[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 82 (Thursday, May 27, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S4556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 64--HONORING THE 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION 
              FOR SERVING AND PROTECTING THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. CASEY (for himself and Mr. Specter) submitted the following 
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
Services:

                            S. Con. Res. 64

       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was established on 
     October 11, 1879, and is recognized as the oldest, 
     continuously serving division in the Army;
       Whereas units of the 28th Infantry Division date back to 
     1747, when Benjamin Franklin organized a battalion in 
     Philadelphia;
       Whereas units of the 28th Infantry Division served in the 
     Revolutionary War, including units that served with 
     distinction in the Continental Army under General George 
     Washington;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was integral to the 
     success of World War I campaigns in the European theater, 
     including those in Champagne, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, 
     Oise Marne, Lorraine, and Mesuse-Argone;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division earned the title of 
     ``Iron Division'' by General John J. Pershing for the valiant 
     efforts of the Division during World War I;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division contributed to military 
     operations in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-
     Alsace, and Central Europe during World War II;
       Whereas the perseverance of the 28th Infantry Division 
     throughout the harsh winter spanning from 1944 to 1945 on the 
     western front led to a decisive victory in the Battle of the 
     Huertgen Forest, the longest single battle engaged in by the 
     Army;
       Whereas soon after the Battle of the Huertgen Forest, the 
     28th Infantry Division withstood the onslaught of the main 
     thrust of the last great German offensive during the Battle 
     of the Bulge, giving time for reinforcements to arrive and 
     defeat the Germans;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was activated again in 
     1950 to serve in Germany;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was folded into the Army 
     Selective Reserve Force during the Vietnam War;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division aided relief efforts 
     throughout the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Agnes in 
     1972;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was called to action 
     during the partial meltdown of the nuclear reactor of the 
     Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in 1979;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division contributed to the 
     international coalition forces, facilitating efforts in 
     Operation Desert Storm;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has been part of 
     peacekeeping missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Republic of 
     Kosovo, and the Sinai Peninsula;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has deployed troops as 
     part of Operation Noble Eagle, securing high-profile 
     infrastructure targets in the aftermath of the September 11, 
     2001, attacks;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has deployed troops to 
     Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, which 
     ousted the Taliban regime and has since helped to secure the 
     country and bring humanitarian relief to the Afghan people;
       Whereas in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 28th Infantry 
     Division played a crucial role in the search for weapons of 
     mass destruction, the invasion of Iraq, the provision of 
     security in post-invasion Iraq, the training of an Iraqi 
     police force, the securing of transport convoys, and the safe 
     detainment of suspected terrorists;
       Whereas more than 2,600 soldiers of the 28th Infantry 
     Division remain missing in action from World War I and World 
     War II;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has 127 units in 90 
     armories in 75 cities across the Commonwealth of 
     Pennsylvania;
       Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has been sent to aid 
     portions of the United States affected by harsh winter 
     storms, flooding, violent windstorms, and other severe 
     weather emergencies; and
       Whereas 10 recipients of the Medal of Honor, 4 recipients 
     of the Legion of Merit, and 258 recipients of the Silver Star 
     have been members of the 28th Infantry Division: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) honors the 28th Infantry Division for serving and 
     protecting the United States; and
       (2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an 
     enrolled copy of this resolution to the Adjutant General of 
     the Pennsylvania National Guard for appropriate display.

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