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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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