[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              BLACK BERETS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, last Thursday I was honored 
to have two former Army Rangers visit my Washington office. Sergeant 
David Nielsen was just finishing a grueling 750-mile march from Fort 
Benning, Georgia, to Washington, D.C. For much of the march, he was 
accompanied by Sergeant Bill Round, a fellow Ranger, a Vietnam veteran 
and a constituent of mine.
  The purpose behind this march was simple. They wanted to protest a 
recent directive issued by the Army Chief of Staff that makes the black 
beret, the long-standing symbol of the Rangers, standard issue for all 
Army soldiers.
  Mr. Speaker, our Rangers are unique. They volunteer to undergo 
intense training and endure great sacrifices in the name of freedom. At 
the end of their training, they are presented with the black beret. The 
beret has a long history beginning with Rogers Rangers who fought 
during the French and Indian War.
  In 1951, Ranger units at Fort Benning, Georgia, began wearing the 
black beret; and in 1975, the Department of Army officially authorized 
Rangers, and only Rangers, to wear the black beret.
  No matter where we have called our Rangers to serve, Korea, Vietnam, 
the Gulf War, Somalia, they have done so with honor and distinction.
  As we sat in my office, Sergeant Nielsen told me about another 
Ranger, a silent marcher who also accompanied him on this journey. His 
name was PFC James Markwell. PFC Markwell and Sergeant Nielsen had just 
recently completed their Ranger training when our country called upon 
them to participate in the invasions of Panama. They both answered the 
call knowing that the mission could cost them their lives, which was, 
indeed, the case for PFC Markwell.
  After Markwell was killed in action, it was Sergeant Nielsen who was 
assigned to recover his body and accompany his fallen comrade home on 
his final journey.
  As Sergeant Nielsen marched to Washington, he carried in his cargo 
pocket the very essence of every Ranger, the black beret of his fallen 
brother.
  The black beret is more than a symbol of an elite fighting unit. It 
is an outward symbol of those who have gone before, those Rangers who 
fell in combat, and those who have returned to their families.
  It is also about the commitment of today's Rangers who sacrifice 
much, who leave the comforts of their families, and place themselves in 
harm's way when duty calls.
  On June 14 of the year 2001, by directive of the United States Army 
Chief of Staff, all U.S. Army soldiers will be issued a black beret as 
standard issue.
  The Special Forces will still wear their green berets. Our Airborne 
troops will still wear their maroon berets. But after a quarter century 
of being the only soldiers authorized to wear the black beret, the 
Rangers will be without the beret that has stood as their symbol of 
pride and tradition.
  As if all of this were not enough, it has recently come to light that 
the Pentagon has bypassed the ``Buy American'' law and purchased the 
bulk of the 3 million berets from Communist China. In my opinion, this 
only adds insult to injury. For the life of me, I cannot understand why 
the Pentagon wants our soldiers to wear headgear produced in a 
communist country and at a cost of $35 million.
  I do not think a potential adversary should be producing a beret that 
has come to symbolize honor and valor. This is one more example of 
political correctness gone wrong.
  Social engineering within the armed forces of the United States is a 
policy Bill Clinton started. It has been divisive and distracting to 
the morale of our forces; and it needs to end, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to, again, thank 
Sergeant Nielsen and Sergeant Round for their efforts to bring 
attention to this most important issue. They are two men who served our 
Nation honorably and who do not want to see the black beret sacrificed 
in the name of political correctness.
  Mr. Speaker, I close by saying God bless the men and women in uniform 
and God bless America.

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