[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 21, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H2232-H2234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SAN JACINTO DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Burns). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today marks the anniversary of the 
Battle of San Jacinto, the victory of the independence for Texas, and 
the greatest, most diverse State in our Union.
  Proving its timeless value as a story of political struggle and 
personal heroism, the Battle of the Alamo has been made into another 
feature-length motion picture, ``The Alamo,'' by Disney, not doing as 
well at the box offices we have, but I bet you it is doing well in 
Texas.
  I encourage all Americans to learn and relearn this important 
historical story.
  On this day I want to enter into the Congressional Record two 
newspaper articles from the Baytown Sun and the Pasadena Citizen that 
are newspapers in my district regarding the tremendous devotion and 
expertise of the San Jacinto reenactors, many of whom are my 
constituents. These folks have committed tremendous amounts of time and 
resources to providing an educational service to our community, and 
some of these reenactors have gone so far as mastering the original 
Mexican Army drills in the original Spanish, and many were involved in 
the production of the Disney film ``The Alamo'' as consultants and 
extras.
  The story of San Jacinto occurs less than 60 days after the fall of 
the Alamo. On April 21, 1836, exactly 168 years ago today, 
approximately 900 Texans and Tejanos of the Texan Army overpowered a 
large and better trained Mexican Army. I say Texans and Tejanos because 
the struggle for Texas independence was not between Anglos and 
Hispanics.
  For example, noted Tejano patriot Captain Juan Seguin commanded a 
cavalry company during the final victory at San Jacinto and later 
became a senator in the Republic of Texas. For those people that have 
seen the movie ``The Alamo,'' they will remember he was sent out from 
the Alamo seeking reenforcements and against his wishes was told to 
stay away so he could live to fight another day at San Jacinto.
  One of the main proponents of the Texas Revolution was Lorenzo de 
Zavala, who served in the Mexican Government until the military 
dictator General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna abolished the Mexican 
Constitution of 1824. Zavala, a former Mexican citizen, went on to 
become the first Vice President of the Republic of Texas.
  Less than 100 years after American patriots threw off the tyrannical 
British Empire's military domination, Texans and Tejanos succeeded in a 
similar struggle against a military dictator, General Santa Anna. In 
the words of the Texas Declaration of Independence, the people's 
government had been ``forcibly changed without their consent from a 
restrictive Federal republic, composed of sovereign states, to a 
consolidated military despotism.''
  As Sam Houston and other Texas delegates signed the Texas declaration 
of independence, General Santa Anna's army was besieging the Texans and 
Tejanos at the Alamo in San Antonio. The Alamo fell on the morning of 
March 6, 1836, when Lieutenant Colonel William Barrett Travis, former 
Tennessee Congressman David Crockett, and approximately 200 other 
Texans and Tejano defenders were killed in action.
  The Mexican Army was full of confidence after their hard-fought 
victory at the Alamo, and Texan forces were in retreat, but in late 
April 1836 they chose not to flee to the safety of Louisiana and 
instead turned to fight on the banks of the bayous outside of Houston, 
Texas. In fact, the San Jacinto battleground is in the new 
congressional district that I am receiving.
  On the afternoon of April 21, 1836, the two armies were camped near 
one another, but the Mexican Army, confident of its superiority, failed 
to post guards during their afternoon siesta. They underestimated the 
determination of the Texan army in its fight for an independent nation 
and were totally unprepared for the surprise attack. As a result, the 
nation, and then the State of Texas, was born. Like the American 
Revolution, the Texan Revolution brought many different people together 
fighting military oppression.
  A misconception of the Texas war for independence is that the 
conflict was a case of Anglos versus Hispanics. But accurate Texas 
history tells us that Hispanics who had long lived in Texas mostly did 
not refer to themselves as Mexicans, but instead thought of themselves 
as Tejanos. Tejanos inhabited Texas long before Mexico existed, and 
they lived there for the same reason Anglos later moved there, for 
freedom and productive land.
  Many folks were happy under Mexican rule until General Santa Anna's 
forces began plundering areas of Texas, and then Tejanos and Texans 
both reacted with revolution.
  It is inspiring to me that many Tejanos joined the fight for 
independence when the Mexican Government became an exploitive military 
regime. The brotherhood of freedom can be stronger than the brotherhood 
of nationality, as Tejanos proved at Gonzalez, Bexar, Goliad, the 
Alamo, and also along the banks of the San Jacinto River, and in this 
the government of the Republic of Texas.
  Like the American patriots in 1776, Texans did not create a perfect 
State with their independence. It would not be until June 19, or 
Juneteenth, 1865, that Texas' African American citizens achieved the 
freedom that is an inalienable human right. Every Juneteenth we 
remember that struggle for equal rights is long and difficult, and 
demands our own enduring commitment.
  On San Jacinto Day we celebrate the achievements of Texan and Tejano 
patriots, and renew our commitment to preserving our represented 
government, freedom, and human civil rights.

[[Page H2233]]

  Mr. Speaker, at this point I will include for the Record the two 
newspaper articles that I previously mentioned.

                  [From the Baytown Sun, Apr. 7, 2004]

                          Re-Enacting History

                          (By Carla Rabalais)

       ```Let me die in the Alamo. Just let me get shot in there,' 
     I pleaded. But I was a Mexican officer, and no Mexican 
     soldier died inside the Alamo.''
       Don Herlitz is a Baytonian, but most of all he is Texan, or 
     Texian, or Mexican captain, depending on the year in which 
     he's operating.
       Re-enactors aren't strapped to the same calendar that most 
     of us are. They have the privilege of operating in both the 
     past and the present and with Disney's ``The Alamo,'' set for 
     release Friday, local re-enactors like Herlitz will also have 
     a presence in the future.
       The film stars Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton and Jason 
     Patric. Already this week three sneak previews have unfurled 
     in Houston.
       Crowds who lined up for those free seats were greeted by 
     local reenactors ready and willing to talk about their acting 
     experience and field expertise . . . locals like Herlitz and 
     his wife, Marie, Pete Juarez, Allen Hutton, Clabert Menard of 
     Dayton and David Pomeroy of Pasadena.
       ``That's what we do,'' Marie said. ``We talk to people 
     about Texas history and we show them what it looked like.''
       The re-enactment window reveals all history's facts, from 
     the mundane to the explosive, like period clothing, hand-sewn 
     with home-spun cotton; cooking styles, with no electricity, 
     gas or running water; toys and games, which often doubled as 
     useful equipment; and weaponry, including home-fashioned 
     muskets, gunpowder and knives. The common denominator in 
     every category is ``authentic.''
       Mexican artillery is one of Herlitz's specialties. He has 
     re-enacted Texas history for almost 20 years, but for the 
     past seven has portrayed a 19th century Mexican soldier. In 
     the Alamo, that expertise earned him an officer's role in 
     Santa Anna's army.
       ``Many of the re-enactors played both sides during the 
     movie,'' Herlitz said. ``I really wanted to--I even brought 
     my Texian clothes with me--but they wouldn't let me switch.
        ``That's all right, though,'' he laughed. ``After seven 
     years of shooting at Davy (Crockett), I finally got to die 
     beside him in the next film.''
        ``The Alamo'' united many reenactors, but that 
     battleground wasn't their first time together and it 
     certainly wasn't their last. In fact, since ``The Alamo'' 
     completed filming last year, some reenactors have 
     participated in two additional films, including the one 
     Herlitz named. That film is ``Remember the Alamo,'' a 
     documentary that aired on the history Channel this spring.
        David Pomeroy served as a site resource, re-enactor, and 
     cook--along with his wife, Cait--for the two hour 
     documentary. The business manager of Pomeroy Energy 
     volunteers his time and knowledge for of the San Jacinto 
     Battleground Association and is the author of ``Pasadena: The 
     Early Years.''
        ``There are eyewitness accounts and there are myths that 
     enhance the Alamo story,'' he said, ``and in some cases the 
     two contradict. The documentary addresses those historical 
     issues.''
        Contradictory accounts of the Alamo were not the only 
     issues re-enactors face as they re-create turning point 
     battles in Texas history. To accurately re-enact, they had to 
     study history from multiple sources, not just American ones. 
     In their study, they came face-to-face with facts they never 
     were taught in grade school.
        ``The Alamo is a boiling pot of ideas and views,'' and 
     Herlitz, ``You can't just go by what a history book said, 
     because it's tainted by political attitudes. `The Alamo' is a 
     lot broader story and I think those issues will come out more 
     in the director's cut of `The Alamo' '' DVD.
        ``You see, those men on the inside of the Alamo were 
     trying to create a new republic, and the men on the outside 
     were trying to preserve a young republic. Who the heroes are 
     just depends which side of the wall you're standing on,'' he 
     said.
        Allen Hutton of Baytown agrees. The pyrotechnician has re-
     enacted since he was 12 years old and has worked in the 
     entertainment industry with movies like ``American Outlaws'' 
     and ``the Patriot''. In ``The Alamo,'' he portrays both a 
     Mexican first sergeant and a Texian first sergeant.
        ``As a kid I learned the Alamo was about big, mean, mad 
     Santa Anna against the poor innocent Texians,'' he said. 
     ``But the Mexicans weren't just `bad guys,' they were 
     protecting their country's land. Think of it in modern terms: 
     What would we do if some of Saddam Hussein's guard came here 
     and settled in a town and then said, `This is our land now 
     and you can't control us'?
        ``I don't want in any way to minimize the sacrifices made 
     by the Texians, but the Mexicans had a side too,'' he said.
        Herlitz and Hutton filled similar roles in ``The Alamo''. 
     Both were involved in the movie a year before actual filming 
     took place and both were Mexican officers who trained 
     hundreds of extras during three-day boot camps.
        Herlitz and his wife spent six months camping in a canvas 
     tent, cooking on an open fire, near Dripping Springs, where 
     the movie was filmed. Hutton camped on the set for five 
     months while his wife stayed in Baytown preparing for the 
     birth of their first child.
        As Mexican officers, the two Baytonians were required to 
     learn maneuvers from an 1830s military guide written in 
     Spanish. Not modern Spanish, not Castilian Spanish, but a 
     colonial Spanish that is now obsolete. Or almost obsolete.
       An extra who had come from New Mexico recognized the 
     language. His native dialect is a preserved form of colonial 
     Spanish, so he translated the book for the actors and 
     trainers. The drills Herlitz and Hutton learned became 
     second-nature to them.
       ``I can still tell you the (gun-) loading procedure in 
     proper Spanish,'' said Hutton.
       During boot camp, they trained hundreds of extras. One of 
     those was Clabert Menard of Dayton, who was singled out for 
     the Texian side as an expert marksman.
       ``I ended up helping to train about 40 guys under me,'' 
     Menard said. ``The more experienced re-enactors they put next 
     to the stars and told us to keep the other guys from running 
     in front of them.''
       Menard, like many of his peers, has re-enacted since his 
     teens. He has represented many characters in his historical 
     career, including World War II soldiers, a French and Indian 
     trader and a Texas Army scout.
       ``I just want to eat, drink and sleep history,'' he said. 
     ``We can replicate anything, except the fear of death.''
       One of his favorite activities is to spend weekends hiking 
     15 to 20 miles into the Texas wilderness with nothing but his 
     1820s era gear. He used those items in ``The Alamo'' as well, 
     including two of his homemade weapons, a flintlock musket and 
     French pistol.
       ``I knew I could depend on my own gear,'' he said.
       The boot camp involved marching drills and training 
     stations for learning stunt-fighting, horseback riding, 
     ladder manipulation, artillery use and firing orders. The 
     extras weren't the only ones who grew accustomed to the 
     orders, said Herlitz.
       ``The horses learned what the word `Action!' meant, so 
     whenever they heard it, whether they were supposed to move or 
     not, they took off,'' he said. ``So we had to have new 
     commands for starting the filming, like `Go!' or eventually, 
     `G-o!' ''
       Herlitz and Hutton recall one moment in their six month 
     experience on ``The Alamo'' set that gripped both their 
     memories.
       The film's director, John Lee Hancock of Texas City, had 
     been filming the Mexican siege on the Alamo for several 
     nights. But he held back the final attack where the wall 
     would be scaled and the Texian army killed. That would be 
     filmed on the exact anniversary of its occurrence, March 6, 
     at 5:30 a.m.
       The actors filmed through the night March 5 and into the 
     next morning's hours. But moments before the final siege, the 
     entire set observed 13 minutes of complete silence, one 
     minute for each day of the Alamo siege, in memory of those 
     who lost their lives, both Texian and Mexican. Then at 5:30 
     a.m., the storming began.
       ``Whatever hardships we had to deal with during the filming 
     were all worth it right then,'' said Herlitz. ``To be a part 
     of that moment was something I will always remember.''
       ``When I do a job, I don't go to seek fame or rub shoulders 
     with stars,'' said Hutton. ``It's just a job and you 
     concentrate on doing it well. But that moment brought it all 
     together. That was as close as I will ever come to 
     experiencing the reality of the Alamo.
       ``Many of our guys were moved to tears. They were on the 
     Mexican side, and they saw it, too, as part of their 
     heritage.''
       Local re-enactors who participated in ``The Alamo'' and 
     other living history events hope that the new movie will have 
     a ripple of positive effects through our state and nation.
       ``I hope it will get more people excited about history,'' 
     said David Pomeroy. ``Then historical venues will have more 
     response and in turn receive more educational funding.''
       ``It's all for the kids,'' said Herlitz. ``As a re-enactor, 
     I believe children don't understand what price was paid for 
     freedom. The fertilizer to the tree of liberty is the blood 
     of the patriots. Someone has to be willing to put their life 
     on the line--for you to have the freedom to go downtown and 
     buy a $200 pair of tennis shoes. The Alamo is an excellent 
     example of the price people were willing to give--the 
     ultimate sacrifice.''
       Some children are understanding that concept.
       ``I never really thought about the Alamo, but when I saw 
     the actual building and stood inside it, it was neat,'' said 
     fourth-grader Cody Fisher. ``A bunch of people were lost 
     there fighting for what they believed in.''
       ``There were brothers fighting each other, and whole 
     families coming apart,'' added Cassie Perez, also a fourth 
     grader. ``They wanted freedom.''
       ``I think if I had lived back then, and I was a little bit 
     older,'' said Cody, ``I think I would have fought for the 
     Alamo.''
       David Pomeroy encourages families to ``See the movie, then 
     come smell the smoke.''
       On April 24, a re-enactment of the battle of San Jacinto 
     will be held at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historical 
     Park. This year the re-enactment will be accompanied by a 
     living history festival. Local re-enactors from ``The Alamo'' 
     will be onsite to autograph photos and talk about their 
     filming experience. Festival hours will be from 10

[[Page H2234]]

     a.m. to 6 p.m. with the battle re-enactment at 3:30 p.m.
                                  ____


               [From the Pasadena Citizen, Apr. 14, 2004]

                  Pomeroy Contrasts Reality, Hollywood

                        (By Gloria Walker Smith)

       Using the latest movie of The Alamo as a backdrop, Texas 
     history expert and Pasadena native, David Pomeroy, brought an 
     educational and entertaining program to the Bay Area A&M Club 
     luncheon.
       Focusing primarily on Texas history between 1820 and 1845, 
     Pomeroy surprised the audience with a history pop quiz, where 
     the winners received Alamo movie posters. Since Sam Houston 
     is so much a part of any mention of Texas history, it was 
     noted that Sam Houston IV is from Galena Park, which spawned 
     a comment that Constable Bill Bailey was also from Galena 
     Park and `does that have any significance?'
       Since Pomeroy has been involved in the making of this Alamo 
     movie from its inception, (even back when Ron Howard visited 
     and originally planned to make the film), he had many insider 
     comments about the preparations, the actual filming, the 
     actors involved and the differences in their personalities. 
     One amusing story contrasted the behavior of Dennis Quaid 
     (Sam Houston) and Billy Bob Thornton (David Crockett). At the 
     end of each filming sequence, Thornton was most definitely 
     ``one of the easy-going run-of-the-mill'' cast members, so he 
     was very popular. On the other hand, Quaid dismounted his 
     horse and headed for his tent, without any interaction. 
     Consequently, the group almost `hated' him for being so 
     conceited. When filming was finally over, the cast saw a 
     totally different Quaid, who was well aware of their previous 
     feelings toward him. He explained that he found it necessary 
     to remain completely immersed in his character throughout 
     production.
       One glaring omission to a historian was the lack of mention 
     of the earlier battles at Gonzales, Goliad and Zacotecas, 
     significant in their own right.
       ``It has been suggested that it would take a mini-series to 
     adequately tell the story of the Texas war for 
     independence,'' said Pomeroy. ``Had there not been the battle 
     at San Jacinto, much of the Alamo story would have been 
     forgotten.'' The fact that so many made a conscious decision 
     to stay and die, if necessary, for what they believed, makes 
     the defenders stand out. And die, they did. Sam Houston had 
     advised the leaders to abandon the Alamo, but Bowie, Fannin 
     and Travis said no.
       Going back centuries in history, Pomeroy traced the 
     conquests in the area to the Spanish, who came first, then 
     the French and then the English, each of whom took the land 
     from the Indians and each other. Along came the American 
     Revolution and later, the French Revolution--struggles to 
     free citizens from the tyranny of rulers across the ocean.
       In Mexico and the Spanish southwest, the people were 
     determined to overthrow the foreign emperor, and Santa Ana 
     headed this movement. After driving out the Spanish emperor 
     and establishing a constitution, Santa Ana then installed 
     himself as emperor and threw out the constitution. 
     Originally, the Texians did not seek to leave Mexican 
     authority, but wanted to be a separate state, instead of 
     being part of the state of Coahuila. Santa Ana refused in the 
     strongest terms and so began the Texas War for Independence.
       Much like the American Revolution, the ``colonists'' in 
     Tejas were facing a military trained in European-style. The 
     Texicans were a rag tag bunch, out-numbered, out-trained and 
     out-gunned. However, they had the home-court advantage and 
     used methods far more suited to the territory than the more 
     formal strategies employed by the Mexican generals.
       Also attending the luncheon was Stan Wojcik, a fellow San 
     Jacinto battle re-enactor. Wojcik was wearing an outfit that 
     he sewed himself--deerskin britches, coarse vest and calico 
     shirt. He has even made his wife a period costume for re-
     enactment programs. Although a very recent ``Texan,'' Wojcik 
     has become fascinated and knowledgeable about the San Jacinto 
     battle.
       During his appearance, Pomeroy was completely in character 
     with his ``almost stove-pipe'' beaver hat, calico shirt and 
     powder horn.
       Responding to questions about the changes to be made to the 
     San Jacinto Monument area, Pomeroy gave a brief overview of 
     the plans to return the area to a more historically-correct 
     look, with an emphasis on the educational value. Adjacent 
     industries have donated land to affect many of the changes, 
     which will eventually double the size.
       On April 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the San Jacinto Day 
     Festival and Battle Reenactment will feature all-day 
     exhibits, hand-on history activities for children, including 
     an archaeological dig, as well as celebrity historians and 
     authors. The admission is free and food booths will be 
     available. For more information, call (281) 479-2421 or visit 
     www.sanjacinto-museum.org.

 Mr. Speaker, God bless Texas and these United States.

                          ____________________