1989-08-13
Barbara and I were truly saddened to hear that the discovery of Mickey Leland's aircraft revealed that apparently there were no survivors of this tragic accident.
Mickey Leland and the other members of his traveling party, both Americans and Ethiopians, were engaged in a noble cause: trying to feed the hungry. I have known, admired, and worked with Mickey Leland for many years. His sense of compassion and desire to help those in need has aided millions of people from Houston to Addis Ababa.
Our hearts go out to Alison Leland and to the family and friends of the congressional staff members, State Department, Agency for International Development, and Ethiopian officials who joined Mickey on his important mission and who died with him trying to carry it out. Barbara and I extend our sympathy to the families of all the victims.
Note: Representative Leland, chairman of the House Select Committee on Hunger, died when the small plane in which he was traveling crashed en route to a refugee camp in Fugnido, Ethiopia.
