[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5726]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                  HONORING GEORGIA'S VIETNAM VETERANS

 Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, as we approach the 25th 
Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, I rise today to pay tribute 
to those in my home state who answered the call of duty and were part 
of this great conflict.
  The Vietnam War took place over the course of seventeen years, from 
the first formal American involvement in 1958 to the fall of the South 
Vietnamese government in 1975. Perhaps no other conflict in American 
history presented greater challenges to those who fought. A forbidding 
climate, combined with a tenacious opponent and attempts by some back 
home to undermine our effort, conspired to present our troops with 
near-impossible challenges.
  My home state has a fine military tradition forged over the last 225 
years. This legacy was upheld with honor throughout the Vietnam 
conflict. All told, Georgia sent 228,000 of its finest men and women to 
serve during the war. 1,584 were killed in action, and 8,534 were 
wounded. Twenty-one were held as prisoners of war, and to this day, 
thirty-nine remain missing in action. Youth from places like Snellville 
and Americus were thrown into an environment that was both unknown and 
very deadly. To say they did their duty well and with honor would be an 
understatement.
  To honor its Vietnam veterans, my state dedicated a three-figure 
statue on Veterans' Day, 1988. In 1997 the Georgia Vietnam Wall was 
dedicated, listing the names of the 1,584 Georgians who died in the 
war.
  Earlier this year the Georgia General Assembly passed a resolution 
commending Vietnam veterans and their families for their outstanding 
service to Georgia, America, southeast Asia, and the world. In 
addition, the General Assembly recognized that these brave troops did 
not lose the war, but rather that they simply were not allowed to win, 
and that their duty was just and honorable. I could not agree more.
  Georgians have long recognized that freedom is not free and that we 
must always honor those who were willing to give their lives for it. As 
this era in our nation's history fades ever farther into the past, it 
is our duty to ensure that the people of all ages recognize and honor 
those who fought for the freedom they enjoy today. More so than winning 
or losing, the soldiers of the Vietnam war proved through their sweat 
and blood that we are willing to fight to defend the freedom we cherish 
and enjoy, no matter what the circumstances.
  Mr. President, my state will observe the 25th Anniversary of the end 
of the Vietnam War on May 5-7, 2000. I encourage all Americans to take 
time during these dates to honor and remember those who served in 
Vietnam and the name of freedom.

                          ____________________