Congressman Lowenthal Calls For Restoration Of Military Cemetery In Vietnam

Press Release

Congressman Alan Lowenthal has asked the United States Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense to address with the Vietnamese Government the issue of a neglected military cemetery in Vietnam where more than 16,000 South Vietnamese soldiers are buried.

The Bien Hoa National Military Cemetery was constructed by the Republic of Vietnam in the 1960s but a lack of upkeep has left much of it in a state of disrepair.

"The conditions of the Bien Hoa cemetery are disgraceful and it falls to the Vietnamese Government to treat the final resting place of so many Vietnamese with respect and a measure of dignity that befits those who have given their lives in combat," Congressman Lowenthal said.

In a bipartisan letter sent last week and cosigned by 18 of his Congressional colleagues, Congressman Lowenthal asked Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Check Hagel to press the issue of restoring and maintaining the cemetery during bilateral talks with the Vietnamese Government.

Those cosigning the letter include Congressmembers: Xavier Becerra, Julia Brownley, Judy Chu, Gerald Connolly, Jim Costa, Sam Farr, Janice Hahn, Mike Honda, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, James McGovern, George Miller, Brad Sherman, Dana Rohrabacher, Christopher Smith, Mike Thompson, Henry Waxman, Frank Wolf.

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