[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 63 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S4723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING THE WARSAW UPRISING
Mr. REID. Mr. President, the distinguished visiting Chaplain
mentioned the Revolutionary War event, and that is memorable. Also, on
this day I think it is important, to reflect on the Holocaust, that
this day in 1943 was the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising at the Warsaw
ghetto. As I recall, the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. They were, to
say the least, brutal, especially against the Jews. In about 1941, as I
recall, they cordoned off an area that was about 20 blocks by 6 blocks
and ordered everyone out who was not Jewish and ordered all Jews from
the whole large metropolitan area of Warsaw into that ghetto.
Word got out that the Jews had gathered some weapons, as they had
done, minimal in number, and the German tanks came in on this day in
1943. Of course they were to wipe out the ghetto in 1 day, but these
gallant Polish patriots, these Jews, held out for more than a month.
In the annals of history, it is one of the greatest acts of defiance
against terrorism that exists. They did it with heroism and gallantry,
and it is a day that we should recognize as being a day in the history
of mankind where people stood up for what was right and against what
was wrong.
____________________