[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 91 (Thursday, June 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3658-S3659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CELEBRATING THE ARMY'S 239TH BIRTHDAY AND FLAG DAY

  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, this Saturday--June 14--marks the Army's 
239th birthday. For 239 years, the Nation has entrusted the Army with 
preserving freedom and defending our

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democratic values. Commencing on June 14, 1775, the Continental Army 
led our historic revolution and has continuously served America at home 
and abroad defending the cause of liberty. As the greatest land force 
this world has ever known, I firmly believe that the U.S. Army will 
maintain this proud duty.
  The Continental Army had humble beginnings. It was originally 
comprised of rebellious colonists who had little to no experience in 
soldiering. Under the leadership of GEN George Washington, the soldiers 
of the Continental Army overcame overwhelming odds against them to 
defeat the more seasoned and well-equipped British military and 
mercenary forces. Since then, our Army has become the standard that all 
other nations use to measure their forces.
  The Army's birthday coincides with Flag Day, a holiday that 
commemorates our Nation's adoption of the U.S. flag. This is a fitting 
marriage, as our Nation's flag would not exist were it not for the 
bravery and sacrifice of our Army; and since the adoption of our flag 
in 1777, the Army has always carried the flag, the symbol of our most 
sacred values, into battle. I am reminded of Francis Scott Key's 
hallowed words after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by 
British ships in the Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812. In 
describing the sight of Old Glory still flying after the bombardment, 
Key wrote, ``Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the 
land of the free and the home of the brave.''
  In celebrating the Army's birthday, I would like to highlight a 
particular Army unit that served our Nation with distinction under the 
most challenging of circumstances. The unit that I am referring to is 
the segregated 726th Transportation Truck Company, a part of the 
Maryland National Guard. The 726th existed as a segregated unit within 
the Guard well after President Truman integrated the U.S. armed 
services in 1948 because Maryland, like many other States at the time, 
had not yet integrated its National Guard units. The 726th was the only 
Maryland National Guard unit that served in Korea during the Korean 
war. While in Korea, the 726th Transportation Truck Company was 
attached to the 70th Transportation Truck Battalion as an integrated 
unit and served with distinction.
  Upon returning to Maryland, the members of the 726th Truck Battalion 
learned that their unit would be reverted back to its original 
segregated status. Unwilling to return to segregation, the officers and 
enlisted personnel of the 726th Truck Battalion resisted, and worked to 
end segregation within the Maryland National Guard. In November of 
1955, the men of the 726th achieved their goal when Maryland's then-
Gov. Theodore McKeldin issued an order to end racial segregation in the 
Maryland National Guard. This order made Maryland the first State below 
the Mason-Dixon line to integrate its National Guard. The united 
efforts of the men of the 726th Transportation Truck Company marked an 
important step towards realizing equal rights in our military and in 
our society.
  With the withdrawal of our military forces in Iraq and the departure 
of those forces in Afghanistan by the end of 2016, I am concerned that 
our heroes who have recently entered or who are about to enter--
civilian life will not be provided with the tools they need to adapt to 
life here at home. My concerns have been exacerbated by the recent 
discoveries of substandard care in the Department of Veteran Affairs 
(VA). Millions are helped each year by the VA health care system, but 
more than a decade of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has overwhelmed a 
system already bursting at the seams. Veteran unemployment, post-
traumatic stress, and suicides continue to be serious issues that 
require immediate action. Maryland is home to over 30,000 military 
members and 460,000 veterans. The Army gives our soldiers the focus and 
diligence to excel in any and every field they choose, but we have to 
provide our servicemen and women with the tools they require to recover 
and adapt to civilian life. Doing so is not just a good idea, but 
rather our solemn obligation that strengthens our great Nation. As 
these heroes serve and defend our citizens, rights and values, it is 
our duty to return the service, as it is the least we can do. 
Ultimately, we have to continue to give these men and women a stake in 
their own country, the country they are so willing to dedicate their 
lives to serving.
  I am eternally thankful for our brave men and women, both active and 
retired, for their willingness to serve domestically and 
internationally. For 239 years these patriots have been the strength of 
the Nation. Their steadfast dedication to duty, to our country, and to 
all Americans is embodied in the Army motto, ``This We'll Defend.'' For 
239 years, our Army has lived by these words, protecting our most 
revered values: freedom, equality, independence, and democracy. Let us 
remember and celebrate our Army soldiers for this achievement today, 
and wish them a happy 239th birthday.

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