[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 153 (Friday, September 4, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E819-E820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                V-J Day

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEVIN HERN

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 4, 2020

  Mr. KEVIN HERN of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the 
veterans of the First District of Oklahoma, who served in the Pacific 
Theater of the Second World War, in remembrance of Victory over Japan 
Day, commonly known as V-J Day.
  Following the surrender of Japanese forces on August 15, 1945, 
President Harry Truman proclaimed, ``This is a victory of more than 
arms alone. This is a victory of liberty over tyranny.'' The dark years 
of fighting had finally come to an end, through the bravery and 
sacrifice of a generation of Americans.
  As we stand here seventy-five years later, their legacy reminds us of 
God's grace, the true meaning of honor, and the unimaginable blessing 
bestowed on each and every one of us to live in the United States of 
America.
  Today, I honor some of the bravest warriors on the face of the 
earth--heroes who were willing to venture into unknown territories to 
meet an uncertain fate, who weathered unimaginable circumstances.
  When their nation called, men and women left their families, spouses, 
and children to go to a foreign place stricken with war and savagery, 
all because they knew the United States of America was the last great 
hope on earth. Those who served not only saved our nation and our world 
from tyranny, but they changed the course of history forever.
  As the news of the war ending spread around the world, we can only 
now imagine the thrill of emotions that spread like fire through 
country sides and city squares across America. Millions of people took 
to the streets, many of which were covered with blizzards of confetti, 
and citizens crowded into churches to

[[Page E820]]

thank God for this victory and for the beginning of a new era of peace.
  Yet, seventy-five years later, we are still reminded of the true cost 
of that peace. Our current generation has also witnessed the sacrifice 
of American lives in the name of freedom. While our nation always 
attempts to protect American lives through any diplomatic tools 
available, human history reveals the sad reality that sometimes the 
liberty of all must be defended by a brave few. As Winston Churchill is 
often attributed as stating, ``We sleep soundly in our beds because 
rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would 
do us harm.''
  As a society, we must remember and educate our children to ensure 
that future generations never forget the heroes that saved our world 
from tyranny and destruction. Americans gather on V-J day to do just 
that: celebrate the greatest generation--those who came back home and 
those who laid down their lives on the field of battle.
  With the utmost humility, l recognize and honor those who served in 
the Second World War throughout the Pacific Theater and beyond. It is 
the greatest honor to live in a country with such valiant men and 
women, much less to represent so many of them in Congress.
  Victory over Japan Day is a necessary reminder of not only the 
enormous sacrifice and triumph of American warfighters over tyrannical 
empires, but ultimately, it exhibits the capacity of the American 
spirit to overcome all obstacles in order to complete the task at hand. 
I pray that we now, as Americans, face today's tests and trials with 
the same resolve, unity, and honor as those brave patriots who shed 
their blood from the beaches of Normandy to the islands of Okinawa. May 
we, too, find victory in our day.

                          ____________________