[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 119 (Thursday, September 21, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S9900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCAIN:
  S. 3921. A bill to modify the calculation of back pay for persons who 
were approved for promotion as members of the Navy and Marine Corps 
while interned as prisoners of war during World War II to take into 
account changes in the Consumer Price Index; to the Committee on Armed 
Services.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the World War II 
POW Pay Equity Act of 2006. This legislation would ensure that former 
World War II Prisoners of War, or their surviving spouses, receive the 
appropriate back pay for their honorable service, adjusted for 
inflation.
  Due to a technicality, Navy and Marine Corps POWs during World War II 
were denied promotions while they were interned. The Fiscal Year 2001 
National Defense Authorization Act included provisions to correct this 
injustice. Unfortunately, this legislation did not specify an 
adjustment for inflation. The result was that these heroes of our 
``greatest generation'' were paid in 1942 dollars which roughly equated 
to ten cents on the current dollar. It is well past time to properly 
compensate them for their dedicated service.
  When our great Nation called upon these brave individuals, they 
answered the call. Now they need our help to fix a technicality that 
has denied them the full amount of the back-pay they are due, pay that 
was earned in the harshest of environments. Many of these WWII veterans 
suffer from extreme financial distress. The total number of surviving 
WWII POWs is now less than 1,000, and there are approximately 400 
surviving spouses. We cannot abandon those who were truly responsible 
for defending the liberties we hold so dear. It would be shameful for 
Congress and our Nation not to compensate fairly these veterans, as 
this is a debt that our country incurred during their internment as 
POWs.
  The impact of this legislation goes well beyond those who have so 
bravely gone before us in defense of our Nation. This is a readiness 
issue as well. Today's service members are acutely aware of the manner 
in which our Nation honors its veterans. President George Washington 
reminded all of his fellow Americans of the keen relationship between 
our Nation's veterans and those on active duty when he said, ``The 
willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, 
no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they 
perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by 
their country.'' That statement holds just as true today as it did over 
200 years ago.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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