[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING OUR NATION'S HEROES ON NATIONAL POW-MIA RECOGNITION DAY

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                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in observance of National 
POW/MIA Recognition Day and to express my gratitude to the soldiers, 
sailors, airmen, and Marines who have suffered unimaginable hardships 
as prisoners of war and to those courageous service members who remain 
missing in action.
  One of the great tragedies of war is the inability of a family to lay 
a beloved fallen service member in a final appropriate resting place at 
home here in the United States. Sadly, since World War II, the families 
of over 84,000 servicemen and women are left to wonder the fate of 
their family member who went missing in action. My thoughts and prayers 
go out to these service members and their families; that these 
Americans heroes may find peace, and that one day we can return them 
home.
  During the same time period, more than 138,000 brave American service 
members have been detained as prisoners of war, with many suffering 
through barbaric treatment by their captors. POWs have seen and 
experienced some of the most horrific acts of which mankind is capable, 
and they certainly deserve our unending recognition and gratitude. The 
loyalty and bravery they demonstrate while at the hands of our enemies 
cannot be overstated.
  While we pause to remember the sacrifice so many brave men and women 
have made for our country, we must also thank those who have worked 
tirelessly to find and return home those who went missing. The Defense 
Prisoner of War and Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) is responsible for 
the investigation and recovery process for missing service members. The 
DPMO also works closely with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, or 
JPAC, which is responsible for worldwide investigations, recoveries, 
and identifications. Together, and with other dedicated private 
organizations, DPMO and JPAC do the difficult work of bringing our 
service members home to rest and bringing closure to their families.
  I was honored to be a part of the effort of JPAC returning to the 
south Pacific island of Betio, where the historic battle of Tarawa took 
place in World War II. One of the first Marine beach assaults of the 
war, an entrenched Japanese force inflicted immense casualties on U.S. 
forces, yet after 76 hours of battle, our victorious troops raised the 
American flag above the battlefield. Unfortunately, among the 1100 
Marines, soldiers and sailors lost in this engagement, 564 remain 
unrecovered and lost in battle. Following language I was able to 
include in a defense authorization bill in 2010, JPAC has returned to 
Tarawa for one recovery mission in 2010, and plans another for next 
year. I will continue to promote the recovery of these servicemen until 
they are home.
  Since 1979, our nation has observed National POW/MIA Recognition Day 
to remember those who were prisoners of war (POW) and those who are 
missing in action (MIA), as well as their families. That year, Congress 
passed a resolution to mark the third Friday of September as a day to 
ensure Americans would never forget. I encourage my colleagues and all 
Americans to take a moment today to remember those who sacrificed for 
our freedom.
  We are all forever indebted to these men and women, and on this 
somber day, we must reiterate our promise that ``We will not forget.''

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