[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 156 (Friday, September 10, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E960]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE LIFE OF WILLIAM R. SANCHEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 10, 2021

  Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of William R. 
Sanchez who passed away at the age of 103 on August 23, 2021. Mr. 
Sanchez was a longtime constituent of mine in Monterey Park, 
California, and an American patriot who bravely served our country 
during World War II.
  Mr. Sanchez was born on July 18, 1918, in El Paso, Texas, and moved 
with his family to Los Angeles at the age of one. He graduated from 
Thomas Jefferson High School in 1938 and immediately joined the 
Civilian Conservation Corps, where he worked in Northern California 
managing forests and building roads. He received a boxing scholarship 
to UCLA, but instead decided to enlist in the U.S. Army in 1940. In 
search of adventure, Mr. Sanchez chose to serve at Fort Mills on 
Corregidor Island in the Philippines. He was assigned to Army 
Intelligence on the island and served on General Douglas MacArthur's 
staff. While working with Army Intelligence, he helped provide advance 
notice of the Japanese force on its way to attack Pearl Harbor.
  In 1942, Sgt. Sanchez fought in the Battle of Corregidor and was 
taken as a prisoner of war after keeping the Japanese at bay for five 
months. Like thousands of other American prisoners of war, he 
experienced unimaginable atrocities on the Bataan Death March. He was 
then transferred on a Japanese ``hell ship'' and taken to Camp Omori 
near Tokyo, where he was constantly abused, beaten, and underfed. Sgt. 
Sanchez's mental fortitude helped him endure these brutal conditions 
for over three years until the end of the war.
  After the war, he returned to the U.S. and attended Woodbury College 
where he earned his bachelor's degree. He then went on to earn a 
master's degree in International Trade and Finance from USC. He started 
his own company, Belenco, and became one of the biggest importers and 
suppliers of rolled steel products on the West Coast. Mr. Sanchez 
settled with his family in Monterey Park in 1958 and took an active 
role in the community. Over the years, he remained active in the 
veteran community, serving as the keynote speaker at many veterans 
forums, and offering advice and support to countless veterans and their 
families on their benefits and rights.
  William Sanchez was truly a hero of our time. He leaves behind an 
enduring legacy of service and sacrifice to our nation, and that is why 
it is my distinct honor to commemorate his life.

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