It's a difficult topic, still. But in 1991, while still completing the investigation into BCCI, Senator Kerry was tapped by George Mitchell to lead the investigation into reports of prisoners of war and soldiers still missing in action in Vietnam.
As with the investigations into both BCCI and Iran-Contra, the Senator launched an intense examination, this time with the aid of Republican Vice-Chairman Bob Smith of New Hampshire, into the possibility that there might still be POWs and MIAs in Southeast Asia.
On the committee, in addition to Chairman Kerry and Smith, were a number of veterans, most notably John McCain and Bob Kerrey.
Senator Kerrey noted:
"John [Kerry], on behalf of this nation, brought us back to Vietnam with our heads held high. I think only John could have done it."
After more than a dozen trips to the region by Senator Kerry, the committee produced a 1,223 page document which concluded that there was "no compelling evidence that proves any American remains alive in captivity in Southeast Asia." The conclusions of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA allowed President Clinton to lift the trade embargo and normalize relations with Vietnam in 1993.
Senator Kerry and the committee had to have realized going in that the result might not be well received by some. But the search was thorough, and the results conclusive. And more critical than the popularity of the findings was the search for the truth, which the committee believes it found. Diplomacy, to borrow a phrase, is 'hard work'. Investigating the fate of lost brothers is even harder. But truth, however painful, leads to healing.
And ultimately, perhaps, to reconciliation.
It's important to remember, before we ever start another, that wars do not end when the bombs stop falling. And missions aren't accomplished when someone stands on the deck of an aircraft carrier and says they are. For some, they never end.
C-SPAN History broadcast over two and a half hours of Senator Kerry's 1992 trip to Vietnam. The full video is not currently available on their site, but here's a bit. Watch the schedule for the video to replay, though. It's a fascinating look at a vital part of the investigation.
Comments (1)
Posted by wisteria | October 31, 2007 11:07 PM
Thank you for this posting and video. It was wonderful reading about "history in the making".