[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H7163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SERBIA AND AMERICA--100 YEARS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Poe) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago, in 1918, President 
Woodrow Wilson declared July 28 as a National Day of Prayer for the 
Serbian people.
  This was during World War I, the war to end all wars. American 
doughboys and leathernecks had arrived on the western front, holding 
the line against Germany's last offensive before it collapsed.
  Meanwhile, the Serbian people were suffering under occupation by the 
central powers, who had launched a brutal invasion of Serbia.
  Mr. Speaker, during World War I, one in four Serbian people were 
killed during that war. But the Serbian army had survived the invasion 
and was fighting alongside our allies to liberate their home. They were 
reinforced by many Serbian-Americans, who had returned to Europe to 
help their brothers.
  President Wilson wanted America to honor the sacrifices of the 
Serbian people. In a speech marking the invasion of Serbia by the 
central powers, he said of the Serbians:

       Nobly did they respond. So valiantly and courageous did 
     they oppose the forces of a country ten times greater in 
     population and resources. . . . While their territory has 
     been devastated and their homes despoiled, the spirit of the 
     Serbian people has not been broken.

  As a Texan, I admire such defiance against overwhelming odds.
  On that special day, President Wilson ordered a rare recognition to a 
foreign ally, by having the Serbian flag raised over the White House. 
That recognition had only occurred one other time in American history.
  The spirit of brotherhood between the Americans and the Serbians, 
fighting shoulder to shoulder against tyranny, did not end there.
  One of the most meaningful stories for Americans is the Halyard 
Mission during the dark days of the Second World War. Despite being 
under Nazi occupation, the Serbian people demonstrated their remarkable 
bravery once again, saving the lives of hundreds of Americans in the 
largest rescue operation of American airmen in history.
  In 1944, American bombers were flying frequent missions to strike 
Germany's vital oil supplies in Romania as a part of the allied advance 
into Europe. The 15th Air Force led this effort by launching 20,000 
sorties into Eastern Europe, with many of the missions flying over 
Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. As many as 1,500 pilots and airmen were shot 
down during these air raids.
  Serbians, who had been resisting Nazi forces since 1941, risked their 
own lives to rescue American aircrews in Yugoslavia and hide them from 
patrolling Nazis. These brave and noble Serbians cared for and 
protected Americans and allied pilots.
  In August of 1944, the allied forces, including the 15th Air Force 
and the Office of Strategic Services, devised a daring operation to 
evacuate hundreds of allied pilots being sheltered by the Serbian 
resistance in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. American aircraft flew into 
enemy territory and evacuated 500 airmen from the airfield built and 
protected by local Serbians near the village of Pranjani.
  For over 60 years, this operation was kept secret from the American 
people. But now we can remember the courage of our Serbian friends and 
their stand against the Nazis.
  Here, Mr. Speaker, is a photograph taken by the Serbian resistance, 
taking Americans who had been shot down in Serbia and taking them to 
the airfield, where they would be returned back to the American lines.
  George Dudich, the father of my chief of staff, Elaine Dudich Stolze, 
when I was a judge in Texas, rescued many Americans who had been shot 
down in occupied Yugoslavia.
  All these years later, we remain committed to the cause of freedom 
for both nations. We should work together to preserve each other's 
security.
  The United States is now working with Serbia to improve its 
democracy, an independent judiciary, and fight corruption. A democratic 
Serbia with a strong rule of law is in America's interests and 
Serbia's.
  We are united in keeping the hungry Russian bear from interfering in 
domestic affairs in Serbia. Russian disinformation efforts are designed 
to keep Serbia in its sphere of influence and poison our relationship. 
Nevertheless, Serbia's integration to the west has continued to move 
forward.
  In 2006, Serbia joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program and, in 
2015, signed an Individual Partnership Action Plan with the alliance to 
strengthen cooperation. And recently, the European Union has announced 
that Serbia would join the EU as early as 2025.
  The prime minister and foreign minister of Serbia and numerous Serbs 
are in the Capitol today to promote U.S. Serbian relations.
  So on this 100th anniversary of President Wilson's speech about the 
courageous Serbs of World War I, we reaffirm our joint partnership and 
friendship and a quest for liberty.
  And that is just the way it is.

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