[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 34 (Thursday, February 23, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H2151-H2152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  2030
 IN HONOR OF THOSE SERVICEMEN WHO FOUGHT AND WON THE BATTLE OF IWO JIMA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I certainly thank the Speaker, and I thank 
the former speaker in the well, the gentleman from Mississippi [Sonny 
Montgomery]. He is certainly one of the strongest supporters of our 
veterans in this Nation, and I take my hat off to him.
  Mr. Speaker, having had the privilege of serving in the U.S. Marine 
Corps, I'm especially pleased to participate in this special order 
tonight to honor those courageous servicemen who fought and won the 
epic battle of Iwo Jima during World War Two. The men faced death 
against great odds and many, in fact, lost their lives on this island 
halfway around the world. The significance of their efforts is timeless 
and worthy of continued attention. In fact, if not for the efforts of 
these selfless patriots, we almost certainly would not be the leader of 
the free world, a position we have retained ever since their victory. 
In that respect, Mr. Speaker, each and every citizen in this country, 
of all ages, owe an extreme debt of gratitude to these defenders of 
freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, words cannot possibly do justice to the horrific events 
and extraordinary feats of valor that comprised this bloodiest of 
battles in Marine Corps history. However, in an attempt to demonstrate 
the burdens under which these brave soldiers performed, it is necessary 
to review what was at stake as they approached the beaches of Iwo Jima 
that February morning in 1945. When we begin to acknowledge the extent 
of their sacrifice, it will become clear that this battle was not only 
momentous and a turning point then, but has implications even today.
  Strategically, this 8-square mile hunk of rock (known as the island 
of Iwo Jima) was as crucial to ending the war with Japan as attacks on 
their mainland. The reason being, even our superior B-29 bombers 
couldn't effectively raid the Japanese mainland, because accompanying 
fighter planes couldn't make the long trip from United States bases on 
the Mariana Islands to the mainland. Without these fighter escorts, the 
bombers were subject to Japanese attacks, because radar gave the 
Japanese 2-hour advance notice of the bombers' arrival. As a result, 
Mr. Speaker, Iwo Jima, which lay exactly between the Mariana Islands 
and Japan, became a necessity, if we were to break the Japanese will 
and end the war.
  The troops going in that day clearly understood the significance, as 
it was the largest Marine force ever deployed for one mission, and 
these patriotic souls were prepared to sacrifice their lives to attain 
this island. It was a battle of will on will, Mr. Speaker, a strict 
frontal assault on a position defended to the maximum extent, yet they 
refused to yield.
  In the end, one third of all marines killed in World War Two died on 
this uninhabited Pacific island. However, they died of single task and 
single mind, seizing this island in the spirit of democracy and liberty 
over imperialism and oppression. I'd like to share a quote of Maj. Gen. 
Graves B. Erskine, who commanded the 3d Marine Division in this battle. 
It sums up the commitment of these men to overcoming such unparalleled 
burdens.

       Victory was never in doubt. Its cost was. What was in doubt 
     (in all our minds) was whether there would be any of us left 
     . . . at the end, or whether the last Marine would die 
     knocking out the last Japanese gun and gunner.

  It's hard to imagine the adversity each and every man storming this 
island was faced with. However, Mr. Speaker, this battle not only 
represented the costliest in terms of casualties that the Marine Corps 
ever experienced in its almost 200-year history but it also produced 
the most Congressional Medals of Honor in the war. Confronting death 
against great odds, these men responded above and beyond the call of 
duty. Pitting their will against that of the Japanese, Mr. Speaker, 
made it no contest in the eyes of these honorable Americans.
 After all, they had the will of free people throughout the world on 
their side.

  To that end, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to share with you the 
extraordinary feats of one such Congressional Medal of Honor winner 
from my home State of New York, Pfc. Douglas Thomas Jacobson of 
Rochester, NY. As a member of the 4th Marine Division on February 26, 
1945, Jacobson waged a battle to penetrate the Japanese cross-island 
defense. Private Jacobson, just 19 years of age, singlehandedly 
destroyed 16 enemy positions allowing his unit to gain the strong 
ground and breach the defense of the enemy. Mr. Speaker, the spirit and 
valor of this man went undaunted in the face of an established and 
fortified enemy. All of us could only hope we could respond as 
selflessly and honorably as Douglas Jacobson. Appropriately, he was 
honored again this past week at the 50th anniversary of the onset of 
the battle by President Clinton.
  The actions of people like Pfc. Douglas Jacobson was of immediate 
significance. Seizing the island of Iwo Jima allowed fighters to escort 
the bombers on their missions over Japan, but of equal importance, it 
provided a secure airfield for emergency landings when returning from 
these air raids. According to the Navy Office of Information, by wars 
end, 2,400 bombers with 27,000 crewmen made emergency landings on Iwo 
Jima airfields.
  However, Mr. Speaker, the significance goes beyond even that, if you 
can imagine. This was a fight that took place half way around the world 
yet reeked of American spirit and democratic consequences. It marked 
the beginning of our realization that this Nation must carry the torch 
for freedom against imperialist domination and tyranny. Mr. Speaker, 
this victory and the victory in World War Two geared us for our fight 
against Communist oppression which made its face known shortly 
thereafter. Now, communism has been dealt a major blow yet it lingers 
on in places like Cuba and China where people are subject to repugnant 
human rights violations and denial of basic dignity. Even more nations 
are ruled by harsh dictators without respect for individual freedoms, 
and who are content to jeopardize the very existence of their people in 
order to sustain their elitist inner circle.
  The lessons of Iwo Jima and events in World War Two, prove that we 
need to maintain preparedness in order to overcome such imperialism. 
Furthermore, it is an insult to freedom fighters such as those who lost 
their lives in Iwo Jima when we constantly yield privileges such as 
equal trade status to empires like China, an empire that 
[[Page H2152]]  speaks of taking over the independent province of 
Taiwan and continues to enslave the people of Tibet. Mr. Speaker, it 
remains imperative that we maintain our military presence and 
preparedness to instill confidence in our many democratic allies, while 
providing a beacon for those who suffer under the oppression occurring 
everyday. We simply cannot ignore these threats from the outside world. 
Mr. Speaker, I quote then Vice-President Richard Nixon upon the 
dedication of the Iwo Jima memorial in 1954:

       This statue symbolizes the hopes and dreams of America and 
     the real purposes of our foreign policy. We realize that to 
     retain freedom for ourselves, we must be concerned when 
     people in other parts of the world may lose theirs.

  Mr. Speaker, this rings true today as it did then. May we never 
forget the sacrifices of these men on behalf of this maxim. Indeed, 
there is no greater representation, here or in the world, of the 
advance of democracy over imperialism, than the statue in Arlington 
Cemetery which depicts victorious ambassadors of freedom raising the 
American flag over this outpost of imperialism. Mr. Speaker, may we 
continue to learn from their sacrifice and contain those bent on 
denying freedom and destroying democracy.

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