[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 10, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H4170]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF IRENE PEREZ PLOKE SGAMBELLURI

  (Mr. Moylan of Guam was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. MOYLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today with profound respect to 
commemorate the life and legacy of Irene Perez Ploke Sgambelluri, a 
CHamoru daughter of Guam, a survivor of World War II, and a tireless 
advocate for justice.
  At just 10 years old, Irene was eating breakfast with her family when 
the skies above Guam roared with warplanes. Her father, a U.S. Navy 
pharmacist, surrendered himself to protect his family, spending years 
in a Japanese POW camp.
  Irene, her mother, and her siblings endured displacement, hunger, 
forced labor, and cruel treatment under occupation. She gave up her bed 
so that her grandparents could rest. She helped forage for food, and 
bore the weight of survival with quiet strength.
  At age 13, she witnessed the return of American forces and trekked 
through mountains and devastation to seek safety, but her story didn't 
end there. Ms. Irene transformed her pain into purpose. She spoke at 
schools, ceremonies, and even laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown 
Soldier, becoming the first civilian to do so, in honor of Guam's 
liberation.
  Her advocacy helped to secure war reparations for CHamoru survivors, 
and her home phone became a lifeline for those who were seeking help.
  Her grandchildren called her ``the bionic woman,'' a fitting tribute 
to a woman who defied cancer, embraced technology, and danced through 
life with grace and grit.
  Her legacy is etched not only in the history books but in the hearts 
of her family and the people of Guam. She reminded us that history 
lives among us and that the enduring CHamoru spirit would never be 
forgotten.
  Madam Speaker, we thank her. We honor her, and we carry her life 
forward.

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