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WASHINGTON
Congressional andWhite House negotia-tors reached a dealMonday with a key
House lawmaker who has beenstanding in the way of a sweep-ing overhaul of the nation’s in-telligence services. The agree-ment paves the way for a vote onthe measure as early as today.
If passed, the bill will mark thelargest structural change in U.S.
intelligence sincethe creation of theCIA almost half acentury ago.
House ArmedServices CommitteeChairman Rep.Duncan Hunter said
Monday that he was satisfied thebill would not interfere with themilitary chain of command andendanger field troops’ access totimely intelligence. Under thefirst House and Senate version,Hunter feared that would be the
case. The bill, which is Congress’answer to the 9/11 Commissionreport, omits some immigrationchanges that Judiciary Commit-tee head Rep. James Sensen-brenner has been insisting on.
But through the weekend,White House officials, most no-tably Vice President Dick Che-ney, concentrated on appeasingHunter, leaving the immigrationissues to be dealt with next year.
Spy overhaul nearsAgreement with lawmaker clears way for vote on intelligence bill.
FROM REGISTER NEWS SERVICES
Hunter
MORE ON INTELLIGENCE BILLFOES: Borders ignored. News 5
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The Orange County Registeris a Freedom Communicationsnewspaper. Copyright 2004Customer service toll-free1 (877) OCR-7009 [627-7009]Read us online www.ocregister.com
IndexComics ●
Life, etc. 1 0- 1 1Crossword ●
Life, etc. 1 0- 1 1Deaths ●
Local 5 Dear Abby ●
Life, Etc. 7Lottery ●
Local 1Movies ●
Life, Etc. 4-5Stocks ●
Business 7-9Weather ●
Local 8
O Medicine ● New research sug-gests that Celebrex does not carrythe same heart attack risk asVioxx, another arthritis drug pulledfrom the market in September.News 16
Study finds Celebrexsafer than Vioxx
● Battle ● A heavy gunfight erupted on a dan-gerous Baghdad street within blocks of Iraq’smost fortified facilities. Five more Americantroops were killed in separate clashes. News 17
● Election ● Ukraine officials worked to reach adeal that could end a standoff with outgoing Pres-ident Leonid Kuchma’s government, smoothing arerun of disputed presidential vote. News 17
5 more U.S. troops die in Iraq
Condo investor admits bribery● Cities ● An investor pleaded guilty to briberyin connection with the illegal conversion of apart-ments to condos in Huntington Beach. Local 1
● Religion ● University Synagogue’s recognitionof Hanukkah, an eight-day festival beginning atsundown, will be a bit different from other areasynagogues’ because of its participation in a na-tional pilot program. Local 1
Trojans fire Bibby● Colleges ● USC fired bas-ketball coach Henry Bibby.He had been with the Tro-jans since 1996. Sports 1
● NBA ● The Clippers de-feated Charlotte, 99-93, intwo overtimes. Sports 1
Spike in food prices predicted● Economy ● U.S. food prices might take the big-gest jump in 14 years this year, the AgricultureDepartment said. Business 1
● Parks ● Knott’sBerry Farm will openthe Silver Bullet –the longest, fastestand tallest sus-pended rollercoaster in the West.Business 1
Demure will have its demise● Saar ● Is this “demure fashion” trend just acover-up? Life, etc. 1
● Concert ● Celebrated video artist Bill Violaprovides startling imagery for an L.A. Philhar-monic staging of Wagner’s “Tristan and Isolde.”Life, etc. 1
TUESDAYDec. 7, 2004
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The Intelligence Reform and TerrorismPrevention Act of 2004 is Congress’answer to the 9/1 1 Commission report.The bill:● Creates a new, stronger Director ofNational Intelligence with budget andpersonnel authority to coordinate allU.S. intelligence.● Creates an independent Privacy andCivil Liberties Board with access to allfederal agency policies and practices.● Adds thousands of Border Patrolagents; enhances cargo inspectionsand aviation security.● Creates a National CounterterrorismCenter to unify intelligence efforts.
Key provisions of bill
Five attackers thought to be linked to al-Qaidastaged a daytime raid on the U.S. Consulate in Jid-dah, Saudi Arabia’s most cosmopolitan city, storm-ing through a fortified gate and starting a gunbat-tle that left five local employees and four of theattackers dead.
It was the first deadly assault on a large ex-patriate target in seven months and the first on aWestern diplomatic mission since May 2003.
The attack fell exactly a year after the InteriorMinistry made the unprecedented move of listingthe 26 most-wanted terrorists linked to al-Qaida inSaudi Arabia. In the ensuing year, about 17 of themhave been captured or killed in numerous skir-mishes throughout the desert kingdom.
But the attack was a reminder that the in-creasingly fragmented group is still capable of le-thal violence. Story on News 1 1
Consulate attacked in Saudi Arabia
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SACRAMENTO ● Van Tran madehistory Monday, becoming thefirst Vietnamese-Americanelected to the California Legis-lature. But the latest twist inhis family saga brought tears tohis eyes.
“I want to ask all of you topray for my brother Henry, whois very ill,” the new lawmaker
said of his eldest brother, aStockton dentist who was diag-nosed last month with pan-creatic cancer.
Tran’s election to the Legisla-ture marked a new step in theAmericanization of his people,but his brother’s cancer was areminder of Vietnamese suf-
BIG MOMENT: California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron George swears in Van Tran as wife Cindy Nguyen holds a Bible for him.THOR SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
Day of historyand sadness
Supporters including his cancer-strickenbrother usher Van Tran into the Assembly.
By JOHN GITTELSOHN
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SEE TRAN ● PAGE 4
NEWS 3 >>IN DEPTH
Warren Hutchens fin-ished World War IIwith a long trainride home in 1945.
He had plucked sailors fromthe fiery waters of Pearl Harborand fired a bazooka on the front-lines of Europe. After fiveChristmases away from home,Hutchens at last held a cross-country train ticket, bound forCalifornia and Army discharge.
As rowdy soldiers drank, sangand played cards, he gazed outthe window quietly. Hutchenslonged to body-surf in the Pacif-ic. Find a job. And forget.
In the Saturday morning mistlast week, the 82-year-old boardsanother train, one bound for re-membrance. On this jour-
THE MORNINGREAD
Pearl Harborvet rides train
of thoughtBy COURTNEY PERKES
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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fering since arriving here asrefugees.
Officially, Tran representsthe more than 460,000 resi-dents of the 69th AssemblyDistrict – covering parts ofAnaheim, Costa Mesa, Foun-tain Valley, Garden Grove andWestminster. But in spirit, herepresents all Vietnamese-Americans who came to thiscountry over the past 30years.
He is the first Viet-namese-American to assumestate office. Hubert Vo, a Dem-ocrat from Houston who waselected Nov. 2 to the TexasLegislature, will take his oathof office Jan. 11.
Nearly 100 of Tran’sfriends, family and supportersshared the joy and sorrow asthey converged on the Capitolon Monday. About 50 rode achartered bus from OrangeCounty, singing old-countrysongs, telling jokes and swap-ping stories during the ride.
Their festivities began witha Sunday dinner feast at aSacramento Chinese restau-rant with countless cognac-lu-bricated toasts, glasses raisedto honor Tran and his newbride, Cindy Nguyen. The cou-ple married Nov. 20 but post-poned a reception in OrangeCounty because of Tran’sbrother’s illness.
To accommodate support-ers here, Tran arranged a pri-vate swearing-in, staged in thegovernor’s press room, admin-istered by state SupremeCourt Chief Justice RonGeorge.
“This is truly, as you allknow, an historic occasion anda true American successstory,” George said before ad-ministering the oath, whichTran took by resting his handon a red-covered Vietnamese-language Bible.
In April 1975, when SouthVietnam was being overrun bythe communist North, Tran’sparents told their five childrenthat the family was leaving fora vacation. They have neverreturned.
The future lawmaker ar-rived in the United States at
age 10, knowing only two Eng-lish words: OK and Salem, af-ter the brand of cigarettes. Hebecame fascinated with poli-tics in college at UC Irvine,worked for two congressmen,earned a law degree and ranfor Garden Grove City Coun-cil. He spent two years cam-paigning for the Assembly, or-ganizing supporters andraising nearly $1 million.
His first day in office wasabout work as well as cere-mony. He introduced his firstbill, AB38, a measure to slashsalaries of members on 14state boards. The board mem-bers earn as much as $114,000a year for meeting just once amonth. Similar bills died inprevious sessions.
But few missed the symbol-ism of Tran’s inauguration.During his remarks to openthe session, AssemblySpeaker Fabian Nunez, D-LosAngeles, cited Tran as evi-dence of the Legislature’s –and the state’s – diversity.
Tao Mai, 70, a GardenGrove retiree and campaignvolunteer who hung hundredsof roadside signs for Tran,said he was awestruck by hisfirst visit to the Capitol.
A former South Vietnamesegovernment official who cameto America in 1993 after sur-viving 13 years in a postwarcommunist re-educationcamp, Mai put the speaker’scomments in different words.
“This building representsthe power of government,”Mai said through an interpret-er. “I am very happy becausenow I feel my people have aplace here.”
Tran could invite only twopeople to sit in the Assemblygallery to look down as he tookthe oath with 80 other law-makers. His brother Henry,looking thin and wearing astocking cap, sat with his fa-ther. He returned to his hotelroom, too weak to celebrate.
“How can you not be emo-tional?” Van Tran said later.“He’s my brother.”
WELL-WISHERS: Lynn Bach and professor Le Phuoc Sang,center, and other supporters listen as Van Tran is sworn in asthe first Vietnamese-American member of the Assembly.
THOR SWIFT, FOR THE REGISTER
TRAN: Brother isill with cancer
FROM PAG E 1
CONTACT THE WRITER: (9 1 6)
449-6048 or
“This is truly, as you all know, an historic occasion anda true American success story.”
S T A T E S U P R E M E C O U R T C H I E F J U S T I C E R O N G E O R G E
B E F O R E A D M I N I S T E R I N G O A T H O F O F F I C E T O
A S S E M B LY M A N V A N T R A N
ney, Hutchens tells old warstories and chats so much hehardly notices the surfers inthe gray waves along the sea-side tracks.
He and other Pearl Harborsurvivors revisit Dec. 7, 1941,from a 1949 railroad clublounge hitched to an Amtraktrain on the early-morningLos Angeles to San Diegoroute.
Hutchens and his wife, Fay,who live in Westminster,board the 8:02 a.m. train inAnaheim. They enter a carfilled with a couple of dozenhistory buffs sitting at diningtables and chattering besideexpansive picture windows.
Ken Lopez, 33, a member ofthe Airborne InterpretativeAssociation, strides down theaisle in a 1944-era Army cap-tain’s uniform he purchasedon eBay.
Hutchens leaps out of hislounge chair.
“Here comes an officer. I’dbetter salute him,” Hutchenssays with a grin.
The man with a buzz-cutand a green Eisenhower jacketlaughs with the veteran withthe white hair and a blue Ha-waiian shirt.
Minutes later, Lopez re-turns. He solemnly shakesHutchens’ hand.
“It’s you I should salute,” hetells him.
Lopez says veterans such asHutchens show him just howgood he has it.
“They’ve been through helland so they have a better out-look on life,” says Lopez, ofAnaheim. “I can sit on a trainall day and listen to theseguys.”
The locomotive speeds byCamp Pendleton, where Ma-rine values are painted on abuilding: honor, courage, com-mitment.
Hutchens befriends HerbAlexander, a Fullerton trainaficionado. Hutchens pulls hisPearl Harbor books out of abriefcase and shows Alexan-der the worn brochure of theUSS Arizona memorial.
“Oil comes up once inawhile from the Arizona,”Hutchens says. “They claimit’s tears from the sailors.”
The train ambles towardSan Diego, raindrops wettingthe windows. A Vietnam vet-eran emceeing the ride handsHutchens a microphone.
Hutchens was at Camp Ma-lakole, about 10 miles fromPearl Harbor.
“I was eating breakfast atthe time,” says the retiredpressman. “We ate at 7:45 onthe weekends. At five minutesto 8, we started hearing explo-sions. We saw these planesdiving down. Captain Lemongot out of bed, his pants werehalf up, his shirttail was out.He came out with a .45 in hishand and said: ‘C’mon, thewar’s on!’ ”
He saw the USS Arizona
aflame. Men scrambled toshoot. Some, who lackedweapons, hurled potatoes atplanes overhead.
In the chaos of the day,when Hutchens went to re-lieve a fellow soldier on guardduty, the soldier fired his rifleat him. The bullet in the cham-ber did not go off, he says.Hutchens, the son of a minis-ter, thanked God.
He was a kid who joined theNational Guard in Long Beachin 1940 to earn $4 a month. Hebegan the war as a bugler.
He served in Fiji and helpedreplace the troops killed at theBattle of the Bulge.
In the Hartz Mountains, acolorblind comrade saved hislife because he could detectthe camouflaged Germanshiding in trees.
“I credit my life to him.They should have more col-orblind guys in the service!”
He finished the war as an in-fantryman awarded theBronze Star.
His story ends simply.“I came back.”Alexander, 75, pats Hutch-
ens on the shoulder. Santa Ana resident Bill Ha-
trick, who owns the vintagetrain car, organizes the annualride to pay homage to PearlHarbor veterans and the roleof the railroad in war. Pas-sengers hear a recording ofFDR’s declaration of war.
“A few years ago, I heard a
statistic that was just remark-able to me, that we’re losingour World War II veterans atthe rate of 1,000 a day,” saysHatrick, 45. “It just stirred myheart.”
Remembering wasn’t soeasy for Hutchens once.
When the great-grandfa-ther returned from war, night-mares bloodied his knuckleswhen he pounded the walls inhis sleep. Once while walkingin Los Angeles, an airplaneflew overhead and Hutchensdashed for cover.
His wife married him in1953 not knowing that he livedthrough Pearl Harbor.
Then in 1962 he cameacross a notice for a PearlHarbor Survivors Association.He began to talk. He regularlysees men at parades, meetingsand funerals who know wherehe has been.
“We’re never together as afamily without him bringingup something about PearlHarbor, about being in the mil-itary,” said his daughter KarenBayne, who joins him today ata Pearl Harbor survivors con-vention in Ontario. “That’s soengrained in him, and I’m soglad really because I’ve heardof other people whose dadsdidn’t talk about it.”
Whistles blare in San Diegoand the train starts back forOrange County. A ukuleleband on board sings “GodBless America.” Hutchensjoins in over a lunch of sand-wiches and pasta. His wifeblots a crumb from his lip.
As passengers approachtheir stops in Irvine and SantaAna, they linger at his table.
“Nice to hear you,” onewoman says.
Hutchens and his wife standup before their stop in Ana-heim to say goodbye.
Hatrick, dressed as the con-ductor, says he’ll see Hutchensnext year.
“It takes me back in time,”the veteran says. “It looks likewe’ve got a permanent ride.”
PAST TIMES: Amanda Hatrick of Santa Ana, dressed as a stewardess for the Southern Pacific Railroad; and Dennis Leslieof Garden Grove, dressed as Gen. Douglas MacArthur, listen to a story on a Pearl Harbor Day trip from L.A. to San Diego.
PHOTOS: MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE REGISTER
TRAIN: History buffs saluteFROM PAG E 1
HISTORY: Dec. 7 survivor Warren Hutchens of Westminster,left, with re-enactors Paul Umbriaco, center, and Jeff Warner.
BackgroundThe Japanese surprise attack onthe U.S. naval base at Pearl Har-bor, Hawaii, began Sunday, Dec. 7,1 94 1, with 1 83 Japanese planes,followed by a second wave of 1 70planes. The attack lasted just un-der two hours. Some 2,403 Ameri-cans were killed, including 68 ci-vilians. About half of those killedwere aboard the battleship Ari-zona, which sank. A total of 2 1vessels were destroyed or dam-aged and 1 80 aircraft were de-stroyed. On Dec. 8, 1 94 1, Congressdeclared war on Japan.
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