January 5, 1996 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H 325 overseas, took 16 overseas trips, higher Then there is, what have I got, 1, 2, 3, roll, and not all of them so young, men than any other Cabinet official except 4, then there is the original 3, the and women, who are going to Bosnia the Secretary of State. Let me tell you Colbins live out here in Virginia, and an uncertain mission. They are typical example of a trip she took, re- Ricky, my first grandson, Tara, my freezing. And one of the greatest writ- cent trip to South Africa. The agency first granddaughter, both of them soc- ers, and I will put his articles in about Secretary took 51 staff members and 68 cer stars, Anna, another soccer star the land mines, Col. David Hackworth, guests, 119 people. They chartered a coming up, all of them exceptional stu- the highest decorated living American, luxury jet, which is often chartered by dents. These are names and faces of as good a writer as he is, he did not Madonna. It has a wet bar and all this. human beings that, pardon me for have it correct here. It cost the taxpayers $560,000. using an overworked word, I have bond- He talks about the land mines, and Next trip, to India, she took 63 staff ed with all of them. They know me al- then he says they are going to ship members and 72 guests, mostly from most as well as they know their par- their equipment down there, hunker environmental groups. It cost tax- ents. They think their grandmother, down, ride down and meet up with payers $720,000. my Sally, is the most world-class per- their equipment. They are not. These young men and Next trip, to China, cost you and I son to ever love a grandchild. They are women stay with their vehicles, their $845,000. real human beings. They are real Bradleys, their Abrams tanks, their Trip to Pakistan was $500,000. human beings, and I cannot put an in- Humvee vehicles, and I never saw so Adding this together, 4 out of 16 trips sufferable $5 trillion, soon to be $6 tril- cost taxpayers $2.6 million. My God, is many complicated armored systems as lion debt before we begin to reverse in this 1st Armored Division, whose that not something? this, on their back. But two trips alone, India and South beautiful pin I am wearing, Old Iron- b 2215 Africa, they have 1,600 pages of ex- sides. They stay with their equipment, fingers cold, lashing it down, riding on penses and a quarter million dollars I said earlier that the whole debate the trains. The women rightfully com- missing. They could not find where here in its simplest terms is we won plaining about no porta-potties, talk- they spent it. the day on the 7 years. It will be a 7- ing about how the men have a different Now, this is the kind of stuff going year balanced budget plan, no matter what Clinton and the gang at the way to go out in the field. on. This is the typical example of Gov- Mr. Speaker, let me put about six ar- ernment waste and fraud before our White House does. But we should not ticles in the RECORD here that I was be passing out medals on our side be- eyes, and here we are talking balancing going to use in my special order. Think cause this side wants to spend $13 tril- the budget. about these young men and women The question is: Why is it? Why lion. They cannot throw off that tax- during the break. and-spend mindset that was locked in spend so much money, 130 days and 16 [From the Army Times, Jan. 1, 1996] trips? why is that? Well, they said, ‘‘We during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s GOING TO BOSNIA A GOOD WAY TO SEE days. He is not a hero of mine, the way are going to get some contracts.’’ To- DANGER, GROW OLD FAST day’s paper says that is not true. They he is of our hard-charging Speaker. He (By David H. Hackworth) began this lunge towards socialism, did not get any contracts whatsoever. TUZLA, BOSNIA.—This place ain’t exactly It is really embarrassing, and I think and on this side we do not want to happy valley. After months of catching Serb if she curtails the trips, we could bal- spend $13 trillion over the next 7 years. cannon fire and hard fighting in the nearby ance the budget easily. We want to spend $12 trillion. mountains, things are grim. The war has left f Do you see what we are fighting here this city of about 110,000—mainly Muslims— about, all the citizens in America, Mr. bent, broken and bleak. THE BUDGET DEFICIT AFFECTS Speaker, that follow the proceedings of Even though the guns are now silent, few REAL HUMAN BEINGS people smile. Most act like they had too this House? $13 trillion, $12 trillion. $12 much local plum brandy the night before and The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a trillion is a bloody disgrace. It is too are wearing a head-throbbing hangover. All previous order of the House, the gen- much government. are waiting for the Yanks to kick-start them tleman from California [Mr. DORNAN] is Although my heart goes out to any out of their misery and into the good life recognized for 5 minutes. Government worker who is proud of provided by Marshall Plan-type underwrit- Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, I hope their job, selected to be a civil servant, ing. more than the citizens of Missouri stay and feels they are contributing to a But the ‘‘Amerikinci’’ are slow in coming. So far, only a few dozen aircraft have landed tuned to the proceedings of this House better life in this country, and wants at the airbase that sits just south of the city. tonight via the courtesy of C–SPAN, to be on their job, and there was never These planes are bringing in the vital techni- Mr. Speaker, to hear the gentleman a doubt for an instant they would not cians who will lay the logistic base to sup- from Missouri [Mr. HANCOCK] give what be paid. It was all this dislocation of port our 20,000 U.S. troopers. will probably be one of the more en- steady money coming in, and mortgage The warriors will not come by air. They’ll lightening 30-minute special orders on payments. And I understand that, I am ship their heavy stuff by rail from Germany taxation destroying this country and to Hungary. After the peace accord is signed, making mortgage payments and a car they’ll marry up with their gear and roll in what we are doing here. payment. I understand that the banks over 120 miles of rugged road—locked, First of all, Mr. Speaker, I just called will not wait. We have taken care of cocked and ready. my home, and my daughter-in-law is that here today. Once on the ground, America’s Task Force still waiting patiently for the baby But remember this: All this angst Eagle will be the Tuzla high sheriff, with the that we thought was coming a few about civil servants, and I turned on mission of keeping the Serbs and Muslims hours ago, not here yet. If she makes it the network news tonight and here is from going back to blowing each other away. It’s too early to tell if this can be done past midnight, it will be on the birth- this psychiatrist saying the civil serv- without a few High Noons. I have a gut feel- day of her daughter, Haley. That is No. ants are underdoing trauma, psycho- ing that the main Bosnian combatants will 10 for my Sally and me. I really believe logical disorder, they are going to need cool it and wait out NATO’s one-year say. with all my heart, Mr. Speaker, that counseling, and some of them will have One Muslim says that if his folks ‘‘are not that is what we are fighting for here, to be put under a suicide watch. Then armed,’’ the war will start again just as soon for my three beautiful Griffin grand- they showed clothes testing at a burn- as NATO leaves, and his side will lose. The way it looks now, except for hit-and- children out in California, Kevin, ing manikin, and somebody came right run attacks by small bands of crazies, the Colin, and Erin. Their mom is Robin. out and said that the Republican part big killers will be the mines, the bad roads They married a Griffin. I call them my of this House, usually they like to and the many drunken Bosnian drivers. in team here and in California; No. 3 focus in on the 73 freshmen, as though No one knows how many mines are scat- will join Haley and Robert K. Dornan they are aliens that came to this place, tered across this savaged land. United Na- III. Then there is my youngest daugh- they are going to cause children to die. tions reports say there are over eight million mines and booby-traps in Bosnia alone. ter, with beautiful Liam Christopher So for the next 2 minutes let me tell I spent two days with Swedish mine-clear- Dornan Penn, the only redhead in the you what I saw in Germany and in ing team working 10 miles out of Tuzla clear- gang of 10. Four of my five were red- Hungary over the last 4 days at the ing a field of widow-making anti-personnel heads. He is something really special. railheads: People on the Federal pay- mines, a dangerous and painstaking duty. H 326 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 5, 1996 With the care of brain surgeons, eight men sent to enforce a negotiated peace in Bosnia, of being punished for breaking regulations, clear about 20 square yards on a good day. they are finding that weather is the greatest they are filling their water canteens with One man works about one square yard at a obstacle to a mission accomplished. hot coffee or soup. Some are even sneaking time. ‘‘Bosnia adds new meaning to the word into officers’ quarters at night to use heated First he sweeps with the mine detector. ‘cold,’ ’’ says Pvt. Michael Ready, 23, of Chi- restrooms instead of outside latrines. Then he gets down on his knees and cuts cago. He apologizes for not enunciating his At least one soldier is bringing her ker- all the vegetation with his clippers and gin- words, explaining that his mouth is too cold osene heater into the latrine with her. gerly probes every inch of dirt with a two- to speak. ‘‘The main game here is survival,’’ says foot ice pick or bayonet, looking for the ‘‘This feels like one of those bad Chicago Pvt. Cindy Cunningham, 20, of Oklahoma plastic mines the detector doesn’t pick up. cold spells,’’ he manages to say. ‘‘The kind City, her breath causing a cloud of vapor. When these brave men find a mine, they we get once in a hundred years. But here it’s ‘‘This feels like the North Pole.’’ carefully dig around and under it to make happening every day.’’ Despite the complaints, no one has been se- sure it’s not booby-trapped. Then they dis- Winter storms closed down Tuzla air base riously injured by the cold. There have been arm it. Not work for the fainthearted. Each for four days, delaying the arrival of thou- a few close calls. man is a hand-picked volunteer. sands of troops. Snow is masking dangerous Last week, troops underestimated the cold Their captain, Thomas Stenberg, says, land mines. The cold is causing concern when they began a three-day mission to res- ‘‘They must have the right attitude.’’ Boy, about hypothermia. cue a U.S. helicopter. The chopper, which do they ever, and they don’t even get extra How cold is it? It is not the coldest winter had mechanical problems, had made an pay! in Bosnia’s history. But it is the kind of raw, emergency landing near the Serb-controlled The roads here are narrow, muddy roller wet cold that makes ice form around the rim city of Banja Luka. One soldier almost died coaster. In many places, the mines have not of the eye- and mouth-holes of wool caps. after being outdoors for three days in below- been cleared on the sides of the road. In December, Bosnia got up to 12 inches of freezing temperatures. Two weeks ago, a civilian tractor hit a snow. The temperature barely topped 20 de- But Serb residents came to the troops’ res- mine where Stenberg’s team is working, kill- grees during the day; winds made it seem cue, giving them coffee, soup, and wood to ing four people. Their clothes are still hang- like 5 degrees below zero. At night, tempera- build fires. They even allowed the troops to ing in the bushes where the blast blew them. tures dipped to minus 20. sleep in their barns. Bosnian drivers are always in a hurry. And the worst may be yet to come: TV The weather also is affecting mine-clearing They haven’t gotten the word about drinking Tuzla, the main government-run television operations, says U.S. Maj. Gen. William and driving, either, so too many blaze along station, is forecasting a colder than normal Nash. Nearly all the estimated 6 million these death roads ripped out of their gourds. winter. It says wind-chill temperatures will mines in Bosnia are buried beneath the snow, I’m not sure troops will accomplish much hit below zero at least one day almost very officials say. during their one-year tour here, other than week. ‘‘We just can’t see what we’re doing.’’ Nash facing a lot of danger and growing old fast. ‘‘The weather has become our No. 1 sighs. I’ll bet this futile mission would be enemy,’’ says Pvt. Adam Seegraves, 25, of The result is danger: scratched if Clinton and the Capitol Hill Riverside, Calif. ‘‘Our tents are frozen. We’ve During the weekend, Spec. Martin John gang sending them came in with the advance been living in the Humvee (military vehicle) Begosh, 24, of Rockville, Md., became the party and worked the trenches and roads for for two days. first known casualty of the Bosnian peace- 30 days. ‘‘You start asking, ‘What am I doing keeping mission when his Humvee hit a As a matter of fact, I think you could here?’’ snowcovered mine. Begosh, who suffered leg eliminate war entirely if the Doles and Clin- The U.S. military has not encountered injuries, is in stable condition. tons led the first wave. such cold since the Korean War, when many Last week, soldiers at the Tuzla air base casualties were blamed on the bitter winters. unknowingly set up their tent 8 feet away Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, here is a The temperature often fell to 35 below, exac- from a mine. Several walked within inches of particularly thoughtful statement by erbated by a wind unbroken by a stark land- the mine for two days before it was discov- Col. David Hackworth: scape. ered and destroyed. The brass decided early on that the best About 7,000 troops were out of action be- Military officials also are encountering an- way to prepare for the coming mission is re- cause of frostbite or stomach ailments. other unexpected problem. Nearly a dozen lentless training. Task Force Eagle has spent U.S. Army officials, who insist that the soldiers who neglected to turn off their ker- months rehearsing the details of this plan— weather has had only a minor effect on their osene heaters at night before falling asleep even down to the level of briefings to jour- four week-old mission, are quietly ordering have set their tents on fire. nalist. ‘‘I war-gamed what questions the new measures to avoid cold-weather injuries. Some, dismayed at the whining, insist that press would ask, wrote them down, took Among them: their colleagues need to toughen up. them to the division public-affairs officer Rotating soldiers at checkpoints every They point out that temperatures soared and we went over them,’’ says Lieutenant thirty minutes instead of every hour. to nearly 60 degrees last month and that Colonel Kooyman. Leave nothing to chance, Installing kerosene heaters in nearly all many soldiers walked around in T-shirts and and avoid a failure like Somalia. tents and underground bunkers. short pants. That’s the idea, anyhow. The old army way Serving two hot meals a day instead of one ‘‘The kids from Georgia and Alabama of doing things—‘‘stay loose and expect the and boosting calorie counts from 2,000 to aren’t used to this snow, but most guys unexpected’’—won’t hack it in Maj. Gen. Wil- 3,000 a meal. aren’t complaining,’’ says Air Force pilot liam Nash’s outfit. But I’m not sure what Issuing a second pair of cold-weather boots Capt. Dennis Davoren, 30, of Chicago. ‘‘As this kind of zero-defect mentality will do to so soldiers can dry out the first pair while long as you’re busy, you don’t think about soldiers in the First Armored. Murphy’s law wearing the second. the cold.’’ applied to combat says that nothing ever Ordering soldiers to oil their weapons and In preparation for the Bosnia mission, goes according to plan. My gut tells me these other equipment to prevent them from rust- many soldiers trained for two weeks in the men may be trained in a way that could hurt ing. icy Austrian Alps. They seem eager to beat them on a future hot battlefield where We’re constantly checking the soldiers for the cold. they’ll have to think on their feet—where cold,’’ says Sgt. Robert Butcher, 30, of ‘‘There’s no reason for a soldier out here to they can’t pull out the plan and consult Clarksburg, W.VA. ‘‘It outweighs all other be getting cold,’’ says Sgt. Michael Camp- Annex A. A CO’s worst nightmare is to watch missions. The weather can wipe out a consid- bell, 28, of Benson, N.C., on guard duty in a his warriors lose their hard-gotten fighting erable amount of troops.’’ driving snow storm outside Tuzla air base. skills in peace enforcement missions like In the Army, cold-weather injuries are con- ‘‘We trained. We conditioned ourselves. If we Bosnia. But this may be the price of post- sidered a command failure. hadn’t, it would have broken us down. cold-war soldiering. As a result, soldiers have been issued wa- ‘‘Most people can handle this.’’ terproof coats, pants, and boots and even But try telling that to Bosnian, Serb and And how about this analysis of the body suits made with 11⁄2 inches of insula- Croat Soldiers who found it so cold here that vicious cold our men and women will tion. they stopped fighting in the winter months face. Still soldiers complain that their large during their four-year war. [From the USA Today, Jan. 2, 1996] rubber boots, jokingly called Mickey Mouse ‘‘You Americans must respect the weath- boots, do not live up to expectations. Manu- er,’’ says Serb commander Mladen Vujicic, FOR TROOPS, BEAT THE COLD—ARMY TAKING facturers say the boots are made to with- his face red with cold at a nearby check- EXTREME MEASURES stand temperatures to minus 140 degrees. point. ‘‘The American soldier should fear it (By Jack Kelley) Many soldiers have begun taking matters more than us. You cannot beat it.’’ POSAVINA CORRIDOR, BOSNIA- into their own hands. They’ve written home TV Tuzla is already predicting that one of HERZEGOVINA.—They jump up and down, skip asking family members to send boots, extra every two of Tuzla’s 160,000 residents, and back and forth, shadow box with the wind. socks, long underwear and hot chocolate. some NATO peacekeeping troops, will catch They are U.S. soldiers trying to stay warm While on guard duty or patrol, they’re a flu or virus this winter. in this region of Bosnia about 30 miles north standing on sand bags or wooden planks to Residents are even using a slang word to of Tuzla. Part of a 60,000-soldier NATO team keep their toes from going numb. At the risk describe the weather: hafifno, which roughly January 5, 1996 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H 327 translates into an English four-letter word. When we send troops into Bosnia and say me in any way whatsoever. They sub- U.S. troops are doing the same. they will be exposed to land mines, we stantially changed what the editorial ‘‘It’s going to be a long winter,’’ says Sgt. should know what they are getting into. had to say. I appreciate the fact that Jason Borgeson, 23, of Windsor, Conn., on f guard duty here. they did agree to publish the editorial, ‘‘We’ll be fighting an enemy we can’t con- CARE NEEDED IN EDITING but I feel that since they did edit it, trol.’’ SUBMITTED EDITORIALS that they should have at least put a disclaimer acknowledging the fact that Mr. DORNAN. And then, Mr. Speak- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under er, the horror of millions of land mines. they edited the editorial. I am sure the Speaker’s announced policy of May that there are other Members of Con- Please read this from the truth seeking 12, 1995, the gentleman from Missouri Washington Times. gress that have had the same thing [Mr. HANCOCK] is recognized for 60 min- [From the Washington Times, Jan. 3, 1996] happen to them. utes as the designee of the majority So what I want to do this evening is THE HORROR OF THE LAND MINES leader. I am going to go over in detail what (By Tom Evans) Mr. HANCOCK. Mr. Speaker, I apolo- the editorial said and what they de- American troops in Bosnia will face land gize to the staff that is having to stay mines. The folks at home who are sending cided to change. here this late hour. However, I feel Mr. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, if the the troops ought to be sure they understand that this subject I want to talk about what that means, Unfortunately, we as a na- gentleman would yield, I thank the dis- tion have had all too much experience. is of the utmost importance. It is tinguished gentleman from the seventh Thirty years ago the Viet Cong frequently something that has been bothering me district of Missouri for yielding, and I buried mines in populated areas where Amer- for quite some time. In fact, before I commend him on the valuable service ican troops walked. Troops were often fun- came into the Congress, I had been in that he is performing here. I think the neled into columns by narrow rice paddy the Congress now about 7 years, I said gentleman is being mild in his ap- dikes and trails. 7 years ago when I first was elected The most commonly used enemy mine in proach, and I think what you are talk- my battalion’s area of operations was called that I believed in the principles of lim- ing about is something that is of con- the ‘‘Bouncing Betty.’’ It bounced waist-high ited terms, and I would only serve in cern to all of us. I have had it happen before exploding. To teen-age American Ma- the Congress for a maximum of four before where things were taken out of rines and soldiers it was the most demoraliz- terms, and then I would go back home context, and the ultimate meaning was ing type of mine. And it was American-made. and live under the laws we passed. I am changed. We all believe in the first We had supplied them to our allies, the doing that. This is the first time in 7 South Vietnamese army, but the Viet Cong amendment, but that is just not fair years that I have ever asked for time when they do that to you. captured them. American Marines were for- to make a special order. ever bitter toward their allies for that. But I want to say this about the gen- In the area we called the ‘‘Street Without Mr. Speaker, I believe in the Bill of tleman from Missouri. I have served Joy,’’ a few miles northwest of the imperial Rights. I think that our Founding Fa- here throughout his entire tenure in capital city of Hue, mine detectors were thers got some divine guidance when the House of Representatives, and if rarely used on operations until somebody they drafted the Constitution of the there is one thing for which the gen- stepped on a mine. We assumed it was be- United States and when they put the cause the patrol just moved too slowly be- tleman from southwest Missouri is Bill of Rights in. noted, it is his integrity and the fact hind an engineer sweeping the long-handled The first amendment talks about the dish along the ground. In fact, there as a that he endeavors to hit the nail on the joke in the Marine infantry. Question: freedom of speech and the freedom of head with every act that he commits. What’s the best mine detector the Marine the press. I fully support that. I do not It is not always popular, but he does Corps has? Answer: The Model PFC, one think that anybody would question try to be accurate and correct and each. that one of the great things about this proper and appropriate. I do not believe The first American I saw killed stepped on country is that we are able to speak, to there is anyone in this House who a ‘‘Bouncing Betty’’ mine. He was Bernard exercise our judgment, to possibly be would challenge the integrity of the Fall, a civilian author and one of the fore- wrong in our opinions. But as long as most Western authorities on Vietnam at gentleman from Missouri. that time. Almost 20 years later I found a we basically are telling the truth and I just want to thank the gentleman photo in the National Archives of Fall taken as long as we truly believe in what we for what he is doing here and say I moments after he died in February 1967. The are saying, then we have those rights. think in the political arena, we all picture, taken by a combat photographer, Mr. Speaker, I am going to guess from time to time get carried away would never have been taken of a service- that there are other Members of Con- with rhetoric, and sometimes actions man, but Fall was a civilian. The picture was gress that have had a little difficulty are committed that maybe are later re- so terribly graphic that it was marked ‘‘Not on what they feel possibly is misrepre- gretted, and perhaps that happens in To Be Released For Publication.’’ Since it sentation, that they were quoted out of was declassified by the time I saw it, I the media business. They get caught up planned to order a copy and someday show context, that there were statements in the politics of certain situations, my then-1-year-old son what war really made or repeated that can be mislead- and being mortals, as people in the looked like. But I never did. ing. media are, sometimes probably get Unfortunately, I witnessed other mine in- Where I have got the problem is a few into that political syndrome and forget cidents also. Some of the victims lived, at weeks ago, in fact on December 28, I that they have under the Constitution, least for a while. There were three sounds we had requested the Springfield news- under the first amendment, a very, came to dread: the ‘‘ca-rumph!’’ sound of the paper, Springfield, MO, the News Lead- mien explosion; the call ‘‘Corpsman [or very high responsibility to fairness. medic] up!’’; and if the young, shocked Ma- er, part of USA Today’s organization, if So I commend the gentleman for rine was still alive, sometimes ‘‘Mother!’’ or in fact they would agree to publish an what he is doing. ‘‘Mama!’’ editorial which I wrote entitled ‘‘The Mr. HANCOCK. I thank you very Recently I attended my Vietnam battal- truth about the GOP plan to balance much. I appreciate the kind words. I ion’s reunion. Some of us discussed the ter- the budget,’’ by U.S. representative felt like when I was elected to the Con- ror of walking down a path that might be MEL HANCOCK. gress I came up here with a good rep- mined. Usually the earth is an infantryman’s This is the truth as I know it. Before friend. He digs a fighting hole—the deeper he utation. I plan on leaving the Congress digs, the safer he is. But with mines, the I came into Congress, I could say, well, at the end of this term with a good rep- earth is the enemy. it is the truth. Now that I am in the utation. After all, that is really all you A machine gunner in our unit stepped up Congress, well, I have to say it is the have to leave, is a good reputation. onto a rice paddy dike on a bounding-type truth as I know it. Mr. EMERSON. If the gentleman mine and froze when he heard the click. An They agreed to publish the editorial. would yield further, I would venture engineer disarmed the mine underneath his The same editorial was submitted to here to say I think the gentleman will foot, and Reader’s Digest wrote up his story. practically all of the weekly papers in leave the Congress with his reputation But his story of survival was one in a mil- my district, and those papers repro- lion. fully intact. Also, there is no enemy to fire back at duced the editorial word for word, no Mr. HANCOCK. I thank the gen- when a mine explodes. The nearest villagers editing. The Springfield newspaper tleman very much. I appreciate the might suffer the infantrymen’s wrath. edited my editorial without contacting comment.