[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 115 (Monday, July 14, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H6424-H6426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INTEGRATION OF THE ARMED FORCES

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 297) recognizing the 60th 
anniversary of the integration of the United States Armed Forces, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 297

       Whereas the United States has always had strong Armed 
     Forces made up of courageous men and women serving the ideals 
     of duty, honor, and country;
       Whereas the Armed Forces were unfortunately once a place of 
     segregation of the races;
       Whereas despite segregation, minority members of the Armed 
     Forces, such as the Tuskegee Airmen, who trained at historic 
     Moton Field in Macon County, Alabama, demonstrated honor and 
     bravery above and beyond the call of duty;
       Whereas the bravery and sacrifice of all members of the 
     Armed Forces regardless of race during World War II and prior 
     conflicts is a matter of national honor;
       Whereas the integration of the Armed Forces beginning in 
     1948 was a seminal event in our Nation's history and 
     instilled the democratic ideal of equality in the military; 
     and
       Whereas the continued bravery and dedication of every 
     member of the Armed Forces continues to be a source of pride 
     to every American: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress to honorably 
     and respectfully recognize the historic significance and to 
     celebrate the 60th Anniversary of President Truman's 
     Executive Order 9981 signed on July 26, 1948 that declared it 
     to be the policy of the President that there shall be 
     equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the 
     armed services without regard to race, color, religion or 
     national origin thereby beginning the process of ending 
     segregation in the United States Armed Forces.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Connecticut?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 297, which 
recognizes the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the integration of 
the Armed Forces.
  Our military men and women are representative of the fabric of 
American society. They originate from every region of the world and 
represent the beautiful diversity of our planet. They bring forth with 
them a wide array of diverse talents and skill sets that has long made 
the U.S. military the superpower it is today.
  House Concurrent Resolution 297 celebrates the 60th anniversary of 
President Harry Truman's 1948 executive order declaring that the 
equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the Armed 
Forces was the policy of the President. We celebrate this seminal event 
in our Nation's history for installing the democratic ideals of 
equality in our military and our country.
  During the Second World War, the Tuskegee Airmen broke the color 
barrier within the Armed Forces to become the first black pilots, 
navigators, and bombardiers. It was the impenetrable code created from 
the Navajo language and utilized by the Navajo Code Talkers that helped 
save lives in the Pacific. Japanese American soldiers volunteered to 
serve in uniform while their families were held in concentration camps 
in the United States. It was the ingenuity of refugee scientists 
escaping anti-Semitism in their homeland that led to the American 
acquisition of nuclear technology. Diversity has made our Armed Forces 
and our Nation safer and stronger.
  Unfortunately, our Armed Forces was once a place of discrimination 
and segregation. Many Americans of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent 
who served in the Armed Forces struggled against frequent episodes of 
racism and bigotry. Often these American servicemembers felt that they 
were fighting two wars, one against a foreign enemy and the other 
against racism from within their own ranks.
  Despite great adversity, Americans of minority descent proudly served 
with honor and bravery, above and beyond the call of duty. We in 
Congress recognize their contributions and honor them for their 
sacrifices. The bravery and sacrifice of all members of the Armed 
Forces, regardless of race, color, or creed, will always be a matter of 
national honor.
  Today the multi-racial makeup of our troops is a testament to the 
democratic ideals that all Americans hold dear, that all men and women 
are created equal. Our diverse forces serve as a proud example for the 
rest of the world in these times of racial and religious intolerance.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this important 
resolution.

[[Page H6425]]

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support of this resolution commemorating the 60th 
anniversary of the beginning of integration in the United States Armed 
Forces.

                              {time}  1515

  Throughout the course of our Nation's history, the men and women of 
the armed services have defended our liberties with bravery, honor and 
sacrifice. But because our Nation racially segregated its military 
prior to 1948, generations of African Americans selflessly served our 
Nation with the knowledge that they were fighting abroad for many of 
the freedoms that they were frequently denied here at home. Despite 
this injustice, not only did African Americans serve honorably to fight 
for all our freedoms, they did so with dignity and bravery that earned 
many of them our Nation's top military honors.
  One of the most important events in our Nation's history that helped 
move our country toward a more integrated America occurred on July 26, 
1948, when President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981. This 
important order, which we acknowledge with this resolution today, 
ordered that there be equality of treatment with all persons in the 
armed services regardless of race, color, religion or national origin.
  Even though it took years to accomplish the complete integration of 
the armed services, it was Executive Order 9981 that began the process.
  Of the many units that served with distinction, I particularly would 
like to recognize the contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen, who trained 
at historic Moton Field in my congressional district in Alabama.
  As most of us know, over the course of World War II, the Tuskegee 
Airmen became one of the most highly decorated units in the Armed 
Forces. These brave pilots destroyed more than 1,000 German aircraft 
while accumulating an unprecedented record of flying more than 200 
bomber escort missions over central and southern Europe.
  These brave Americans served without the loss of a single bomber to 
enemy aircraft and returned home with some of our Nation's highest 
military honors. But they also returned home to a racially segregated 
America. It's that injustice, and the steps our Nation has taken to 
help right that wrong, that we are helping recognize today. I'm also 
delighted that this body will help further recognize the occasion with 
a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda later this month.
  I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, and 
Chairman Skelton for allowing this resolution today. I'd also like to 
thank my good friend and colleague from Florida, Mr. Kendrick Meek, for 
his strong support of this resolution.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my 
friend and colleague, the distinguished chairman of the Armed Services 
Committee, the gentleman from the State of Missouri, the same State 
that brought us President Harry Truman, Mr. Ike Skelton.
  Mr. SKELTON. I thank my friend from Connecticut for yielding and take 
this opportunity to mention the fact that my fellow Missourian, 
President Harry S. Truman, on the 26th day of July, 1948, signed 
Executive Order 9981 establishing the ``policy of the President that 
there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in 
the armed services with regard to race, color, religion, or national 
origin.'' That executive order also established the President's 
Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in our armed 
services.
  On the 23rd of this month, our Congress will recognize the 60th 
anniversary of the beginning of the process of integration for our 
military.
  African American men and women have served this Nation with honor, 
courage, commitment, even as they were denied the basic constitutional 
freedoms promised to all Americans. Their successful integration of 
forces paved the way for further integration of women, Asians, 
Hispanics, and other ethnic minorities.
  The cosmopolitan make-up of our armed services is a testament to the 
American value that we hold dear, that all men are created equal. It is 
also a reflection of our society that we should treat all individuals, 
regardless of their race, their color, or national origin with respect 
and with dignity. And with these days of conflict, our forces, our 
military forces of our country, are an example of what can be achieved 
by respecting one's differences and working together to achieve a 
common goal.
  House Concurrent Resolution 297 recognizes the 60th anniversary. I 
applaud those who have sponsored it, and I applaud the fact that we are 
taking it up today and recognizing the importance of this anniversary.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time at this time so I will yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend and 
colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey who serves on the Education 
and Labor Committee, Mr. Payne.
  Mr. PAYNE. Thank you very much for yielding.
  Let me commend the sponsor of this great resolution and also let me 
just commend Representative Skelton for the outstanding work that he 
has done for so many years in the Armed Services Committee.
  I stand in support of this resolution, H. Con. Res. 297, because as 
we all know, there were many, many African Americans who have fought 
valiantly through many of the wars. I'm very proud to have an uncle who 
just passed away 2 years ago, 3 years ago, who was in the invasion of 
Normandy. I used to recall as a young boy receiving the letters that he 
would send that were photocopied and made about the size of your hand 
where anything they felt was strategic was blacked out. And my Uncle 
John was a staff sergeant. As I mentioned, he was in the invasion of 
Normandy. And his wife, Ruth Garrett, who is still alive, worked in 
Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey for the war effort making weapons for 
our armed services. He was very proud when the World War II monument 
was opened, and he proudly sat with his uniform and his cap and his 
medals and made us very, very proud of his service. Even today, one of 
my employees, Richard Turner, is serving in Iraq.
  But there have been African Americans who have served for so many 
years. It took Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt to fly with the Tuskegee Airmen 
for them to finally allow the Tuskegee Airmen to fly in combat because 
there was resistance to that. And as we know, the first person, as a 
matter of fact, to die in the Revolutionary War was Crispus Attucks 
back in 1770 on March 5 when he and four other patriots were taken down 
by the British to start the Revolutionary War in the Battle of Bunker 
Hill where we had Crispus, and where we had Salem Poor who fought at 
the battle of Bunker Hill. And we can go on and on.
  A neighbor of mine, Needham Roberts and Sergeant Henry Johnson, 
captured 30 German soldiers in World War I and kept them captive for 
over a month. And people wondered how two soldiers could have kept so 
many enemy soldiers at bay. And so I am so proud to have this 
recognition and certainly pay tribute to Harry S. Truman. He was a 
person who had said ``the buck stops here.'' He was from Missouri. He 
said that he'll take the heat, and he did.
  And so I would just like to once again commend so many of the men and 
women who continue even today to show their appreciation and strength 
for our Nation as they serve valiantly in the United States Armed 
Services.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep pride that I rise to 
commemorate the 60th anniversary of the integration of the Armed 
Forces. As I stand here today, our forces around the world are united 
in their efforts to preserve our liberty; however, it was not long ago 
that the men and women of the Armed Forces faced forced division, even 
while protecting our unity.
  African Americans have been essential to the creation and 
preservation of our Nation. These valiant men and women fought abroad 
for freedom and security in segregated units, while their own families 
were subject to oppression and inequality on the home front. Despite 
this, African-American troops still honored the ideals of the United 
States and courageously defended the country; many of them would go on 
to earn top military honors.
  Fortunately the United States military would not remain so divided. 
On July 26, 1948,

[[Page H6426]]

President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, mandating the equal 
treatment of all persons in the armed services without regard to race, 
color, religion or national origin. In addition to beginning the 
process of immigration, Executive Order 9981 also established the 
President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the 
Armed Services. While it would take years for the integration of the 
armed services to be completed, it was Executive Order 9981 which began 
to pave the path to unity.
  The Revolutionary War was spurred by a document, the Declaration of 
Independence, which proclaimed, ``All men are created equal''. Many 
African Americans fought in the Revolution, while experiencing unequal 
treatment. Another document, Executive Order 9981, authored by 
President Truman, was able to begin the integration of the armed 
services, which ended this pervasive inequality and segregation. The 
signing of Executive Order 9981 was a pivotal moment in our history and 
I wholeheartedly support its commemoration.
  I commend my colleagues, Representatives Mike Rogers and Kendrick 
Meek, for bringing this legislation to the floor.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 297, as 
amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. 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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