[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 26, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND SERVICE OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF 
                            PERSHING RIFLES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 26, 2019

  Mr. LONG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the history, service 
and accomplishments of the National Society of Pershing Rifles, whose 
members and alumni will observe the organization's 125th Anniversary 
during its national convention, March 14 through 16 in Kansas City, 
Missouri.
  In 1891, Second Lieutenant John J. Pershing, then a military 
instructor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, selected a top-tier 
group of cadets to ``promote the highest ideals of the military 
profession,'' among other things, within the Nebraska cadet corps. In 
1894, the group was named The Pershing Rifles, in honor of their 
founder and mentor. Lieutenant Pershing would go on to become Commander 
of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I, and remains 
the only active duty American to be awarded the rank of General of the 
Armies of the United States.
  Since its humble beginnings, the Pershing Rifles have vastly 
expanded, and now numbers more than 600 ROTC cadet and midshipman 
members spread across more than 60 campuses nationwide. Now in its 
125th year, members remain steadfast in their determination to carry on 
the organization's original goal of promoting excellence in the 
military arts.
  The mission of the National Society of Pershing Rifles is to aid in 
the development of successful officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force; 
foster camaraderie and esprit de corps among all three Reserve 
Officers' Training Corps programs; further the purposes, traditions, 
and concepts of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine 
Corps, and give civilians an opportunity to be part of a military 
organization without formal commitment to the military.
  Alumni of the Pershing Rifles have fought with valor and distinction 
as military and naval officers in every American conflict since the 
Spanish-American War. Distinguished alumni include former Secretary of 
State Colin Powell, among many other notable American military, 
political, professional, and cultural leaders.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to rise and recognize 125 years of 
service to the nation since the formation of the Pershing Rifles. 
Throughout their history, they have strived for excellence in all that 
they do and have clearly lived up to the vision of their founder. I can 
think of no tribute more fitting, to honor the living legacy of General 
of the Armies John J. Pershing and his vision for military and civic 
excellence.

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