Political Quotes

“I rise today on behalf of the 74 fallen Vietnam veterans our government has forgotten known as the Lost 74. On June 3 of 1969, the USS Frank E. Evans was participating in a training mission 100 miles from the Vietnam war combat zone, having been sent there in between combat missions; that is to say, neither coming nor going. During the night, the ship collided with an Allied aircraft carrier and sank, killing 74 sailors. Remember, this is just outside of the combat zone, between combat missions. These 74 Vietnam veterans died in service to our country. The ship had served on several combat tours and had many more scheduled. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall here in Washington, DC, memorializes over 58,000 military members who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam war by displaying their names on its wall. People from around the world come to see the memorial and pay their respects to those who fought and died for the freedoms we all hold dear. Yet, because of a technicality, the names of the Lost 74 sailors are excluded from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. As requirements now stand, veterans must have perished in or on their way to a combat zone. Since the Frank E. Evans was participating in a practice exercise in between stints in fighting off the Vietnam coast, the names of these sailors have been left off of the wall. Imagine that.…”