[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5682-H5683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING RAYMOND ANDREW SMITH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
New York (Ms. Malliotakis) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an 
extraordinary sacrifice by a resident of Brooklyn, New York.
  Private First Class Raymond Andrew Smith was 18 years old when he 
made the ultimate sacrifice for our country during the Battle of Chosin 
Reservoir, in the Korean war.
  Growing up, Raymond and his sister Helen experienced a difficult 
childhood in foster care, forcing them to take on responsibilities far 
beyond their years. And despite the challenges he faced, at the age of 
14 Raymond joined the Navy.
  Once Raymond's age was discovered by his superiors, the Navy granted 
him an honorable discharge, but that wouldn't stop Raymond's drive for 
service. Four years later, Raymond enlisted in the United States Army, 
and after 6 months, he was shipped off to fight in the Korean war.
  The Korean war began in June of 1950 when General Douglas MacArthur, 
alongside South Korean and U.N. forces made significant progress into 
the north with hopes of uniting the two countries again.

  However, Communist China under Mao Zedong had other plans, and sent 
roughly 100,000 troops to the Chosin Reservoir to counter progress made 
by America and our allies, leading to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.
  With the 7th Infantry Division, Raymond fought in this battle, a 
battle many military experts and scholars consider to be one of the 
most brutal conflicts in modern history due to the sheer fierceness of 
our opponents and severe weather elements.
  For 17 days, the Battle of Chosin Reservoir raged on. In that 
timeframe, it is estimated that the United States suffered 18,000 
casualties, while the Chinese suffered upward of 50,000 casualties, 
30,000 just from the freezing cold alone. During the battle, 
temperatures were said to have dropped to a chilling negative 35 
degrees Fahrenheit. Medical supplies froze solid, rendering them 
useless, weapons seized and failed to function, and digging foxholes 
was nearly impossible without the use of machinery. At negative 35 
degrees Fahrenheit, the human body sets into hypothermic shock in only 
5 to 7 minutes.
  Private First Class Raymond Smith was one of the first to make 
contact with the enemy. Raymond and his peers were vastly outnumbered, 
and while they fought valiantly, he was sadly reported missing on 
December 2, 1950, presumed to be dead.
  On July 27, 2018, following a summit between then-President Donald 
Trump and North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea returned 
55 boxes that contained the remains of American servicemembers killed 
during the Korean war.
  And on March 25, 2021, Raymond's family received closure when his 
remains were finally identified and accounted for after 71 unbearable 
years for his family. Raymond's remains

[[Page H5683]]

were returned to New York City, where his sister Helen, her children, a 
full U.S. military honor guard, and the Port Authority Police were 
there to welcome him home.
  I am taking this time today to ensure Raymond's memory lives on and 
his sacrifices will not be forgotten. Currently, there are more than 
81,600 Americans that remain missing from World War II, the Korean war, 
the Vietnam war, the Cold War, the Gulf wars, and other conflicts. Let 
this give us hope that we can return them all home.
  I urge the administration and my colleagues to work toward the return 
of all prisoners of war and a full accounting and the repatriation of 
our fallen servicemembers' remains.

                          ____________________