[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2231-E2232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMEMORATING THE ARDENNES AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 15, 2000

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, on December 4, 2000, 1 and my good friend from 
California, Representative Sam Farr, had the honor and privilege of 
visiting the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, near the village 
of Neupre in Belgium. The visit was an extremely moving experience, and 
I am grateful to have had the opportunity not only to view the 
beautifully maintained cemetery and memorial, but to lay a wreath in 
honor of the Americans who gave their lives in protection of their 
nation and the liberation of Europe.
  The Ardennes American Cemetery is one of 14 permanent American World 
War 11 military cemeteries constructed on foreign soil by the American 
Battle Monuments Commission. It lies among the battlefields of the 
Ardennes plateau, across which American and Allied forces courageously 
fought their way first to the German frontier, then to the Rhine River, 
and eventually into the very heart of Nazi Germany. On December 16, 
1944, a major German counteroffensive stalled the Allied advancement 
across the Ardennes. The ``Battle of the Bulge,'' as the Ardennes-
Alsace Campaign has come to be known, proved to be a furious struggle 
in bitter cold and harsh conditions, and in the first days of 1945, all 
attacks ground to a halt. On February 2, 1945, the First U.S. Army 
struck out to the Roer River. Six days later, the Canadian First Army 
advanced to the southeast, followed by a converging attack in the 
northeast by the Ninth U.S. Army. In the following weeks, the Allies 
found success and continued their march eastward toward the Rhine 
River. By the end of March, Allied armies, including French forces, 
advanced into Germany across a broad front.
  Allied forces liberated the site of the Ardennes American Cemetery in 
September 1944, and a temporary cemetery was established on February 8, 
1945. After the war, the remains of American military personnel buried 
in temporary cemeteries were moved to the new permanent foreign 
cemeteries upon the request of next of kin. Many of those interred at 
the Ardennes American Cemetery died during the Battle of the Bulge and 
the subsequent offenses and counter-offenses in the region.
  The beauty and grandeur of the cemetery and memorial at Ardennes 
quietly convey the courage and sacrifice of the Americans who lost 
their lives on foreign soil while fighting for the highest principles 
on which their nation was established. The grounds and visitor center 
are wonderfully maintained by a diligent and knowledgeable staff. In 
particular, I would like to thank the Cemetery Superintendent, Hans 
Hooker, and his wife Virginia, for the wonderful treatment our 
delegation received on our visit. I would also like to recognize 
Vincent Joris for his valuable contribution in the upkeep of cemetery.
  One of the more interesting and heartwarming aspects of the Ardennes 
cemetery is the support and commitment shown to it by the people of 
Belgium. In fact, 85 percent of the soidiers' graves at Ardennes are 
``sponsored'' by a Belgian family, who watch over

[[Page E2232]]

the site, ensure that it is in a good state of repair, and even place 
flowers or other memorials at the grave on special occasions. All 
Americans should be very grateful for this outpouring of fellowship and 
allegiance by the people of Belgium.
  Representative Farr and I were honored to be the first members of 
Congress to visit the Ardennes Cemetery and Memorial in its 55 year 
history. As we laid a wreath for those who perished during World War 
11, and gazed upon the crisp rows of white crosses, I was struck by a 
sense of awe, pride and humility. Over 5,000 men are buried at 
Ardennes, more than 100 of which hailed from my home state of 
Wisconsin. Men from almost every state are buried there, as well 
soldiers from 11 countries. The unity of effort to defeat Nazism and 
fascism is reflected in the solemnity of the individual grave markers 
creating the greater unit of a single, expansive cross.
  I encourage all Americans to take advantage of the enriching 
experience of visiting U.S. battle memorials and cemeteries when 
traveling overseas. Such excursions give individuals and families an 
opportunity to reunite with their past--to find and touch the graves of 
friends and loved ones lost in the great battles of the 20th Century, 
or simply to study a chapter of American history in surroundings that 
inspire both pride and reflection. In fact, in Fiscal Year 1999, over 
10 million visitors were hosted by the American Battle Monument 
Commission, at 24 permanent cemeteries and 27 memorials located in 15 
countries around the globe.
  I also commend the Commission and their staff worldwide for their 
dedication to the preservation of American graves, American history, 
and American principles. As the battles of the World Wars begin to fade 
into history, it is important that we, as a nation, recognize and 
reflect on our past involvements across the oceans. These experiences 
shaped the course of our Nation's greatness in the years since, and 
neither those events, nor the men and women who perished in their 
making, should ever be forgotten.

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