[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 132 (Friday, September 7, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN HONOR OF JAMES F. DRAKE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 7, 2007

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of 
Mobile's finest sons, James F. Drake, a survivor of the Bataan Death 
March, who spent 42 months as a prisoner of the Japanese during World 
War II.
  In April 1942, James Drake was a young mess sergeant with the Army 
Air Corps' 27th Bomb Group when he was captured along with the nearly 
75,000 Filipino and American soldiers by the Japanese. The captives 
were forced to march to a prison camp more than 60 miles away without 
food or water. Thousands of the prisoners died during the week-long 
march that became known as the Bataan Death March. During the 42 months 
Mr. Drake was held prisoner at Camp O'Donnell, he survived on small 
helpings of rice. Upon his release, he weighed a mere 89 pounds.
  In the 65 years that followed, Mr. Drake dedicated his life to caring 
for others. Due to the injuries he received as a prisoner of war, Mr. 
Drake had to have one of his legs amputated; however, he was known for 
driving fellow veterans to VA facilities for medical treatment in 
Biloxi, Montgomery, and Pensacola.
  Mr. Drake was inducted into the Alabama Military Hall of Honor in 
2000 and named a Mobile Veteran of the Year in 2005. He truly was the 
embodiment of service to country.
  Madam Speaker, the life and actions of James Drake personified the 
very best of America. I feel certain his many friends and family, while 
mourning the loss of this courageous man, are also taking this 
opportunity to remember his many accomplishments and to recall the fine 
gift they each received simply from knowing him and having him as an 
integral part of their lives. I urge my colleagues to take a moment and 
pay tribute to James Drake and his selfless devotion to our country and 
the freedom we enjoy.
  Make no mistake; James Drake was a true American hero.

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