[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 69 (Monday, April 29, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                TRIBUTE TO SERGEANT RUSSELL HERMAN SINES

 Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Sergeant 
Russell Herman Sines of Goshen, WV. Sergeant Sines bravely served in 
the 80th Division, 317th Infantry of the United States Army from 1942 
to 1945, during the height of American intervention in World War II. 
Known as the Blue Ridge Division, Sergeant Sines and his comrades from 
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and our home State of West Virginia 
were ordered into action on July 15, 1942, and eventually set sail for 
Europe on Independence Day of 1944.
  The 80th Division fought valiantly on the Allied front, first landing 
on Utah Beach in Normandy and then quickly moving to Saint-Jores, 
France. Later that fall, the 317th Infantry was forced to cross the 
Moselle River to Pont-a-Mousson in the face of heavy Axis opposition. 
During the ensuing battle at Mousson, Sergeant Sines was wounded by 
shrapnel in his calf and ankle and taken to receive treatment at a 
Paris hospital. Sergeant Sines would later receive a Purple Heart for 
his wounds received during combat.
  However, this injury would not stop Sergeant Sines from serving his 
country. By the time the Axis forces began their Ardennes Offensive, 
Sergeant Sines was already back with the 317th Infantry. His regiment 
continued to move toward the southeast lines of Bastonge, where 
fighting would continue for several months. While on the streets of 
Bastonge, Sergeant Sines happened to run into his brother, Junior 
Sines, proving how small the world is that we West Virginians enjoy.
  Sergeant Sines and the 80th Division, 317th Infantry would go on to 
capture the cities of Kassel, Erfurt, Wierman, Jena, and Gera. It was 
during the fighting between Kassel and Erfurt that Sergeant Sines would 
receive a bronze medal for his heroic and meritorious service on the 
battlefield. By the end of the war, the Blue Ridge Division captured 
over 200,000 enemy soldiers and endured 289 days of combat, fighting 
courageously in places such as Ardennes, Luxembourg, and Argentan to 
name a few.
  I hold stories like that of Sergeant Russell Herman Sines close to my 
heart, as my father, Governor Arch Moore, also fought in World War II. 
As Americans, we have a duty to honor and remember the collective 
sacrifice of all the men and women of the Greatest Generation. Because 
of their service, America has continued to prosper and flourish, 
serving as a pillar of hope and freedom for people across the world.
  West Virginians understand the importance of community, patriotism, 
and liberty. These values are alive in the Appalachian foothills due to 
the service of brave men and woman like Sergeant Russell Herman Sines. 
Again, I thank Sergeant Sines for his duty to his country, and it is an 
honor to call him a fellow West Virginian.

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