[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 16, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5044-S5045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OUTBREAK OF THE KOREAN WAR
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S.J. Res. 32, introduced
earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the joint resolution by
title.
The assistant editor of the Daily Digest read as follows:
A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 32) recognizing the 60th
anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War and reaffirming
the United States-Korea alliance.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the joint
resolution.
Mr. BURR. Mr. President, this joint resolution recognizes the 60th
anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean war, as well as honoring the
strong friendship between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
June 25 is a very important day, not only in Korean history, but also
in U.S. history. On that day 60 years ago, Communist troops from the
Soviet-occupied north crossed the invisible border at the 38th parallel
to invade their free brethren to the south--killing thousands of
civilians and forcing streams of refugees to flee their advance.
Under the leadership of President Harry S. Truman, the United States
responded to its first military challenge of the Cold War by
dispatching U.S. forces to lead 15 other countries of a United Nations
force to defend against the spread of communism. President Truman made
his commitment to the war very clear:
In the simplest terms, what we are doing in Korea is this:
We are trying to prevent a third world war. . . . If history
has taught us anything, it is that aggression anywhere in the
world is a threat to peace everywhere in the world. When that
aggression is supported by the cruel and selfish rulers of a
powerful nation who are bent on conquest, it becomes a clear
and present danger to the security and independence of every
free nation.
During the 3 years of the Korean war, 5.7 million Americans answered
the call to duty, and almost 1.8 million of these men and women
deployed across the Pacific to serve in some of the most harsh and
unforgiving conditions along the rugged peninsula, in the skies above
the Yalu River, on carriers and other surface ships at sea, or from
staging and support areas in Japan. By the official cease fire on July
27, 1953, 54,246 American servicemen and servicewomen had sacrificed
their lives to defeat Korean and Chinese Communist troops and push them
north of what is known as the Demilitarized Zone. Since then, a
stalemate has existed on the Korean Peninsula, with the United States
supporting a free and prosperous Republic of Korea, while keeping a
wary eye on the brutally repressive regime across the border. In the
last 60 years, there have been several confrontational episodes and
potential flashpoints between the two Koreas, and events of the last
few weeks show us that the conflict continues today.
Although we are hopeful that the swell of military action 60 years
ago will be the most profound fighting in the Korean war, North Korea
has shown a propensity to provoke its sister country in the South. This
is clearly evident in the brutal murder of 46 South Korean sailors of
the South Korean Navy ship, the Cheowan, on May 20. Compelling evidence
points toward North Korean culpability in this latest episode. Such an
act of aggression only serves to underscore and reaffirm the importance
of the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
Today, U.S. Forces Korea--the combined American air, ground, and
naval forces of roughly 28,500 American servicemembers--still stand
ready to assist in the safety and security of South Korea near the
Demilitarized Zone, DMZ, and throughout the rest of the peninsula below
the 38th Parallel.
This mutual and enduring friendship has been in evidence since
September 11, 2001. South Korea has been an able and willing ally in
the global war on terror, dispatching the 100th Engineer Group and
924th Medical Group to both Iraq and Afghanistan. Their forces have
been integral in providing humanitarian and medical aid to soldiers and
civilians alike, as well as working to rebuild infrastructure in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
I ask all of my esteemed colleagues to stand with me and pass this
joint resolution, to not only commemorate the 60th anniversary of the
beginning of the Korean war and properly honor those Americans who
served proudly in that conflict, but also to recognize the continued
resilience and vibrancy of the alliance between our nations.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be added as a
cosponsor to this measure.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the joint
resolution be read a third time and passed, the preamble be agreed to,
the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements
relating to the joint resolution be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The joint resolution (S.J. Res. 32) was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
The preamble was agreed to.
The joint resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. J. Res. 32
Whereas, on June 25, 1950, communist North Korea invaded
the Republic of Korea with approximately 135,000 troops,
thereby initiating the Korean War;
Whereas, on June 27, 1950, President Harry Truman ordered
the United States Armed Forces to help the Republic of Korea
defend itself against the North Korean invasion;
Whereas the hostilities ended in a cease-fire marked by the
signing of the armistice at Panmunjom on July 27, 1953, and
the peninsula still technically remains in a state of war;
Whereas, during the Korean War, approximately 1,789,000
members of the United States Armed Forces served in theater
along with the forces of the Republic of Korea and 20 other
members of the United Nations to defend freedom and
democracy;
Whereas casualties of the United States during the Korean
War included 54,246 dead (of whom 33,739 were battle deaths),
more than 103,284 wounded, and approximately 8,055 listed as
missing in action or prisoners of war;
Whereas the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act (Public Law
111-41) was enacted on July 27, 2009, so that the honorable
service and noble sacrifice by members of the United States
Armed Forces in the Korean War will never be forgotten;
Whereas President Barack Obama issued a proclamation to
designate July 27, 2009, as the National Korean War Veterans
Armistice Day and called upon Americans to display flags at
half-staff in memory of the Korean War veterans;
Whereas since 1975, the Republic of Korea has invited
thousands of American Korean War veterans, including members
of the Korean War Veterans Association, to revisit Korea in
appreciation for their sacrifices;
Whereas in the 60 years since the outbreak of the Korean
War, the Republic of Korea has emerged from a war-torn
economy into one of the major economies in the world and one
of the largest trading partners of the United States;
Whereas the Republic of Korea is among the closest allies
of the United States, having contributed troops in support of
United States operations during the Vietnam war, Gulf war,
and operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while also supporting
numerous United Nations peacekeeping missions throughout the
world;
Whereas since the end of the Korean War era, more than
28,500 members of the United States Armed Forces have served
annually in the United States Forces Korea to defend the
Republic of Korea against external aggression, and to promote
regional peace;
Whereas North Korea's sinking of the South Korean naval
ship, Cheonan, on March 26, 2010, which resulted in the
killing of 46 sailors, necessitates a reaffirmation of the
United States-Korea alliance in safeguarding the stability of
the Korean Peninsula;
Whereas from the ashes of war and the sharing of spilled
blood on the battlefield, the United States and the Republic
of Korea have continuously stood shoulder-to-shoulder to
promote and defend international peace and security, economic
prosperity, human rights, and the rule of law both on the
Korean Peninsula and beyond; and
[[Page S5045]]
Whereas beginning in June 2010, various ceremonies are
being planned in the United States and the Republic of Korea
to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the
Korean War and to honor all Korean War veterans, including
the Korean War Veterans Appreciation Ceremony in the hometown
of President Harry S. Truman, which will express the
commitment of the United States to remember and honor all
veterans of the Korean War: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That
Congress--
(1) recognizes the historical importance of the 60th
anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, which began on
June 25, 1950;
(2) honors the noble service and sacrifice of the United
States Armed Forces and the armed forces of allied countries
that served in Korea since 1950 to the present;
(3) encourages all Americans to participate in
commemorative activities to pay solemn tribute to, and to
never forget, the veterans of the Korean War; and
(4) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to its
alliance with the Republic of Korea for the betterment of
peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
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