[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 174 (Wednesday, December 2, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF PEACETREES VIETNAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DEREK KILMER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 2, 2015

  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 20th 
anniversary of PeaceTrees Vietnam and their continued service to help 
heal communities affected by war. PeaceTrees Vietnam's tireless work 
alongside the Vietnamese people honors those who have given their lives 
in service and fosters trust and collaboration between our two nations.
   The story of PeaceTrees Vietnam began on January 6, 1969, when US 
Army Helicopter Pilot Lt. Daniel Cheney sacrificed his life in the 
Vietnam War to save the life of a fellow pilot. From this profound 
loss, his mother Rae Cheney, sister Jerilyn Brusseau and her late 
husband Danaan Parry vowed to find a way for families like their own to 
reach out to the Vietnamese people, to honor losses on all sides of the 
war, and begin building bridges of friendship and understanding. On 
November 12, 1995, a group of inspired Washington state citizens joined 
the three founders and pledged their support to launch an organized 
effort to clear the land of bombs and landmines and plant trees where 
landmines used to be. That day, PeaceTrees Vietnam was born.
   Since 1995, PeaceTrees Vietnam's steadfast humanitarian service has 
removed more than 89,000 landmines and dangerous weapons from over 846 
acres of land, starting in the former ``DMZ'' on the site of the former 
US Marine Combat Base at Dong Ha. As the first international 
nongovernmental organization to be permitted to conduct humanitarian 
demining work in Vietnam, PeaceTrees has ushered in a new era by 
bringing together American and Vietnamese people, including veterans 
from both sides, to work, play, and plant trees as a means of promoting 
peace, friendship, and renewal through mutual understanding and 
respect.
   For two decades, PeaceTrees' expansive service in Vietnam has gone 
beyond landmine removal to include building sustainable communities by 
enhancing education and economic opportunities. Hand-in-hand with the 
Vietnamese people, PeaceTrees has invested in a safe and healthy future 
in the poorest and most war-torn regions of Vietnam through the 
construction of homes, libraries, and schools.
   Mr. Speaker, PeaceTrees Vietnam's work has restored land, assisted 
communities, and created opportunity in partnership with the people of 
Quang Tri Province of Vietnam. Making the land safe, returning the 
environment to its natural beauty, and creating new educational and 
economic opportunities collectively heals the enduring wounds of war 
that linger for both the Vietnamese and American people.
   I am proud to recognize the 20th Anniversary of PeaceTrees Vietnam 
and thank the family of Lt. Daniel Cheney, the founders, and all those 
in the United States and Vietnam who have worked to restore the land, 
build community and heal the wounds of war.

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