[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H877-H879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      KOREAN WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL WALL OF REMEMBRANCE ACT OF 2016

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1475) to authorize a Wall of Remembrance as part of the 
Korean War Veterans Memorial and to allow certain private contributions 
to fund that Wall of Remembrance, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1475

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Korean War Veterans Memorial 
     Wall of Remembrance Act of 2016''.

     SEC. 2. WALL OF REMEMBRANCE.

       Section 1 of the Act titled ``An Act to authorize the 
     erection of a memorial on Federal Land in the District of 
     Columbia and its environs to honor members of the Armed 
     Forces of the United States who served in the Korean War'', 
     approved October 25, 1986 (Public Law 99-572), is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:

     ``Such memorial shall include a Wall of Remembrance, which 
     shall be constructed without the use of Federal funds. The 
     American Battle Monuments Commission shall request and 
     consider design recommendations from the Korean War Veterans 
     Memorial Foundation, Inc. for the establishment of the Wall 
     of Remembrance. The Wall of Remembrance shall include--
       ``(1) a list by name of members of the Armed Forces of the 
     United States who died in theatre in the Korean War;
       ``(2) the number of members of the Armed Forces of the 
     United States who, in regards to the Korean War--
       ``(A) were wounded in action;
       ``(B) are listed as missing in action; or
       ``(C) were prisoners of war; and
       ``(3) the number of members of the Korean Augmentation to 
     the United States Army, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, 
     and the other nations of the United Nations Command who, in 
     regards to the Korean War--
       ``(A) were killed in action;
       ``(B) were wounded in action;
       ``(C) are listed as missing in action; or
       ``(D) were prisoners of war.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McClintock) and the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. 
Tsongas) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.

[[Page H878]]

  


                              {time}  1415

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1475, introduced by Congressman Sam Johnson, would 
permit a privately funded addition of a Wall of Remembrance to the 
Korean War Veterans Memorial.
  The Wall would list the names of all members of the U.S. Armed Forces 
who were killed in theater during the Korean war as well as the number 
of all of the American POWs and MIAs.
  They call the Korean war America's forgotten war. During the 3 years 
of that war, 5.8 million Americans worldwide served in the U.S. armed 
services, 22 nations fought alongside us to preserve the freedom of 
South Korea. 54,246 Americans died worldwide during this conflict, 
8,200 were missing in action, and an additional 103,284 were wounded.
  The sacrifice they made and the freedom they secured for the people 
of South Korea must never be forgotten. This measure assures the names 
of the fallen shall live on.
  This bill comes to us from one of only three Korean war veterans who 
still serve their country today in this House, the legendary 
Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas, from whom we will be hearing shortly.
  Representatives Charles Rangel and John Conyers, Jr., also 
distinguished themselves in that war, as they have in this House, and 
are original cosponsors.
  I urge passage of the bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the construction of a Wall of 
Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall.
  Similar to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Wall will list the 
names of the U.S. military personnel killed in action during the Korean 
war, along with the number of servicemen and -women wounded in action, 
listed as missing in action, and those who were listed as prisoners of 
war.
  Construction of the current Korean War Veterans Memorial was finished 
in 1992, and it is considered a complete work of civic art. However, 
the Korean war veterans' community has identified the addition of a 
Wall of Remembrance as a priority, and they have advocated for 
legislation to authorize its construction for years.
  Their hard work and dedication has led to this bill before us today, 
which is currently cosponsored by 291 Members of the House.
  The National Park Service, the agency responsible for the management 
of the current memorial, has expressed concern with the idea of adding 
a new feature in an area of the National Mall known as the Reserve, 
where Congress has prohibited the construction of new memorials.
  As this bill moves forward, I encourage the sponsors to work with the 
National Park Service and other relevant stakeholders to make sure that 
the new feature complements the current memorial.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, we are all deeply honored to serve in 
this House with the author of this measure, a genuine hero who served 
courageously in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and who endured many 
years of suffering as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He not only saw the 
courage and heroism of those who fought in Korea, he was one of them.
  I am honored to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson).
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. I thank the chairman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to start off by thanking my fellow Korean 
war veterans, Congressman Charlie Rangel and Congressman John Conyers, 
for their support.
  I also want to thank Chairman Rob Bishop, the Natural Resources 
Committee, and the House leadership for bringing the bill to the floor.
  Additionally, I want to thank my fellow Korean war veterans who have 
tirelessly advocated for this bill. It has been a long time coming.
  Mr. Speaker, sadly, the Korean war is often referred to as the 
forgotten war; yet, the magnitude of sacrifice made by Americans during 
this conflict was enormous. More than 36,000 Americans gave their 
lives.
  My fellow Korean war veterans and I believe that the magnitude of 
this enormous sacrifice is not yet fully conveyed by the memorial in 
Washington, D.C. That is where this bill, H.R. 1475, the Korean War 
Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance Act, comes into play.
  This bill, which already has the support of over 300 of my 
colleagues, would allow for the creation of a Wall of Remembrance at 
the site of the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall.
  Similar to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, the Korean War 
Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance would eternally honor the brave 
Americans who gave their lives in defense of freedom during the Korean 
war. It would list their names as a visual record of their sacrifice.
  Furthermore, the Wall would also list the total number of all of 
America's wounded, missing in action, and prisoners of war.
  As a veteran and POW, I can tell you that these memorials are a 
special place for servicemembers and their families to pay their 
respect to fallen comrades and loved ones.
  As a constitutional conservative who values our great Nation's 
history, I believe these memorials also serve as a unique and physical 
reminder that freedom is not free.
  Future generations need to know and appreciate the sacrifices made by 
the servicemembers who fought and died to protect freedom. These 
memorials can physically convey what oftentimes our words fail to do.
  Lastly, Mr. Speaker, as a fiscal conservative, I am proud to say this 
project will not cost taxpayers one dime. In fact, the cost has been 
100 percent privately fund-raised, and this bill prohibits any Federal 
funding for this project.
  Mr. Speaker, as we remember the service and sacrifice of those who 
gave their lives in the Korean war, we can only humbly acknowledge that 
we are the land of the free because of our brave men and women.
  These heroes are shining examples of everything great that America 
stands for. I can't think of a better way to individually honor each 
man and woman who gave their life in Korea than through this Wall of 
Remembrance.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this important piece of 
legislation.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the soldiers who 
fought to ensure that South Korea could achieve the prosperity and the 
fulfillment it enjoys today. Without our soldiers, that would not have 
happened. These soldiers deserve to be recognized for their 
contributions.
  That is why I am proud to cosponsor this legislation, which would 
expand the current Korean War Memorial to include a Wall of Remembrance 
in our Nation's Capital. This addition will honor the service and 
sacrifice of those who fought in the Korean War.
  I want to thank my good friend and committee mate, Congressman Sam 
Johnson, for introducing this legislation and, also, for his heroic 
military service to our country in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.
  Through the Speaker, Sam, we owe you so much, and we could never 
repay you and the likes of Rangel and Conyers, et cetera, who put their 
lives on the line to not only defend America, but to defend the Korean 
people.
  In addition to a wall, this legislation will allow us to demonstrate 
our Nation's appreciation for the service of the Korean Augmentation to 
the United States Army, the Republic of Korean Armed Forces, and the 
nations of the United Nations Command, who were killed in action, 
wounded, listed as missing in action, or were prisoners of war.
  The Korean War Memorial Wall can ensure that future generations 
remember and honor the pride and dedication of those who served, the 
legacy they continued, and the freedom they preserved.
  You have heard the numbers about how many folks served, how many of 
our own brave soldiers and sailors and marines fought in the Korean 
war: almost 6 million; over 100,000 were wounded and over 36,000 gave 
their

[[Page H879]]

lives. So this is a fitting recognition for those who bravely served in 
defense of our Nation.
  I visited my brother-in-law the other day, who lives in a veterans' 
nursing home. He was a soldier in the Korean war, a victim. Many in 
that home fought in the same war, those who are still alive.
  Talking to them, one thing I noticed is they don't want to talk about 
their experiences ever. I remember talking to my brother-in-law, Joe, 
30 years ago. He didn't want to talk about it. His brother, who served 
there, didn't want to talk about it. His other brother, Freddie, did 
not want to talk about it. He served there, also.
  So this is not only remembrance. More importantly, it is thank you. 
Thank you so much for what you did.
  Mr. Speaker, I mentioned their names before, Congressmen Rangel and 
Conyers. We owe them so much. I read Congressman Rangel's book twice 
about the experiences that he had in service to our country. We can 
never forget this. God bless, and I thank them.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), a distinguished veteran of the 
Korean war.
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman for making this 
possible, Colonel Bill Webb, of the Korean Memorial Foundation, and, of 
course, my buddies and colleagues, Congressmen Johnson and Conyers.
  Why this is so important to me is not for those who are living, but 
for the memories of our colleagues who died overseas and whose family 
have very little to explain as to why they were there.
  I really think that this Congress and Congresses before us have lost 
all of the meaning of having the power and the only power to support 
the declaration of war.
  When I went overseas in 1950, I hadn't the slightest idea as to why I 
was going. Quite frankly, I didn't even know where Korea was.
  But because of my age and having been in combat, I have received more 
accolades from the grateful people from the country of South Korea than 
I deserve. But I know that they are thanking the United States and the 
United Nations for saving them from coming under communism.
  I could not possibly have any bad feelings. Indeed, it is a great 
sense of honor that I could have played some small part in preserving 
democracy in South Korea, albeit as a volunteer to the Army, but 
certainly not a volunteer to go into combat.
  But the truth of the matter is that we shouldn't have young men and 
women being placed in harm's way in any situation without men and women 
and their families knowing that they did this because the security of 
our great Republic was threatened.

                              {time}  1430

  Each time I feel heavily and scream out that we should have a draft 
instead of an All Volunteer Army, I know that it appears as though I am 
putting a burden on so many people who don't necessarily want to belong 
to the military. But serving our great country is a privilege, and all 
people should share if indeed there is a threat to our national 
security. If there isn't a threat to our national security, there is no 
reason in the world morally or legally that our troops should be there.
  So putting up this wall, to me, is symbolic because they can call it 
the forgotten war. And, believe it or not, after seeing how some of our 
Vietnam veterans were treated when they came home, you can almost thank 
God that no one missed you. They didn't know where you were, or didn't 
care about the Korean war, because politics got in the way of how we 
treated those people who fought, got wounded, and died in Vietnam.
  Of course, since then, we have had dozens of times where we have 
heard Members of Congress say that we have to have more boots on the 
ground, that we can't win a war by air, that we have to be there, we 
have to intervene, and we have to show how strong America is. And they 
know in their hearts that no one from their families, their 
communities, or even anyone they know will be included in that number 
of Americans that they are asking to go.
  So I think when you put the names of people who have actually lost 
their lives, which means destroyed the lives of so many other people 
who loved them, when you think of those who got wounded, they should at 
least be able to say what they did for their families, community, and 
their country. They shouldn't just be used as pawns on the board to 
fulfill the political commitments of a party or a cause that doesn't 
involve the security of the United States. Maybe, just maybe, when 
people come to sightsee, and they see the names of people that they 
don't know, it could remind them that these are not just human beings; 
these are Americans who had the same dreams as they did, except they 
made a sacrifice.
  So let me laud and thank the Members of Congress that have caused the 
casualties of the forgotten war not to be forgotten. Let us try to do 
something about those that follow those of us that were in combat in 
Korea and explain how wrong we were in Vietnam and we should have said, 
never, never, never again.
  Let us look at the ways we have just sent troops who, like me, saw 
the flag go up and heard the President say that we have to go, and we 
never asked, and we couldn't legitimately ask why, but we did. Let us 
preserve the American lives for those causes that at least if they 
don't come back home or they don't come back normal, that we can say 
that it was protecting the flag, it was protecting our country, and it 
was protecting our national security.
  Right now, with all the fears we have that are going on in the Middle 
East, I am not certain whether or not that will impact our great 
country, but I am prepared to listen to those who know better than I. 
And if, indeed, there is a threat to our country, then everyone should 
be prepared to be called, even by lottery, because it is not just for 
the wealthy and the educated to be excluded. It shouldn't be just those 
who need a job that get the opportunity to defend our country. But 
every time you say ``troops on the ground,'' ``boots on the ground,'' 
``lives on the ground,'' I truly think that just putting their names on 
a memorial wall should mean something for generations that follow.
  I hope and pray that we don't have names that go on boards. But if 
there is a reminder of how many people died over the years to keep this 
country great, let us be in the position as a Congress to say that we 
know specifically why they died and we gave them all the support that 
they needed to make the sacrifice.
  Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important that we remember those who died in the 
war and those who served in the war because their achievement remains 
alive today. It is personified in a free and prosperous Republic of 
Korea that has been a beacon of hope to the oppressed people throughout 
the Asian Continent and a steady counterbalance to the malignant 
presence of the North Korean dictatorship.
  From the dais in this Chamber, Douglas MacArthur paid tribute to 
these brave souls with these words. He said: ``I have just left your 
fighting sons in Korea. They have met all tests there, and I can report 
to you without reservation that they are splendid in every way .  .  . 
Those gallant men will remain often in my thoughts and in my prayers 
always.''
  And so should they with us. This bill assures that this will not be a 
forgotten war, and our honored dead will not be forgotten by name.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1475, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________