News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: House Ressolution on Vietnamese Americans

Date: July 21, 2000

Concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress regarding the sacrifices of individuals who served in the Armed Forces of the former Republic of Vietnam

(House of Representatives - July 10, 2000)

Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 322) expressing the sense of the Congress regarding Vietnamese Americans and others who seek to improve social and political conditions in Vietnam, as amended.

The Clerk read as follows:

H. Con. Res. 322

Whereas the Armed Forces of the United States and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam fought together for the causes of freedom and democracy in the former Republic of Vietnam;

Whereas the Armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam suffered enormous casualties, including over 250,000 deaths and more than 750,000 wounded between 1961 and 1975 for the cause of freedom;

Whereas many officers and enlisted personnel suffered imprisonment and forcible reeducation at the direction of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

Whereas on June 19 of each year, the Vietnamese American community traditionally commemorates those who gave their lives in the struggle to preserve the freedom of the former Republic of Vietnam;

Whereas June 19 serves as a reminder to Vietnamese Americans that the ideals and values of democracy are precious and should be treasured; and

Whereas the Vietnamese American community plays a critical role in raising international awareness of human rights concerns regarding the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress--

(1) commends the sacrifices of those who served in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam; and

(2) applauds the contributions of all individuals whose efforts have focused, and continue to focus, international attention on human rights violations in Vietnam.


Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, this Member rises in strong support of H. Con. Res. 322, a resolution that recognizes the sacrifices made by Vietnamese Americans who served in the armed forces of the former Republic of Vietnam. This Member congratulates the efforts of the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) to recognize the Vietnamese who fought bravely side by side with U.S. forces in Vietnam and to applaud all those whose efforts focus international attention on human rights violations in Vietnam. This Member is pleased to be a cosponsor of the legislation.

Each year on June 19, the Vietnamese-American community traditionally commemorates those who gave their lives in the struggle to preserve the freedom of the former Republic of Vietnam. During the war, the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam suffered enormous casualties including over 250,000 killed and more than 750,000 wounded. They continued to suffer after the fighting ended when many were imprisoned and forced to undergo so-called reeducation. They continue their efforts even now playing an important role in raising international awareness of human rights violations in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Moreover, Vietnamese Americans, many of whom arrived as refugees with little but the clothes on their backs, have made tremendous achievements and have contributed greatly to this country.

Earlier this year, this body approved H. Con. Res. 295 on Human Rights and Political Oppression in Vietnam. There was inevitably some duplication in the two initiatives. Therefore this Member, with the concurrence of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis), the sponsor of the resolution, amended H. Con. Res. 322 only to eliminate duplication. The resolution now focuses on commemorating the service and sacrifices of the former members of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam.

This Member urges all his colleagues to support this laudable resolution.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I would like to strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I certainly want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the chairman of our committee, for bringing this resolution to the floor. I also want to commend the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, for making the proper changes to this resolution that is now before us.

Madam Speaker, while Vietnam has made a bit of progress in the past few years in opening up its society, we need to maintain pressure on the Vietnamese government to move more aggressively towards democracy.

This resolution recognizes the important role that the more than 1 million Vietnamese Americans in our nation play in raising the awareness of the Vietnam human rights record.

The resolution also recognizes the sacrifices made by the armed forces of the United States and the former Republic of Vietnam in fighting to bring democracy and freedom to that nation. We are right to get the Congress on record on all of these issues.

I want to note also, Madam Speaker, the tremendous contributions 1 million Vietnamese Americans make to the betterment of our Nation becoming mainstream Americans. They are such an industrious people in education, business, and all walks of life. I want to commend the 1 million Vietnamese Americans that we have who are members of our Nation.

Yet with all this, I think we can also recognize that their hearts are still with the mother country, hopefully, in some way, and somehow that the greater sense of democracy will come about with the current administration of Vietnam in that country.

Madam Speaker, I do urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Again, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) for managing this legislation on the floor.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray), who has followed Vietnamese-American relations very carefully and has a direct knowledge of the contributions of the Vietnamese-American community to this country in his part of the Nation.

Mr. BILBRAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 322. I want to publicly thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman), but most importantly, because he is here today, the gentleman from Nebraska (Chairman Bereuter) for allowing this resolution to come to the floor.

Madam Speaker, many of us from all over the country know about the problems and the trials and tribulations of individuals who immigrated to this country from the Republic of Vietnam.

I think that it's appropriate to repeat why so many Vietnamese fought and died for freedom and democracy in their country. Over 250,000 Vietnamese from the Republic of Vietnam died in this struggle. Let me say this sincerely, they not only died for themselves, but also in the struggle against tyrannies, against oppression.

Frankly, I think too often we talk about a lot of inconsequential issues, but we need to remember that there is a long black wall down at the other end of the Mall. Many Americans and Vietnamese Americans walk that wall and trace out names. I think too often that, when we talk about that long black wall, we think about it as something that is in the past, something that is over, something that somebody else did or another generation did.

Madam Speaker, I am here to remind us all that the war may be over; but the struggle for what that wall symbolizes, the struggle for what the Vietnamese people in the Republic of Vietnam were fighting for, the struggle for what American men and women fought and died for is still going on today.

There are still individuals in Vietnam who are being tagged as `hard core', and who are in reeducation facilities. Now I think we all know what kind of catch word `reeducation' means. It basically means, if one does not think like the government, the government will teach one how to rethink so one thinks only their way.

Madam Speaker, I think that, as we address this resolution today, we should commit ourselves to the fact that the men and women that are symbolized on our wall at the other end of the Mall and the men and women who died from the Republic of Vietnam will be remembered by our constant quest to make sure that this struggle for freedom does continue.

I want to say, though, too, I guess too often we talk about `hyphenated Americans', and maybe being a son of a so-called `hyphenated American', I am always reminded that we are really not talking about Vietnamese. We are talking about Americans who came from Vietnam. We are talking about people that have made, not only a great struggle in Vietnam fighting Communism, but also a great struggle and great success at becoming new Americans, at becoming what this country has always promised the rest of the world: that if one works hard, one studies hard, one strives to do their best, if one is willing to make a contribution to this free society, this free society will reward one through one's own sweat of one's own brow

I think that we all need to remind ourselves that these immigrants who came from the Republic of Vietnam, and as an example to all of us no matter what our race, what our creed, what our gender, that there still is the opportunity for those who are willing to work hard, to strive, and to contribute.

In closing, in San Diego County, we have a very large population of individuals who emigrated from the Republic of Vietnam, and their children now are as American as anyone who has been here for 200, 300 years. I am very proud that, when I go to review ROTC units, when we see the military young men and women lining up in San Diego, we will see the sons and the daughters of men and women who fought for their homeland and emigrated from the Republic of Vietnam in the worst of circumstances, but have learned the best of lessons both from their country of the past and their newly adopted country of the future.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I also want to compliment the gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray) for his comments on this piece of legislation.

I should also note the fact that 58,000 American lives were lost in that terrible conflict. I think, if we are to assess what lesson our Nation has learned from Vietnam, I can say that, if we are ever to commit our men and women in uniform to engage in a war against enemy forces, our Nation's political and military leaders must all be committed to one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to win the war, nothing less, nothing more.

There is no such thing as a half-baked war, Madam Speaker. We are there to win, or do not waste the resources or the valuable blood of the men and women in uniform. That is probably the lesson I learned from Vietnam, Madam Speaker.

I think more important, in essence, is the fact we have 1 million Vietnamese Americans who believe in democracy, who believe in our form of government, who believe in the system where everybody is given better treatment, that no one is above the law. That is what America is about.

I want to commend again the many Vietnamese Americans who have made tremendous sacrifice, not only for their country, but their willingness to come here and make tremendous contributions for the betterment of our own Nation.

Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) for managing this piece of legislation.


Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) for his insightful statement. As a Vietnam-era veteran, I certainly appreciate the wisdom of what he has just said regarding appropriate foreign and security policy.