[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 16, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4564-H4568]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING 235TH BIRTHDAY OF U.S. ARMY

  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 286) recognizing the 235th 
birthday of the United States Army.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 286

       Whereas, on June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress, 
     representing the citizens of 13 American colonies, authorized 
     the establishment of the Continental Army;
       Whereas the collective expression of the pursuit of 
     personal freedom caused the authorization and organization of 
     the United States Army, led to the adoption of the 
     Declaration of Independence, and prompted the codification of 
     the new Nation's basic principles and values in the 
     Constitution;
       Whereas for the past 235 years, the United States Army's 
     central mission has been to fight and win wars;
       Whereas the 183 campaign streamers from Lexington to Iraqi 
     Surge carried on the Army flag are a testament to the valor, 
     commitment, and sacrifice of the brave members of the United 
     States Army;
       Whereas members of the United States Army have won 
     extraordinary distinction and respect for the Nation and its 
     Army stemming from engagement around the globe;
       Whereas in 2010, the United States will reflect on the 
     contributions of members of the United States Army on the 
     Korean peninsula in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of 
     the Korean War;
       Whereas the motto on the United States Army seal, ``This 
     We'll Defend'', is the creed by which the members of the Army 
     live and serve;
       Whereas the United States Army is an all-volunteer force 
     that is trained and ready to conduct full spectrum operations 
     in an era of persistent conflict; and
       Whereas no matter what the cause, location, or magnitude of 
     future conflicts, the United States can rely on its well-
     trained, well-led, and highly motivated members of the United 
     States Army to successfully carry out the missions entrusted 
     to them: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) expresses its appreciation to the members of the United 
     States Army for 235 years of dedicated service;
       (2) honors the valor, commitment, and sacrifice that 
     members of the United States Army, their families, and Army 
     civilians have displayed throughout the history of the Army; 
     and
       (3) calls upon the President to issue a proclamation--
       (A) recognizing the 235th birthday of the United States 
     Army and the dedicated service of its members; and
       (B) calling upon the people of the United States to observe 
     the anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Ortiz) and the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Djou) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may 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 Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 286, and it is my 
honor to stand here today and recognize the Army for its 235th 
birthday.
  Since 1775, the United States Army has stood prepared to fight and 
win our Nation's wars and has provided us with some of the greatest 
moments in our history.
  You know, as a poor child growing up in south Texas, I never knew 
what existed outside my neighborhood. However, when I joined the Army 
and left south Texas, the world soon opened to me. When I arrived in 
Paris, France, as a military policeman fresh out of basic training and 
advanced military training, I knew that my life had changed forever.
  Shortly after arriving in Paris, a friend of mine from West Virginia, 
who had just finished basic and military police school training, we 
headed down to see the Eiffel Tower. While walking around the city, a 
limousine pulled over to our side of the road and a young woman stepped 
out of the biggest car I had ever seen in my life and approached my 
friend and me. She wanted to take a picture with us, two young soldiers 
fresh out of basic training. But it was not until about 6 months later 
that we discovered that this woman was one of the most popular movie 
stars in France.

                              {time}  1530

  But all she wanted was to have a picture with two young soldiers 
wearing the American uniform.
  While in France, I became interested in learning more about police 
duties and investigations. The Army saw that maybe I could learn some 
of the stuff that they were teaching, and I was reassigned to the Army 
Criminal Investigation Division. I took the lessons and skills I 
learned back to South Texas where I became constable later after my 
return from the military, and later I became sheriff in Wasis County, 
which is my county.
  The Army experience shaped my life like nothing else has ever done. 
It sent me on the pathway to become a better human being, a better 
elected official, a better constable, a better county commissioner, a 
better sheriff, and a better Congressman. The training was hard and 
work was even harder, but the lessons were never lost.
  Just as was true in the early 1960s, when a French movie star stopped 
to take a picture with a poor boy from South Texas, our soldiers are 
respected and admired around the world for their professionalism and 
dedication to each other.
  I am proud of my service and my Army experience. I am also proud of 
today's soldiers as they continue to fight and win our Nation's wars as 
they have done for the last 235 years. From the private in Washington's 
Continental Army facing a mighty adversary to the sergeant leading a 
patrol through the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, the strength of 
our Nation is our Army, and I am proud to be part of that legacy. I am 
proud to wish the Army happy birthday.
  But you know, time has really changed. When I served back then in the 
1960s, I went to the draft board, and I volunteered to the draft 
because my father had passed away, and I had four siblings, two 
brothers and two sister. Jobs were scarce, and I volunteered to go and 
serve the Army.
  Today is a different story. Today, we have all-volunteer services. 
You can join the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the 
National Guard, the Reserves. They serve and they volunteer because 
they love our country, and this is why we're so proud of the young men 
and women who sacrifice so that you and I can enjoy the freedoms that 
we have in this country. And the day when we fail to recognize the 
sacrifices of these young men and women who serve, this is when the 
fibers of this country start to begin to deteriorate.

[[Page H4565]]

  I am so proud to say that I served in the Army, and I wish everybody 
who is either serving now or have served in the past a happy birthday.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DJOU. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 286, which was 
introduced by my friends from Texas, Mr. Edwards and Mr. Carter. This 
resolution recognizes the 235th birthday of the United States Army and 
honors the valor, commitment, and sacrifice that members of the United 
States Army, their families, and Army civilians have displayed 
throughout the history of the United States Army.
  I personally also want to note what the recognition of the Army 
birthday means to myself and my district. Three things I want to point 
out to the floor: First off, of course, it is my honor to represent 
Hawaii's First Congressional District, which is home to the 25th 
Infantry Division of the United States Army. It is also home of U.S. 
Army Pacific, Tripler Army Medical Center, Fort Shafter and of course 
my Army Reserve unit. All of which I take great pride in representing 
here in the Congress.
  Second, I think it speaks to the strength and vitality and greatness 
of our Nation and our Nation's Army that I, for myself, a child of 
immigrants from Thailand and China, had the privilege of calling myself 
an officer in the United States Army Reserve. It is a true testimony of 
the greatness of our Nation and the greatness of our Armed Forces that 
the child of immigrants would be allowed to serve as an officer in the 
most powerful fighting force the world has ever known.
  Third and finally, of course, I am enormously humbled to call myself 
a Member of the House of Representatives, and I think it is also 
testimony of the greatness of our military, Armed Forces, and for the 
United States Army that I had the privilege earlier today of sitting in 
a hearing with General Petraeus discussing current actions and 
operations going on in Afghanistan.
  I think one of the beauties of our Army today is the fact that our 
Army is professional; it is well-trained; and it also is under civilian 
control; and that even four-star generals have to answer to the elected 
officials of our Nation's people.
  As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee and as a captain in 
the Reserve, I'm proud to speak in very strong support of this 
resolution.
  On June 14, 1775, in Philadelphia, a weary group of Continental 
Congressmen worked by candlelight to lay out the provisions to form an 
Army. The result was a simple paragraph order for the colonial States 
to provide men and arms to continue an uphill fight against England. 
That simple paragraph order or resolution authorized the formation of 
10 rifle companies, and thus began the formation and the beginnings of 
our United States Army.
  Today, 235 years later, we continue to honor the commitment and duty 
of the Army soldiers who have risked their lives to preserve our 
freedom. They have left a lasting mark on this Nation. During the 
Army's 235-year history, tens of thousands of these brave young men and 
women have selflessly served on distant battlefields to keep our Nation 
safe.
  I am particularly proud of the residents of Hawaii who have served 
and continue to serve in the Army on behalf of our Nation, as well as 
the many Reservists and Guardsmen, many of whom are my personal friends 
with whom I have served with honor and distinction. I salute them for 
their service to our great Nation.
  Today, as our Nation continues to fight the global war on terror, the 
Army has been key to providing the military capabilities it needs to 
persist in the struggle for liberty and democracy. Through the efforts 
of the U.S. Army, the world has been made a more secure, prosperous, 
and better place for all of mankind. The courage and dedication of 
those soldiers and their families are an inspiration to us all, and may 
the rest of us endeavor to be ``Army Strong'' in our own lives.
  I am honored to speak in favor of this resolution and urge my 
colleagues to join me in support of H. Con. Res. 286 and recognize the 
235th birthday of the United States Army.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ORTIZ. I yield such time as my good friend from Texas (Mr. 
Edwards) may consume, my friend and colleague and member of the 
Appropriations Committee.
  Mr. EDWARDS of Texas. I want to thank Chairman Ortiz for the time 
today and, most importantly, not only for his service in the U.S. Army 
as a soldier but for his leadership as a key subcommittee chairman on 
the House Armed Services Committee. The gentleman from Texas works 
every day to support our soldiers, not just with his words but with his 
deeds, and I'm deeply grateful for that.
  Madam Speaker, this resolution honors the 235th anniversary of the 
United States Army, and I rise today on behalf of a grateful Nation to 
say thank you to every Army soldier, past and present, for their 
service to our Nation. We express our gratitude with the humility of 
knowing that we could never fully repay the debt of gratitude we owe 
our soldiers and their families for the sacrifices they have made to 
protect our Nation.
  When I drive past Arlington Cemetery each morning on my way to the 
U.S. Capitol, I'm always reminded of that sacrifice, sacrifice of those 
who, in the words of Lincoln, gave their last full measure of devotion 
to country.
  When I met with several young amputees and double amputees earlier 
this week at a charity event for wounded warriors, I was reminded that 
the personal sacrifices of war do not end with the signing of a 
ceasefire agreement. When I visit the Waco VA hospital in my district, 
I'm reminded that the mental wounds of war can sometimes be as serious 
and as long-lasting as the physical wounds of combat.
  One of the greatest privileges of my life was to represent for 14 
years Fort Hood, Texas, which is now so ably represented by my 
colleague and friend, Congressman Carter. Fort Hood is the Army's 
largest installation, and I had the privilege of representing it 
through three combat deployments.
  When I think about our Army soldiers and their sacrifices, I cannot 
help but think about the young soldier, probably no older than 20 years 
old, I met in December of 1995. My wife was just three days away from 
giving birth to our first son J.T., and as an expectant first-time 
father, I could not help but be excited as I talked to this young 
soldier sitting next to his young, pregnant wife, talking about how 
excited I was to become a father.
  This soldier, who was about to deploy for Bosnia, said without an air 
of complaint in his voice: Sir, I missed the birth of my first son 
because I was serving in Iraq, and I will miss the birth of my second 
child because I will be serving in Bosnia. He said, Sir, I'm proud to 
serve my country.
  Madam Speaker, one cannot put a price on the sacrifice of a young 
father missing the birth of his two children. There are no makeup days 
for missed births, birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations. That is 
why we are so deeply grateful to our soldiers and their families.
  To the spouses, children, parents, and loved ones of our Army 
soldiers, I say, you are the unsung heroes of our Nation's defense. 
Whether you have worn our Nation's uniform or not, you have truly 
served our country. For those family members who have lost loved ones 
in combat, we know you continue to sacrifice each and every day of your 
life.
  Were it not for the U.S. Army and the magnificent men and women who 
have served in it and are serving in it today, the world would be a 
much different place, a less stable, a less free place.
  Just a few weeks ago, I had the honor of meeting Len Lomell. Most 
Americans have not heard the name of Len Lomell. He lives in Toms 
River, New Jersey, with his wife. My wife and I took our two young 
sons, J.T. and Garrison, to meet with Mr. Lomell because in my book, he 
is a true American hero. As an Army soldier on D-day in 1944, Len 
Lomell joined with Earl Rudder and the Second Battalion Army Rangers 
and climbed up that difficult, life-threatening cliff in the face of 
German gunfire and grenades to try to knock out the five massive German 
guns that could have put at risk the entire Allied invasion of D-day.
  Len Lomell, along with one other soldier, went out scouring for the 
guns because they had been moved, unknown

[[Page H4566]]

to Army intelligence, been moved away from that cliff that we know as 
Pointe du Hoc. It was Len Lomell who found those guns, and while nearly 
100 Germans were standing just a few yards away, took thermite grenades 
and put those grenades in two different trips back to those guns, put 
thermite grenades in those gear mechanisms of those guns and, in doing 
so, decommissioned all of them.
  The great historian Steven Ambrose said that, next to Eisenhower, Len 
Lomell had more to do with the victory of D-day than any living person 
in this world.
  I have to wonder would the world be different today had it not been 
for that great Army soldier Len Lomell and all the soldiers who served 
with him and all the soldiers who served before him and those great 
ones who have served after him.
  Madam Speaker, we can never repay our soldiers such as Len Lomell, or 
the young soldier I met at Fort Hood, or Robert L. Howard, who died in 
my hometown of Waco this past December and was buried just 4 months ago 
in Arlington Cemetery after earning the Congressional Medal of Honor, 
the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star and eight Purple 
Hearts in his five tours of duty in Vietnam.

                              {time}  1545

  We cannot repay the 82,000 U.S. Army soldiers serving in Iraq today 
or the 57,000 soldiers serving in Afghanistan, but let us always honor 
them, not just with our words and resolutions such as this one today, 
but with our deeds and our budgets every day.
  Our Nation has a moral obligation to provide quality housing and 
health care for our troops and their families and first-class education 
for their children. Our Nation has a moral obligation to stand up for 
America's veterans because they have stood up for us.
  A grateful Nation wishes our Army a happy 235th birthday. May God 
bless all our soldiers--past, present and future--for risking their 
lives to protect our divine gift of freedom.
  Mr. DJOU. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my 
colleague from Texas (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER. I thank my friend from Hawaii for yielding, and I thank 
him for the opportunity to speak on behalf of this important honor we 
are bestowing upon the Army by congratulating them on their 235th 
birthday.
  The first time that I ever realized I was going to be given the honor 
to represent the United States Army was when they had a redistricting 
in Texas and I realized that my new district was going to have Fort 
Hood in it. To be quite honest, it was an overpowering challenge to be 
called upon to represent over 50,000 American soldiers and all those 
who work with those soldiers. I was a little bit taken aback, quite 
frankly. Mr. Edwards, as he pointed out, who has been so helpful to me 
in the transition of Fort Hood, Mr. Edwards had represented them for 
many years and had done an outstanding job, and I was going to be the 
new kid on the block going to Fort Hood. And so I went to my office and 
I said, the districts are changing, we've got to go visit soldiers, 
we've got to be with soldiers.
  I got the opportunity through the Speaker's Office before I had 
hardly spent any time at all in Fort Hood to go to Korea to visit 
soldiers who were stationed in Korea, many of whom were part of the 
soldiers contingency that would return to Fort Hood. I grew up as a 
small child with what was earlier today commemorated as the Korean War. 
To me it was just a map of the peninsula of Korea that I watched lines 
move up and down, but I know from people who came back what a terrible 
fight that was. And I know that that is still, to this day, to this 
very moment we stand in history, a dangerous place on the Earth.
  When we got there, we were given the opportunity, my wife and I, to 
go up on the demilitarized zone, the DMZ, where ultimately, as a result 
of the cease fire that took place in Korea, they have set up--both 
sides, you're kind of across a line looking at each other. In fact, as 
recently as 4 or 5 years ago, there have been fatalities on that line. 
There is the opportunity for another war to break out, theoretically, 
any minute of any day, 24 hours a day and has been since the end of the 
Korean War back in the fifties. So it was kind of a challenge just to 
go up there.
  Then when I got there, there were all these young-faced American 
soldiers. My oldest son is a football coach and a baseball coach, and 
as I looked at these young men and women that I was being introduced 
to; they looked just like the kids that were at the graduation ceremony 
just a few months earlier that my son coached and taught.
  When it came time for lunch, they gave me an opportunity to sit down 
at this table with this bunch of young men and women. I tell you this 
because it was kind of unusual, my first time to ever sit down with 
just ordinary soldiers and talk to them. And you don't really know what 
they're going to say; you're kind of curious. Well, the first thing I 
found out was there was one kid there from Killeen Ellison; he played 
football for my son when my son coached at Killeen Ellison. There was 
another kid there that played baseball for my son when he coached at 
Round Rock High School. So I realized that these were just like those 
kids that had just graduated.
  I went around the table, and this was all a bunch of 18- and 19-year-
old soldiers. They came from small-town and big-town America. They 
could have been your friend, your neighbor, your cousin, could have 
been your brother or your sister. And there they were, standing up 
there, potentially in harm's way on our behalf, where it's cold and 
windy and kind of scary.
  So that was my first contact. And I asked the question, kind of 
naively, Okay, so when are you guys going to be through over here in 
Korea? Most of them were going to be out within the next 8 months. And 
I said, Where do you want to go when you get out, expecting all kinds 
of exotic places. No, sir, we want to go to either Afghanistan or Iraq. 
My wife and I both were a little taken aback by that. And so my wife 
asked the question, Why would you want to go there? And they gave an 
answer that is one of the definitions I think of the United States 
Army, they said, Sir, we're warfighters; that's where the war is. 
That's what we do for a living. We are the Army.
  Now, you hear that from a 19-year-old kid that probably a year and a 
half ago had been playing on some practice field someplace in central 
Texas and you say to yourself, what magic is it that we get people like 
this to come out and do this job and do it willingly and with such 
patriotism and such fervor for doing the job they're trained for?
  Just recently, less than a few weeks ago--and I shared this at the 
birthday party for the Army last night--my wife and I got a very nice 
honor of being part of a small delegation of Members of Congress who 
were invited to go to the Memorial Day ceremony at Normandy Beach where 
our soldiers came ashore and accomplished the impossible. In fact, we 
stood on Pointe du Hoc, as Mr. Edwards was describing to you, and we 
looked at those cliffs and we looked at the repair being done to 
preserve that national treasure of our heroic effort.
  We got to see that beach both at high and low tide, and we got to see 
the distance those soldiers had to run under heavy, heavy, heavy 
automatic weapon fire and artillery fire just to get to that bluff that 
they had to climb to get to the fight. You looked at it and you said, I 
don't think I could have done it. That is what I thought: I don't think 
I could have done it. And then you realize that that's the same kids, 
like the same kids I talked to in Korea. They were young people who 
were members of the United States Army; they had a job to do and they 
did it.
  They told us a story about a soldier who landed there, fought his way 
across the beach to the bluff, fought his way up the bluff to get off 
of that deadly beach only to be wounded in the face--took off the right 
side of his face with a machine gun bullet. They wrapped him up on the 
top of the bluff and said you need to go back down on the beach for an 
aid station. And his comment was, I just fought my way off of that 
beach. And they said, no, you've got to be evacuated. Going back down 
to be evacuated he was shot four more times, the last of which took off 
the left side of his face. And his comment that he made when he came 
back to Normandy as a 90-year-old man--and they said he looked fine, he 
said they did a fine job on me and I looked good. I have children, I 
have grandchildren and I have great grandchildren, and I

[[Page H4567]]

did what I did for them. And I can say that I always wondered if I 
really ought to come to this beach because I was only here for 9 hours. 
True, I did get five Purple Hearts while I was here, but I wondered if 
I was worthy to come back and say I landed here, because I had to be 
evacuated.

  That special something that makes up the United States Army can't be 
described to us in detail. But when you walk among those 10,000 crosses 
and stars of David in that cemetery and you realize that those heroes 
laying beneath that ground are exactly like those heroes who stand on 
the wall in the defense of liberty in Iraq and Afghanistan today, our 
soldiers today are exactly like those of the Greatest Generation: they 
sacrifice everything.
  I'm proud to represent the 31st Congressional District, which is the 
home of Fort Hood. Every soldier at Fort Hood has been deployed 
multiple times, and they never complain; they just do the job. We 
Americans, wherever we are, in this House that we are so blessed to be 
able to serve or around the world, should stop every day, when we have 
the opportunity, and say thank you to the United States Army for the 
quality of human beings they have produced to defend our Nation and for 
the patriotic spirit that is part of what makes up the psyche of 
America.
  Nothing is more precious to us than the United States Army. Nothing 
is more honorable to me than being given the opportunity to represent 
over 50,000 American soldiers. And so this day I am very happy to say 
to our United States Army, happy birthday, U.S. Army. We are proud of 
you. God bless you and keep you safe.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my good friend and 
colleague from New York (Mr. Hall), a member of the Energy and Global 
Warming Subcommittee. And as always, he does a great job.
  Mr. HALL of New York. I thank the chairman for yielding.
  I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 286, introduced by 
my colleagues from Texas, and also the co-chairs of the Army Caucus, 
Mr. Edwards and Mr. Carter.
  I would just like to follow on Mr. Carter's remarks about the modesty 
of the veteran who, upon returning to the Normandy beaches, wondered 
whether he was worthy after only spending 9 hours there on D-day, 
whether he deserved to come back there again.
  I have spoken to Army veterans who were wounded and needed help but 
say I don't want to go to the VA and ask for help because maybe there's 
somebody wounded worse than I was and they need the help more, they 
need the money more than I need it. That modesty and sense of self-
sufficiency is admirable, but something that we on the Veterans 
Services Committee try to get past and try to convince all veterans 
that they have earned the assistance that this country should give 
them.
  I am somebody who was turned away on induction day when I went for my 
physical on Holabird Avenue in Baltimore for various physical reasons; 
but as fate would have it, I am now chairing the Veterans' Affairs 
Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

                              {time}  1600

  We were in the middle of a hearing yesterday on the state of the 
Veterans Benefits Administration when I had the honor of welcoming 
General David Huntoon, who is, this July, taking over the position of 
superintendent at West Point, which is in my district, New York's 19th 
Congressional District, in the Hudson Valley. He is replacing General 
Hagenbeck, who has served there for longer than I've been in this 
Congress.
  It is a very proud tradition at the Army's academy. It was founded 
shortly after the Revolutionary War at the point of the Hudson River 
called World's End. It's where the Hudson takes a 90-degree bend to the 
west and then, once again, 90 degrees straight to the north. It is the 
point where the Revolutionary Army stretched a chain across the river 
to stop the British fleet from sailing up and influencing the battles 
that were taking place further north in the Hudson Valley.
  To this day, West Point produces our officer corps, including my 
nephew, who graduated a couple of weeks ago from West Point. The corps 
is shortly going to be leading troops in battle--some older than they, 
some younger than they--but the enlisted corps will be looking to our 
new officers in the Army for leadership.
  I was honored to be at a gathering of appointees who I had helped to 
gain admission. Of course, they had to pass the admissions standards to 
West Point and to the other service academies as well. I heard a 
colonel from the admissions office at West Point say that the best 
thing that they could do as officers in the Army is to listen. They 
listen to their soldiers whom they lead, and they lead through service.
  So, once again, I would like to congratulate and to honor the Army on 
this 235th birthday. I urge support of the resolution by all of my 
colleagues, and I offer my hopes and prayers that all of our young 
officers and enlisted people--and the more senior ones and the more 
experienced ones as well--will come back home safely.
  Mr. DJOU. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the Foreign Affairs Committee, 
my good friend and colleague from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), my 
good friend with whom I have had the privilege of working for many 
years.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I do want to thank my good friend and colleague 
from Texas as well as our friend from the State of Hawaii for managing 
this important resolution.
  Madam Speaker, it is ironic that we just got through considering a 
resolution which commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. 
Four of our colleagues were veterans of that terrible conflict: 
Congressman Rangel, Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas, Congressman John 
Conyers of Michigan, and Congressman Howard Coble of North Carolina. 
The Korean War took 30,000 of our soldiers' lives. Let us not forget 
their sacrifice as we honor the celebration of the 235th birthday of 
the U.S. Army.
  It was my honor to have served as a member of the U.S. Army during 
the Vietnam conflict, Madam Speaker. I recall the time of the 
Revolutionary War and of George Washington, with some 12,000 soldiers 
who were not very well trained. They had to go up against some 30,000 
British Redcoats, which was the most powerful military organization at 
that time, but we had to fight it. We won the war, giving credit to 
General George Washington and to those who were able to assist him.
  Madam Speaker, as a matter of history of the U.S. Army, during World 
War II, some 100,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated in 
concentration camps. Despite all the discrimination, all the hatred, 
and all the racism that was heaped upon the Japanese Americans, they 
volunteered and organized the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry brigade, 
which was sent to Europe. These two military organizations became among 
the most decorated ever in the history of the U.S. Army.
  As I recall distinctly of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry, some 
18,000 individual decorations were given to the men who served, these 
Japanese Americans. Some 9,000 Purple Hearts were awarded, some 560 
Silver Stars and 52 Distinguished Service Crosses--and ironically, only 
one Medal of Honor. Well, we corrected that. As a result of again 
reviewing the value and the courage of these Japanese American soldiers 
who fought during that time, 19 additional Medals of Honor were awarded 
because of what they had done during the war. I just wanted to note 
that as a matter of history.
  I want to commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards) for his 
authorship of this resolution. I sincerely thank my good friend, 
Congressman Ortiz, for allowing me to say a few words in celebrating 
the 235th birthday of the U.S. Army.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, at the same time we are honoring these 
soldiers, we cannot forget their families, because they have sacrificed 
as well.
  I have known 29 soldiers who have been killed in the Afghanistan and 
Iraq wars. At one of these funerals that I attended, I met a young 
soldier who was escorting a body to my district, and he gave me this 
poem that I will always carry with me and that I will never forget. 
These are the people whose birthday we are celebrating today.

[[Page H4568]]

  It is entitled, ``Soldier.''
  ``I was that which others did not want to be.
  ``I went where others feared to go and did what others failed to do.
  ``I asked nothing from those who gave nothing, and reluctantly 
accepted the thought of eternal loneliness should I fail.
  ``I have seen the face of terror, felt the stinging cold of fear, and 
enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment's love.
  ``I have cried, pained, and hoped; but most of all, I have lived 
times others would say were best forgotten.
  ``At least someday I will be able to say that I was proud of what I 
was, a soldier.''
  This is their birthday, the United States Army.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. 
Con. Res. 286, celebrating the 235th birthday of the United States 
Army.
  First, I would like to thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member 
McKeon of the Committee on Armed Services for bringing the resolution 
to the floor today. I also want to commend my good friend, Congressman 
Chet Edwards of Texas, for introducing this resolution as well as all 
of the other cosponsors for their rapid and strong support.
  The freedoms that this great country was built on were not formed out 
of peace and diplomacy, but out of necessity for war. The United States 
Army has ensured the safety and continuance of the freedoms won since 
the Revolutionary War that declared our independence from Great 
Britain. In 1775, the Continental Army was formed representing the 
thirteen American colonies consisting of a few thousand soldiers. 
Today, according to the Department of Defense, there are over 2 million 
personnel serving in our Armed Forces while 675,000 are either active 
duty or reserve in the U.S. Army.
  I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely give my thanks to 
all the men and women who have served and are serving in the U.S. Army. 
As a Vietnam veteran, I appreciate the dedication and service of all 
those who have volunteered. The United States military is an essential 
component of our country's success and we owe them a debt of gratitude. 
Given that the average age of a soldier in the U.S. Army today is 22 
years old, I would like to recognize the young men and women of this 
country for devoting themselves to maintaining the freedoms and rights 
enumerated by our founding fathers since 1776.
  The United States Army personnel, as well as all branches of the 
military, deserve not only our respect, but our recognition. Our United 
States military today is the strongest and fiercest volunteer force 
dedicated to protecting and defending our great nation. For this reason 
I would like to recognize all U.S. military personnel serving in our 
homeland and throughout the world.
  For their service, valor and commitment, we must honor the United 
States Army. I urge my colleagues to pass H. Con. Res. 286.
  Mr. ORTIZ. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Garamendi). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 
286.
  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. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  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.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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