[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8222]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                          HONORING WAR BRIDES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 27, 2007

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a group of women who 
played a profound but under-appreciated role in America's stand against 
the Axis Powers during the Second World War. Known as War Brides, these 
women met our soldiers during the war while they were stationed 
overseas, eventually coming to the United States after the war as their 
wives. Women such as Sylvia Harris, a constituent of mine, boosted the 
wartime morale of our bravest men during that dark period in human 
history.
  While we are all familiar with the stories of the Greatest 
Generation, less often told are the stories of those women who came to 
this country as War Brides. These extraordinary individuals left their 
families and cultures behind to follow the men they fell in love with. 
They adopted the United Sates of America as their home, raising 
children and supporting their husbands. They embodied the notion and 
reality of the Greatest Generation by pledging their allegiance to the 
United States and to the soldiers who bravely fought for freedom around 
the world.
  War Brides overcame not only physical barriers, often traveling 
months by train and boat to rejoin their husbands, but also xenophobia 
in many cases, making the transition to their newly-adopted country all 
the more difficult. They are a testament to the evolution of social and 
cultural equality in this country, bringing with them the traditions of 
countless cultures that make America the wonderful melting pot that it 
is.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud that on this, the 61st anniversary of the 
emigration of thousands of War Brides into the United States of 
America, Mrs. Harris brought to my attention the invaluable 
contribution of these remarkable women to our country.
  Madam Speaker, love and the union of marriage are extraordinarily 
powerful; they have been known to save lives, spurring soldiers to 
persevere with purpose for the sake of loved ones. Just as we remember 
those who kept the home fires burning here in the United States during 
the Second World War, we should pay tribute to those women who formed 
bonds with and inspired our soldiers abroad during that conflict. 
Whether coming from Europe, Africa, Asia, or Australia, these women 
hold an important place in the history and free democracy of the United 
States, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in saluting their 
bravery and resilience.

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