[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14] [House] [Pages 18715-18717] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING THE 28TH INFANTRY DIVISION FOR SERVING AND PROTECTING THE UNITED STATES Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 390) honoring the 28th Infantry Division for serving and protecting the United States, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution. The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows: H. Con. Res. 390 Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was established on October 11, 1879, and is recognized as the oldest, continuously serving division in the Army; Whereas units of the 28th Infantry Division date back to 1747, when Benjamin Franklin organized a battalion in Philadelphia; Whereas units of the 28th Infantry Division served in the Revolutionary War, including units that served with distinction in the Continental Army under General George Washington; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was integral to the success of World War I campaigns in the European theater, including those in Champagne, Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Oise Marne, Lorraine, and Mesuse-Argone; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division earned the title of ``Iron Division'' by General John J. Pershing for its valiant efforts during World War I; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division contributed to military operations in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, [[Page 18716]] Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe during World War II; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division's perseverance through the harsh winter of 1944-1945 on the western front led to a decisive victory in the Battle for the Huertgen Forest, the longest single battle engaged by the Army; Whereas soon after the Battle of the Huertgen Forest, the 28th Infantry Division withstood the onslaught of the main thrust of the last great German offensive during the Battle of the Bulge, giving time for reinforcements to arrive and defeat the Germans; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was activated again in 1950 to serve in Germany; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was folded into the Army Selective Reserve Force during the Vietnam War; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division aided relief efforts throughout the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Agnes in 1972; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division was called into action during the partial meltdown of the nuclear reactor of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in 1979; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division contributed to international coalition forces to facilitate efforts in Operation Desert Storm; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has been part of peacekeeping missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Republic of Kosova, and the Sinai Peninsula; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has deployed troops for Operation Noble Eagle, securing high-profile infrastructure targets in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has deployed troops to Operation Enduring Freedom, which ousted the Taliban regime in Afghanistan; Whereas in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 28th Infantry Division played a crucial role in the search for weapons of mass destruction, the invasion of Iraq, the security in post- invasion Iraq, the training of an Iraqi police force, securing transport convoys, and the safe detainment of suspected terrorists; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has over 2,600 soldiers who are missing in action from World War I and World War II; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has 127 units in 90 armories in 75 cities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Whereas the 28th Infantry Division has been sent to aid portions of our Nation affected by harsh winter storms, flooding, violent windstorms, and other severe weather emergencies; and Whereas 10 recipients of the Medal of Honor, 4 recipients of the Legion of Merit, and 258 recipients of the Silver Star have been members of the 28th Infantry Division: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress honors the 28th Infantry Division for serving and protecting the United States and directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania National Guard for appropriate display. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) each will control 20 minutes The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam. General Leave Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Guam? There was no objection. Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 390, honoring the 28th Infantry Division. I join my colleagues in recognition of the brave men and women who have answered the call of duty and contributed in so many ways to our Nation's safety and security. The history of the 28th Infantry Division is truly remarkable and a testament to the dedication and sacrifice of those who have served in the division. Officially established way back in 1879, the 28th Infantry Division is one of the oldest divisions in the Army. Its roots trace back to the Revolutionary War era to units in Benjamin Franklin's battalion of Associators in Philadelphia, as well as General George Washington's Continental Army. In World War I, the 28th Infantry Division fought in six major campaigns: Champagne, Champagne-Marne, Oise-Marne, Lorraine, and Meuse- Argonne. They paid greatly for their efforts, losing over 14,000 men. Recognizing its tough and relentless fighting prowess, General of the Armies John J. Pershing labeled the 28th Infantry Division the Iron Division. During the Second World War, the division fought some of the fiercest battles in the European theater. Perhaps most notably during the Battle of the Bulge, the 28th Infantry Division held its ground against overwhelming German forces until Allied reinforcements arrived. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten, and the importance of their victory as a turning point in World War II remains etched in the history of this division. Today, the 28th Infantry Division is an active National Guard division, with armories in towns and cities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Soldiers of the 28th Infantry Division have served and are currently serving abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan, and were also recently deployed in Bosnia and Kosovo as part of the NATO peacekeeping missions. Since September 11, over 10,000 soldiers of the division have deployed overseas. The men and women of the 28th Infantry Division serve their community selflessly while balancing full-time careers and families. Through the years, their names and faces have changed, but the commitment and the dedication with which they serve our Nation remains the hallmark of the 28th Infantry Division. So I am very proud to join my colleagues in honoring these men and women, past and present, and to express my sincere gratitude for their sacrifice to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Nation. And I urge my colleagues to vote for the adoption of this resolution that recognizes our citizen soldiers. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 390, as amended, which honors the 28th Infantry Division for serving and protecting the United States of America. I am honored to pay tribute to the current and former members of the 28th Infantry Division, the Keystone Division, who have steadfastly and courageously defended and served this great country on our own shores and in distant lands. {time} 1545 With roots that date back to the Continental Army, the 28th Infantry Division fought valiantly in several campaigns during World War I, earning the title ``Iron Division'' from General John J. Pershing. Again, during World War II, victory was won in hard-fought battles in places like the Huertgen Forest on the western front and in the Battle of the Bulge because of the tenacity and the perseverance of the brave soldiers of the 28th Infantry Division. These battles earned them another title, Bloody Buckets, this time given to them by German forces because of the fury of the 28th Infantry Division assaults. More recently, the 28th Infantry Division has participated in Operation Desert Storm, deployed troops to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan, and has played a vital role in the successes of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Closer to home, Mr. Speaker, the Division has responded in the aftermath of natural disasters to provide aid and comfort to fellow Americans during hurricanes, blizzards and devastating floods. It is important to note that the soldiers of the Division have distinguished themselves by earning 10 Medals of Honor, four Legions of Merit, and 258 Silver Stars for their outstanding service to the Nation. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, the valiant service of the 28th Infantry Division has not come without enormous sacrifice. Throughout its history, the members of the Division have paid the price to ensure our freedom. Still today there are over 2,600 soldiers from the 28th Infantry Division missing in action in both world wars of the 20th century. Mr. Speaker, if I did not also pay tribute today to the incredible families of these brave soldiers, who waited at home while their loved ones answered our Nation's call, I would be remiss. The entire Nation owes the soldiers and veterans of the 28th Infantry Division and their families a debt of gratitude. We are all proud of their service. [[Page 18717]] Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge all Members to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time. Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I want to make a few brief remarks on the issue of energy because we seem to discuss that. And I have no further speakers at that point and I will be prepared to yield back to my friend from Guam. Mr. Speaker, I think today in the discussion of three bills we've seen a terrifically orderly process of cooperation between the two sides as we have come together to honor and recognize Americans who have distinguished themselves in service to our country and in service to one another. And it's been a process that I think ought to epitomize all of our openings. Our problem, unfortunately, is we don't always have that process in this House. We've known for many, many years that we had a very serious energy crisis. I believe former Secretary of the Treasury, John Connelly, first pointed that out as long ago as 1970 when we were importing about 24 percent of petroleum from overseas. Former President Carter called it the moral equivalent of war that we confront and deal with this crisis in the late 1970s. And there certainly have been fitful efforts by both sides of the aisle, Mr. Speaker, to try and come to grips with this problem over the years, but we all know we have not done it successfully. And I think perhaps that's because we have not done it together. I would point to the efforts of two of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, Mr. Abercrombie from Hawaii and Mr. Peterson from Pennsylvania, who have tried to work together to formulate a bipartisan solution to parts of this vexing problem as an example that all of us on both sides ought to follow, Mr. Speaker. I think if we did, we would do better. And I think we could come up with legislation that would genuinely make a difference because nothing is more important, aside from our physical security, than our economic security. And I think we all recognize we're at the point, Mr. Speaker, that that security is threatened by an overdependence on foreign energy. We can go a long way, we can do a lot together. Sometimes when we work together we do do extraordinary things. So I would challenge the House that in the coming week, when we discuss this important issue, that that's, indeed, how we proceed, we bring bills to the floor, we have open debate, and we try to find common ground with one another. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, again I would like to go on record to thank my co-manager of the bill, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole). Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 390, as amended. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. COLE of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn. ____________________