[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 27, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
    COMMEMORATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF GUAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hinchey). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Guam [Mr. Underwood] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I just returned from Guam where I 
attended the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of 
Guam and I want to take this opportunity to share with this body and 
with the nation some thoughts on this important event.
  Over 1,200 veterans of the World War II battle to liberate Guam 
returned to our island as guests of the people of Guam to commemorate 
the sacrifices that freed our island from enemy occupation, the only 
American community occupied in World War II.
  A highlight of the 50th anniversary commemoration was the dedication 
of a memorial wall that stands as a great testimony to the courage 
heroism and sacrifice of two groups of people who came together 50 
years ago: One was in uniform and the other was in rags, one used 
weapons of war and the other used tools for survival, one came in from 
the sea and the other came down from the hills, one left their families 
behind, and the other tried to keep their families with them, one 
liberated the island from without and the other liberated the island 
from within.
  In their meeting the great historical drama that Guam alone could 
play came to pass, as American soil was liberated from enemy hands, the 
very first American soil to be occupied since the War of 1812.
  The battle-hardened American fighting men came to Guam concerned 
about meeting a determined enemy. One Marine veteran from the 3d Marine 
Division, Mr. Ken Rulf of Grand Junction, CO, wrote to me and his 
perception was typical of the liberators:

       . . . back in 1944 I was a 19-year-old kid who didn't know 
     very much about Guam except that is was important for us to 
     recapture it.

  But these men soon came to understand the special nature of this 
battle among all of those in the pacific, indeed among all the battles 
of World War II. This was a reoccupation; this was retaking what was 
once lost, what was once American. And as they saw our people come down 
from the hills, the soldiers and marines broke down, and they openly 
wept as they saw Guam's children carrying handmade American flags, 
imperfect in their design, yet perfectly clear in their representation.
  Many veterans of the war in the Pacific, not just those who served on 
Guam, but also those who served on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, 
Peleliu, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, have written to me in 
support of our efforts to honor those who fought in the 
Pacific theater. While D-day has come to mean Normandy, and while 
Normandy has attracted national media attention, it is a sad commentary 
that the Pacific War veterans are left out, are neglected, are 
forgotten, are denied the honor that this country owes them. As Mr. 
Emory Aherst of Atlanta reminds us, every island had its D-day too.

  Guam has not forgotten--Guam has honored the veterans. Last month 
here in Washington, we hosted a memorial service and wreath laying 
ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National 
Cemetery. While the ceremony in Normandy attracted scores of the 
Nation's leadership to cross the Atlantic, few crossed the Potomac 
River to attend our remembrance service at Arlington.
  Some of the most touching letters I have received were from the 
widows, sons, and daughters of Pacific War veterans who wrote to say 
that they never fully appreciated what their husbands or fathers went 
through, but are now just starting to understand. People like Brad 
Burke of Birmingham, AL, Mrs. J. Grounds of Corpus Christi, TX, and 
Pauline Kincaid Sauers of Santa Maria, CA. Each had a story to tell, 
each remembers a loved one who was a Pacific War veteran.
  We will continue to tell the story of Guam and the war in the Pacific 
as we relate our experiences to comrades, old friends and new friends, 
and as we remember those who died in the conflict by bombs, mortars, 
hand grenades and rifle fire, and those civilians who were sacrificed 
by the brutality of swords and firing squads by an enemy occupier.
  And we will continue to tell the story if for no other reason than 
that the story must be told--to ourselves if not others--for the sake 
of future generations as well as past ones. The stories which comprise 
this great historical drama remind us not only that brutality and 
violence can befall any people, but that all people are capable of 
courage. The stories teach us great lessons about freedom, sacrifice, 
and conviction. And if for no one else in the world, we must remain 
inspired by the history which occurred on Guam, our own history of an 
American community, occupied and liberated 50 years ago.

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