[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 662]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING PRIVATE BOOKER TOWNSELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, Senator Bill Nelson and I introduced 
legislation today to amend the dark chapter of American history by 
providing a fair and just settlement for our African American soldiers 
who were wrongly convicted after an incident at Fort Lawton during 
World War II.
  Last Saturday, I stood with the family of Booker Townsell at his 
gravesite in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At long last, Private Booker 
Townsell received a burial with full honors, in a ceremony filled with 
emotion and symbolism. At long last, Booker Townsell received the 
military honors he deserved.
  I want to read into the Record the remarks I read last Saturday 
because Booker and his family deserve to have his long overdue military 
honors permanently etched into the Congressional Record.
  In the House, I represent Seattle in King County, Washington, home to 
Fort Lawton and home to author Jack Hamann. He exposed what Booker 
Townsell, his family and others have often lived and known for a long 
time, that the color of their skin determined their fate and denied 
them due process.
  And on behalf of the people in my Seventh District, who live in a 
county proudly named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, let me sum up 
our feelings by quoting Dr. King: Injustice anywhere is a threat to 
justice everywhere.
  That's why I got into this fight. America cannot and must not permit 
racial injustice to breathe the same air that we breathe, or to live 
among us as a plague upon our Nation, or to poison the sweet light of 
day with its grim darkness of evil.
  We come here today in the name of justice, to fully and finally honor 
Private Booker Townsell, a soldier, a hero, an African American who 
served his country in a time of war, only to be deserted by his country 
in his time of need.
  Racial injustice struck down this innocent man, and others, who were 
denied the opportunity to live their lives with a full measure of honor 
for their military service and who were denied all their rightful 
benefits for their military service, including the right of their 
family to receive an American flag when they passed.
  The American flag is a powerful symbol of our Nation's strength, 
unity and commitment to core values like equal justice under the law 
and equal rights. Today our flag also represents the courage of an Army 
private and the dignity of his family to accept justice delayed after 
being denied so long, and it represents the ability of a great Nation 
to look inward and admit a grave injustice.
  This is a proud day for Private Booker Townsell and his family. He 
has been promoted from Army private to American role model, and his 
life, service and this day teaches us a lot about ourselves and our 
Nation.
  Dr. King said: The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of 
challenge and controversy.
  Booker Townsell, and his family and others like Sam Snow who lives in 
Florida, stood up to the challenge and, in so doing, stood up for us 
all. Today, on their behalf, America renews its vow to fight racial 
injustice, to acknowledge the deep and tragic mistakes of the past and 
to restore hope in the future.
  Here in Washington the work is not finished. The legislation Senator 
Nelson and I introduced today will, along with others, including 
Congresswoman Moore from Milwaukee, direct the Army to provide the Fort 
Lawton survivors like Sam Snow in Florida and families like Booker 
Townsell with the economic benefits to which they're entitled. It's the 
least we can do. I also hope that we can put a memorial on the Fort 
Lawton site to teach future generations about the sacrifices made by 
Booker Townsell, Sam Snow, and others, and to remind us that we must 
never forget that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
  Today, we salute Private Booker Townsell and his loved ones on behalf 
of this grateful Nation. We are grateful for his military service, his 
courage, and his dignity, and grateful that America is strong enough to 
admit its mistakes and provide justice and honor at long last.
  I would like to enter into the Record an article from the Milwaukee 
Sentinel dated 19 January 2008, entitled, ``Injustice Undone.''

              [From the Milwaukee Sentinel, Jan. 19, 2008]

    Injustice Undone: Soldier Honored More Than 20 Years After Death

                           (By Meg Kissinger)

       Carol Blalock closed her eyes and smiled as the sound of 
     gunshots rang through the bitter cold morning air on 
     Saturday.
       At long last, justice had been served.
       Her father, Booker Townsell, who died in 1984, had finally 
     been granted full military honors, a proper military burial 
     at Graceland Cemetery on Milwaukee's northwest side. An Army 
     contingent, including Ronald James, Assistant Secretary of 
     the Army, traveled to Milwaukee to correct an injustice begun 
     more than 63 years ago.
       In August 1944, Townsell and 42 other African-American 
     soldiers were blamed for the lynching death of an Italian 
     prisoner of war at Fort Lawton, an Army base outside Seattle. 
     Many of them, including Townsell, were convicted of rioting. 
     Two others were convicted of manslaughter.
       The story might have ended there, had it not been for 
     curiosity of a television reporter named Jack Hamann, who, 
     along with his wife, Leslie, spent 20 years uncovering the 
     facts of the case. Their account, in the book ``On American 
     Soil: How Justice Became a Casualty of World War II,'' 
     prompted a bipartisan call for the convictions to be 
     overturned and full military honors to be restored. In 
     October, the Army reversed the conviction of Townsell and the 
     others.
       Hamann stood at the front of the chapel at Graceland on 
     Saturday, fighting back tears as the Army color guard played 
     taps.
       ``Reporters are trained to check out emotionally,'' he 
     said. ``But this one is tough.''
       Also standing in the crowd was Ronald Hayes, a retired 
     master sergeant and Townsell family friend, who likewise 
     swallowed hard when Wisconsin Army National Guard Brig. Gen. 
     Roger Lalich presented the U.S. flag to Townsell's oldest 
     daughter, Marion Williamson.
       ``This is good,'' Hayes said.
       Later in the day, nearly 200 people gathered at the 
     Milwaukee County War Memorial Center to pay tribute to 
     Townsell and to celebrate his ultimate exoneration.
       ``He wouldn't have wanted this attention,'' Williamson told 
     the crowd. ``But he deserves it. I hope my father's soul can 
     finally rest in peace.''
       Speakers included Jim McDermott, Democratic congressman 
     from the state of Washington who pushed to have the Army 
     reverse the convictions.
       ``Too often the color of skin defined fate and denied due 
     process,'' McDermott said.
       Quoting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., McDermott talked 
     of why this decision is so important and the need to 
     celebrate it so urgent.
       ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,'' 
     he said. McDermott complimented the Army for admitting a 
     grave mistake. He recalled the images of Townsell as a 
     dedicated family man and factory worker, who danced with his 
     children and cheered his granddaughter at her track meet.
       It would have been easy for Townsell to wallow in the 
     bitterness of this dark chapter of his life, McDermott said. 
     Instead, he chose to persevere. Again invoking King's words, 
     McDermott said, ``The ultimate measure of a man is not where 
     he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
     stands at times of challenge and controversy.''
       As far as Blalock and the other members of Townsell's 
     family were concerned, Saturday's ceremony was no less 
     precious because of the time it took to make things right.
       ``I loved my father's laugh,'' Blalock said. ``When they 
     had that 21-gun salute and played taps, it was like I could 
     hear him laugh again.''

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