[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 189 (Thursday, December 19, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1316-E1317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WELCOME REMARKS OF SECRETARY CHARLES DJOU

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 19, 2024

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Americans are grateful for 
the service of American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Secretary 
Charles K. Djou who provided welcome remarks of the Commemoration of 
the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge at the Luxembourg 
American Cemetery on December 14, 2024. With his AMBC leadership, 
American cemeteries worldwide are a permanent recognition of affection 
for servicemembers recognizing Freedom Is Not Free. When Americans 
liberate nations from oppression, it is not for occupation as we 
request only to have sufficient acreage to bury valiant American 
patriots.

       Good morning, Your Majesties, Prime Ministers, 
     Administrator Nelson, Ambassador Barrett, members of the 
     United States Senate and United States House of 
     Representatives. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 
     Luxembourg American Cemetery. I'd like to start here this 
     morning by sharing with all of you a very quick story about 
     one soldier. His name is Alexis Sommaripa. Alexis was born in 
     Odessa, Ukraine. He went on to serve. He went on to graduate 
     from Harvard University, and when World War Two broke out, he 
     was 41 years old. But he nevertheless volunteered to serve in 
     the United States military, and because of his language 
     skills, speaking Russian, Ukrainian, German, and French. He 
     was put in the Intelligence Corps. He landed on Normandy 
     Beach and fought here at the Battle of the Bulge. He went on 
     and was assigned to the 37th Tank Battalion, Fourth Armored 
     Division, unfortunately, after the Battle of the Bulge, while 
     he was sitting at the top and commanding a tank, Alexis' tank 
     was strafed by German Messerschmidt. It wounded the driver, 
     flinging him from the tank, and the tank Raj fell over on 
     Alexis. He is buried here at the Luxembourg American 
     Cemetery. He is buried a Plot E, Row 15, Grave, 65. I raise 
     the story with all of you, because all of these crosses and 
     these Stars of David that rest behind me are not movie props. 
     They are not just figures. They are the lives of real 
     Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the cause of 
     freedom, and each and every one have a story as compelling as 
     Alexis. And I raise this story because Alexi was a Ukrainian-
     American, and the relevance today with the largest invasion 
     on the plains of Ukraine, unprovoked, is today steaming 
     across Europe. I know, ladies and gentlemen, that there are 
     many here in this world who question, who doubt, who wonder, 
     do places like this exist? Do ceremonies like this still have 
     relevance today? I'm here to respond to you, to all who 
     question, to all who wonder, to all who doubt. Come, come 
     here to Luxembourg. Come here to the Luxembourg American 
     Cemetery. Come see these crosses and these Stars of David. 
     Come and see what true sacrifice is about. Because you see, 
     ladies and gentlemen, when the United States of America 
     stands at its best, when we are at our finest America does 
     not send its young, its brave and its finest to fight for a 
     king or

[[Page E1317]]

     a crown. We do not fight for a sect or denomination. We do 
     not even fight for a motherland or a fatherland, and 
     Americans most certainly never fight for conquest or plunder 
     or enslavement of another people. Instead, when America sends 
     its young, its brave and its finest to fight and yes, 
     sometimes make the ultimate sacrifice, America does it for 
     simple, humble values, the values of liberty and democracy 
     and when the job is done, when the mission is accomplished, 
     when America has taken down the dictator and stood up 
     democracy, Americans do something utterly unique in the 
     history of mankind. We go home all that America asks for in 
     return. In exchange for the sacrifice of our young, are a few 
     small plots of land to bury our dead. All of you are seated 
     here today in one of those small plots of land, and that is 
     why this place, this ceremony, is still so important. It 
     reminds us of American sacrifice, and it reminds all of the 
     autocrats and the dictators in this world, whether they be in 
     Moscow or Beijing, whether they be in Tehran or Pyongyang, 
     the autocracy may seem powerful. The dictatorship may seem 
     strong. But here this place at the Luxembourg American 
     Cemetery. We remind the world that there is nothing more 
     powerful in it than a free people willing to fight for 
     freedom. Ladies and gentlemen, May the good Lord bless each 
     and every one of you. Bless Luxembourg and the United States 
     of America. Thank you.