[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.
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