III

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 196

Recognizing, and calling on all Americans to recognize, the courage and

sacrifice of Senator John McCain and the members of the Armed Forces

held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict and stating that

the American people will not forget that more than 2,000 members

of the Armed Forces remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam conflict

and will continue to press for the fullest possible accounting for all

such members whose whereabouts are unknown.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 17, 1998

Mr. LOTT (for himself, Mr. DASCHLE, Mr. WARNER, Mr. KEMPTHORNE, Mr.

HATCH, Mr. COATS, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. ASHCROFT, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. BENNETT, Mr. BIDEN, Mr.

BINGAMAN, Mr. BOND, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BREAUX, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr.

BRYAN, Mr. BUMPERS, Mr. BURNS, Mr. BYRD, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr.

CHAFEE, Mr. CLELAND, Mr. COCHRAN, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. CONRAD, Mr.

COVERDELL, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. D’AMATO, Mr. DEWINE, Mr. DODD, Mr.

DOMENICI, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ENZI, Mr. FAIRCLOTH, Mr.

FEINGOLD, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. FORD, Mr. FRIST, Mr. GLENN, Mr.

GORTON, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GRAMM, Mr. GRAMS, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr.

GREGG, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. HELMS, Mr. HOLLINGS, Mr. HUTCHINSON,

Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. INOUYE, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KERREY, Mr. KERRY, Mr. KOHL, Mr. KYL, Ms.

LANDRIEU, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LIEBERMAN,

Mr. LUGAR, Mr. MACK, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. MCCONNELL, Ms. MIKULSKI,

Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN, Mr. MOYNIHAN, Mr. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. MURRAY,

Mr. NICKLES, Mr. REED, Mr. REID, Mr. ROBB, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr.

ROCKEFELLER, Mr. ROTH, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHELBY, Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire, Mr. SMITH OF OREGON, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. SPECTER, Mr. STEVENS, Mr. THOMAS, Mr.

THOMPSON, Mr. THURMOND, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mr. WELLSTONE, and

Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered

and agreed to
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•SRES 196 ATS

RESOLUTION

Recognizing, and calling on all Americans to recognize, the

courage and sacrifice of Senator John McCain and the

members of the Armed Forces held as prisoners of war

during the Vietnam conflict and stating that the American people will not forget that more than 2,000 members of the Armed Forces remain unaccounted for from

the Vietnam conflict and will continue to press for the

fullest possible accounting for all such members whose

whereabouts are unknown.

Whereas participation by the United States Armed Forces in

combat operations in Southeast Asia during the period

from 1964 through 1972 resulted in several hundreds of

members of the United States Armed Forces being taken

prisoner by North Vietnamese, Pathet Lao, and Viet

Cong enemy forces;

Whereas John McCain’s A–4E Skyhawk was shot down over

Hanoi, North Vietnam on October 26, 1967, and he remained in captivity until March 14, 1973;

Whereas John McCain’s aircraft was shorn of it’s right wing

by a surface-to-air missile and he plunged toward the

ground at about 400 knots prior to ejecting;

Whereas upon ejection, John McCain’s right knee and both

arms were broken;

Whereas John McCain was surrounded by an angry mob who

kicked him and spit on him, stabbed him with bayonets

and smashed his shoulder with a rifle;

Whereas United States prisoners of war in Southeast Asia

were held in a number of facilities, the most notorious of
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•SRES 196 ATS

which was Hoa Lo Prison in downtown Hanoi, dubbed

the ‘‘Hanoi Hilton’’ by the prisoners held there;

Whereas historians of the Vietnam war have recorded that

‘‘no American reached the prison camp of Hoa Lo in

worse condition than John McCain’’;

Whereas his North Vietnamese captors recognized that John

McCain came from a distinguished military family and

caused him to suffer special beatings, special interrogations, and the cruel offer of a possible early release;

Whereas John McCain sat in prison in Hanoi for over 5

years, risking death from disease and medical complications resulting from his injuries, steadfastly refusing to

cooperate with his enemy captors because his sense of

honor and duty would not permit him to even consider

an early release based on special advantage;

Whereas knowing his refusal to leave early may well result

in his own death from his injuries John McCain told another prisoner ‘‘I don’t think that’s the right thing to

do . . . . They’ll have to drag me out of here’’;

Whereas following the Paris Peace Accords of January 1973,

591 United States prisoners of war were released from

captivity by North Vietnam;

Whereas the return of these prisoners of war to United

States control and to their families and comrades was

designated Operation Homecoming;

Whereas many members of the United States Armed Forces

who were taken prisoner as a result of ground or aerial

combat in Southeast Asia have not returned to their

loved ones and their whereabouts remain unknown;

Whereas United States prisoners of war in Southeast Asia

were routinely subjected to brutal mistreatment, includ-
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•SRES 196 ATS

ing beatings, torture, starvation, and denial of medical

attention;

Whereas the hundreds of United States prisoners of war held

in the Hanoi Hilton and other facilities persevered under

terrible conditions;

Whereas the prisoners were frequently isolated from each

other and prohibited from speaking to each other;

Whereas the prisoners nevertheless, at great personal risk,

devised a means to communicate with each other through

a code transmitted by tapping on cell walls;

Whereas then-Commander James B. Stockdale, United

States Navy, who upon his capture on September 9,

1965, became the senior POW officer present in the

Hanoi Hilton, delivered to his men a message that was

to sustain them during their ordeal, as follows: Remember, you are Americans. With faith in God, trust in one

another, and devotion to your country, you will overcome.

You will triumph;

Whereas the men held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict truly represent all that is best about America;

Whereas Senator John McCain of Arizona has continued to

honor the Nation with devoted service; and

Whereas the Nation owes a debt of gratitude to John McCain

and all of these patriots for their courage and exemplary

service: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate—

2 (1) expresses its gratitude for, and calls upon

3 all Americans to reflect upon and show their grati4 tude for, the courage and sacrifice of John McCain
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•SRES 196 ATS

1 and the brave men who were held as prisoners of

2 war during the Vietnam conflict, particularly on the

3 occasion of the 25th anniversary of Operation

4 Homecoming, and the return to the United States of

5 Senator John McCain; and

6 (2) acting on behalf of all Americans—

7 (A) will not forget that more than 2,000

8 members of the United States Armed Forces

9 remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam con10 flict; and

11 (B) will continue to press for the fullest

12 possible accounting for such members.

Æ