[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 3, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E394-E395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PROUD TO RETURN THE BALANGIGA BELLS TO PHILIPPINES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON BACON

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 3, 2019

  Mr. BACON. Madam Speaker, late last year, an historic event took 
place in the relations between our country and the Republic of the 
Philippines. In December of 2018, the United States returned the 
historic ``Bells of Balangiga'' to the Church of San Lorenzo de Martir 
on the Island of Samar. The three Bells had been brought to the U.S. 
following the Philippine-American War over a century ago. The return of 
the Bells by the Department of Defense became a moment of national 
jubilation for the Philippines.
  The history of the Bells began on a Saturday morning in September 
1901 when a company of American soldiers were caught in a surprise 
attack by Philippine revolutionaries and the U.S. Army unit was nearly 
decimated. Some reports indicate that one of the bells was thought to 
be used as a signal in the attack. U.S. forces launched a counter-
attack in response, killed many of the people of the town, destroyed 
the church with the bells and took all three as war trophies. The three 
bells were then shipped to America by the U.S. Army, despite orders 
that Church property was not subject to retention after the end of 
hostilities. For over a century they remained unlocated until twenty 
years ago when Philippine President Fidel Ramos, a West Point graduate 
and American compatriot in the Korean and Vietnam wars, asked for the 
return of two bells from a U.S. Air Force base in Wyoming, a base that 
a century ago was an Army cavalry post. Since then, every Philippine 
president has asked for repatriation and over the years, the ``Bells of 
Balangiga'' have become national historic icons; sacred artifacts of a 
nation whose historical patrimony was largely destroyed in World War 
II.
  Despite disagreement in the U.S. about the return of the Bells, three 
retired U.S. Navy officers, later referred to as the ``three sailors'' 
believed that it was the right thing to do and set out to advocate for 
their return. They knew well the bond of friendship forged between the 
United States and the Republic of the Philippines in World War II and 
strengthened ever since. Thus, the three Naval officers began a journey 
of discovery and learning spanning Wyoming, Army and Air Force record 
centers, a private library in Arizona, and the battle site in Balangiga 
to fully realize the story of the historic bells.
  The ``three sailors'' discovered that the two bells in Wyoming were 
not used as signals for the attack and were the property of the 
Catholic Church and sacred icons of the Philippines. They also 
discovered that our possession of them stood in stark contrast to other 
church bells previously returned by the U.S. to Russia, Japan, and 
Germany. Most importantly, they concluded that returning captured bells 
to their rightful nations and church parishioners have only 
strengthened the bonds between those nations and reflect the highest 
standards of military honor.
  For twenty years legislation existed that prevented removal of the 
Balangiga Bells from the United States. Last year I was honored to 
advance and advocate legislation that amended the law to permit the 
Secretary of Defense to approve return of the Bells and on the 14th of 
November in 2018, former Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced 
that the Bells were going home. On the 15th of December, the President 
of the Philippines, with leaders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines 
and the United States in attendance, expressed gratitude to the 
American people as the Bells rang once again in the coastal town of 
Balangiga. As we commit to the work of this new Pacific Century, let us 
reaffirm our long partnership with the Republic of the Philippines, now 
made stronger by the return of the Bells of Balangiga, a noble act that 
will ensure that a century long Philippine-American friendship will 
endure and echo in eternity.
  I am also pleased to share another story of the Bells less known, 
that includes a heroic young man from Nebraska, Private Adolph

[[Page E395]]

Gamlin. Adolph was the principal sentry on duty the tragic morning of 
battle that became known as the ``Massacre of Balangiga''. The record 
reflects that Gamlin fought bravely that day and acquitted himself with 
honor. His courage and skill in battle helped survivors to escape the 
onslaught and prevented the complete decimation of his unit.
  Adolph Gamlin was a 20-year-old farm boy when he enlisted in 1898 
with the 51st Iowa Volunteer Infantry and was sent off to the 
Philippines. He later joined other Spanish American War volunteers by 
re-enlisting in the Regular Army's 9th Infantry in 1900. Back to the 
Philippines in November, he caught up with Company C in January of 1901 
when they were still in China and returned to Manila with his unit in 
June. He mustered out of the Army in 1903 at Fort Niagara in New York 
as Sergeant Gamlin and returned to Nebraska, married, had three 
children before his wife's untimely death. Adolph remarried and today 
his daughter, E. Jean Wall from that marriage, carries on his memory. 
Over the years she has accumulated the single most complete library on 
Balangiga and its military history. Included are many letters left to 
her by her father. He was her hero, and now he is mine too.
  Adolph Gamlin died in 1969 at age 92. Today he is at rest at the 
historic Wyuka Cemetery in Nebraska City. The diligent research of the 
``three sailors'' found there were many heroes of the battle, valiant 
men never fully recognized. Gamlin was one of them. Today I am honored 
to capture this story to ensure it is never forgotten and available in 
our nation's archives so others may know their story for generations to 
come.

                          ____________________