[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 6, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7893-S7895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

 SENATE RESOLUTION 349--COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 2D 
                           INFANTRY DIVISION

  Ms. CANTWELL (for herself, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cruz, and Mrs. Murray) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Armed Services:

                              S. Res. 349

       Whereas October 26, 2017, is the 100th anniversary of the 
     organization of the 2d Infantry Division;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division--
       (1) was established in October 1917 at Bourmont, France, as 
     the Second Division;
       (2) was the first division organized on foreign soil; and
       (3) has been proudly serving since 1917;
       Whereas, the 2d Infantry Division is the only Army unit 
     that has ever been commanded by a Marine Corps Officer 
     because, at the time of activation, the 2d Infantry 
     Division--
       (1) was composed of both Army and Marine units; and
       (2) was commanded during World War I by--
          (A) Army officers Major General Omar Bundy and Major 
     General James G. Harbord; and
          (B) Marine Corps generals Brigadier General Charles A. 
     Doyen and Major General John A. Lejeune;
       Whereas, since the heroic start of the 2d Division, the 2d 
     Division has played an integral part in United States history 
     by serving in--
       (1) World War I;
       (2) World War II;
       (3) the Korean War;
       (4) the Cold War;
       (5) Operation Iraqi Freedom;
       (6) Operation Enduring Freedom; and
       (7) current operations in Korea;
       Whereas, the 2d Infantry Division--
       (1) drew its first blood at the Battle of Belleau Wood, 
     France in June 1918; and
       (2) contributed to shattering the 4-year-old stalemate on 
     the battlefield during the Chateau-Thierry campaign that 
     followed;

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       Whereas, the 2d Division played a central role in other 
     monumental struggles of World War I, such as--
       (1) the defense of the Ainse;
       (2) the Battle of Soissons in the Aisne-Marne Offensive;
       (3) the Saint-Mihiel Offensive;
       (4) the Meuse-Argonne Offensive; and
       (5) the Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge;
       Whereas, immediately after the 2d Infantry Division, 
     commonly known as the ``Indianhead Division'', was 
     established, the 2d Infantry Division started to build a 
     prestigious reputation for its service during World War I;
       Whereas, following World War I, the 2d Infantry Division 
     was 1 of only 3 United States divisions to remain on active 
     duty, which is a strong testament to the accomplishments of 
     the 2d Infantry Division;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division--
       (1) remained on occupation duty in Germany to enforce the 
     Armistice until July 1919; and
       (2) came to the United States for the first time in July 
     1919, having fought in every major United States engagement 
     and emerging as the most decorated United States Division of 
     the American Expeditionary Forces;
       Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during World 
     War I, the 2d Infantry Division was the recipient of--
       (1) French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Streamer embroidered 
     AISNE-MARNE;
       (2) French Croix de Guerre with Palm, Streamer embroidered 
     MEUSE-ARGONNE; and
       (3) French Fourragere;
       Whereas the 2d Division established the new home of the 
     Division in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to test new concepts and 
     innovations for the Army;
       Whereas, in 1937, 2d Infantry Division became the first 
     command reorganized under the new triangular concept, having 
     3 separate regiments in the division;
       Whereas, Headquarters, 2d Division was redesignated on 
     August 1, 1942, as Headquarters, 2d Infantry Division;
       Whereas, in June 1944, the 2d Infantry Division was called 
     to action and made the assault landing on Omaha Beach 1 day 
     after D-Day, June 7, 1944, which began the liberation of 
     northern Europe from Nazi control;
       Whereas, during World War II, the 2d Infantry Division 
     fought bravely in France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia from 
     1944 to 1945;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division continued to provide 
     invaluable service throughout World War II, including by--
       (1) fighting for the liberation of France and Belgium;
       (2) fighting for the liberation of Trevieres on June 10, 
     1944;
       (3) assaulting and securing Hill 192;
       (4) capturing Tinchebray on August 15, 1944;
       (5) capturing the vital port city of Brest, which was 
     liberated in September 1944 after a fierce 28-day battle 
     fought in streets and alleyways;
       (6) fighting at the Battle of the Bulge, where the 2d 
     Infantry Division pierced the dreaded Siegfried Line and held 
     critical roads leading to the cities of Liege and Antwerp;
       (7) capturing the city of Breisig on March 10 to 11, 1945;
       (8) crossing the Rhine to relieve the 9th Armored Division 
     in Hadamar and Limburg an der Lahn on March 21, 1945;
       (9) capturing Merseburg on April 15, 1945;
       (10) capturing Leipzig on April 18, 1945; and
       (11) crossing into Czechoslovakia and attacking the city of 
     Pilsen on 4 May, 1945;
       Whereas 6 members of the 2d Infantry Division received the 
     Congressional Medal of Honor for their gallantry actions 
     during World War II;
       Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during World 
     War II, the 2d Infantry Division was--
       (1) the recipient of the Belgian Fourragere World War II;
       (2) cited in the ``Order of the Day'' of the Belgian Army 
     for action at Elsenborn Crest; and
       (3) cited in the ``Order of the Day'' of the Belgian Army 
     for action in the Ardennes;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division returned home to Fort 
     Lewis, Washington on April 15, 1946;
       Whereas elements of the 2d Infantry Division arrived in 
     Korea via Pusan, on July 31, 1950, becoming the first United 
     States unit to arrive directly in Korea from the United 
     States;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division helped repel attackers on 
     the Pusan Perimeter during a 16-day attack beginning on the 
     night of August 31, 1950, in a battle in which 2d Infantry 
     Division clerks, bandsman, technical personnel, and supply 
     personnel all joined the fight to repel the attackers;
       Whereas, the 2d Infantry Division was the first unit to 
     break out of the Pusan Perimeter and led the Eighth Army 
     drive to the Manchurian Border;
       Whereas, on November 26, 1950, with the intervention of the 
     Chinese in the Korean War, the 2d Infantry Division was 
     tasked with protecting the rear and right flank of the Eighth 
     Army;
       Whereas, the 23d Regimental Combat Team, 2d Infantry 
     Division, and the French Battalion were cut off and 
     surrounded by 3 Chinese Divisions on February 13, 1951 at 
     Chipyong-ni, but fiercely fought freezing weather conditions 
     and overwhelming Communist forces for more than 3 days, 
     killing over 5,000 enemies while possessing about \1/10\ of 
     the enemies' strength;
       Whereas the 23d Regimental Combat Team, 2d Infantry 
     Division, gave the first major defeat to the Chinese at the 
     battle of Chipyong-Ni, a turning point in the Korean War;
       Whereas 20 members of the 2d Infantry Division earned the 
     Congressional Medal of Honor during the Korean War;
       Whereas, in recognition of exemplary service during the 
     Korean War, the 2d Infantry Division was the recipient of--
       (1) the Presidential Unit Citation Streamer embroidered 
     HONGCHON;
       (2) the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation 
     Streamer embroidered NAKTONG RIVER LINE; and
       (3) the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation 
     Streamer embroidered KOREA;
       Whereas, after 3 years of fighting in Korea, the 2d 
     Infantry Division was transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington, 
     arriving on October 7, 1954;
       Whereas, the 2d Infantry Division was restructured with 
     personnel and equipment from the 10th Infantry Division in 
     the spring of 1958, and moved to Fort Benning, Georgia;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division provided support for 3 
     brigades supported by armor, cavalry, and artillery under the 
     Reorganization Objective Army Division concept in April 1964;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division returned to Korea on July 
     1, 1965, and exchanged personnel and equipment with the 1st 
     Cavalry Division;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division was assigned to guard 
     portions of the demilitarized zone to keep the peace and help 
     deter war on the Korean peninsula;
       Whereas members of the 1st Battalion, 23d Infantry, 2d 
     Infantry Division, were killed in an North Korean ambush on 
     November 2, 1966;
       Whereas 16 members of the Armed Forces of the United States 
     were killed by enemy attacks in the demilitarized zone;
       Whereas Captain Arthur G. Bonifas and First Lieutenant Mark 
     T. Barrett of the United Nations Joint Security Force were 
     attacked and killed during a routine tree-trimming operation 
     on August 18, 1976;
       Whereas, in response, the United Nations Command launched 
     Operation Paul Bunyan at 0700 hours on August 21, 1976, when 
     a Republic of Korea Special Forces Company, the 9th Infantry, 
     and B Company, 2d Engineer Battalion, moved in to cut down 
     the infamous Panmunjeom Tree while supported by B-52 bombers 
     and F-5 and F-11 fighter jets aboard a Midway Task Force 
     aircraft carrier standing by just offshore;
       Whereas members of the 2d Infantry Division, proudly 
     wearing ``Imjin Scout'' patches, patrolled the demilitarized 
     zone throughout the 1980s until 1992, and then remained 
     deployed along the border;
       Whereas the 3d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division--
       (1) was reactivated at Fort Lewis, Washington on April 16, 
     1995, as part of I Corps; and
       (2) became the first interim Brigade Combat Team in the 
     Army in May 2000, later to be equipped with Stryker vehicles;
       Whereas, in the defense of United States interests, the 4th 
     Brigade deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 
     November 2003 to November 2004;
       Whereas, in August 2004, the 2d Brigade, 2d Infantry 
     Division, deployed with the Republic of Korea Army, 
     representing the first operational deployment from the 
     Republic of Korea;
       Whereas the 2d Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division, 
     was given control of the Eastern half of Ar-Ramadi under the 
     direct command of the 1st Marine Division;
       Whereas elements of the 2d Infantry Division were attached 
     to the 2d Marine Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom, a 
     reversal of their respective roles during World War I, where 
     the 5th and 6th Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division 
     fought under the United States Army 2d Infantry Division;
       Whereas the 2d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, fought in the 
     Fallujah Offensive in November 2004, which provided Iraqis 
     the opportunity to vote in the historic national elections of 
     January 2005;
       Whereas the 2d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, provided 
     humanitarian relief to hospitals, schools, and hundreds of 
     Iraqi civilians who had been displaced;
       Whereas the 2d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division, redeployed 
     from Iraq to Fort Carson, Colorado in August 2005;
       Whereas the 3d Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry 
     Division, deployed from Fort Lewis, Washington, to assist the 
     Iraqi security forces with counter insurgence operations in 
     the Ninewa Province in support of Iraqi Freedom from June 
     2006 to September 2007;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division transformed into the 
     Republic of Korea-United States Combined Division with a 
     Republic of Korea Army unit on June 3, 2015, in a cooperative 
     designed to strengthen the operational capabilities of both 
     the Republic of Korea Army and the United States Army;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division is the last remaining 
     permanently forward-stationed division in the United States 
     Army;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division has been deterring 
     aggression and maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula 
     since 1965;
       Whereas the 2d Infantry Division received 2 Korean 
     Presidential Unit Citations for its outstanding service in 
     Korea from 1950 to the present; and

[[Page S7895]]

       Whereas, since the establishment of the 2d Infantry 
     Division in 1917--
       (1) elements of the 2d Infantry Division have been present 
     all over the world, assisting in combat and noncombat 
     missions for 100 years;
       (2) more than 13,200 members of the 2d Infantry Division 
     have sacrificed their lives in combat; and
       (3) 40 members of the 2d Infantry Division have received 
     the Medal of Honor in total: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commemorates ``A Century of Service'', the 100th 
     anniversary of the 2d Infantry Division on October 26, 2017;
       (2) commends the 2d Infantry Division, now known as the 
     ``Indianhead'', for continuing to exemplify the motto of the 
     2d Infantry Division, ``Second to None!'' and ``Fight 
     Tonight!'';
       (3) honors the memory of the more than 13,200 members of 
     the 2d Infantry Division who lost their lives in battle;
       (4) expresses gratitude and support for all members and 
     veterans of the 2d Infantry Division and their families; and
       (5) recognizes that the 2d Infantry Division holds an 
     honored place in United States history.

                          ____________________