106th Congress Is Gearing Up --- Coalition of Families

From the March, 1999 Coalition Newsletter

The 106th Congress Is Gearing Up

By Donna Downes Knox

The Korean War is now official:

1998 was a quiet year on Capitol Hill for the Full Accounting issue. There was, however, one nice, if not long over due, change in the law. Although we have always referred to the conflict in Korea as the Korean War, officially it has been something less; a Police Action; a Conflict...not a war. To the men and women who served in Korea, and to the families of people lost in Korea, it was unmistakably a War.

Last year, the U.S. Congress finally corrected the misnomer. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (section 1067) includes a provision that changes references to the 'Korean Conflict' to references to the Korean War. The provision was sponsored by Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC), last year's chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, reportedly at the urging of Senator John Warner (R-VA), current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Senator Warner is, himself, a Korean War veteran, and we look forward to a productive year on behalf of missing American servicemen. I have met with Senate Armed Services Committee staff, and we will continue to interact with them as legislation begins to move through the Senate this year. The 106th Congress has already seen the introduction of at least two POW/MIA related Bills.

Bring Them Home Alive Act of 1999:

In the Senate, Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) introduced the “Bring Them Home Alive Act of 1999.” The Coalition of Families was happy to endorse this Act. At a minimum, it brings needed attention to the POW/MIA issue. At best, it could lead to the return of live American POWs.

The Bring Them Home Alive Act basically does two things. First, it grants refugee status to foreign nationals of certain specified countries (and their families) who deliver a live American POW from the Korean War or the War in Southeast Asia to the U.S. Government. Second, the Act provides that the International Broadcasting Bureau shall promote the program in certain specified countries.

The purpose of the Act is to promote cooperation by citizens of certain relevant countries who might know about, and be able to help, an American serviceman in captivity. The Bill addresses the fear of retaliation that foreign nationals in some countries might have, by granting asylum in the United States. In promoting this program, the U.S. Government would also raise awareness of American efforts to find our missing servicemen.

The Coalition is concerned that the Bill does not address servicemen missing from the Cold War. We have expressed this concern to Senator Campbell's office and will hope to see it amended in the work-up phase of the legislative process.

There are additional provisions that could be added that would broaden the scope of the Act, and further enhance the accounting effort. For example, the countries of East Europe that used to be part of the Soviet Bloc, have thousands of citizens with long standing histories that involve Russia and the former USSR. Some spent years in the Soviet gulags. Some have ancestors there. Others worked in their own governments with and for the Soviets for many years. We would like to see the Act expand in scope to include citizens of additional relevant countries.

Additionally, Chip Beck, USNR (ret), a former JCSD Special Investigator, made an astute observation in a recent commentary. Commander Beck pointed out that many individuals might possess information that could lead to an American POW’s eventual freedom. However, to actually bring one out alive would be more than most individuals could muster. The objective is to encourage people with good information to come forward, by giving them freedom from retribution. This is a great idea, and we need to cast the net widely enough to cover as much good information as possible. We will encourage Senator Campbell to revise his bill, if possible, to address this concern.

We thank Senator Campbell for continuing his active support for our missing servicemen. The Bill will not become law, however, unless the full Senate, and then the House, passes it. Members of Congress are elected officials. That makes them interested in what matters to their constituents. Senators’ addresses, phone & fax numbers can be obtained by calling the Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3121. Senators’ e-mail addresses can be found at: The United States Senate. They can also be reached through their local offices.

H.R. 16: To establish a Select Committee on POW and MIA Affairs:

Congressman Peter King (R-NY) has once again introduced a Bill in the House that would establish a select committee to conduct a full investigation of all unresolved matters relating to missing American servicemen. In past years, Congressman King has introduced this same Bill, but it has not enjoyed widespread debate or support from members of the House.

There is currently no congressional entity that is tasked to support the effort to account for our missing men. The entire effort has been relegated to the Department of Defense which, of course, is answerable to the President and his agenda. If the POW/MIA issue were a real priority with the President, and found its way into the heart of his foreign policy, we might have a workable situation.

Unfortunately, that has not been the case during any of the most recent administrations, and we have watched the accounting effort get bogged down time and again in counter productive controversy and dissension between the POW/MIA community and the Department of Defense. The need for active Congressional involvement in the effort to learn the fate of Americans still missing from past wars is both obvious and paramount.

In the last year alone we have seen a growing body of evidence that men were taken to China and the Soviet Union during past wars. A number of questions arose about the sincerity of the Clinton Administration’s professed determination to get to the bottom of a referenced KGB document that discussed a program to take Americans. A member of the Russian Parliament told a United States Congressman that the U.S. State Department has interfered with Russia’s cooperation on the POW/MIA issue.

There was a continued stream of South Korean POWs from the Korean War who made their way out of North Korea, proving that men can make it through such an ordeal. These men are elderly, though, and time is short if others possibly still in captivity are o be saved.

We do not mean to denigrate the good work of many committed professionals who work on our behalf in the Department of Defense; in DPMO and in the Joint Commission Support Directorate. There are, however, undeniable problems with the current process, many of which are endemic to the Executive Branch. A congressional committee could provide the impetus, not to mention the checks and balance, needed to put the accounting effort on track.

I have spoken with Congressman King’s office this year. They report that they intend to actively promote the Bill, but remind us that more support is needed before the Bill will go anywhere. As always, members of Congress are most likely to support issues that matter to their constituents. You can contact your own Representative through his or her local office, or by calling the Capitol Hill Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to obtain an address, phone or fax number. E-mail addresses for members of the House can be found at Write Your Representative.

Conclusion:

There are other POW/MIA related Bills in development this Congress. We are working with various members to educate them about problems we’re experiencing in the accounting effort. The “American Will” to resolve this tragic chapter in our history is growing daily. We are hopeful that this will be the year in which Congress takes definitive action, and assumes a leadership role in the search for answers about missing American servicemen.

Coalition Headquarters
P.O. Box 7152
Roanoke, Virginia 24019-0152
E-mail: info@coalitionoffamilies.org