E 1008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 11, 1995

fought to defend their country and to help

the United States against the expansion of

Soviet Communism through its proxy regime

in Hanoi. But, their names are not on the

Vietnam Memorial Wall here in Washington.

So, we must be vigilant to keep alive their

memory in our hearts and tell the story of

their brave sacrifices to our children and our

children’s children so that their memory and

the important cause that they fought for is

not forgotten by future generations.

In Laos, from 1969 to 1970, the Lao and

Hmong Special Forces under my command

captured and occupied the strategic site of

the Plain of Jars (Thong Haihin) which was

crucial to the overall course of the war effort. The Plain of Jars is near the border of

North Vietnam and was controlled by three

North Vietnamese divisions. During heavy

fighting the Lao and Hmong Special Forces

under my command defeated the North Vietnamese troops and captured many Sovietsupplied tanks, artillery pieces, anti-aircraft

guns, trucks and many hundreds of tons of

small arms and other equipment which cost

Moscow an enormous amount of money. The

Superpowers—the Soviet Union and the

United States—were surprised that such a

small number of Hmong and Lao soldiers

could defeat such a large force of the North

Vietnamese Army and then occupy and defend the Plain of Jars. This battlefield victory saved many Americans from having to

fight against these North Vietnamese troops

and their weapons as well as greatly slowing

the advance of Communism in Southeast

Asia for many additional years.

It is also important to note the major contribution made by the Lao and Hmong soldiers of the Royal Lao Army in locating and

destroying many of the North Vietnamese

Army’s supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh

Trail. The Lao/Hmong Special Forces caused

heavy losses to the North Vietnamese troops

and rescued many hundreds of downed American pilots.

The United States did not lose the Vietnam War on the battlefield. The United

States withdrew from the Indochina War in

1975 because of world politics, U.S.-Soviet detente, American-Chinese relations and U.S.

domestic opposition to the War. However,

the United States eventually won the war in

world politics in the struggle between Communism and Capitalism. Communism in the

Soviet Union and Eastern Europe collapsed

with the help of freedom fighters like the

Hmong and Lao combat veterans who assisted the United States in resisting the expansion of international Communism. Many

Communist countries changed to become

free countries because of the sacrifices of the

Laotian and American men and women who

defended freedom and democracy during the

Cold War. Therefore, we must recognize and

honor those men and women-in-arms who

fought and died in the Vietnam War and remember that freedom, democracy and peace

will once again return to Laos, Vietnam and

Cambodia in the near future.

Thank you for joining me here today to

mark this important occasion. God bless you

all.

CENTRAL NEW YORK: NATION’S

FIRST PEE WEE WORLD HOCKEY

fCHAMPIONS

HON. JAMES T. WALSH OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, last year I was as

proud as I could be, or thought I could be, of

some very special young athletes in my home

district, the Syracuse Stars Pee Wee Hockey

Team. They had won the USA Nationals and

all of our hometown was awash in publicity

and congratulations.

Today I am eager to report that the same

team has once again prevailed. They are now

the holders of the World Cup of Pee Wee

Hockey, having won on February 19 this year

the 36th Annual Tournoi De Quebec in Quebec City. The tournament hosted 115 teams

from 17 countries. The Stars defeated teams

from Russia, Ukraine, Detroit, and Toronto on

their way to becoming the first U.S. team to

ever win the World Cup.

To put this tournament in perspective, more

than 550 former or present NHL players have

participated, including Wayne Gretzky, Brett

Hull, and Mario Lemieux.

The players are: Daniel Bequer, goalie, of

North Syracuse; Brian Balash, forward, of Auburn; Gary Baronick, forward, of North Syracuse; Drew Bucktooth, forward, of the Onondaga Indian Nation; Tim Connolly, forward, of

Baldwinsville; Jeremy Downs, defense, of Syracuse; Joshua Downs, defense, of Syracuse;

J.D. Forrest, defense, of Auburn; Todd Jackson, forward, of Cortland; Josh Jordan, forward, of Marathon; Tom LeRoux, forward, of

Syracuse; Doug MacCormack, forward, of

Cortland; Matt Magloine, defense, of North

Syracuse; Freddy Meyer, defense, of New

Hampshire; Anthony Pace, forward, of

Cortland; Steve Pakan, defense, of Syracuse;

Mike Saraceni, goalie, of North Syracuse; and

Ricky Williams, forward, of McGraw. Head

Coach Don Kirnan was assisted by coaches

Mike Connolly and John Jackson and manager Chris Kirnan.

Freddy Meyer won the Tournament MVP

trophy and Drew Bucktooth won the Grand Finale Game MVP. Tim Connolly was top scorer

of the tournament and along with Anthony

Pace was named a single-game MVP. Dan

Bequer gave up only two goals in the last

three games, which proved for some exciting

hockey, especially in the Stars’ 6–2 final game

win over the Toronto Young Nationals.

I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating these young athletes for their performance, and for bringing home to the United

States our first World Cup of Pee Wee Hockey.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOOD

SERVICE STAFF AT THE MIDDLE

fCOUNTRY SCHOOL DISTRICT

HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to

congratulate the excellent food service staff at

Middle Country School District in Centereach,

Long Island, NY, for their hard work and outstanding service.

Next week, we will begin to celebrate National Child Nutrition Week, and it’s an important time for us all to focus on the health and

well-being of our children. For the food service

staff at Middle Country schools, however,

every week is Child Nutrition Week and every

day is an opportunity to make sure that children are eating healthy and staying fit.

These individuals at the Middle Country

schools continually go above and beyond the

call of duty. Their work is not just another job,

it is an important vocation. They are entrusted

with our society’s most precious possessions—our children. In their delicate hands,

we place the crucial responsibility that’s usually just reserved for mothers and fathers—the

responsibility of caring for our children. The

food service workers rise to this occasion graciously, and they gently nuture our students.

The food service staff who work at the Middle Country schools know that the little things

make all the difference. They go out of their

way to make sure that a particular little boy

finishes his milk or a certain little girl sticks to

her special diet. For this extra effort, we are

most grateful, and on behalf of all of the people of eastern Long Island, I would like to

thank them for a job well done. They truly are

role models. Their example can teach us all.

I would also like to extend a special note of

congratulations and gratitude to Audrey

Prentice, the coordinator of the Middle Country

School District’s food service program. Audrey

is a tireless champion for the health and welfare of our society’s most vulnerable members. Her heart is in her work and that makes

all the difference. I am very thankful for all of

her wisdom, her counsel, and her service.

WELCOME TO JESSAMINE COUNTY

MIDDLE SCHOOL

f

HON. SCOTTY BAESLER OF KENTUCKY

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mr. BAESLER. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted

to welcome Jessamine County Middle School

from Nicholasville, KY, to Washington, DC, on

their annual trip.

There is a proud history in our Nation’s

Capital and I am pleased that these fine

young men and women are able to take advantage of the educational opportunities available here in Washington.

REMEMBERING THE ARMENIAN

fGENOCIDE

HON. BOBBY L. RUSH OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to

honor the more than 1.5 million victims of Armenian genocide who perished 79 years ago,

and their families who still to this day remember this crime against humanity with the same

intensity and pain that was felt during 8 years

of murder, plight, and savagery.

For 3,000 years, Armenians and Armenian

culture had thrived in the area covered by the

Ottoman Empire. The Turkish authorities in

power in 1915, however, systematically wiped

out nearly two-thirds of its Armenian population. They first executed intellectuals and

doctors, then adult males, leaving the elderly,

the very young, and women defenseless, as

the Turkish Government forced them on death

marches through the deserts.

In 8 short years, Turkey managed to slaughter a vibrant, thriving, indigenous population,