[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 35 (Thursday, March 15, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO VAL ALVARADO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 15, 2001

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
a man of great courage and bravery, a man that this country owes a 
great debt to. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked a sleeping 
Pearl Harbor, killing over 2,400 sailors. 60 years later, Val Alvarado 
of Montrose, Colorado recalls the events that brought the United States 
of America into the Second World War. Val, who was 18 years old at the 
time, served aboard the USS Maryland. Val's job was to load gun powder 
into the war ship's 16 inch guns. This was often referred to as the 
``no warning'' tinder box of instant death.
  Val and his shipmates were lucky to survive the strike on Pearl 
Harbor, but those of the neighboring USS Oklahoma were not. But if it 
were not for the fact that the Oklahoma was anchored next to them, Val 
would not be here today. In less than two hours, the United States lost 
188 planes, 159 planes and had 18 U.S warships sunk or seriously 
crippled. But more than that, the U.S. lost over 2,400 service men, and 
another 1,100 were injured. One of the service men who died was a close 
boyhood friend of Val's. ``On the fifth day we had time to check on our 
buddies. I found out that my good friend Jimmy Robinson had been 
killed. . . . We both came from Montrose, we had gone to Morgan School 
in Montrose. Jimmy was the first man from Montrose to be killed in the 
war,'' Val remembered.
  After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Val was transferred to the USS 
McCalla, whose war prowess is the stuff of legends. The McCalla, with 
Val in tow, returned to the Pacific where it would earn three battle 
stars.
  During his time in the military, Val took part in the Armed Forces 
Olympics where he boxed in what the Armed Forces called the Nimitz 
Bowl. ``I won the fight between all the army, marines, and navy in the 
pacific theatre for my weight. I was pretty proud of that . . . I was 
pretty happy about that,'' according to Val.
  Mr. Speaker, over 50 million people died in World War II. It took the 
courage of 18 year olds like Val for America to eventually win the war. 
That is why I am asking that we take this moment to recognize and honor 
Val Alvarado for his service to this country, and to wish him good luck 
in his future endeavors.
  Val is the embodiment of the values that characterized the ``Greatest 
Generation''. For his service in WWII, America is exceedingly grateful.

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