Exten.Sions of Remarks
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June 7, 1971 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 18563 EXTEN.SIONS OF REMARKS CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ARMY The American flag today means what to tiring Army Secretary Stanley Resor recently AND NAVY ACADEMY OF CARLS day's Americans make it mean. We have in testified that between 10 and 15 per cent of BAD, CALIF. our power to make it abroad the banner of the American troops in Vietnam have a. seri peace, honor, generosity-at home the ensign ous heroin habit, and this is at best an offi of liberty, justice, opportunity. In these cial guess-at least 20,000 and maybe twice HON. JOHN G. SCHMITZ goals, all Americans can unite. To this work, the number in the American Expeditionary each of us can dedicate himself-resolving force are now in danger of drug addiction. OF CALIFORNIA that, on whatever else we may dllfer, the The facts and military regulations of this IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES flag and its challenge are ours in common. problem are alarmingly vague. President Friday, June 4, 1971 I am happy to send my congratulations as Nixon has conceded that the problem exists. you gather to dedicate this Hall of Flags. I The military authorities have established a Mr. SCHMITZ. Mr. Speaker, the Army know it will always be a source of pride and rehabil1tation program to deal with it. Ex and Navy Academy of Carlsbad, Calif., inspirllltion for each of you and for genera treme cases of drug addiction are compelled which is in my congressional district, tions of cadets to come. to join the program, but the easy way in was founded in 1910 and has continu RICHARD NIXON. dubious cases is merely to get the man home ously been training young men, ages 12 and out of the service. through 18, in old-fashioned, basic, clas Getting them out of the service at least blurs and disperses the problem. If the sical secondary education; old-fashioned DRUG ADDICTION AMONG VIET soldier wants out and does not volunteer for in that they include respect for our form NAM SERVICEMEN AND VET t he drug rehabllita.tion program, the vet of government, its concepts and history; ERANS erans hospitals are not full of addicts, but the pride in individual worth and accom soldier is thrown back on his own with an ex plishment; academic endeavor and pensive habit he cannot cure or afford. achievement for its own sake; and re HON. PETER W. RODINO, JR. Divided as the nation is about the war, spect for the established order of things, OF NEW JERSEY confused as it is about past and present war objectives, the country ought to be able but above all, love and respect for our IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES great United States and its traditions. to agree about rescuing the men who were Friday, June 4, 1971 drafted into the battle, and giving them the As an extension of their efforts in this health and jobs essential to a decent life. regard, the cadets have established a Mr. RODINO. Mr. Speaker, we have all This is not being done now. Rehabllitation hall of flags at the academy and have been shocked by the recent revelations and employment centers are being estab obtained a flag from each State of the about the extent of drug addiction among lished, the problems of the veteran drug Union, along with a copy of each State's our Vietnam servicemen and veterans. As addict and the veteran unemployed are rec official history. They have requested and the author of a bill to require mandatory ognized in Washington, but the sick and un have been promised flags from a number medical treatment for known addicts, employed casualties of the war are not really of foreign nations, some of which are the under the supervision of Public Health being dealt with effectively. Republic of France which they will hon officials, I have long been concerned One of the major drug problems of the American soldier in Vietnam is that heroin or for the assistance given to our fore about the situation already confront in Southeast Asia. is strong, easy to get and bears in our struggle for independence; ing us. taken by smoking, rather than by needle, and the Government of Spain to mark that Now it is evident that unless speedy cheap. It eases the agony of combat, and nation's contribution to the discovery of and effective action is taken, the heroin promises home-leave if it gets beyond con our country by Christopher Columbus epidemic in the United States will be trol. But hooked on this powerful, cheap stuff g,nd their influence in our Nation's his drastically increased with the return of in Vietnam, a discharged veteran in any tory; and Great Britain which will be addicted veterans. Unfortunately, their normal American community has the means honored for England's initial venture in habit is fed with high-quality heroin neither of curing the habit nor of afford in ing the habit, without stealing. our Nation in the establishment of readily available Southeast Asia and The Nixon Administration has not been Jamestown, Va. upon return they will be seeking to supply indllferent to the menace of drugs in Amer Mr. Speaker, this free enterprise, pa their need on the vastly inferior heroin ica. It has tried to get at the problem at the tnotic organization, and its president, here in the United States. It is imperative, source. It has used its political and economic Col. W. C. Atkins, deserve every com therefore, that Congress and the admin power to cut off the supply of drugs in Tur mendation for their excellence through istration give the highest priority to find key, Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle the years and for their contributions to ing effective measures that can detect East. It has worked effectively with the Pom our military might, to our civic accom and rehabilitate our veteran addicts, not pidou Government in Paris to break up the plishments, and to the defense of moral only from the viewpoint of protecting so processing of drugs in Marse111es and else where in the Mediterranean. It has trebled integrity which has been under so much ciety and preventing a serious increase in the number of agents watching the drug attack in recent years. the domestic addiction problem, but also trade across the Mexican border and through Mr. Speaker, in closing I include the because of our responsibility for placing customs at the international airports in this President's words of appreciation and these young men in an unpopular war country, and it has poured Federal money congratulBitions to this deserving acad under conditions that have led them to and manpower into breaking up the drug emy. addiction. In this connection, Mr. peddlers in this country. MAY 28, 1971. Speaker, I ask that there be printed in But in Vietnam, where it has much more To the cadets of the Army and Navy the RECORD at this point a column by control over both the peddlers and the Academy: James Reston in the New York Times of soldiers, the Nixon Administration has not On June 14, 1777--only months after the been effective. In Saigon, at least, it has Declaration of Independence, and with four June 2, and an editorial from the Wash much more authority than it has used to bitter years of the Revolutionary War stlll ington Daily News of June 1, comment attack the source of drugs, to intervene in ahead-the Continental Congress adopted ing on this tragic situation. the drug corruption, which reaches into the the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United The column and editorial follow: highest levels of the Saigon Government, and States of America.. Like the Declaration it THE HANGOVER OF WAR to insist that the American soldiers, who are self, our flag began as an audacious asser the casualties of the war-drug culture, go tion, crying out for proof. (By James Reston) into the drug-rehabtlita.tion program. With the passing decades the proof has The quickest way for an American soldier More than that, the Administration has come. One new freedom a-fter another has to avoid combat in Vietnam and get back not cooperated in a. serious, private examina enriched the flag's symbolism. But our vision home these days is to take to drugs. If he's tion of the Vietnam drug problem with the of ideals to be realized has expanded as well, hooked on heroin, he's finished-finished Congress. Nobody on Capitol Hill expects the so that even now the flag speaks more of with fighting, finished with the Army, a President to approve public hearings on the promise than o! pride and looks more to to casualty o! the war, finished with everything question, but serious men in the Congress, morrow than to yesterday. And as long as but the drug habit. both critics and defenders of the President's America is a young Nation, this is the way This is one of those tragic consequences of Vietnam policy, have urged him, without suc it must be. Each generation must do its own war where, in Nikita Khrushchev's vivid cess, to get at the facts of drug addiction proving. phrase, the living may envy the dead. Re- among the soldiers, and cooperate in leglsla- 18564 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 7, 1971 tion to deal with the drug casualties of the A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE HONORABLE is inevitable. Dividing the country with riots war. J.