of Jessica Lynch showed not only the
commitment of our troops to finding their fellow servicemembers, but
the bravery of Lynch herself, who stayed strong and focused.
Throughout history, America's military men and women have traveled
around the world to fight for the causes of freedom and democracy. In
this selfless pursuit, they knew that the battle would not always be
easy. We owe them all an enormous debt of gratitude.
We cannot forget our veterans who helped to make this country what it
is today and who have brought peace to other nations across the globe.
Our nation's fighting men and women are currently engaged in a military
conflict in Iraq. While they fight bravely for the principles upon
which the United States was founded, we at home cannot turn our backs
on veterans who deserve to have access to the benefits that they
deserve.
Today, we recognize National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day.
I believe that each day we should remember these brave individuals, and
the sacrifices that they made for all of us.
Thank you.
____________________