109 HRES 1048 IH: Honoring the courageous actions of Minnie U.S. House of Representatives 2006-09-27 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 109th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1048 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 27, 2006 Mr. Honda (for himself, Mr. Evans, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Hyde, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mr. Towns, Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Schiff, and Ms. Matsui) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform RESOLUTION Honoring the courageous actions of Minnie Vautrin during the Rape of Nanking during World War II.

Whereas the Japanese Army’s invasion and occupation of Nanking, China, in 1937 is historically known as the “Rape of Nanking”; Whereas during that tragic atrocity, an estimated 300,000 innocent Chinese civilians were killed by the Japanese army and over 20,000 were raped, with some estimates as high as 80,000; Whereas Minnie Vautrin was born on September 27, 1886 in Secor, Illinois; Whereas in 1912, Miss Vautrin went to China as a missionary and educator and while there served on the faculty of Ginling College in Nanking for more than 20 years; Whereas when the Japanese army invaded Nanking on December 13, 1937, Miss Vautrin, and the other few non-Chinese people in the city who refused to evacuate, worked to protect the civilians who were mostly women and children; Whereas by using the American flag and obtaining proclamations from the American Embassy in China maintaining Ginling College as a sanctuary, Miss Vautrin repelled incursions into the campus; Whereas Miss Vautrin risked her own life and valiantly protected over 10,000 women and children in Ginling from the Japanese army; and Whereas survivors of the Rape of Nanking were so grateful to Miss Vautrin that they gave her the names “Living Goddess” and “Goddess of Mercy”: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress honors— (1)Minnie Vautrin’s commitment to education and humanitarianism and to saving thousands of lives; and (2)Miss Vautrin’s sacrifice, courage, humanity, and commitment to peace, mercy, hope, and justice during the violent Rape of Nanking.