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7336125
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Remarks of the President upon Signing a Proclamation Announcing a Program for the Return of Vietnam-Era Draft Evaders and Military Deserters [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7336125
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Remarks of the President upon Signing a Proclamation Announcing a Program for the Return of Vietnam-Era Draft Evaders and Military Deserters [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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Amnesty
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
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7336125
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16
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1974-09-16
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9
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1974
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Digitized from Box 2 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 16, 1974
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
UPON SIGNING A PROCLAMATION
ANNOUNCING A PROGRAM FOR THE RETURN
OF VIETNAM-ERA DRAFT EVADERS
AND MILITARY DESERTERS
THE CABINET ROOM
11:21 A.M. EDT
Good morning.
In my first week as President, I asked the
Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense to report to
me, after consultation with other Governmental officials
and private citizens, concerned on the status of those
young Americans who have been convicted, charged, investi-
gated or are still being sought as draft evaders or military
deserters.
On August 19, at the National Convention of
Veterans of Foreign Wars in the City of Chicago, I announced
my intention to give these young people a chance to
earn their return to the mainstream of American society
so that they can, if they choose, contribute, even though
belatedly, to the building and the betterment of our
country and the world.
I did this for the simple reason that for American
fighting men, the long and devisive war in Vietnam has
been over for more than a year, and I was determined then,
as now, to do everything in my power to bind up the Nation's
wounds.
I promised to throw the weight of my Presidency
into the scales of justice on the side of leniency and
mercy, but I promised also to work within the existing
system of military and civilian law and the precedents
set by my predecessors who faced similar post-war
situations, among them Abraham Lincoln and Harry S. Truman.
My objective of making future penalties fit the
seriousness of each individual's offense and of mitigating
punishment already meted out in a spirit of equity has
proved an immensely hard and very complicated matter,
even more difficult than I knew it would be.
MORE
Page 2
But, the agencies of Government concerned, and
my own staff, have worked with me literally night and
day in order to develop fair and orderly procedures,
and completed their work for my final approval over this
last weekend.
I do not want to delay another day in resolving
the dilemmas of the past so that we may all get going
on the pressing problems of the present.
Therefore, I am today signing the necessary
Presidential Proclamation and Executive Orders that
will put this plan into effect.
The program provides for administrative dis-
position of cases involving draft evaders and military
deserters not yet convicted or punished. In such cases,
24 months of alternate service will be required which may
be reduced for mitigating circumstances.
The program also deals with cases of those
already convicted by a civilian or military court. For
the latter purpose, I am establishing a Clemency Review
Board of nine distinguished Americans whose duty it will
be to assist me in assuring that the Government's forgiveness
is extended to applicable cases of prior convictions as
equitably and as impartially as is humanly possible.
The primary purpose of this program is the recon-
ciliation of all our people and the restoration of the
essential unity of Americans within which honest differences
of opinion do not descend to angry discord, and mutual
problems are not polarized by excessive passion.
My sincere hope is that this is a constructive
step toward a calmer and cooler appreciation of our
individual rights and responsibilities and our common
purpose as a Nation, whose future is always more important
than its past.
At this point, I will sign the Proclamation
that I mentioned in my statement, followed by an Executive
Order for the establishment of the Clemency Board, followed
by the signing of an Executive Order for the Director of
the Selective Service, who will have a prime responsibility
in the handling of the matters involving alternate
service.
Thank you very much.
END
(AT 11:27 A.M. EDT)