[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 13 (Monday, February 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E129-E130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      JOSEPH THEODORE'S GOOD WORKS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 14, 2000

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, last year, too late for 
inclusion in the Congressional Record for 1999, I received a very 
inspiring packet of material from a resident of South Dartmouth, MA, 
Joseph Theodore, Jr. As the accompanying article from the New Bedford 
Standard Times points out, Mr. Theodore decided nearly 30 years ago to 
respond to the anguish that our country was undergoing as a result of 
the debate over the war in Vietnam by flying a flag 24 hours a day from 
a very prominent spot in the city of New Bedford, which I am privileged 
to represent. As the column by Hank Seaman notes, every day since 1971, 
a total of 341 flags--``which had draped the coffins of SouthCoast 
servicemen, have flown from the former fire station observation spire 
overlooking Route I-195'' in New Bedford. In addition to his wonderful 
gesture with regard to the permanently flying, illuminated American 
flag, Mr. Theodore has devoted his efforts to calling attention to the 
44-year-old U.N. Peace Tree. Mr. Theodore three years ago called 
attention to this tree, which had been planted by 25 New Bedford 
residents in 1955, as a symbol of dedication to world peace. At a time 
when some have unfairly doubted the importance of the United Nations, I 
think it is worth some attention that thanks to Mr. Theodore's efforts, 
the city of New Bedford has re-dedicated this tree as a symbol of our 
hopes for world peace.
  John Doherty's article from the New Bedford Standard Times describes 
the impressive ceremony in which Mayor Frederick Kalisz, Jr. and 
members of St. Paul's Methodist Church congregation joined Mr. Theodore 
in rededicated the tree.
  Mr. Speaker, the efforts of Mr. Theodore to celebrate our country 
through the permanently illuminated American flag, and to reaffirm our 
dedication to world peace with the U.N. playing an important part, are 
good examples of how a citizen can take actions which bring out the 
best in us. I commend Mr. Theodore's example to others and hope that it 
may be an inspiration to people elsewhere in the country and submit the 
aforementioned article for the Record.

                           Hometown Snapshots

                            (By Hank Seaman)

       If ever New Bedford has had a super patriot, Joe Theodore 
     is the one.
       The man is so committed to the concept of love of country 
     that he'd like to see a United States flag fly from every 
     public building and private home--at all times.
       ``In the 1960s and early '70s the Vietnam war was tearing 
     this country apart. I was ashamed * * * angered * * * 
     saddened by the division. I thought the country was dying. I 
     wanted to do something to encourage our fighting men, and 
     promote peace and unity at home.''
       He hit upon the idea of flying a flag 24 hours a day--
     ``Illuminated from dusk to dawn with a light for peace''--in 
     what is now known as Old Glory Tower.
       Every day since 1971, a total of 341 flags--which had 
     draped the coffins of South Coast servicemen--have flown from 
     the former fire station observation spire overlooking Route 
     I-195.

[[Page E130]]

       All thanks to Joseph Theodore Jr.
       Better still, over the years, many American communities 
     have started to follow New Bedford's lead, and now illuminate 
     flags above their own public buildings.
       But the retired New Bedford wiring inspector would love to 
     go one step further. If he had his way, every nation's flag 
     would be similarly lighted.
       ``My No. 1 goal is to get the United Nations to illuminate 
     each country's flag.'' Not only in the United Nations, he 
     emphasizes, but over every national capitol as well. ``I want 
     to illuminate every flag, everywhere, with lights for world 
     peace.''
       A lofty objective?
       Certainly.
       But it is fueled by one man's genuine desire for global 
     harmony and love of country. And he comes by this love 
     honestly, he maintains.
       ``Uncle Sam grabbed me the day I got drafted for World War 
     II * * * and he's never let go.''
       And while the self-described ``just a little guy from New 
     Bedford'' downplays his four years of U.S. Army infantry duty 
     with the 26th Yankee Division during WWII, his two Purple 
     Hearts tell a different story.
       Anyone wounded twice when two different vehicles were 
     blasted out from beneath him by land mines is a pretty big 
     man by anyone's yardstick. And when you couple that with how 
     Joe Theodore went on to become an unwitting eyewitness to 
     history in three entirely different--though equally 
     impressive--ways, it does nothing but improve his statute.
       One proud memory was his time spent as President Truman's 
     unofficial bodyguard at the Potsdam Conference in July 1945. 
     His job was to chauffeur the secret service group charged 
     with protecting the president for the nearly month-long 
     series of historic meetings with British Prime Minister 
     Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Josef Stalin.
       ``I would see President Truman and Winston Churchill nearly 
     every day,'' he recounted. And when he got one glimpse--
     however brief--of the highly protected Soviet premiere, as 
     well, he calculated he was one of the few American GIs to do 
     so.
       That month-long Potsdam stint, however, is perhaps the only 
     period of Joe Theodore's entire WWII experience that is not 
     equated with horror and sadness.
       Whether inspecting Hitler's underground bunker in Berlin 
     mere weeks after the end mad architect of World War II 
     committed suicide, or reacting to the repugnance of naked 
     bodies piled high in the concentration camps, Mr. Theodore 
     viewed some strange, horrible sights.
       ``Many things I'd like to forget,'' he adds softly.
       Even more than he could possibly have known at the time, 
     these experiences instilled a revulsion to war that has only 
     deepened with the passage of time. ``Wars are stupid. We 
     simply have to learn to live with one another. Today we are 
     friends. Tomorrow, we're killing each other.''
       And he has been on a quest for peace--and the illumination 
     of flags--every since.
       ``I'm living two lives,'' Mr. Theodore explains. ``One for 
     my family (his wife of 58 years, Hilda, their two children, 
     and one grandson), the other for Uncle Sam.''
       Having seen the carnage of war firsthand, his rationale is 
     simple. ``When I saw those piles of naked bodies I didn't 
     know whether they were Jewish, Polish, German * * * or even 
     American * * * All I knew was they were human rights 
     beings.'' He shakes his head sadly.
       ``That was enough.''

                                  ____
                                  

                 [From the New Bedford Standard Times]

                           (By John Doherty)

       New Bedford--City officials and members of the St. Paul's 
     Methodist Church congregation hope the United Nations takes 
     notice of a small ceremony held last night.
       St. Paul's congregants joined Mayor Frederick M. Kalisz Jr. 
     last night in lighting a ``peace tree'' at the church on the 
     corner of Rockdale Avenue and Kempton Street.
       The tree, a stately ginkgo, was planted 44 years ago as 
     part of a worldwide observance of the formation of the United 
     Nations.
       ``This will alert all people who enter the city from the 
     west side of the dream of peace we all share,'' said the Rev. 
     Dogba Bass, of St. Paul's.
       Several of the schoolchildren--grown now, of course--who 
     participated in the planting of the ginkgo in 1955 were 
     present at the lighting ceremony last night.
       The tree, strung with 200 white bulbs, is scheduled to stay 
     lighted through the rest of 1999, and is one of the features 
     of the planned millennium celebration in New Bedford.
       The city was one of about 200 communities designated a 
     Millennium City by the White House.
       Joseph Theodore, a member of American Legion Post 1 in New 
     Bedford, originally pushed for the lighting.
       In remarks last night, he likened the lighting of the tree 
     to another tradition that began in New Bedford.
       The first American flag lit up at night as a symbol of 
     peace was lit in New Bedford.
       Now, American flags around the country and at U.S. 
     embassies worldwide follow the example set here.
       Trees were planted all over the world in observance of the 
     formation of the UN, said Mr. Theodore, and it is not 
     unimaginable to think the lighting at St. Paul's last night 
     could be duplicated elsewhere.

                                  ____
                                  

          Mayor To Light 44-year-old United Nations Peace Tree

       New Bedford--Mayor Frederick M. Kalisz Jr. and The Rev. 
     Dogba R. Bass of St. Paul's United Methodist Church will 
     participate in a tree lighting ceremony this evening, to mark 
     the 44th anniversary of the United Nations Peace Tree located 
     in New Bedford's West End.
       The peace tree, which stands in front of St. Paul's United 
     Methodist Church at Kempton Street and Rockdale Avenue, was 
     planted in 1955 by children of the congregation to 
     commemorate the 10th anniversary of ``U.N. Charter Day,'' or 
     ``World Order Day.''
       Chartered Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations offered hope as 
     a new forum for resolving conflicts before they escalated 
     into war.
       Mayor Kalisz is lighting the peace tree as part of the 
     city's millennium celebrations, the theme of which is 
     ``illumination,'' Mayor Kalisz said. ``The children of St. 
     Paul's Methodist Church gathered on this very spot to plant 
     this tree as a gesture of hope that all governments would 
     join the United Nations and work toward world peace.''
       The suggestion to incorporate the event into the city's 
     millennium celebrations was made by Joseph Theodore Jr., a 
     longtime Americanism officer for New Bedford Post 1 American 
     Legion.
       Director of Tourism Arthur P. Motta Jr. researched the 
     tree, a Ginkgo, and said it is a rare and ancient species 
     that dates back to the Permian Period of the Paleozoic Era, 
     some 230 million years ago.
       ``The Ginkgo survives today because the Buddhist Monks of 
     northern China considered it to be sacred, cultivating it in 
     their temple gardens,'' said Motta. ``Because of its high 
     resistance to disease and its medical value, the Ginkgo has 
     been referred to as the `Tree of Life.' ''
       Several of the children who participated in the original 
     ceremony in 1955 are expected to attend the event. The 
     ceremony will take place on today at 6 p.m.

     

                          ____________________