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the DISPATCH An official publication of The American Legion VOL. 1 NO. 6 NOVEMBER 14,1991 State Dept, says oil firms urge Vietnam recognition WASHINGTON — The State National Commander Dom¬ Paris for the signing of the 19- Department has confirmed what inic D. DiFrancesco said in a nation treaty to end the Cambo¬ The American Legion has sus¬ bylined article appearing in the dian civil war, met with Viet¬ pected for some time why our Oct. 24 issue of The Dispatch the namese government officials. government is zealous to nor¬ Legion was convinced Vietnam's 'The American Legion is ap¬ malize relations with Vietnam— petroleum-producing potential palled, but not entirely sur¬ oil and potential business inter¬ was the primary motivation prised, at hearing Secretary ests. behind Washington's overtures Baker's announcement that the That revelation was made to to Hanoi. United States is ready to open American Legion officials and "According to the American talks with Vietnam on normal¬ other veterans' groups represen¬ Petroleum Institute," DiFranc¬ izing relations as early as No¬ tatives at an Oct. 31 briefing esco wrote, "the Socialist Repub¬ vember," said DiFrancesco. conducted by Richard Solomon, lic of Vietnam has oil reserves of In a letter to President George assistant secretary of state for East about 500 million barrels. Ex¬ Bush, DiFrancesco said, "Recent Asian and Pacific Affairs. perts expect Vietnam to emerge efforts by your administration "Mr. Solomon emphasized as a middle-ranking oil producer and members of both parties in how active American oil compa¬ in the next 10-15 years." Congress to find a way to lift the nies have been in urging rapid What could a rush to normali¬ economic embargo and begin normalization," said G. Michael zation mean for America's most normalization of relations with Schlee, director of the Legion's troubling legacy of the Vietnam the Vietnamese government National Security and Foreign War? It could put a quick end to have sent confusing signals as Relations Division. "And in re¬ the controversy surrounding the far as the Legion is concerned." ply to a question about the pos¬ fates of 2,273 Americans who While in Paris, Baker said sible 'steam roller' move for were reported missing in action. the trade embargo against Viet¬ normalization, Solomon ac¬ The Legion contends that once nam would be relaxed, allow¬ knowledged that there are con¬ Vietnam is recognized by the ing visits from groups such as gressional and business pres¬ United States, all leverage for journalists, tourists, veterans' sures to do so." resolving the POW-MIA issue organizations and business State Department officials told will be lost. executives. the group that American oil The first steps on the road in Vietnam's economy has tee¬ companies could begin contract restoring relations were taken in tered precariously for years and talks with the Hanoi regime as late October when Secretary of has been fraught with misman- early as the end of 1991. State James Baker, who was in continued on page 3 ™ DISPATCH COMMAND POST A fraternity forged by our service to America "I never thought of myself as combat veterans. Visit any na¬ legislation that returned the a veteran, but after meeting Le¬ tional cemetery and consider remains of an American killed in gionnaires, it makes me realize those endless rows of crosses and Europe to the United States. Fish, I am part of that great frater¬ Stars of David. a Legion founder and PNC, had nity." — Air Force Lt. Michael Lt. Coubrough's remark that the honor of laying the first Coubrough, Desert Storm veteran he never thought of himself as a wreath at the Tomb of the Un¬ veteran sums up, I believe, how known Soldier at Arlington. It hardly seems possible that most veterans regard their serv¬ Veterans Day 1991 also was more than a year has passed ice. They don't see themselves as on the eve of the 50th anniver¬ since the plane lifted off from heroes. Veterans don't view sary of Japan's savage attack on King Khalid International Air¬ themselves as a special-interest our forces at Pearl Harbor, which port, taking my predecessor Bob group with demands that out¬ plunged America into the Turner, National Adjutant Robert weigh the good of the nation. world's second global war of this Spanogle and me back to Amer¬ They view the fraternity as a century. ica. group with some members who Forty years ago, our GIs — I still see the faces of the hun¬ have special needs. veterans of my generation — dreds of GIs we met in our six- Most veterans have never were slugging it out with North day journey to Saudi Arabia to asked for anything unreason¬ Korean and Chinese troops, slog¬ observe troop readiness and able in return for their service. ging through muddy terrain and morale. I still hear their words, They only ask that the govern¬ bracing against brutal, icy winds. confident of why they were ment recognize their post-serv¬ Thirty years ago, the United deployed to desert outposts, ice needs, such as providing States was sending military ad¬ 10,000 miles from their families education benefits and job op¬ visers into Southeast Asia to help and homes. portunities, or assistance in ob¬ put up a roadblock to growing Lt. Coubrough was one of the taining government-backed communist insurgencies in that many fine troops we met during home loans. Veterans ask that region. It set the stage for our trip to Saudi Arabia. We had the government remembers the America's most bitter war. the opportunity to meet with him medical and social problems While many may view Veter¬ -again at the 1991 Phoenix Na¬ faced by aging, sick and needy ans Day as a day off from work, tional Convention. And his veterans. a time to take advantage of store comment about being a veteran Talk to most former service sales and leisure time, Legion¬ struck me as both poignant and people from any era and they're naires will recall the service of revealing about the nature of likely to tell you that they'd put veterans in a variety of ways, veterans. on the uniform again if neces¬ ranging from speeches to volun¬ America's veterans are indeed sary. They'd do it in a minute teering for special activities at a great fraternity of men, women, because of the pledge they took VA hospitals. and various races, creeds, relig¬ when they entered America's Legionnaires spent Nov. 11, ions and political beliefs. Some most valued fraternity — to pro¬ 1991, remembering and shedding of us volunteered for service and tect and defend the nation. a tear for long-lost friends and some of us were "volunteered" Nov. 11 has historic signifi¬ comrades in arms who are no by the government. cance for veterans and Legion¬ longer with us. We will remem¬ The price of entry into the naires. It was the date World ber fellow veterans who need our nation's largest and oldest fra¬ War I came to an end in 1918. help now. That's what it means ternity often has been steep. Visit Seventy years ago, Hamilton Fish to be a part of the great fraternity any VA hospital and see what Sr., a freshman member of the that has kept America free for costs have been exacted from House of Representatives, wrote more than 200 years. 2 THE DISPATCH ™ DISPATCH What happens to Ml As? (continued from page 1) agement—a situation that has meeting, Solomon and his dep¬ and allow U.S.-organized travel worsened since the Soviet Union uty, Ken Quinn, discussed the to Vietnam by certain Ameri¬ cut off economic aid. government proposed "road cans—including those represent¬ "It appears there may be some map" plan that was given to the ing business firms. in Washington who believe oil is Vietnamese last spring. According to the document, thicker than blood when it comes Among the details of the early the United States also would an¬ to our national interests/' said stages of normalizing relations: nounce plans to liberalize eco¬ William Detweiler, chairman of Vietnam would endorse the nomic relations with Cambodia, the Legion's Foreign Relations peace agreement ending the including lifting an embargo and Division. Cambodian civil war—which it supporting international loans Detweiler said the Legion and projects. doesn't oppose establishment of "The first stage would thus a U.S. presence in Vietnam and represent the beginning of the humanitarian assistance if those normalization process and actions help resolve the POW- would be marked by actions by MIA issue. He emphasized, both sides to begin a step-by- however, the Legion’s long¬ step process of putting our dif¬ standing position that normali¬ ferences behind us..." the docu¬ zation of relations between the ment said. United States and Vietnam only The U.S. government has can occur after all POWs and MI As lifted the New York travel ban have been accounted for. on Vietnamese diplomats. Ha¬ The process in mending the did in Paris — and support full noi also recently responded by diplomatic fences and burying implementation of the treaty; providing classified information the MIA controversy once and cooperate fully to resolve the re¬ to the United States about its for all may be linked to an in¬ maining "last known alive" dis¬ wartime anti-aircraft operations nocuous-sounding plan called crepancy cases of American against American flyers. the "road map." MIAs; implement an agreed plan In the final phases of the "road In his letter to the president, to rapidly resolve the live-sight- map" plan, the United States DiFrancesco said, "We are famil¬ ings reports on which the United would lift the trade embargo, iar with the 'road map' that was States asks for help; and formally establish diplomatic relations presented to Hanoi earlier this agree to expand and accelerate and grant Vietnam "most favored year, and The American Legion — with Cambodia and Laos — nation" trade status.

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