[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 30, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H7024-H7028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (S. 2234) to award the Congressional Gold Medal, 
collectively, to the members of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) 
in recognition of their superior service and major contributions during 
World War II.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2234

       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 ``Office of Strategic Services 
     Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was America's 
     first effort to implement a system of strategic intelligence 
     during World War II and provided the basis for the modern-day 
     American intelligence and special operations communities. The 
     U.S. Special Operations Command and the National Clandestine 
     Service chose the OSS spearhead as their insignias.
       (2) OSS founder General William J. Donovan is the only 
     person in American history to receive our Nation's four 
     highest decorations, including the Medal of Honor. Upon 
     learning of his death in 1959, President Eisenhower called 
     General Donovan the ``last hero''. In addition to founding 
     and leading the OSS, General Donovan was also selected by 
     President Roosevelt, who called him his ``secret legs'', as 
     an emissary to Great Britain and continental Europe before 
     the United States entered World War II.
       (3) All the military branches during World War II 
     contributed personnel to the OSS. The present-day Special 
     Operations Forces trace their lineage to the OSS. Its 
     Maritime Unit was a precursor to the U.S. Navy SEALs. The OSS 
     Operational Groups and Jedburghs were forerunners to U.S. 
     Army Special Forces. The 801st/492nd Bombardment Group 
     (``Carpetbaggers'') were progenitors to the Air Force Special 
     Operations Command. The Marines who served in the OSS, 
     including the actor Sterling Hayden (a Silver Star 
     recipient), Col. William Eddy (a Distinguished Service Cross 
     recipient who was described as the ``nearest thing the United 
     States has had to a Lawrence of Arabia''), and Col. Peter 
     Ortiz (a two-time Navy Cross recipient), were predecessors to 
     the Marine Special Operations Command. U.S. Coast Guard 
     personnel were recruited for the Maritime Unit and its 
     Operational Swimmer Group.
       (4) The OSS organized, trained, supplied, and fought with 
     resistance organizations

[[Page H7025]]

     throughout Europe and Asia that played an important role in 
     America's victory during World War II. General Eisenhower 
     credited the OSS's covert contribution in France to the 
     equivalent to having an extra military division. General 
     Eisenhower told General Donovan that if it did nothing else, 
     the photographic reconnaissance conducted by the OSS prior to 
     the D-Day Invasion justified its creation.
       (5) Four future directors of central intelligence served as 
     OSS officers: William Casey, William Colby, Allen Dulles, and 
     Richard Helms.
       (6) Women comprised more than one-third of OSS personnel 
     and played a critical role in the organization. They included 
     Virginia Hall, the only civilian female to receive a 
     Distinguished Service Cross in World War II, and Julia Child.
       (7) OSS recruited Fritz Kolbe, a German diplomat who became 
     America's most important spy against the Nazis in World War 
     II.
       (8) America's leading scientists and scholars served in the 
     OSS Research and Analysis Branch, including Ralph Bunche, the 
     first African-American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize; 
     Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.; 
     Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg; Sherman Kent; John 
     King Fairbank; and Walt Rostow. Its ranks included seven 
     future presidents of the American Historical Association, 
     five of the American Economic Association, and two Nobel 
     laureates.
       (9) The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence 
     and Research traces its creation to the OSS Research and 
     Analysis Branch.
       (10) James Donovan, who was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 
     Steven Spielberg movie ``Bridge of Spies'' and negotiated the 
     release of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers, served as General 
     Counsel of the OSS.
       (11) The OSS invented and employed new technology through 
     its Research and Development Branch, inventing new weapons 
     and revolutionary communications equipment. Dr. Christian 
     Lambertsen invented the first underwater rebreathing 
     apparatus that was first utilized by the OSS and is known 
     today as SCUBA.
       (12) OSS Detachment 101 operated in Burma and pioneered the 
     art of unconventional warfare. It was the first United States 
     unit to deploy a large guerrilla army deep in enemy 
     territory. It has been credited with the highest kill/loss 
     ratio for any infantry-type unit in American military history 
     and was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation.
       (13) Its X-2 branch pioneered counterintelligence with the 
     British and established the modern counterintelligence 
     community. The network of contacts built by the OSS with 
     foreign intelligence services led to enduring Cold War 
     alliances.
       (14) Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North 
     Africa in November 1942, was aided by the networks 
     established and information acquired by the OSS to guide 
     Allied landings.
       (15) OSS Operation Halyard rescued more than 500 downed 
     airmen trapped behind enemy lines in Yugoslavia, one of the 
     most daring and successful rescue operations of World War II.
       (16) OSS ``Mercy Missions'' at the end of World War II 
     saved the lives of thousands of Allied prisoners of war whom 
     it was feared would be murdered by the Japanese.
       (17) The handful of surviving men and women of the OSS whom 
     General Donovan said performed ``some of the bravest acts of 
     the war'' are members of the ``Greatest Generation''. They 
     have never been collectively recognized for their heroic and 
     pioneering service in World War II.

     SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
     behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design 
     in commemoration to the members of the Office of Strategic 
     Services (OSS), in recognition of their superior service and 
     major contributions during World War II.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a 
     gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, 
     to be determined by the Secretary.
       (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
       (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
     commemoration to the members of the Office of Strategic 
     Services under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given 
     to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be displayed as 
     appropriate and made available for research.
       (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal 
     received under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, 
     particularly at other appropriate locations associated with 
     the Office of Strategic Services.

     SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
     the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such 
     regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price 
     sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 
     materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and 
     the cost of the gold medal.

     SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

       (a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this 
     Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 
     31, United States Code.
       (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of 
     title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this 
     Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, every wartime President of the United States--and 
probably every wartime leader in history--has had some clandestine help 
from men and women who risked life and limb to report on and sometimes 
to disrupt the actions of the enemy. No leader of such clandestine 
force was as uniformly successful, as visionary, or ultimately had as 
much impact on both his country's affairs and those of the entire world 
as Colonel William J. ``Wild Bill'' Donovan.

                              {time}  1730

  President Franklin Roosevelt charged Colonel Donovan with the 
daunting task of unifying and streamlining the previously ad hoc U.S. 
efforts at intelligence gathering. The unit he founded, the Office of 
Strategic Services, was the foundation upon which the postwar 
government built the Central Intelligence Agency.
  Each branch of the armed services contributed members of the OSS, 
which trained, equipped, and fought with resistance forces in the 
Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Its various operations were the 
forerunners of many of today's Special Operations Forces. Four future 
directors of central intelligence--Allen Dulles, William Casey, William 
Colby, and Richard Helms--were all OSS operatives, and at least a third 
of the operatives were women, including the world's first and favorite 
TV chef, Julia Child, of all people.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2234, the Office of 
Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal Act, introduced by Senator 
Blunt of Missouri. The bill, which passed the Senate on February 23, 
has companion legislation to H.R. 3929, introduced by our Republican 
colleague, Representative Latta, which has 320 House cosponsors.
  The bill authorizes the striking and awarding of a single gold medal 
of appropriate design to commemorate the members of the Office of 
Strategic Services in recognition of their superior service and major 
contributions during World War II.
  After awarding the medal, it will be given to the Smithsonian museum 
where it will be available for display there or elsewhere, as 
appropriate. The Treasury secretary is authorized to make and offer for 
sale bronze replicas of the medal at a price that will help defray the 
design and production costs of the actual medal.
  Mr. Speaker, long after World War II ended, most of the efforts of 
the OSS remained classified, and we probably still do not know all of 
the hair-raising tales that might be told. One thing is not secret--we 
owe those men and women an enormous debt of gratitude, not only for 
their work during the war but for the groundwork that they laid towards 
what is clearly the best intelligence service in the world today. We 
should recognize those contributions by awarding the Congressional Gold 
Medal to these heroes.
  I urge immediate passage of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                            Committee on House Administration,

                                Washington, DC, November 30, 2016.
     Hon. Jeb Hensarling,
     Chairman, Committee on Financial Services,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I write to you regarding S. 2234. As you 
     know, the bill was received in the House of Representatives 
     on February 23, 2016 and referred to the Committee on 
     Financial Services and in addition

[[Page H7026]]

     to the Committee on the Committee on House Administration. 
     The bill seeks to award the Congressional Gold Medal, 
     collectively, to the members of the Office of Strategic 
     Services (OSS) in recognition of their superior service and 
     major contributions during World War II. S. 2234 passed the 
     Senate without amendment by unanimous consent on February 22, 
     2016.
       I realize that discharging the Committee on House 
     Administration from further consideration of S. 2234 will 
     serve in the best interest of the House of Representatives 
     and agree to do so. It is the understanding of the Committee 
     on House Administration that forgoing action on S. 2234 will 
     not prejudice the Committee with respect to appointment of 
     conferees or any future jurisdictional claim. I request that 
     this letter and any response be included in the Congressional 
     Record.
           Sincerely,
                                                Candice S. Miller,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                              Committee on Financial Services,

                                Washington, DC, November 30, 2016.
     Hon. Candice Miller,
     Chairman, Committee on House Administration, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Miller: Thank you for your November 30th 
     letter regarding S. 2234, the ``Office of Strategic Services 
     Congressional Gold Medal Act.''
       I am most appreciative of your decision to forego action on 
     S. 2234 so that it may move expeditiously to the House floor. 
     I acknowledge that although you are waiving action on the 
     bill, the Committee on House Administration is in no way 
     waiving its jurisdictional interest in this or similar 
     legislation. In addition, if a conference is necessary on 
     this legislation, I will support any request that your 
     committee be represented therein.
       Finally, I shall be pleased to include your letter and this 
     letter on S. 2234 in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration of the same.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Jeb Hensarling,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of S. 2234, legislation to award a 
Congressional Gold Medal to members of the Office of Strategic Services 
in recognition of their significant service and contributions against 
the Axis Powers during World War II.
  I am pleased to note that the legislation has already passed the 
Senate with unanimous consent, and that companion legislation, 
introduced here in the House, has already received the endorsement of 
320 cosponsors. Upon passage here in the House, the legislation will be 
cleared for the President's signature.
  Created at the start of World War II, the Office of Strategic 
Services was the Nation's first effort to implement a coordinated 
intelligence system, laying the foundation for our modern-day 
intelligence and special operations capabilities.
  In addition to honoring and recognizing the meaningful and personal 
sacrifice of the thousands of Americans who served as part of the 
Office of Strategic Services, the legacy of the OSS offers a number of 
lessons that continue to hold value to this day. Importantly, the 
legacy of the OSS serves as a reminder that effective coordination 
across our Nation's intelligence agencies continues to play a 
foundational role in promoting our national security interests.
  The OSS also serves to remind us of the importance of working 
strategically and in concert with our longstanding allies to prevail 
against those who seek to do our Nation harm. Indeed, during World War 
II, the OSS played a critical role in organizing, training, supplying, 
and fighting alongside resistance organizations throughout Europe and 
Asia.
  Moreover, throughout the war, the OSS demonstrated that our 
government is at its best when it brings together a wide range of 
individuals with diverse backgrounds. At its height in late 1944, the 
Office of Strategic Services employed nearly 13,000 individuals, nearly 
a third of whom were women. The service also drew its personnel not 
only from the military but also from civilians from all walks of life, 
including economists, psychologists, geographers, and a wide range of 
other fields.
  Upon the dissolution of the Office of Strategic Services at the close 
of World War II, General William J. Donovan, who headed the OSS, stated 
that, ``We have come to the end of an unusual experiment. That 
experiment was to determine whether a group of Americans constituting a 
cross section of racial origins, of abilities, of temperaments, and of 
talents could meet and risk an encounter with long-established and 
well-trained enemy organizations.''
  He went on to conclude that, ``You can go with the assurance that you 
have made a beginning in showing the people of America that only by 
decisions of national policy based upon accurate information can we 
have the chance of a peace that will endure.''
  So I am pleased that we are honoring the thousands of men and women 
who made the sacrifice to serve as part of the Office of Strategic 
Services, whose contribution was so critical to America's ultimate 
triumph over the Axis Powers.
  I am also pleased that the legislation will allow future generations 
to appreciate these contributions to our Nation and the world. By 
designating the Smithsonian Institution as the custodian of the medal, 
and by allowing for its display at other locations associated with the 
Office of Strategic Services, the legislation will ensure that the 
legacy and the lessons that can be drawn from the contributions made by 
members of the Office of Strategic Services will not be forgotten.
  So as we enter into unchartered waters with the incoming 
administration, I hope that we will all take pause and heed the lessons 
of the OSS and remember that America is at its best when we work 
together with our longstanding allies and when we recruit diverse 
personnel to serve our government.
  I also hope that it serves as a reminder of the importance of taking 
care of our veterans once their service has ended and they return to 
civilian life.
  I urge adoption of the legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), the author of the House 
bill.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2234, the Office of 
Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal Act, companion legislation 
I introduced earlier this Congress as H.R. 3929 to honor and recognize 
these brave veterans for their superior service and major contributions 
made during World War II.
  The Office of Strategic Services, the OSS as it is often referred to, 
was America's first strategic intelligence service during World War II 
and provided the basis for the modern-day American intelligence and 
special operations communities.
  Under the leadership of OSS founder, General Bill Donovan, the OSS 
conducted acts of great bravery during the war, and their efforts were 
another factor to the Allied victory in World War II. Let me name a 
few. These efforts included:
  Organizing, training, supplying, and fighting with resistance 
organizations throughout Europe and Asia;
  Engaging in successful guerrilla warfare deep in enemy territory;
  Establishing intelligence networks before the successful Allied 
invasion of French North Africa, known as Operation Torch;
  Rescuing more than 500 downed allied airmen behind enemy lines in 
Yugoslavia during Operation Halyard, one of the most daring and 
successful rescue missions of World War II;
  Conducting mercy missions at the end of the war that saved thousands 
of Allied prisoners of war; and
  Inventing and utilizing new technology, weapons, and revolutionary 
communications equipment never before seen.
  General Eisenhower said that if it did nothing else, the photographic 
reconnaissance conducted by the OSS before the D-day invasion in June 
of 1944 justified its creation.
  I am truly proud to be here today to honor these men and women who 
truly embody the greatest generation. Several members of the OSS came 
from northwest and west central Ohio, including Arthur Jibilian, who 
took part in Operation Helyard in Yugoslavia; Captain Stephanie Czech 
Rader; and another veteran who flew OSS missions in B-24s behind enemy 
lines into occupied France. They have earned and deserve this 
recognition. Congress and our Nation are proud of them, and we are 
grateful for their dedicated service. This Congressional Gold Medal is 
one way we can extend our gratitude.

[[Page H7027]]

  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Speaker Ryan, Leader McCarthy, and all 
of the leadership team, Senators Blunt and Warner, Chairman Nunes and 
Ranking Member Schiff, Chairman Ed Royce, Representative Marcy Kaptur, 
and all of my other colleagues, including the 320 Members that 
cosponsored this legislation, for their time, hard work, and support. I 
would also be remiss if I did not also thank the OSS Society and all 
those involved for their time and hard work in keeping the legacy of 
these OSS veterans forever alive.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of 
S. 2234 and bestow upon the OSS the Congressional Gold Medal.
  I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), a member of the Appropriations Committee.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Foster for yielding the 
time.
  I am deeply honored to rise today in an official capacity, but also 
personally, to pay tribute to the patriotic and fearless soldiers, 
heroes and heroines, of the OSS. Their worthiness to be awarded this 
Congressional Gold Medal by our Nation for heroism in battle is long 
overdue.
  Over 13,000 exceptional Americans comprise the Office of Strategic 
Services formed clandestinely during World War II by President Franklin 
Roosevelt. Roosevelt aimed to create a corps of specially trained 
intelligence warriors to help win that harrowing conflict. For these 
many decades since the end of World War II, the secrecy of the OSS and 
its member soldiers have been maintained.
  I can attest to this. Our family's beloved Uncle Tony, full name 
Anthony Rogowski, our mother's brother, was selected as one of its 
members. He was a corporal and his medals include: Army Good Conduct, 
American Theater Medal, Pacific Theater Medal, World War II Victory 
Medal, and Distinguished Unit badge; Army Serial Number: 35-33-943.
  He is buried in a simple grave at Calvary Cemetery in Toledo, Ohio, 
with a gravestone marker provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
  Yes, there is an Army crest on its facing. But there is nothing 
there, nor in any other location, that would tell his family, or those 
who will inherit our Nation in the years ahead, what a brilliant man 
and brave soldier he was.
  After his death, it was my particular privilege to present his 
precious leather flight jacket to his daughter, RoseAnn Rogowski 
Koperski, and his son, John Rogowski of Toledo. Uncle Tony was part of 
the elite OSS, trained rigorously as warfighters. We still do not know 
where he was trained. We know he was dispatched to the Pacific front, 
flown over the hump in the China-Burma-India campaign. He parachuted at 
night behind enemy lines under fire as he hit the ground to gather 
intelligence. He drove Jeeps filled with dynamite to the front along 
the Burma Road, fighting to cut off the supply of oil to the Japanese 
military.
  Our bill recognizes OSS Detachment 101 that operated in Burma and 
pioneered the art of unconventional warfare. It was the first United 
States unit to deploy a large guerrilla army deep in enemy territory. 
It has been credited with the highest kill/loss ratio for any infantry-
type unit in American military history and was awarded a Presidential 
Unit Citation.
  Our uncle was knifed in a foxhole in Burma by a soldier from the 
Imperial Japanese Army, wounded badly, and he suffered throughout his 
life with terrible malaria bouts and flashbacks contracted in theatre. 
He passed away in his mid 50s, far too young, of poor health, all due 
to war injuries.
  He was never recognized or acknowledged for his heroism, like the 
other men and women who valiantly fought as members of the OSS. I loved 
Uncle Tony. He was a complicated man with a rare and devilish sense of 
humor and a hearty laugh and grin. You just knew on meeting him there 
was depth, as well as honor.
  He was war wise, sharing gripping stories about the war when I was a 
child, peppered with his own conclusions about the merit of the 
conflicts in which he participated.
  His letters sent home during the war to our mother, which she kept 
banded in a special corner of our parents' cedar chest, were unusual. 
Parts of the letters had been cut out by his superiors; others had 
lines that were blackened out so as not to reveal his location or any 
aspect of what he was doing. As a child, that fascinated me, though I 
did not completely understand what it meant. His family never really 
knew where he was deployed nor how he arrived where he was sent. He 
never revealed the specific details of what he actually did.
  And now through this legislation, sponsored by my dear friend and 
colleague, Ohio Congressman Bob Latta, and 320 other Members, on a 
bipartisan basis, we now make America's military history more whole and 
complete. Frankly, it is the highest honor to pay just tribute to the 
OSS members, though long overdue.

                              {time}  1745

  As I participate in the passage of this legislation, I am reminded of 
how America's greatest strength is the weaving together of 
intergenerational experience from one era to another within our 
families and communities and then extended to the American family.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. FOSTER. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.
  Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman.
  Today, in the gallery, we have noble veterans of the OSS.
  We know our Nation stands on your broad shoulders.
  Through their patriotism and sacrifice, America still is a young 
nation but is growing and is keeping what we have learned close to our 
hearts. In paying Gold Medal tribute to the members of the OSS, America 
honors those who bequeathed precious liberty to us, and we must carry 
that torch forward as it was carried at such a great price by our 
forebears.
  I would like to acknowledge Charles Pinck, whose father served as a 
member of the OSS, for his commitment to educate the public about this 
valiant group.
  May God bless the members of the OSS, their families and friends. May 
our efforts here award them the Gold they so nobly, royally, and 
selflessly earned, and may God continue to bless America.
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).
  Mr. ROTHFUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 2234, to 
award the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Office of 
Strategic Services in recognition of their superior service and major 
contributions during World War II.
  The accomplishments of the OSS are too numerous to mention here. We 
cannot imagine what the world would look like today had evil forces 
prevailed over good in World War II, but thanks to the invaluable 
contribution of the brave servicemembers of the OSS, we do not have to. 
The OSS organized, trained, supplied, and fought resistance 
organizations throughout Europe and Asia that played an important role 
in America's victory during World War II. The men and women of the OSS 
were pioneers in counterintelligence, technology, and unconventional 
warfare.
  The OSS was the prototype for modern-day American intelligence and 
special operations communities. The outstanding Americans who serve 
today as Navy SEALs, U.S. Army Special Forces, Air Force Special 
Operations Command, Marine Special Operations Command, and more can 
trace their roots to the OSS.
  For these and many other reasons, it is right that we honor the 
servicemembers of the OSS for their extraordinary contributions to 
American history and that future generations of Americans learn about 
the crucial role they played in keeping America safe.
  While so many of the OSS servicemembers have already gone to their 
eternal rest, including my own father-in-law, Edgar Lewis, it is 
fitting and good that we pass this legislation while we continue to 
have OSS members among us today.
  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I appreciated the personal 
touches and discussions from Representative Latta and Representative

[[Page H7028]]

Kaptur as they talked about their family members in this very important 
organization. With that, I urge the bill's passage.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 2234.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________