[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 129 (Thursday, July 22, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H3806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF WALTER STRAKA

  (Mr. STAUBER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the life of 
Private Walter Straka.
  At 17, Walter lied about his age to serve in the Army National Guard. 
In 1941, his unit, the 194th Tank Battalion, arrived in the Philippines 
just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
  After the fall of Bataan in 1942, Walter and his comrades were forced 
on a brutal 65-mile trek now known as the Bataan Death March.
  During the march, Walter was forced to walk in intense heat and 
subjected to appalling abuse at the hands of the Japanese army.
  By Walter's own account, he should have been dead a thousand times, 
but Walter not only survived this 6-day march, he also survived 3 years 
as a prisoner of war before returning home to Brainerd, Minnesota.
  Once home, Walter ran a successful business, raised a family, and was 
an active member in his community.
  Walter Straka died this year at the age of 101. With his passing, the 
State of Minnesota said good-bye to its last survivor of the Bataan 
Death March.
  Private Walter Straka is an American hero whose unforgettable story 
has inspired me and so many others.
  Our Nation is stronger because of his exceptional service and 
courage.

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