[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 22, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF SERGEANT DAVID QUINN FOR HIS SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY 
                          DURING WORLD WAR II

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANN M. KUSTER

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 22, 2018

  Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
United States Marine Corps 1st Sergeant David Quinn of Temple, New 
Hampshire for his service and sacrifice to our country during World War 
II.
  Sgt. Quinn gave his life on November 20, 1943, during the amphibious 
assault on Tarawa, an island atoll located in the Gilbert Islands. What 
became known as one of the ``toughest'' battles in Marine Corps 
history, the Battle of Tarawa was 76 hours of intense fighting with 
Japanese defenders, and it claimed the lives of approximately 1,000 
Marines and sailors, including Sgt. Quinn at just 24 years old. But the 
tenacity and unwavering commitment displayed by Sgt. Quinn and his 
fellow Marines helped lead the Americans to victory in the battle two 
days later.
  For decades, Sgt. Quinn's family believed his body had been lost at 
sea, never to be recovered and given a proper burial. That all changed 
when his nephew Paul Quinn was contacted by military scientists, who 
said they had positively identified Sgt. Quinn's remains. Last month, 
nearly 75 years after his death, Sgt. Quinn finally came home to New 
Hampshire and received a funeral with full military honors, bringing 
much needed closure and peace to the Quinn family.
  On behalf of New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I express 
my deepest gratitude to Sgt. Quinn for his service and for making the 
ultimate sacrifice in defense of the freedoms we hold so dear. I thank 
his family for seeing him through until the end and for keeping his 
memory alive, and I share their relief over his return home. I will 
continue working to ensure our brave veterans receive the respect, 
dignity and services they deserve.

                          ____________________