THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Hanoi, Vietnam)
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 18, 2000
On November 17, 2000, the President awarded the Presidential Citizens
Medal to Ambassador Pete Peterson. The text of the citation reads as
follows:
PETE PETERSON
As ambassador, three-term member of Congress, and highly decorated Air
Force pilot, Pete Peterson has devoted his life to protecting and
strengthening democracy. While in our Armed Forces, he survived 6 1/2
years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and returned there in 1997 as
America's first postwar ambassador to begin the process of reconciliation.
With diplomatic skill and sensitivity, he has worked to heal the wounds of
the past while actively pursuing a full accounting of all missing
Americans. Through his selfless and inspiring service, Pete Peterson has
demonstrated an unwavering devotion to duty, honor, and country.
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