[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 9, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





              HONORING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF CAMP BOWIE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. K. MICHAEL CONAWAY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 9, 2015

  Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th 
Anniversary of the establishment of Camp Bowie in Brownwood, Texas. 
This month, the community of Brownwood will gather to mark this 
occasion with a symposium to honor the history of Camp Bowie.
   Camp Bowie, named in honor of a Texas hero James Bowie, was 
established on September 19, 1940, by the United States War Department. 
This installation was the first major project authorized during the 
World War II era. In the same year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was 
given the power to mobilize National Guard Units across the nation. 
Shortly after its completion, Camp Bowie became the new home of the 
36th Texas National Guard Division.
   After the U.S.'s entry into World War II, the 36th Division was 
deployed for training at Camp Blanding, Florida. On September 9, 1943, 
these brave men were the first allied soldiers sent to the beaches of 
Salerno, Italy to defeat Hitler's European fortress from the west. The 
36th Division served 400 days of combat, and five campaigns in Italy, 
France, Germany, and Austria. The men of the 36th Division came home 
and demobilized on Christmas Day in 1945.
   Since World War II, Camp Bowie has trained over 420,000 service 
members and is an instrumental part of our nation's defense and 
preserving our nation's liberty. Camp Bowie's history serves as an 
example to many generations of what it takes to defend our freedom. I 
am proud to represent Camp Bowie and Brownwood, and I am honored to 
share their history with my colleagues in Congress. On September 16th 
through the 18th, 2015, the Brownwood community will be honoring this 
historic milestone at Howard Payne University. I would like to commend 
Tarleton State University, Howard Payne University and the Brown County 
Museum of History for their hard work in organizing this symposium.

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