[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 107 (Tuesday, July 20, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H5758-H5760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING 14TH ARMORED DIVISION

  Mr. CRITZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1483) recognizing the exemplary service and 
sacrifice of the soldiers of the 14th Armored Division of the United 
States Army, known as the Liberators, during World War II, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1483

       Whereas the 14th Armored Division was activated on November 
     15, 1942, at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, as a unit of the United 
     States Army;
       Whereas the Division's 19th, 62d, and 68th Armored Infantry 
     Battalions traced their lineage back to the 62d Infantry 
     Regiment, which was organized in 1917;
       Whereas the Division landed in southern France on October 
     29, 1944, and first entered combat on November 20, 1944;
       Whereas the Division participated in the Rhineland, 
     Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe campaigns;
       Whereas the Division participated in the liberation of most 
     of the French province of Alsace in late November, 1944, and 
     was engaged in an offensive against the Siegfried Line itself 
     when, on December 19, General Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered 
     the 7th Army to withdraw from Germany in response to the 
     serious threat posed by a major German offensive in the 
     Ardennes;
       Whereas when the German army launched Operation Nordwind, 
     the last major German offensive of the European war, against 
     7th Army positions, elements of the Division engaged several 
     German divisions between January 1 and January 7, 1945, 
     contributing materially to deflecting the initial German 
     attacks;
       Whereas it was during one of these engagements on January 3 
     and 4, 1945, that the Division's Private First Class George 
     B. Turner earned the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in 
     helping to repel repeated German attacks at Philippsbourg, 
     France;
       Whereas, on January 9, 1945, the Division stopped the 
     German XXXIX Panzer Corps from breaking through the 7th 
     Army's lines at the villages of Hatten and Rittershoffen;
       Whereas, between January 9 and January 21, 1945, the 
     Division fought the 21st Panzer Division, 25th Panzer 
     Grenadier Division, 20th Regiment of the 7th Parachute 
     Division, and the 104th Regiment of the 47th Volksgrenadier 
     Division to a standstill during the ensuing Battle of Hatten-
     Rittershoffen;
       Whereas elements of the Division were awarded two 
     Presidential Unit Citations;
       Whereas, on March 24, 1945, after days of heavy fighting, 
     the Division broke through the Siegfried Line and advanced to 
     the Rhine River;
       Whereas, after crossing the Rhine River, the Division 
     liberated Stalag XIII-C and Oflag XIII-B, two large prisoner 
     of war camps at Hammelburg, Germany;
       Whereas, during April 1945, the Division rapidly advanced 
     hundreds of miles across southern Germany, fighting numerous 
     battles before crossing the Danube River north of Munich;
       Whereas, on April 29, 1945, the Division, after a fierce 
     engagement with several thousand SS troops, liberated Stalag 
     VII-A, one

[[Page H5759]]

     of the largest prisoner of war camps in Germany;
       Whereas the Division is designated a ``Liberating Unit'' by 
     the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in recognition of 
     its liberation of civilians of many nationalities and 
     ethnicities from forced labor and concentration camps, 
     including several large sub-camps of the notorious Dachau 
     concentration camp system;
       Whereas the Secretary of the Army awarded the Division the 
     distinctive unit designation, ``Liberators'', in recognition 
     of the Division's role in liberating large numbers of U.S. 
     and Allied prisoners of war; and
       Whereas the proud fighting tradition and accomplishments of 
     the Division and its men, especially those who made the 
     ultimate sacrifice, must not be forgotten: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the 
     exemplary service and sacrifice of the soldiers of the 14th 
     Armored Division of the United States Army, known as the 
     Liberators, during World War II.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. CRITZ. Madam 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 Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CRITZ. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1483, 
recognizing the exemplary service and sacrifice of the soldiers of the 
14th Armored Division of the United States Army, known as the 
Liberators, during World War II. I'm very grateful to my colleague from 
Georgia, Dr. Gingrey, for his work in authoring this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, the distinctive designation ``Liberator'' is a title 
well-earned by the brave men of the 14th Armored Division for their 
valor, heroism, and sacrifice in the Allied invasion of Western Europe 
and the liberation of prisoners of war, forced laborers, and 
concentration camps.
  Crossing over the Danube River in southern Germany through the 
concentration camps at Dachau, the troops of the 14th Armored Division 
became witness to evidence of some of the most appalling and brutal 
atrocities the world has ever seen. The resolve in the face of 
unspeakable evil is testament to the strength of their conviction in 
the American ideals of freedom and democracy that eventually led the 
Allies to victory in 1945.
  As the soldiers of the 14th Armored Division advanced toward the 
Stalag VII A POW camp near Moosburg, Allied prisoners of war, including 
American soldiers, sailors, and airmen waited in nervous hope as the 
sounds of fighting and the prospect of their own freedom grew even 
closer. Despite being outnumbered by SS troops, the men of the 14th 
fought valiantly to overpower them and went on to carry out the 
liberation of one of the largest POW camps in Germany.
  The flag of the 14th Armored Division, along with those of many other 
liberating units, is displayed at the entrance of the United States 
Holocaust Memorial Museum as a permanent reminder of the courage of 
these and other American liberators who put their own lives in danger 
so that others could be free from oppression and fear.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to recognize and commend the 
service of the soldiers of the 14th Armored Division, of whom it has 
been said that heroism, sacrifice, and achievements above and beyond 
the call of duty were everyday occurrences, by voting in favor of House 
Resolution 1483.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1483, as amended, which 
recognizes the service and sacrifices of the members of the 14th 
Armored Division during World War II and want to commend my friend, 
Phil Gingrey of Georgia, for sponsoring this legislation.

                              {time}  1600

  The 14th Armored Division first went into action in November 1944 and 
established an impressive fighting record in France and Germany during 
more than 130 days of combat.
  In January 1945, a 46-year-old World War I marine veteran, Private 
First Class George B. Turner, earned the Medal of Honor for his 
extraordinary heroism that helped the division repel repeated German 
attacks. Turner was a graduate of Wentworth Military Academy in 
Missouri, that fine educational institution long supported by our 
chairman, Ike Skelton, and despite Pfc Turner's age and prior service, 
he again volunteered for military service out of a sense of duty.
  As the division history notes: ``During training, many of the young 
soldiers and officers with whom he served came to admire his quiet 
strength and dedication to duty. Turner soon gained the reputation of 
being a good soldier who truly wanted to come to grips with the 
enemy.''
  ``Coming to grips with the enemy'' is something that Turner and his 
fellow soldiers of the 14th Armored Division did unhesitatingly and 
very well.
  As we approach the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II, it's 
fitting that this House honor the sacrifices of the men of that 
division who served the Nation in securing a lasting victory.
  Today, our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines have made the same 
commitment to this Nation. We must heed the lessons to be learned from 
the 14th Armored Division and today fully support our troops and 
families with the resources necessary for them to finish the job in the 
wars America is fighting today.
  I urge every Member of our body to support this resolution.
  Madam Speaker, it's with great pleasure I yield such time as he may 
consume to my good colleague from Georgia, Phil Gingrey.
  Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of 
House Resolution 1483, to honor the service and sacrifice of the 14th 
Armored Division during World War II; and I thank my friend, the 
distinguished chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Ike 
Skelton of Missouri, for being an original cosponsor and also want to 
thank Representative Critz of Pennsylvania and Representative Conaway 
of Texas for their support.
  As Americans learn about World War II, most are familiar with the 
Battle of the Bulge; yet few know about Hitler's last major offensive 
along the Western front. Operation Nordwind was Hitler's final attempt 
at pushing back the Allied march toward Germany. The Allies blocked the 
German counterattack, and the Germans began withdrawing to defensive 
positions. But victory came with a heavy price, Madam Speaker. Of the 
approximately 41,000 casualties, roughly 16,000 were from Allied 
forces.
  Today, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring one armored 
division, the 14th, that played a vital part in stopping this 
offensive. Madam Speaker, the 14th Armored Division arrived in 
Marseilles, France, on October 29, 1944, and soon after participated in 
the liberation of the French province of Alsace that November. The 14th 
went on to enter Germany on December 6, 1944. In addition to its 
efforts in Operation Nordwind, the men of the 14th Armored Division 
liberated tens of thousands of Allied personnel from German captivity. 
Among them were thousands of Americans.
  So celebrated is the legacy of the 14th, Madam Speaker, that the 
division has been distinguished and designated as a ``Liberating Unit'' 
by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in recognition of its 
liberation of civilians of many nationalities from concentration camps. 
All in all, Madam Speaker, in their selfless efforts to free those 
confined to these camps, 447 of the 14th's finest were killed in 
action, 1,998 were wounded in combat, and to this day, 442 are missing 
in action.
  Madam Speaker, I came to know the storied history of the 14th Armored 
Division through my deputy district director, John O'Keefe, whose 
grandfather, Private First Class Norman Narsted, served in the 62nd 
Armored Infantry Battalion of the 14th Armored Division; and he, 
indeed, was killed in action on March 1, 1945. With John's help and 
that of the division's historian, Jim Langford, we were able to put 
together House Resolution 1483. It is especially timely given that the 
14th

[[Page H5760]]

Armored Division Association will be holding its 45th annual reunion on 
September 8, and with the anniversary of the end of World War II right 
around the corner.
  In honor of this occasion, Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues 
to join me today in honoring the liberators.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CRITZ. Madam Speaker, I urge support of H. Res. 1483. I commend 
Dr. Gingrey for his leadership.
  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 Pennsylvania (Mr. Critz) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1483, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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