[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1280]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             THE MORE MEMORIALS TO OUR MILITARY THE BETTER

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                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 4, 2010

  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, as I mentioned yesterday, Corporal 
Frank Buckles is the last surviving doughboy that served in World War 
I. He is 109 years old this week. To put things in perspective, he has 
lived half of America's history since the signing of the Constitution.
  At the age of 16, he enlisted to serve in World War I. He lied to be 
able to serve his country. He was a corporal in the U.S. Army in 
Europe.
  After the war was over he later found himself in the Philippines at 
the start of WWII. The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor Frank 
Buckles was captured by the Japanese and became a prisoner of war. He 
was a POW for 39 months. After WWII was over he went to West Virginia 
where he lives on his farm to this day.
  The United States has memorials, museums, and tributes to the 
Americans who have served in all of our wars. There are even WWI 
memorials in other places in the country such as the one in Kansas 
City.
  However, there is not one on the National Mall in the Nation's 
Capitol for all WWI Veterans. On the National Mall there are memorials 
that pay tribute to 3 of the great wars in the past century. They were 
built in reverse order to honor those who sacrificed to protect 
America's freedom and liberty. They are the Vietnam Memorial, the 
Korean War Memorial and WWII memorial.
  I do not believe we can build too many monuments in honor of our 
Veterans. We need to build a memorial on the National Mall 
commemorating the World War I Veterans and thus complete the tribute to 
those who have served in all 4 of the major wars of the last century. 
This memorial will be built using private donations not taxpayer's 
money.
  We owe it to all those who gave their lives to protect ours; we owe 
it to those who served in WWI and to the last surviving doughboy of 
that war, Corporal Frank Buckles, to build this memorial on the 
national mall.
  And that's just the way it is.

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