[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 174 (Monday, December 5, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN HONOR OF SERGEANT 1ST CLASS JOHN MIMS

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 5, 2016

  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
Sergeant 1st Class John Mims of the 82nd Airborne Division, a World War 
II veteran and Bataan Death March survivor who passed away on Sunday, 
November 27, 2016. Sergeant Mims was a true American hero and our 
thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family as they mourn the 
loss of this great man.
  When his country needed him the most, it was John Mims who answered 
the call to serve our great nation. After losing his father when he was 
young, Mims lied about his age in order to join the Army. At the age of 
15, Mims served for nearly a year before the Army discovered his true 
age and discharged him. However, a few short years later Mims re-
enlisted in the Army and headed out to the Philippines to begin his 
training.
  After a year in the Philippines, Mims fought alongside his brothers 
in arms in the Battle of Bataan which culminated in the surrender of 
75,000 allied soldiers. The men were then forced to march 65 miles, 
without food or water, to a prisoner-of-war camp in the Tarlac Province 
in what became known as the Bataan Death March. One of the greatest 
atrocities of the entire war, the men suffered beatings, endured 
torture, and witnessed unimaginable horrors as he faced what can only 
be described as a living hell. In total more than 10,000 men died 
during the trek.
  Following the war, Mims continued his service in the Army, returning 
to Japan from 1952 to 1954 as sergeant in charge of the Tokyo 
Quartermaster Depot. After he retired in 1963, he returned home where 
he worked in a rug factory and a curtain company. Living in Aberdeen, 
North Carolina, he became an advocate for other veterans and was a 
constant presence at ceremonies remembering his fallen comrades. His 
work in the community made certain that the memories of those lost were 
not forgotten, and it is that legacy which we celebrate today. While we 
may have lost this great man, his legacy will live on and we will never 
forget the sacrifices made by Sergeant Mims or any of those who fought 
to protect our freedoms against unimaginable dangers.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me today in commemorating the life of 
Sergeant 1st Class John Mims for his service to God and country.

                          ____________________