EXTENSIONS of REMARKS March 2, 1976 for the Human and Legal Rights of All United Contain Ed in This Act · Shall Be Available for by Mr
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5030 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS March 2, 1976 for the human and legal rights of all United contain ed in this Act · shall be available for By Mr. RANGEL:- States citizens detained in Mexico." expen diture of obligation to any country Page 7. line 6, Immediately after the H.R. 12203 . which. at the time of enactment of this Act, comma. strtke out "$25,000,000" and insert By Mr. ALEXANDER: is in default, for one year (365 consecutive in lieu thereof "$42,500,000"; and on line 8, Page 23, immediately after line 7, a.dd the days) or more. of any payment of principal following new section: Immediately after the comma strike out "$6,- or interest due on any loan or credit received 250,000" and in sert in lieu thereof "$13,- ••si:c.. 505. No part of any appropriat ion from the United States." 000,000 ... EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA'S To help those veterans who could not Many stemmed from clrug use, some from DISCHARGE REVIEW SERVICE aff'ord the necessary trip to Washington, going AWOL (absent without leave) to be D.C., to appear before Armed Forces re with ill relatives. Some, according to black view boards hearing their cases, the Dis veterans' g1·oups, stem from racism in the HON. DONALD M. FRASER charge Review Service last fall began service. OF MINNESOTA video taping the testimony of veterans. It is crucial to make appeals in person and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES h ave legal counsel, says June Willenz, execu The taped testimony was flown to Wash tive director of t h e American Veterans Com. Tuesday, March 2, 1976 ington, D.C., and presented before the m 1tt2e in Washington. review boards. The program set a prece Mr. FRASER. Mr. Speaker, I want t-0 But, according to many groups working dent and is making history in the field of w it h Vietnam-era veterans, most veterans do take this opportunity to express my ap military justice. not re:llize they can a.:- pe-al their bad dis preciation t.o the directors and staff of I would like to call to the attention of charges an d many of those who do know are the University of Minnesota's veterans my colleagues a recent article in the unemployed or have low-paying jobs and program for their continuing efforts to Christian Science Monitor describing this c:mnot afford t h e legal help they need to help Vietnam-era veterans. The Univer m ~ kc :i good case. sity's Veterans Assistance and Outreach precedent-setting program: Office-VAO-headed by Tom Wincek [From the Christian Science Monitor, and Gary Morey, provides an invaluable Feb. 11, 1976 j service, not only to veterans attending A nMY M U LLS " TRIAL " BY VIDEO-TAPE D E CLARATION ON SOVIET JEWRY the University of Minnesota, but to all (By Robert M. Pre;,s) Twin Cities veterans. Like 500,000 other Vietnam-era veterans, I mt ROBERT F. DRH AN Lee came home with a less-than-honorable Through its St. Paul Outreach office OF ~!ASSACHUSETTS the VAO contacts recently discharged disch arge that made prospective employers veterans and informs them of veterans' wary and complicated his search for educa IN T:lIE ROUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tion and other benefits. Tuesday, March 2, 1976 benefits they are eligible for. Veterans He h ad used drugs. But he de<:ided to who need educational counseling are appeal, he obtained free legal help-and the :Mr. DRINAN. Mr. Speaker, I attach given it at no cost. The VAO makes no Army raised his discharge status from "unde herewith the final declaration of the Sec effort to recruit students exclusively for sirable" to "general." He is now studying ond World Conference of Jewish Com the University of Minnesota. VAO coun electronics at a college in Minneapolis, using munities on Soviet Jewry held at Brus selors who feel a particular veteran Veterans Administration aid to pay the bills. Such free legal help may be available to sels on February 17-19, 1976. would be better served by attending a many others soon. The final statement, concurred in by vocational-technical school, or a 2-year The Army's central discharge review board 1,200 delegates from 34 nations follows: community college, or taking on-the-job is considering accepting video-taped appeals DECLARATION OF THE SECOND WORLD CONFER• training, tell the veteran so. The program on a nationwide basis after being pleased E N CE OF JEWISH COMMUNITIES ON SOVIET is designed to help the veteran, not the with u se of such appeals prepared through JEWRY, BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 19, 1976 university. And more than half the vet the veterans program at the University of We, delegates assembled at this Second erans contacted to date have received Minnesota. Gary Morey. director of the pro Brussels Conferen~e on Soviet Jewry, repre recommendations to attend schools other gram, calls this a "significant breakthrough" senting Jewish communities in every con that could save costly review board trips to tinent, declare to our brethren in the Soviet than the University of Minnesota. appeal boards. In December of 1974 the Veterans Union: The Army in mid-February will send its We a.1·e with you in your struggle. We share Assistance and Outreach Office began central review board on an experimental your faith. We honor your courage. You are providing legal advice and administrative multicity circuit to hear cases. Some veterans not alone! assistance to veterans with less-than groups feel the central board is more likely Together we work towards the same fu honorable discharges who wanted t-0 up to approve appeals because it has broader ture, identify with the same experiences, re grade their discharges. Many Vietnam acquaintance than regional boards with in spond to the same memories-. The Jewish era veterans, some because they were justice in the military discharge system. destiny that unites us is one and inseparable, drafted into this Nation's Armed Forces Regional boards were established last :fall our common tradition indestructible. by the military branches, apparently in re We salute those from every sector of so against their will, others because of drug sponse to pressure from Congress and vet ciety, every race and religion-in go·;ernment. problems picked up overseas, and still erans. parliament. science, law, education, the arts, others because their politics or skin color The Department of Labor has made what labor, commerce and industry-who have was different than their superiors~ were may be the largest grant of its kind ( 101.000) joined with us in the cause of the Jews of spewed out of the military machine with to the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, the USSR. "bad papers." These less-than-honorable Illinois, to provide counseling and trans We call on all men and women of con discharges add to the normal problems portation for Chicago-area veterans appeal science, and a.11 governments cherishing of readjusting to civilian life and handi ing their discharges. humanitarian ideals. to speak out on behalf The National Association of Black Veterans of Jews of the U~SR. We have the right and cap the veteran for life. Jobs, already (NABV) a.nd other veterans groups in Wis duty to say to them. a generation after the hard to find in America's postwar econ consin have started helping some Wisconsin Holocaust, that they dare not remain silent omy. are even harder to find for those prisoners make discharge appeals and teach in face of the renewed threats confronting who have to explain why they have "bad ing them to help fellow pri.soners do the the Jewish people. History has taught tha.t same. these threats imperil human rights every papers." Not many people were listening There a.re five categories of discharge from with a sympathetic ear to the plight of where. the military. Starting with the best, they We abhor and condemn anti-Semitism in these veterans. are: honorable, general. undesirable, bad con the Soviet Union, whether under the guise The Veterans Assistance and Outreach duct, and dishonorable. The top two qualify of prejudice towards the Jewish religion or omce has been listening, however, and for VA benefits. The next two can, if ap false accusations against Israel and Zionism. proved by the VA. The lowest category merits We state that the equation of Zionism and their Discharge Review Service has no benefits. helped veterans with less-than-honor racism by the Government of the Soviet The Army currently approves about 25 Union and other regimes is a calumny against able discharges-many of them arbitrar percent of the roughly 800 appeals it receives Israel and against Jews everywhere. Those ily given-upgrade those discharges. each month. who exploit this mockery of truth give aid March 2, 1976 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 5031 and comfo1·t to the enemies of liberty, peace, tury: the murder of 6,000,000 Jews. But, to persons to psychiatric institutions for alleged justice and human brotherhood. day, this generation of Christians will not "mental illness." We declare that Jewish people, deriving be silent as we raise our voices in support We appeal for an end to the denial of pro immeasurable strength and spirit from the of the struggle to prevent the cultural and fessional status and educational opportuni State of Israel, shall resist and overcome spiritual annihilation of the Jews of the ties for Soviet Jews. those who seek to thwart its rightful aspil·a Soviet Union. We appeal for an end to the denial of exit tions.