Correspondence Between Senator Bob Dole, the White House, and a Mother of a POW (Prisoner of War) Regarding a Recent Henry Kissinger Meeting
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s-con_293_016_002_Redacted_tr.txt - Transcription (Scripto)
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- 7 Pages
- File Name (Dublin Core)
- s-con_293_016_002
- Title (Dublin Core)
- Correspondence Between Senator Bob Dole, the White House, and a Mother of a POW (Prisoner of War) Regarding a Recent Henry Kissinger Meeting
- Date (Dublin Core)
- 1971-03
- Date Created (Dublin Core)
- 1971-03
- Congress (Dublin Core)
- 92nd (1971-1973)
- Topics (Dublin Core)
- See all items with this valuePrisoners of war--United States
- See all items with this valueVietnam War, 1961-1975
- Policy Area (Curation)
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Record Type (Dublin Core)
- correspondence
- Names (Dublin Core)
- See all items with this valueKissinger, Henry, 1923-2023
- See all items with this valueNixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994
- Rights (Dublin Core)
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/
- Language (Dublin Core)
- eng
- Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core)
- https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/controlcard&id=31&q=
- Physical Location (Dublin Core)
- Collection 002, Box 293, Folder 16
- Institution (Dublin Core)
- Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
- Archival Collection (Dublin Core)
- Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Constituent Relations, 1969-1996
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This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas
http://dolearchives.ku.edu
handwritten on page: Leg-pow
March 19, 1971
(Redacted)
Danville, Virginia 24541
Dear Mrs. (Redacted):
Enclosed for your information is a copy of a self-explanatory letter from the Assistant to the President, in response to my recent letter to Dr. Kissinger on your behalf.
Needless to say, I trust this satisfactorily answers the questions you raised, and will now provide a clearer understanding of the Administration's position with reference to American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action.
Should you have additional questions, of course, do contact me.
Sincerely yours,
BOB DOLE
U.S. Senate
BD:jc
Enclosure
s-con_293_016_002_A1b.pdf Page 1 of 7
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas
http://dolearchives.ku.edu
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 12, 1971
Dear Bob:
Dr. Kissinger has asked me to reply on his behalf to your letter of February 2 regarding his briefing of the wives and mothers of U.S. prisoners of war in Indochina, and enclosing Mrs. (Redacted)'s letter.
Since Dr. Kissinger's meeting with the ladies was off the record I cannot give you a detailed report. However, I can tell you that Dr. Kissinger did not describe U.S. policy in terms Mrs. (Redacted) indicated. Instead, he reviewed it in the same general terms in which the President stated it in his foreign policy message to the Congress on February 25. Moreover, he emphasized the efforts we were making to obtain better treatment for our men and to secure their earliest possible release.
In response to your own request for a statement of our policy on POW's, I would like to refer you to the President's message, which, of course, was subsequent to your inquiry.
More specifically, in response to the interpretation offered by Mrs. (Redacted), I would like to state it as follows:
-- Our policy toward our men does not consist of "wait-and-see." It consists of vigorous efforts to obtain their release and to improve their treatment while they remain in the hands of the enemy in Indochina.
-- I am sure I do not need to report all the efforts which have been made by our negotiators in Paris to point to Hanoi's failure to live up to international obligations and international standards of decency. Among other actions, as you know, the President appointed Colonel Frank Borman to conduct special diplomatic missions to secure better treatment of and release of our men. We also carried out the raid against Son Tay prison in the hopes of getting some of our men out directly.
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This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas
http://dolearchives.ku.edu
2
-- We have also supported the many private efforts which have been made to put the spotlight on Hanoi's improper conduct regarding the POW's.
-- All these efforts have had some success. Lists, albeit incomplete, have been provided of Americans held in North Vietnam. Many families have received letters. Packages now flow more frequently.
-- However, we shall continue to press for full accounting, for improved treatment, and for the earliest possible release of the men, not just in North Vietnam but throughout Indochina. As the President pointed out in his speech of October 7, 1970, we believe that all prisoners can and should be released at the earliest possible moment even if negotiations on other issues do not advance. Moreover, as the President has indicated, we shall not end our role in Indochina until all our men are freed.
-- We can well understand the frustrations felt by Mrs. (Redacted) and the families of all our men held prisoner or missing in action in Indochina. However, we do not believe that simply offering "concessions" to the North Vietnamese, as Mrs. (Redacted) suggests, will enable us to obtain their early release. In fact, we fear that the opposite is true. Once Hanoi comes to believe that we are prepared to bargain over the POW's as if they were political hostages it will be inclined to hold the men longer rather than to release them. For that reason, we believe we must continue our insistence that we consider the POW matter a humanitarian issue rather than a political one.
Please rest assured, however, that we are doing all in our power to improve the treatment and to obtain the release of our men. Their captivity is one of the most anguishing aspects of the war. It is never far from the President's mind. And we shall continue and redouble our efforts.
Sincerely,
(signature)
William E. Timmons
Assistant to the President
Honorable Bob Dole
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
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This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas
http://dolearchives.ku.edu
handwritten on page: Leg. pow
February 2, 1971
(Redacted)
Danville, Virginia 24541
Dear Mrs. (Redacted):
This will acknowledge and thank you for your letter of January 26, with reference to a meeting held with President Nixon's Assistant for National Security Affairs, Henry A. Kissinger, and a group of POW/MIA wives.
I frankly have no knowledge of any such meeting, and am therefore contacting Mr. Kissinger personally to obtain a clear definition of the Administration's position regarding our American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action. As soon as a response is received, I will be in further touch with you. In the meantime, it may be of interest to you that I have been in touch with White House officials -- and the President himself -- on several occasions, and have been assured the Administration has no intention whatsoever of neglecting these brave men and their families.
Thank you again for writing, and you may be assured I share your concern.
Sincerely yours,
BOB DOLE
U.S. Senate
BD:jc
s-con_293_016_002_A1b.pdf Page 4 of 7
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas
http://dolearchives.ku.edu
February 2, 1971
Honorable Henry A. Kissinger
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
The White House Washington, D. C. 20500
Dear Mr. Kissinger:
Enclosed for your information and consideration is a copy of a self-explanatory letter from Mrs. (Redacted), of Danville, Virginia, with reference to an alleged meeting you had with a group of POW/MIA wives.
I will appreciate receiving your comments on Mrs. (Redacted)'s letter, as well as a summary of what may have transpired at the said meeting, together with a more clearly defined statement of the Administration's position with reference to American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this request.
Sincerely yours,
BOB DOLE
U.S. Senate
BD:jc
Enclosure
s-con_293_016_002_A1b.pdf Page 5 of 7
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas
http://dolearchives.ku.edu
(Redacted)
Danville, Va. 24541
Jan. 26, 1971
The Honorable Bob Dole
United States Senate
Washington, D. C.
Dear Senator:
Thank you for your letter of Jan. 21. Dont be afraid I am not trying to impose on you nor have you think we should be "pen pals". I realize that your schedule is very heavy and your responsibilities are gigantic.
Several POW/MIA wives met over the weekend with General Haig on Saturday and then on Monday with Mr. Kissinger. At these meetings they received the stark truth. They were told that this government is not going to make any concession or compromise in behalf of the American men held in captivity. They suggested a "wait and see" attitude .... probably forgetting that this has been a horrible way of life for some of us for as long as over six years. We could be patient as we have, but patience is no cure for starvation, malnutrition, and disease and these men just cannot survive ad infinitum under the existing circumstances. Some have already died in captivity.
Do we not owe more to our own men than to a questionable Thieu-Ky regime? Are we not getting out anyway? What can be more honorable than saving the lives of our own men who were commited to this war by this government?
Sir, it is obvious that Mr. Nixon holds you in very high esteem. It is also as obvious that Mr. Nixon finds it impossible even to meet with the wives of these men. I, therefore, knowing your deep concern in this matter, ask you to take positive action in their behalf by urging Mr. Nixon to allow Mr. Bruce the flexibility and latitude in Paris that he promised and allow Mr. Bruce to make the necessary concessions while these 1500 men still have time to survive.
I am not an hysterical mother. I have tried to bear this great burden with dignity. I love my country unreservedly. I shed a tear when the "Star Spangled Banner" is played and get butterflies in my stomach when I see the American Flag, but I cannot allow my son and 1500 others to be abandoned and become politically expendable with out a fight. Will you help?
Gratefully,
(Redacted)
(Mrs. (Redacted))
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This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas
http://dolearchives.ku.edu
illegible handwritten note on back of previous page
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