[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 7, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E284-E285]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING DR. LESTER TENNEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DARRELL E. ISSA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 7, 2017

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Lester Irwin Tenney 
of Carlsbad, California, who recently passed away on February 24, 2017 
at the age of 96. I am proud to recognize his memory as his Congressman 
and admire his life's work to strengthen ties with our allies in Japan.
   Dr. Tenney served our nation during World War II on the 192nd Tank 
Battalion in the Philippines. Immediately following the attack on Pearl 
Harbor, his battalion continuously fought against the Japanese assault 
until his commanders surrendered on April 9, 1942. He became a Prisoner 
of War and survived the infamous Bataan Death March, while thousands of 
his American and Filipino counterparts perished. He was then forced to 
work in a Japanese coal mine until the conclusion of the war. Upon 
returning to the U.S., Dr. Tenney studied business at San Diego State 
University, taught finance at Arizona State University, and started his 
own financial planning firm.
   After publishing his memoirs documenting the atrocities he 
experienced as a POW, Dr. Tenney made it his mission to forgive his 
captors and establish friendships with Japanese citizens. As national 
commander of the Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, he met the 
Japanese Ambassador to the United States,

[[Page E285]]

Ichiro Fujisaki, and arranged for a public apology on behalf of Japan 
to the surviving POWs. He also worked with the Japanese government to 
establish the U.S.-Japan POW Friendship Program, which allows former 
POWs and their families to visit Japan annually. Finally, Dr. Tenney 
received a personal apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 
2015 and just last month received a letter of apology from Mitsubishi 
Materials Corporation, one of the companies that profited from POW 
labor at the time. I have been fortunate enough to know Dr. Tenney. His 
courage and tenacity are an inspiration to all, and his moving story 
demonstrates how much impact one person can have on world affairs.
   Dr. Tenney's legacy is admirable and his impressive achievements in 
U.S.-Japan relations will be remembered for years to come. He is 
survived by his wife, Betty, and his son, two stepsons, seven 
grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. I extend my condolences to 
his family in this difficult time.

                          ____________________