[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3778-H3781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING AND HONORING MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1385) recognizing and honoring the courage and 
sacrifice of the members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1385

       Whereas May is commonly known as National Military 
     Appreciation Month;
       Whereas during World War I, more than 4,700,000 Americans 
     served in the military, more than 116,000 Americans lost 
     their lives, and more than 204,000 Americans were wounded;
       Whereas only one American World War I veteran, Frank 
     Woodruff Buckles, survives today;
       Whereas during World War II, more than 16,000,000 Americans 
     served in the military, more than 405,000 Americans lost 
     their lives, and more than 670,000 Americans were wounded, 
     and today more than 74,000 Americans remain unaccounted for;
       Whereas during the Korean War, more than 5,700,000 
     Americans served in the military, more than 36,000 Americans 
     lost their lives, and more than 103,000 Americans were 
     wounded, and today 8,026 Americans remain unaccounted for;
       Whereas during the Vietnam War, more than 3,400,000 
     Americans served in the military, more than 58,000 Americans 
     lost their lives, and more than 150,000 Americans were 
     wounded, and today 1,720 Americans remain unaccounted for;
       Whereas during the Persian Gulf War, more than 2,200,000 
     Americans served in the military, 383 Americans lost their 
     lives, and 467 Americans were wounded;
       Whereas since 2001, more than 1,000 Americans have lost 
     their lives and more than 5,500 Americans have been wounded 
     in Operation Enduring Freedom;
       Whereas since 2003, more than 4,300 Americans have lost 
     their lives and more than 31,000 Americans have been wounded 
     in Operation Iraqi Freedom;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces answer the call to 
     serve the United States,

[[Page H3779]]

     leaving their homes, their families, and American soil, in 
     times of war and peace;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces respond to acts of 
     aggression against the United States and its allies, protect 
     and evacuate civilians, bring stability to areas experiencing 
     political turmoil, and provide comfort and support in the 
     wake of natural disasters;
       Whereas members of the Armed Forces have served the United 
     States in hundreds of deployments, large and small, since the 
     earliest days of the United States; and
       Whereas all Americans, and many hundreds of millions of 
     people around the world, owe their freedom to the courage, 
     service, and sacrifice of members of the Armed Forces and 
     veterans: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes and honors the courage and sacrifice of the 
     members of the Armed Forces and veterans and thanks such 
     members and veterans for their service; and
       (2) urges all Americans to recognize and honor the courage 
     and sacrifice of the members of the Armed Forces and veterans 
     and thank such members and veterans for their service.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Skelton) and the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in 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 Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, May is Military Appreciation Month; and to honor our men 
and women and uniform and our veterans, I, along with my good friend 
and ranking member from California (Mr. McKeon), have introduced H. 
Res. 1385.
  Mr. Speaker, I grew up around veterans of the First World War. My 
father served in the Navy onboard the U.S.S. Missouri in that conflict; 
and he, like so many young men who returned from that war, became the 
civic and political leaders of their day.
  Tom Brokaw wrote a best-selling book entitled, ``The Greatest 
Generation,'' the saga of those who fought the two-front Second World 
War. These veterans changed the complexion of our country in every walk 
of life. Their experiences in war, sometimes on the battlefield, 
instilled in them tremendous confidence and a sense of duty and, like 
the generation of war veterans before them, the World War I veterans, 
returned to hometowns across America, large and small, to become 
leaders in their communities.
  In 1950, President Harry S. Truman ordered U.S. military intervention 
on the Korean peninsula. In many respects, our participation in the 
Korean conflict has served as a model for the way our military operates 
today. Korea was the first multilateral United Nations operation, and 
it has become the longest standing peacekeeping operation in modern 
times. While we are inclined to remember the leaders who ultimately 
brought us victory in the Korean War--Truman, MacArthur, Acheson, 
Walker, and Ridgeway--it's really the men and women who served so 
bravely to whom we pay tribute.
  The need to contain the spread of communism brought U.S. 
servicemembers to a small country in Southeast Asia called Vietnam. It 
was 1964 when Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution and 1973 
before the last U.S. combat troops left Vietnam. Much is owed to the 
men and women who served in that conflict, and it must be remembered 
that those who fought and died in service to the United States in 
Southeast Asia are owed the appreciation of a grateful Nation, even 
though so many did not receive the welcome home that they deserved.
  The Persian Gulf War was a tremendous display of U.S. military 
technology, but what must not be forgotten is that the swift end to 
combat operations was the result of a sound strategy and the ability of 
U.S. service personnel to carry out that strategy.
  And of course today our men and women in uniform are engaged in Iraq 
and Afghanistan. I predict those returning from these conflicts will be 
another great generation. Rising from the sands of the Middle East, 
these veterans, who have toiled and fought there to bring peace and 
civilization back to those two beleaguered countries, are truly 
America's future.
  In addition to large-scale conflicts, U.S. military forces have been 
involved in far more small-scale contingency operations. In each 
instance, in numbers both large and small, the men and women of the 
United States' armed services have answered the Nation's call.
  So let us remember the importance of those who wore the uniform and 
those who wear it today. They have served this Nation, and now we must 
do right by them in Congress, in our communities, and in our everyday 
lives. Today, we honor their courage and their sacrifice, and to all of 
them we say thank you.

                                         House of Representatives,


                               Committee on Veterans' Affairs,

                                     Washington, DC, May 21, 2010.
     Hon. Ike Skelton,
     Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, Rayburn Building, 
         House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Skelton: On May 20, 2010, H. Res. 1385, 
     recognizing and honoring the courage and sacrifice of members 
     of the Armed Forces and veterans was introduced in the House 
     of Representatives. This measure was sequentially referred to 
     the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
       The Committee on Veterans' Affairs recognizes the 
     importance of H. Res. 1385 and the need to move this 
     resolution expeditiously in order to honor the courage and 
     sacrifice of members of the Armed Forces and veterans. 
     Therefore, while we have valid jurisdictional claims to this 
     resolution, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs will waive 
     further consideration of H. Res. 1385. The Committee does so 
     with the understanding that by waiving further consideration 
     of this resolution it does not waive any future 
     jurisdictional claims over similar measures.
       I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter and a copy 
     of your response in the Congressional Record during 
     consideration of H. Res. 1385 on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Bob Filner,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                     Washington, DC, May 24, 2010.
     Hon. Bob Filner,
     Chairman, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Cannon House 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding 
     House Resolution 1385, ``Recognizing and honoring the courage 
     and sacrifice of the members of the Armed Forces and 
     veterans, and for other purposes.'' This measure was referred 
     to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be 
     subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
     consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
     jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
       I agree that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has certain 
     valid jurisdictional claims to this resolution, and I 
     appreciate your decision to waive further consideration of H. 
     Res. 1385 in the interest of expediting consideration of this 
     important measure. I agree that by agreeing to waive further 
     consideration, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs is not 
     waiving its jurisdictional claims over similar measures in 
     the future.
       During consideration of this measure on the House floor, I 
     will ask that this exchange of letters be included in the 
     Congressional Record.
           Very truly yours,
                                                      Ike Skelton,
                                                          Chairman

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for introducing this resolution 
honoring those who have served in the Armed Forces and for honoring me 
to be a cosponsor with him in that legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, next week is Memorial Day, and I rise today in support 
of House Resolution 1385 to recognize and honor the courage and 
sacrifice of the members of the Armed Forces and the veterans of our 
wars.
  In the clearly defined wars against tyranny, in the controversial 
conflicts not appreciated until the guns long fell silent, in the 
limited actions unknown by anyone not there, the American Armed Forces 
have time and again answered the call of duty.
  When our fighting men and women put on their uniforms, they became 
immune to politics and marched towards the sound of the guns, going 
wherever their orders sent them. We call them specialist, corporal, 
airman, and petty officer. They are our own children. These young 
Americans represent the best in all of us because, while America will 
always fight for those who cannot

[[Page H3780]]

fight for themselves, it is their faces that America sends to the aid 
of the broken, wounded, and starving of the world.
  In the cold winter of Valley Forge, across the deserts to Tripoli, 
fighting against their brothers in the Civil War, across the wheat 
fields of France, on the beaches of Normandy, in the freezing Korean 
winter, in the jungles of Vietnam, and in the burning sands of Iraq and 
Afghanistan, what has set our Armed Forces apart is their commitment to 
a moral war, a just war, an American way of war.
  Americans make the distinction between our enemies and the innocent 
bystanders. And once our enemies lay down their arms, our forces 
provide them food, shelter, and medical aid. And when the fighting 
stops completely, our forces help to rebuild war-torn nations, turning 
bitter enemies into great industrialized allies of today.
  Since 1775, and across the world today, our Armed Forces and veterans 
symbolize all that is best in us as Americans. The American Armed 
Forces are just as eager to help feed and clothe the survivors of a 
natural disaster as they are to destroy tyranny and oppression. People 
across the globe know that when the Americans come they will fight for 
what is right, and those who rule by fear will then be afraid.
  In the most difficult conditions, in the most challenging terrain, 
against the greatest odds, our Armed Forces have faced impossible odds 
without counting the cost to themselves. They have followed their 
orders, and the oath sworn to our Constitution makes the moral 
foundation of our government possible.
  Since before the acknowledgement of our Nation's sovereignty and 
before the first session of this great legislative body, our citizens 
organized themselves to fight against oppression and to stand up for 
freedom and liberty. When the drums beat, when the bugles called, the 
sound of marching feet was the pride of our Nation answering the call.
  Whether our veterans were drafted or volunteered, made long service 
careers or served only for a short time, they committed their lives, 
their youth, and their health to the principles of our great Nation. In 
no other industry of America today will you find a group of young men 
and women for whom truth is the only currency, pain is a temporary 
annoyance, ingenuity is the answer to all challenges, and teamwork is 
the thread that unites and binds them against all foes.

                              {time}  1630

  They have done all this without counting the cost to themselves and 
their families. We, who are a grateful Nation, must remember this. Our 
freedom is a tangible thing, a perishable thing, and our own last full 
measure of devotion must be dedicated to ensuring that their sacrifice 
is never in vain but that a more perfect union will yet rise and 
inspire the oppressed peoples of the Earth.
  I urge the House to join me in passing this resolution to honor our 
Armed Forces.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support 
of House Resolution 1385, to recognize and honor the courage and 
sacrifice of the members of the Armed Forces and of the veterans of our 
wars. Next week, we will be celebrating Memorial Day, and it is fitting 
that we take time to remember all those who have served this Nation in 
uniform so honorably and selflessly.
  I look forward to being with the Navy League of Hilton Head Island, 
South Carolina, at the Veterans Memorial Park next Monday. Last year, I 
was inspired to be with fellow members of the American Legion in 
Hampton, South Carolina.
  We stand here today enjoying the fruits of freedom because good men 
and women from the Revolutionary War to present day have put the 
support of America and the ideals for which she stands above personal 
desires and preferences.
  While estimates vary, it is certain that more than 1 million 
Americans have died in defense of this Nation. You may have known some 
of them. If you did, you should count yourself among the privileged. I 
hope you were as touched by their sacrifices as I have been by those I 
have known, people like Marine Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Trane 
McCloud--a military fellow in the congressional office I represent. He 
was killed in Iraq on December 3, 2006.
  To Lieutenant Colonel Trane McCloud and to so many others like him 
over the years of our history, we owe so much. It is a debt that we can 
never really repay to extraordinary military families and widows, such 
as Maggie McCloud.
  The only way I know how to even begin to express our thanks is to 
continue to support to the fullest extent possible those who now serve, 
to step forward and to publicly acknowledge their dedication and 
sacrifices for America. We should recognize and be grateful that, due 
to the sacrifices of American servicemembers, there is a broader spread 
of democracy and freedom today than in the history of the world, with 
dozens of new democracies, upon the defeat of Communism in the Cold 
War, from Poland to Mongolia and Bulgaria to Cambodia. Iraq and 
Afghanistan have been liberated from totalitarian despots in the global 
war on terrorism.
  That's why what we are doing in this resolution and what we will do 
next week on Memorial Day is so important.
  As the son of a World War II Flying Tiger who served in China, as a 
31-year veteran of the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard, and as 
one with four sons currently serving in the military, I especially 
appreciate military service.
  I want to thank Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton and 
Ranking Member Buck McKeon for cosponsoring this resolution, and I urge 
my colleagues to support it.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget 
September 11th.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, Hector Polla graduated from West Point in 
June of 1941. After the infantry officers' basic course in Fort 
Benning, Georgia, he was assigned to his first military assignment--the 
Philippines.
  It was on December 8, Philippine time, that the Philippines were 
invaded by the Japanese. Hector Polla helped defend the Peninsula of 
Bataan, receiving a commendation for heroism, a Silver Star for his 
actions, in February of 1942. In April, he, along with the other 
American forces, surrendered. He survived the death march on the way to 
Cabanatuan prison camp, and he was kept there over the years. In 
December 1944, he was put aboard a Japanese ship to be taken to Japan 
to do slave labor. American bombers bombed that ship, and he survived. 
On January 19, 1945, he was again placed on a Japanese ship to go to 
Japan to do slave labor. The American bombers bombed that ship, and 
Hector Polla died as a result of the wounds received.
  There are others throughout that war who saw that battle--the combat, 
the deprivation. Yet, at the end of the day, the American forces did 
well in that sector of the Asia-Pacific and also in Europe. So many of 
them came home and became leaders in the community--in the businesses, 
in the churches, in the civic organizations, in politics. Today, we are 
the recipients of what they have done.
  I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) for his words and 
for his cosponsorship of this resolution.
  It is important that we as a Congress express our appreciation for 
those who served, not just in the Second World War, but in all of the 
wars down through and including today. I hope that we will recognize 
them when we see them at the airports or on the streets or in the 
coffee shops or in church so we can just say ``thank you'' to them. 
That's what this resolution does. It expresses appreciation. After all, 
it was the sister of a great Roman orator who once said that gratitude 
is the greatest of all virtues.
  This is our opportunity as a Congress to say we are grateful for 
those men and women who have worn the uniform. We are proud of them and 
we thank them.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, listening to the chairman relate that story 
made me think of an experience I had last week at home. We had an event 
that was held by our community, honoring those who served.

[[Page H3781]]

  At that event, I met again the parents of a young man who was killed 
a few weeks ago, from our home. It was a Filipino family who had a son 
and two daughters. Their son, Ian Gelig, was killed in Afghanistan, 
just as I said, a few weeks ago. They came to this gathering from the 
cemetery, which is where they go on a daily basis to visit their son.
  We had another family there who had lost their son in Iraq a few 
years ago, and this family has kind of befriended the parents of other 
young people who have lost their lives since then. They go to all of 
the funerals, and they have become strong advocates, reaching out to 
help the other families.
  They feel good about what their sons have done. They hate the fact 
that they have lost their sons, but they feel proud of what they have 
done and feel like their sons did what they wanted to do.
  I had the experience today of meeting a young midshipman. He will be 
graduating Friday from the Naval Academy. He is planning on becoming a 
SEAL. He has been learning Arabic, and he is looking forward to having 
an exciting career in the Navy.
  You know, seeing these young people and seeing the light in their 
lives and what their plans are makes one think of others, as the 
chairman talked about--of the young man who graduated from West Point, 
who lost his life. He had that same light in his life, and I'm sure he 
felt like what he was doing, the sacrifice he'd made for our country, 
was worthwhile.
  It is up to us to remember those sacrifices and, as Mr. Wilson said, 
to never forget 9/11 and to never forget the service of all of these 
young people since the birth of our great Nation.
  I would ask that all of our colleagues support this resolution.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 
1385, to recognize and honor the courage and sacrifice of the members 
of the Armed Forces and veterans for their service to the people of the 
United States.
  First I want to thank Chairman Ike Skelton, and Ranking Member Howard 
``Buck'' McKeon, of the Armed Services Committee, for their leadership 
and for championing the cause of our military men and women and our 
veterans. In this month of May known as National Military Appreciation 
Month, it is important to take time from our busy schedule to recognize 
and celebrate the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces and 
veterans, and again I commend Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member 
McKeon for introducing this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Vietnam veteran, I want to thank all members of the 
Armed Forces and veterans for their service to this great nation. I 
especially want to recognize the service and sacrifice made by the sons 
and daughters of American Samoa to protect this great nation. I am most 
proud to state for the record that American Samoa's sons and daughters 
have served in record number in every U.S. military engagement from 
WWII to the present. Indeed, located some 3000 miles from Hawaii, the 
American Samoa reserve unit is under the only remaining infantry unit 
of the U.S. Army Reserve, the 100th battalion of the 442nd Infantry 
Regiment, or the ``Purple Heart Battalion'' based at Fort Shafter, 
Hawaii.
  As a true testament to the sacrifice made by our brave warriors from 
American Samoa, I am always reminded of retired Command Sergeant Major 
Falaniko and his late son Private Jonathan I. Falaniko. PVT Falaniko 
attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, in May 2003 and was 
later deployed to Iraq in August 2003. He was then assigned to the 70th 
Engineer Battalion under the 1st Armored Division, Engineers Brigade of 
which his father, CSM Ioakimo Falaniko, was the Command Sergeant Major 
of the brigade and was the most senior enlisted soldier.
  On October 27, 2003 PVT Falaniko was killed by a rocket-propelled 
grenade attack. Twenty-year-old Jonathan Falaniko had been in the U.S. 
Army for less than 6 months. He was laid to rest with all the other 
brave men and women that have served this great nation, at the National 
Cemetery in Arlington. Jonathan's story is only one of thousands of the 
many Americans who have given the ultimate sacrifice for this great 
nation.
  Mr. Speaker, it is customary in the Samoan culture to recognize great 
deeds and exceptional feats in speeches, songs and storytelling so that 
they are memorialized and imbedded in the hearts and minds of 
generations to come. Therefore, I rise today with great honor in 
support of H. Res. 1385 to recognize the service and courage of all our 
servicemen and women and veterans. Let us honor their patriotism, love 
of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice so much to bring 
about peace and freedom in a troubled world. To our veterans and 
current service members, and especially to American Samoa's Reserve 
unit scattered throughout the Middle East, I would like to close by 
saying how honored and proud I am of your service to this great nation 
and I commend you for your courage.
  May God bless you and may God continue to bless the United States of 
America. I strongly urge my fellow colleagues to pass this resolution.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize and honor the courage and sacrifice of members of the Armed 
Forces and our Veterans.
  May is National Military Appreciation Month, a tine when we honor the 
bravery and service of our Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. 
Members of our Armed Forces leave behind their homes, families, and 
jobs in times when duty calls. They protect America and American 
Allies, provide support in times of disasters, and help bringing 
stability to areas of unrest.
  From my time as a psychiatric nurse in the Dallas Veterans Affair's 
Hospital, I know firsthand the burden placed upon those who serve in 
our Armed Forces. People around the world owe their freedoms and 
liberties to the courage, service, and sacrifice of members of the 
Armed Forces. I urge all Americans to recognize and honor the courage 
and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform and thank them for their 
service.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1385.
  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. SKELTON. 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.

                          ____________________