[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 88 (Friday, June 14, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO THE U.S. ARMY ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 221ST BIRTHDAY

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, the U.S. Army was born 221 years ago 
today on a village square in Cambridge, MA when a group of colonials 
mustered together to form an army under the authority of the 
Continental Congress. As this force went on to confront the Redcoats at 
Lexington, and to ultimately defeat the British in 1783, it is no 
exaggeration to say that the birth of the Continental Army resulted in 
the birth of our Nation. More than 2 centuries later, both the United 
States and its Army are recognized throughout the world as being 
unequaled, and I rise today to salute the Army on its birthday.
  The history of our Nation and our Army are intertwined, and the 
battle streamers of that service stand not only as testament to the 
courage, fortitude, and abilities of those who served in the Army, but 
chronicle the evolution of the United States. The Army was present when 
the shot heard around the world was fired, and in Yorktown when the 
British surrendered, not only admitting defeat to the Americans, but 
validating that we were a free and separate nation. It was Lewis and 
Clark, two Army officers, who explored the unknown west before that 
region became territories and states. It was the Army that entered 
Mexico City, and our victory in the war with Mexico helped to expand 
our southwestern borders. At Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, and dozens 
of other blood stained battlefields, it was the soldiers of one 
American army fighting the soldiers of another American army for the 
very future of this Nation. In Havana and the Philippines, the American 
Army fought Spanish imperialism, and at Verdun, Doughboys battled 
German imperialism. Army Air Corpsmen lost their lives on that Day of 
Infamy that began World War II, and dogfaced GI's battled the Nazis, 
the Fascists, and the Imperial Japanese in North Africa, Sicily, 
Normandy, Arnhem, and throughout the Pacific. In the early days of the 
cold war, American soldiers dug in on the southern tip of Korea, 
creating the Pusan perimeter and holding the line against the advancing 
North Koreans, and it was American soldiers who stormed the walls at 
Inchon to turn the tide of the Korean conflict in favor of the United 
Nations. In the Ia Drang Valley, and in countless firefights in 
nameless locations throughout the jungles, mountains, and rice paddies 
of Vietnam, American soldiers valiantly fought to help the fledgling 
nation of South Vietnam become a democracy; and in Grenada, Panama, and 
Kuwait, the American Army deposed tyrants and brought terror-filled 
regimes of dictators to an end.

  In its 221 years of history, the U.S. Army has distinguished itself 
time and time again, and though many things have changed about the 
Army, the quality and dedication of its soldiers has remained 
unwavering. The men and women who wear the Army green are individuals 
who willingly bear many sacrifices so that their countrymen may remain 
safe, secure, and free. Too few of us ever take the time to think of 
the soldiers patrolling the demilitarized zone of the Korean Peninsula 
where there is always the chance that hostilities may break out; or of 
the soldiers stationed on the Sinai, where they help to ensure the 
peace between Egypt and Israel remains strong; or of the young 
paratrooper at Fort Bragg who is ready to deploy to anyplace in the 
world at a moment's notice. To these soldiers the phrase ``Duty, Honor, 
Country'' is more than a collection of mere words, it is the creed by 
which they live their lives, and we are indeed fortunate for their 
dedication and selflessness.
  For more than 30 years, it was American soldiers who faced down the 
Soviets across the Iron Curtain, and when democracy and individual 
rights ultimately triumphed over communism and collective subjugation, 
it was thanks in large part to the vigilance of the thousands of 
soldiers who served on the front lines of the cold war. With the fall 
of the Communist bloc, the threats to the United States have changed, 
and the Army is redefining its mission. The Army must now be prepared 
to respond to regional crises, carry out humanitarian missions, and 
peacekeeping roles, as well as to be prepared to deal with terrorists 
and rogue nations. Rest assured, however, that with whatever task that 
the Army of the United States of America is charged, it will complete 
its assignment successfully, and it will remain the best trained and 
best equipped force in the world.
  Mr. President, if the soldiers of the Continental Army could see 
their late 20th century brothers and sisters in arms, they would be 
amazed at the differences between the Minuteman and the soldier of 
Force XXI. Rifled muskets have given way to selective fire, magazine-
fed weapons systems that allow soldiers to see in the dark and fire a 
multitude of munitions. The horse cavalry has been replaced by the 
Bradley fighting vehicle, a weapons platform that has the firepower of 
the divisions of old; and Army helicopters that comprise one of the 
largest air forces in the world, now transport and support with 
supplies and firepower the infantry. Combined, all these elements 
guarantee the success and superiority of the American Army and that 
wherever it goes, our soldiers will persevere over any foe. I am 
pleased to have this opportunity to celebrate the history of the U.S. 
Army, to thank those soldiers who have served in the past and who serve 
today, and to assure my colleagues that our Army will always stand 
ready to defend our citizens and our Nation from all who threaten us, 
just as they have for the past 220 years.

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