Bush and the Gore campaigns Respond
about the need to account for
America's POW/MIAs
The National League of Families, an organization dedicated to accounting for American servicemen missing from the war in Southeast Asia, contacted both the Bush and the Gore campaigns about the need to account for America's POW/MIAs. Each candidate responded to the League. The text of their respective letters is posted below.
Response received from Mr.
Gore. Mr. Bush follows below Mr. Gore
Ms. Ann Mills Griffiths
1001 Connecticut Avenue, Northwest
Suite 919
Washington, District of Columbia 20036-5504
Thank you for taking the
time to write to me about the issues of our nation's military veterans. I
appreciate the benefit of hearing your views and concerns about an issue that I
feel very strongly about. As a veteran of the war in Vietnam, I witnessed the
impact that war has upon our strong American men and women. I was honored to
wear the uniform of my country during the war. In Vietnam, I stood, and I
continue to stand for a
strong America.
Because veterans of all
armed forces sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country we share, I
will work hard to make sure that our veterans receive all of the benefits they
deserve. We must do more for the people who did everything they possibly could
in order to keep us free. When I was first
elected to Congress, I co-founded the Vietnam-era Veterans Caucus in order to make
the American people aware of the difficulties that our veterans
experienced upon returning to our country from Vietnam.
I also believe that when
a veteran passes away, his or her final resting place should be one of honor
and dignity. With new veterans' cemeteries opening in Saratoga, Cleveland,
Chicago, and Dallas, the country is witnessing the largest increase of national
cemeteries since World War II. It is my plan as president to develop an America
that will not allow its military veterans to go without food or shelter, or the
care he or she needs to sustain life. I want to see an America where every
Prisoner of War or soldier who is missing in action is accounted for. I will
make sure that all our veterans, male and female, receive all of the benefits
that they have worked so hard to receive.
For further information
about this issue and others central to the upcoming election, please visit the
Gore 2000 website at www.algore2000.com,
or call
our national headquarters in Nashville at (615) 340-2000. Again, thank you for sharing your views
about the lives of our veterans.
Sincerely,
Al Gore
Response received from Mr. Bush.
Ms. Ann
Mills Griffiths
Executive
Director, National League of Families
of
American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia
1001
Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 919
Washington,
DC 20036-5504
Thank you
for your letter. I appreciate your organization's efforts and am grateful for
the opportunity to share my position with the families and friends of America's
POW/MIAs.
On the campaign trail, I have spoken with veterans and their families, as well as with loved ones of missing servicemen and civilians. I understand the need for the fullest possible accounting of those who served in American military conflicts, and believe such an accounting must be a high priority for our nation. This is a duty we owe to those who served, a debt we owe their families, and a demonstration to those show serve now and in the future that they will not be abandoned.
If I am
fortunate to be elected President, my administration will make the POW/MIA
issue a matter of priority in all relevant departments and agencies. I will
work with Congress to ensure that those departments and agencies have the
necessary resources, including intelligence capabilities, to carry out the
POW/MIA mission.
With
respect to countries whose cooperation is needed to achieve the accounted we
seek - including Vietnam, North Korea, Russia, China, Laos and Cambodia - my
administration will make clear that we regard their full cooperation as an
issue of the highest importance. My administration will also maintain a close
dialogue with the families of the missing, as well as the broader public, and
enlist their views on how to improve current policy. I applaud your
organization for your committed service to the families of America's missing veterans.
As the campaign moves forward, and I continue to develop specific proposals on
my vision for America, your thoughts and advice are always welcome.
Sincerely,
George W.
Bush