[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 166 (Tuesday, October 30, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13574-S13575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              REPATRIATION OF REMAINS OF VIETNAM VETERANS

  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the return of the 
remains of LTJG Donald F. Wolfe, whose body has finally been returned 
to American soil.
  Lieutenant Wolfe--along with four of his fellow Navy aviators and 
sailors--was killed on October 8, 1967, when the E-1B aircraft they 
were flying on crashed near Da Nang in heavy weather. The bodies of 
these brave Navy servicemen could not be recovered at the time due to 
weather, terrain and hostile activity.
  But today, almost exactly 40 years after this terrible incident, the 
remains of Lieutenant Wolfe and his colleagues are back home, bringing 
peace of mind and closure to his family at long last.
  One of the great stains on the history of this Nation is the way that 
many of our Vietnam War veterans were treated when they returned home 
from war.
  We should be honest with ourselves and with our veterans: The way 
that many of these veterans were treated during this time was wrong, 
and that kind of treatment hurt our country psychologically, and it 
hurt our country militarily.
  Fortunately, our Nation has learned from that sorry episode. I take 
comfort in the fact that despite our vigorous disagreements about the 
Iraq war, all of us in this Senate and in our hometowns and States 
honor those who serve there.
  And today we have an opportunity to make sure that these five men get 
the welcome home that all our troops deserved. We should stop to honor 
their memory and their service. It is not too late to say to these men 
and their families: Thank you.
  I intend to observe a moment of silence this afternoon in memory of 
these men and in memory of all those who are still classified as 
missing in action. I encourage my colleagues and all Americans to do 
the same.

[[Page S13575]]

  There are 1,767 individuals who are still classified as Missing in 
Action from the Vietnam War. Eighteen of these soldiers are from 
Montana.
  They are: David Allinson, Helena; Richard Appelhans, Dodson; Alan 
Ashall, Billings; Michael Bouchard, Missoula; Alan Boyer, Missoula; 
Anthony Caldwell, Missoula; William Christensen, Great Falls; Jack 
Dempset, Helena; Charles Dudley, Bozeman; Michael Havranek, Missoula; 
Robert Holton, Butte; James Hunt, Missoula; Edward Letchworth, Libby; 
Patrick Magee, Alder; Lee Nordahl, Choteau; Victor Pirker, Trout Creek; 
Dean Pogreba, Three Forks; and Robert Willett, Great Falls.
  To them and their families, you are not forgotten.

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