[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 121 (Friday, September 6, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10022-S10023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        TRIBUTE TO THE CHEMICAL MORTAR BATTALION OF THE 3D ARMY

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I want to take a moment to pay 
tribute to a group of very special people. During the last weekend in 
this month of September, the 91st Chemical Mortar Battalion of the 3d 
Army will be celebrating their 51st reunion in the fine town of 
Wheeling in my State of West Virginia. These men gather each year in 
their respective States to celebrate their outstanding efforts in the 
Second World War.
  While this Nation has many fine heroes from those years, these men 
are very unique because they are part of the Allied Forces who served 
under

[[Page S10023]]

Gen. George S. Patton and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. As we all 
know, that battle is very important because it was the last German 
offensive on the Western Front during World War II. It gets its 
distinct name from the bulge or wedge of Germans that drove into Allied 
lines in December 1944 and January 1945. The Battle of the Bulge became 
an unsuccessful attempt to push the Allies back from German home 
territory. By January 8, 1945, the Germans made an orderly withdrawal 
having used all their resources they could afford trying to regain the 
west. These men kept the force and prevented Hitler from repossessing 
lands that were not his. They even assisted in the liberation of 
Hitler's labor camps and saw the faces of those who survived. The 
Battle of the Bulge was one of great magnitude and as a result there 
were 77,000 Allied and 130,000 German casualties. These heroes should 
be proud to celebrate and tell their stories.
  These men caused the height of General Patton's career as they made 
the dramatic sweep in his 3d Army across northern France in the summer 
of 1944. Under Patton, these men played a strategic role in defending 
Bastogne, Belgium in the Battle of the Bulge in December of that year. 
By January 1945, they had reached the German frontier and the United 
States counteroffensive began. George Patton was an outstanding 
practitioner of mobile tank warfare in World War II. His strict 
discipline, toughness, and sacrifice were well known within his ranks, 
leading to his being referred to by his men as ``Old Blood-and-Guts.''
  Mr. President, I just wanted to take this time to have us all reflect 
and think about those men who fought for world peace during World War 
II. As the ranking member of the Senate Veteran's Affairs Committee, I 
hold a special place in my heart for every man and woman who serves our 
country. While every veteran of war is unique and deserves our Nation's 
honor, these 80 or so men gathered in Wheeling, WV, this month merit a 
special tribute. It is now 1996 and there is no more Hitler, there are 
no more concentration camps, and Patton no longer lives. These men 
fought and lived in a time that has now become history. May they meet, 
share their stories, and rejoice for who they are and what they have 
done. Let us all be proud to have these men come to West Virginia and 
celebrate their 51st reunion as the 91st Chemical Mortar Battalion of 
the 3d Army.

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