[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 70 (Monday, May 21, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H2338-H2340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 56) expressing the sense of 
the Congress regarding National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 56

       Whereas on December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy and 
     Air Force attacked units of the Armed Forces of the United 
     States stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii;
       Whereas 2,403 members of the Armed Forces of the United 
     States were killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor;
       Whereas there are more than 12,000 members of the Pearl 
     Harbor Survivors Association;
       Whereas the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor 
     will be December 7, 2001;
       Whereas on August 23, 1994, Public Law 103-308 was enacted, 
     designating December 7 of each year as National Pearl Harbor 
     Remembrance Day; and
       Whereas Public Law 103-308, reenacted as section 129 of 
     title 36, United States Code, requests the President to issue 
     each year a proclamation calling on the people of the United 
     States to observe National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day with 
     appropriate ceremonies and activities, and all departments, 
     agencies, and instrumentalities of the Federal Government, 
     and interested organizations, groups, and individuals, to fly 
     the flag of the United States at half-staff each December 7 
     in honor of the individuals who died as a result of their 
     service at Pearl Harbor: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress, on the occasion of the 60th 
     anniversary of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, 
     Hawaii, pays tribute to--
       (1) the United States citizens who died in the attack; and
       (2) the members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).


                             General Leave

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 56.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today, Madam Speaker, in strong support of this resolution, 
and I want to commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) for 
introducing it.
  Madam Speaker, December 7, 2001, will be the 60th anniversary of the 
Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. By enacting H. Con. 
Res. 56, Congress will pay tribute to the American citizens who died in 
the attack and to more than 12,000 members of the Pearl Harbor 
Survivors Association.
  The story of Pearl Harbor is seared into our national memory. At 7:53 
a.m. on December 7, 1941, a date that President Roosevelt said will 
live in infamy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Air Force attacked Pearl 
Harbor.
  A second wave of Japanese planes struck at 8:55 a.m. By 9:55 that 
morning, the attack was over, and America was propelled into World War 
II. President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan on 
December 8.
  The devastation wrought by the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor is hard 
to imagine: 2,403 members of our Armed Forces personnel were killed 
that day. Almost half of them, over 1,100, were crewmen of the U.S.S. 
Arizona; and they remain entombed in that sunken battleship. The U.S.S. 
Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor has become one of our Nation's most 
moving

[[Page H2339]]

memorials to the military men and women who have paid the ultimate 
price to preserve the freedoms we Americans enjoy to this day.
  Fifty-four civilians were also killed in the attack. There were 
almost 1,200 military and civilian wounded.
  In addition to this human toll, Madam Speaker, our Pacific Fleet was 
severely crippled. Twelve ships were sunk or beached, nine more were 
damaged, and over 300 aircraft were destroyed or damaged.
  Madam Speaker, Public Law 103-308 designates December 7 of each year 
as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and calls on the President to 
issue each year an appropriate proclamation and on the American people 
to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. Under 
that law, the American flag is to be flown at half-staff each December 
7 in honor of the individuals who died as a result of their service at 
Pearl Harbor.
  We should continue to pay tribute to those who gave their lives at 
Pearl Harbor and to those who survived that ferocious and unprovoked 
attack. When he was the Governor of Texas, President Bush issued a 
proclamation proclaiming December 7, 2000, as Pearl Harbor Remembrance 
Day in Texas. In it he said: ``It remains the duty of all Texans to 
remember what these men and women did and pass their stories of courage 
and character on to the next generation.''
  Madam Speaker, that is indeed the duty of all Americans. To quote 
again from then Governor Bush's proclamation: ``It is the way freedom 
renews its promise, by celebrating American heroes and American 
democratic values, without hesitation and without apology.''
  I strongly urge all of our colleagues to support this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Weller) for introducing this resolution, because I think it is so 
meaningful that we remember on December 7, 1941, a fateful day when the 
Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the island of Oahu, Hawaii, now 
infamously known as Pearl Harbor.
  Approximately 100 ships of the United States Navy were present that 
morning, consisting of battleships, destroyers, cruisers, and various 
support ships. By 1 p.m., the Japanese carriers that had launched the 
planes from 274 miles off the coast were heading back to Japan. Behind 
them they left chaos: 2,403 dead, 188 destroyed planes, and a crippled 
Pacific Fleet that included eight damaged or destroyed warships.
  The battleships moored along Battleship Row were the primary target 
of the attack's first wave. Ten minutes after the beginning of the 
attack, a bomb crashed through the U.S.S. Arizona's two armored decks 
igniting its magazine. The explosion ripped the ship's sides open, and 
fire engulfed the entire ship. Within minutes, the ship sank to the 
bottom, taking 1,300 lives with her.
  The sunken ship remains as a memorial to those who sacrificed their 
lives during the attack. Let me take a moment to read an excerpt of 
Marine Corporal E.C. Nightingale's account of that Sunday morning as he 
was leaving the breakfast table aboard the Arizona:
  ``I reached the boat deck and our anti-aircraft guns were in full 
action, firing very rapidly. I was about three quarters of the way to 
the first platform on the mast when it seemed as though a bomb struck 
our quarter deck. I could hear shrapnel or fragments whistling past me. 
As soon as I reached the first platform, I saw Second Lieutenant 
Simonson lying on his back with blood on his front shirt. I bent over 
him, and taking him by the shoulders, asked if there was anything that 
I could do.'' Of course there was not. ``He was dead or so nearly so 
that speech was impossible.''
  This resolution calls on Congress, on the 60th anniversary of Pearl 
Harbor, to pay tribute to those who not only died in the attack, but 
those like Corporal Nightingale who survived that fatal Sunday morning.
  I also would indicate that I paid tribute to a dear friend of mine 
whom I have known and lived near for close to 40 years who was a 
survivor of Pearl Harbor, Arlandis Dixon. Always we would look forward 
to seeing Arlandis Dixon's photograph on the front page of the Chicago 
Sunday Times just about every year until the past when he, too, died, 
as a person who survived.

                              {time}  1415

  I would also like to pay tribute to my uncle, Nehmiah Davis, who 
served at Pearl Harbor. So I join with all of those who support this 
resolution and I urge its adoption.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller), the author of House 
Concurrent Resolution 56.
  Mr. WELLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
LaTourette) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) my friend and 
colleague, for their help and support in moving forward House 
Concurrent Resolution 56, a Sense of Congress Resolution recognizing 
the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor and honoring the 
sacrifices of those who gave their lives and perished the morning of 
December 7, 1941, and those who survived and fought gallantly in the 
face of attack by the imperial Japanese forces.
  House Concurrent Resolution 56 expresses the sense of the Congress 
regarding National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. On December 7, 1941, a 
day President Roosevelt said would live in infamy, the Imperial 
Japanese Navy and Air Force attacked units of the Armed Forces of the 
United States stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 2,403 members of the 
Armed Forces of the United States were killed in the attack on Pearl 
Harbor. House Concurrent Resolution 56 pays tribute to the American men 
and women who died and gave their lives at Pearl Harbor as well as the 
more than 12,000 members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, who 
survived the attack that December morning.
  As my colleagues know, Madam Speaker, December 7, 2001, will mark the 
60th anniversary of the attack which thrust the United States into the 
war in the Pacific. As Congress approaches this Memorial Day recess, I 
can think of no greater message this body can send to our veterans than 
to pay tribute to this important day of remembrance.
  Over the coming months, survivors and family members of those who 
defended Pearl Harbor, will take part in ceremonies and services in 
each of the 50 States, with a national reunion planned for December 7, 
2001 on the island of Oahu. In fact, Madam Speaker, this coming 
weekend, Hollywood will also help tell the story of the attack on Pearl 
Harbor with a blockbuster movie based on the events of that day.
  During the 103rd Congress, the President signed into law legislation 
designating every December 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. 
As part of this legislation, the President shall issue a yearly 
proclamation calling attention to the attack on Pearl Harbor and 
designates that U.S. flags should be flown at half staff. It is my 
hope, Madam Speaker, that activities planned nationwide this year and 
our actions today and each year will tell the story of Pearl Harbor to 
future generations to ensure that those who fought at Pearl Harbor are 
never forgotten.
  Lastly, Madam Speaker, I would also like to pay special recognition 
to a friend of mine, a gentleman by the name of Richard Foltynewicz, 
from my district in Ottawa, Illinois. Richard is a Pearl Harbor 
survivor and has served as past president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors 
Association. I first met Richard Foltynewicz in 1985 in the Grunde 
County Corn Festival Parade, and I can say from personal experience 
that his vigilance in keeping the memory of Pearl Harbor alive is 
making a great difference in the history of our Nation. I wish to thank 
people like Richard Foltynewicz for their leadership as well as their 
assistance in crafting this special legislation.
  Madam Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 56 is supported by 30 
bipartisan cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. I ask every Member 
of the House support this resolution; that each and every one of us 
remembers the sacrifices of those who served at Pearl Harbor as we mark 
Memorial Day next week.

[[Page H2340]]

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time to also acknowledge the George Giles Post, the Chrispus Attucks 
Post, the Milton Olive Post, and the Montford Point Marine Association, 
as all of these posts interact on a regular and ongoing basis, not only 
to keep the memory of Pearl Harbor alive, but also to commemorate the 
tremendous contributions that have been made by our veterans who fought 
in all of the wars. So I simply commend and congratulate them.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I again commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) for 
introducing this important resolution. I also want to thank the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), chairman of the full Committee on 
Government Reform and Oversight; the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Scarborough), chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency 
Organization; as well as the ranking members of the full committee and 
subcommittee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) and our good 
friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  I urge all Members to support this resolution.
  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my strong 
support for H. Con. Res. 56, which calls for a National Pearl Harbor 
Remembrance Day on the upcoming 60th Anniversary of the December 7th, 
1941, attack by the Japanese Imperial Navy. This bill recognizes and 
pays tribute to the more than 2,403 members of the Armed Forces that 
were killed during the attack and the more than 12,000 members of the 
Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.
  I will always remember that day. So many brave young lives were lost 
without any warning. We will never know what those young men might have 
achieved. We are still humbled by their sacrifice and the loss to their 
families and loved ones.
  I was a young girl living on the island of Maui at the time of the 
attack. We couldn't believe that this terrible event had happened. Like 
all Americans, my family mourned for the courageous young men who were 
killed in the attack and were afraid of what would happen next. We had 
an added fear, however, because we were of Japanese ancestry--and, 
therefore, linked in some peoples' minds to the enemy. Many Japanese-
American community leaders were rounded up. My father, a native-born 
American who was a land surveyor with the East Maui Irrigation Company, 
was picked up by the police and questioned.
  Today, the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is visited by people from 
around the world. As the final resting place for some 900 of the 1,177 
men who lost their lives when the Arizona went down, the memorial 
serves as a national shrine in memory of their courage and sacrifice of 
all who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor and in the long 
and costly war that followed. This shrine to our honored war dead 
inspires all who come there to pay their respects.
  It is fitting that we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the event 
that brought our country into World War II and led to such dramatic 
changes in our nation and the world.
  We must always remember the sacrifice and heroism of those we lost at 
Pearl Harbor and all the brave men and women who have followed them in 
the service of our country.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 
56.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. WELLER. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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