[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13948-13952]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 AUTHORIZING USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL TO AWARD CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 28) authorizing the use of 
Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to award 
the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry 
Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence 
Service, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service 
during World War II.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 28

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL FOR EVENT TO AWARD THE 
                   CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Authorization.--Emancipation Hall in the Capitol 
     Visitor Center is authorized to be used for an event on 
     November 2, 2011, to award the Congressional Gold Medal, 
     collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd 
     Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence 
     Service, United States Army, in recognition of their 
     dedicated service during World War II.
       (b) Preparations.--Physical preparations for the conduct of 
     the event described in subsection (a) shall be carried out in 
     accordance with such conditions as may be prescribed by the 
     Architect of the Capitol.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Harper) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Brady) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HARPER. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution honors those brave and courageous 
Japanese Americans who served in the U.S. Army's 100th Infantry 
Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, as well as those who served 
in the indispensable Military Intelligence Service.
  The 100th Infantry Battalion fought valiantly in the treacherous 
Italian campaign, earning their nickname the Purple Heart Battalion 
because of their bravery and sacrifice.
  The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was formed in 1943 from Japanese 
Americans living in relocation camps. A week after D-day, the 100th 
Battalion and the 442nd were merged into a single unit, which fought 
heroically in Europe, as seen in their rescue of the

[[Page 13949]]

famous ``Lost Battalion'' in France near the German border.

                              {time}  1240

  These Japanese American units suffered enormously high casualty rates 
and received over 18,000 individual decorations, including 9,486 Purple 
Hearts. For their service in eight major campaigns in Italy and France, 
the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team 
earned eight Presidential Unit Citations.
  Members of the Military Intelligence Service were Japanese Americans 
who served this country by intercepting radio messages, translating 
documents, writing leaflets encouraging opposing troops to surrender, 
and helping our forces understand the enemy we were fighting. In fact, 
according to General MacArthur's intelligence officer, Charles 
Willoughby, the efforts of the Military Intelligence Service 
``shortened the war by 2 years.''
  Mr. Speaker, Second Lieutenant Daniel Inouye, who received a 
battlefield commission in November 1944, was one of these brave men. 
Gravely wounded in April 1945, Lieutenant Inouye received the 
Distinguished Service Cross. It is fitting and proper that our 
distinguished colleague in the other body sponsored this legislation, 
and I'm honored to speak in support of it here today.
  I ask my colleagues to support this resolution authorizing use of 
Emancipation Hall in November for this Congressional Gold Medal 
ceremony.

                                         House of Representatives,


                            Committee on House Administration,

                               Washington, DC, September 19, 2011.
     Hon. John Boehner,
     Speaker of the House, House of Representatives, The Capitol, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Boehner: I write to formally notify you that 
     the Committee on House Administration hereby waives further 
     committee consideration of S. Con. Res. 28, a concurrent 
     resolution authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the 
     Capitol Visitor Center for an event to award the 
     Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry 
     Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military 
     Intelligence Service, United States Army, in recognition of 
     their dedicated service during World War II, in order that 
     the legislation may proceed expeditiously to the House floor 
     for consideration.
           Sincerely,
                                                Daniel E. Lungren,
                                                         Chairman.

  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  On October 5, 2010, President Obama signed into law S. 1055, a bill 
granting the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 
and the Military Intelligence Service the Congressional Gold Medal. 
This concurrent resolution authorizes use of Emancipation Hall in the 
Capitol Visitor Center to award the Congressional Gold Medal to these 
brave service men and women in recognition of their dedicated service 
during World War II.
  The 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the 
Military Intelligence Service were compromised predominately of 
Japanese Americans during World War II. At that time, many of the 
soldiers' families were subject to internment and discrimination, yet 
these courageous Americans fought with distinction and valor.
  Collectively, the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental 
Combat Team became the most highly decorated unit of its size and 
length in the history of the United States Army, receiving seven 
Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of Honor, 29 Distinguished 
Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 4,000 Bronze Stars, 22 Legion of 
Merit Medals, 15 Soldier's Medals and over 4,000 Purple Hearts.
  The contributions of Japanese Americans were not limited to the front 
line. The Military Intelligence Service provided critical classified 
information that was vital to the success of the United States military 
in the Pacific theater.
  The recognition of these Americans is overdue, and Emancipation Hall 
is a befitting place to bestow this award for the sacrifice and 
dedication that was shown in the face of discrimination.
  Join with me today in supporting this concurrent resolution, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HARPER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania for allowing me to speak on this important resolution.
  On behalf of our chairwoman, Judy Chu, and our Asian Pacific Caucus, 
I rise today in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 28, a 
resolution that would authorize the use of Emancipation Hall in the 
Capitol Visitor Center for an event to award the Congressional Gold 
Medal to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 
and the Military Intelligence Service in recognition of their dedicated 
service during World War II. I want to personally thank Senator Daniel 
Inouye for sponsoring this resolution, and I thank also my fellow 
Members of Congress and colleagues who join me in support of this 
important bill.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Vietnam veteran and also as a former member of the 
100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Reserve Unit out of Honolulu, Hawaii, I 
am proud to say that we must recognize Senator Daniel Inouye and also 
the late Senator Spark Matsunaga, both of Hawaii, who distinguished 
themselves in battle as soldiers with the 100th Battalion and 442nd 
Infantry during World War II.
  As we all know, Mr. Speaker, after the surprise attack on Pearl 
Harbor on December 7, 1941, there was such an outrage and cry for all-
out war against Japan, days afterwards our President and the Congress 
officially declared war against Japan. Out of this retaliation against 
Japan, however, tens of thousands of Americans were caught in the 
crossfire. These Americans just happened to be of Japanese ancestry.
  The Federal Government immediately implemented a policy whereby over 
100,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry--men, women, and children--were 
forced to live in what we called relocation camps but were actually 
more like prison or concentration camps. Their lands, their homes, 
their properties were confiscated by the Federal Government without due 
process of law. It was a time in our Nation's history when there was so 
much hatred, bigotry, and racism against our fellow Americans who just 
happened to be of Japanese ancestry. Despite all of this, Mr. Speaker, 
over 10,000 Japanese Americans volunteered to join the U.S. military, 
despite the fact that their wives, their parents, their brothers and 
sisters are in prison behind barbed wire fences in these relocation 
camps.
  As a result of such volunteerism, two combat units, the 100th 
Battalion and the 442nd Infantry Combat Group, were organized and 
immediately sent to fight Nazi Germany in Europe.
  In my humble opinion, history speaks for itself in documenting that 
none have shed their blood more valiantly for our Nation than the 
Japanese American soldiers who served in these two combat units. These 
units suffered an unprecedented casualty rate of 314 percent. They 
emerged as the most decorated combat units of their size in the 
military history of the U.S. Army. The 100th Battalion and 442nd 
Infantry received over 18,000 individual decorations for bravery and 
courage in the field of battle, many awarded posthumously. They were 
awarded 53 Distinguished Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 9,486 
Purple Hearts, and 7 Presidential Unit Citations, the Nation's top 
award for combat units. And yet, ironically, only one Medal of Honor 
was awarded to these soldiers.
  It was not until 1999 that Congress took corrective action by 
mandating a reexamination of why just one Medal of Honor was awarded to 
these Japanese American soldiers. As a result of the review process, 
President Clinton awarded 20 additional Congressional Medals of Honor 
to these brave Japanese American soldiers. And Senator Inouye was one 
of the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
  We should also note that while the 100th Battalion and 442nd Infantry 
were

[[Page 13950]]

fighting on the front lines, thousands of Japanese Americans also 
joined the first military foreign language school, the Military 
Intelligence Service, where they learned Japanese.
  During the war, about 6,000 MIS agents fought in all Army units in 
the Pacific and were assigned to Allied forces in Australia, Britain, 
China, Canada, and India. They staffed theater-level intelligence 
centers, and their duties included the 442nd infantry.
  On October 5, 2010, President Obama granted the Congressional Gold 
Medal collectively to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental 
Combat Team, as well as the 6,000 Japanese Americans who served in the 
Military Intelligence Service during World War II.
  I believe that each one of these American heroes should be recognized 
for this high honor here in the heart of our Nation's capital, the U.S. 
Capitol, for their bravery, their patriotism, and their selfless 
service. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution to honor these 
men and women who valiantly served our Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Chairwoman Chu, the Congressional Asian 
Pacific American Caucus, Congresswoman Hirono, Congresswoman Hanabusa, 
and Congressman Honda, I rise today in support of S. Con. Res. 28, a 
resolution that would authorize the use of Emancipation Hall in the 
Capitol Visitor Center for an event to award the Congressional Gold 
Medal to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 
and the Military Intelligence Service in recognition of their dedicated 
service during World War II. I thank Senator Daniel Inouye for 
sponsoring this resolution, and I thank my fellow members of Congress 
who join me in support of this important bill.
  As a Vietnam veteran and also a former member of the 100th Battalion, 
442nd Infantry Reserve Unit in Honolulu, Hawaii, I am especially proud 
to say that we must recognize Senator Daniel Inouye, and also highly 
respected, the late Senator Spark Matsunaga of Hawaii, who 
distinguished themselves in battle as soldiers with the 100th Battalion 
and 442nd Infantry during World War II.
  As we all know, after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 
7, 1941, there was such an outrage and cry for an all out war against 
Japan and days afterwards our President and the Congress officially 
declared war against Japan. Out of this retaliation against Japan, 
however, tens of thousands of Americans were caught in the crossfire. 
These Americans just happened to be of Japanese ancestry.
  The Federal Government immediately implemented a policy whereby over 
100,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were forced to live in what were 
called relocation camps, but were actually more like prison or 
concentration camps. Their lands, homes and properties were confiscated 
by the Federal Government without due process of law. It was a time in 
our Nation's history when there was so much hatred, bigotry and racism 
against our fellow Americans who happened to be of Japanese ancestry.
  Despite all this, over ten thousand Japanese Americans volunteered to 
join the U.S. military, despite the fact that their wives, parents, 
brothers and sisters were imprisoned behind barbed wire fences in these 
relocation camps. As a result of such volunteerism, two combat units, 
the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Infantry Combat Group, were organized 
and immediately sent to fight Nazi Germany in Europe.
  Mr. Speaker, in my humble opinion, history speaks for itself in 
documenting that none have shed their blood more valiantly for our 
Nation than the Japanese American soldiers who served in these two 
combat units. These units suffered an unprecedented casualty rate of 
314 percent. They also emerged as the most decorated combat unit of 
their size in the history of the United States Army. The 100th 
Battalion and 442nd Infantry received over 18,000 individual 
decorations for bravery and courage in the field of battle, many 
awarded posthumously. They were awarded 53 Distinguished Service 
Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 9,486 Purple Hearts, and 7 Presidential Unit 
Citations, the Nation's top award for combat units. And yet, only one 
Medal of Honor was awarded at the time.
  It was not until 1999 that Congress took corrective action by 
mandating a reexamination of why just one Medal of Honor was awarded to 
these Japanese Americans. As a result of this review, President Clinton 
awarded 20 additional Congressional Medals of Honor to these brave 
Japanese American soldiers.
  It was while fighting in Europe that Senator Inouye lost his arm 
while engaged in his personal battle against two German machine gun 
posts. For his heroism, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. 
Senator Inouye was also one of those recipients of the Medal of Honor 
and I was privileged to witness this historical moment at a White House 
ceremony.
  Mr. Speaker, we should also note that while the 100th Battalion and 
442nd Infantry were fighting on the front lines, thousands of Japanese 
Americans also joined the first U.S. military foreign language school, 
the Military Intelligence Service (also known as the M.I.S.), where 
they learned Japanese.
  During the war, about 6,000 M.I.S. agents fought in all Army units in 
the Pacific and were assigned to allied forces in Australia, Britain, 
Canada, China, and India. They staffed theater-level intelligence 
centers and their duties included translating captured documents, 
interrogating prisoners of war, and listening to all enemy radio 
communications.
  At Bougainville in 1942 an M.I.S. agent translated an uncoded 
Japanese radio transmission describing Admiral Yamamoto's inspection 
schedule of the bases around the Solomon Islands, thereby leading to 
the successful interception of Yamamoto's aircraft. This victory 
resulted in a boost in morale for the Allies in the Pacific since 
Admiral Yamamoto had directed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
  In 1944, the M.I.S. also translated the Japanese Imperial Navy's ``Z-
Plan,'' which outlined defense strategies in the Pacific. The 
translation of this vital document made it possible for the U.S. Navy 
to gain victory in the Marianas, the Philippines, and in other areas of 
the Pacific.
  At war's end, the M.I.S. facilitated local surrenders of Japanese 
forces as well as the occupation. Working in military government, war 
crimes trials, censorship, and counterintelligence, these silent 
warriors contributed to the occupation's ultimate success.
  Though many would only come to know of these stories decades later, 
these brave Americans earned the respect of our Nation's military 
leaders at a time when many Americans saw them as enemies. President 
Harry Truman called the Japanese Americans in the M.I.S. the ``human 
secret weapon for the U.S. Armed Forces'' and General Willoughby, 
MacArthur's intelligence chief credited the M.I.S. Nisei with 
shortening the war by two years and saving possibly a million American 
lives. President Truman was also so moved by the bravery of the 100th 
Battalion and 442nd Infantry in the field of battle, as well as that of 
African American soldiers during World War II, that he issued an 
Executive Order to finally desegregate all branches of the Armed 
Services.
  On October 5, 2010, President Barack Obama granted the Congressional 
Gold Medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd 
Regimental Combat Team as well as the 6,000 Japanese Americans who 
served in the Military Intelligence Service during World War II.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that each one of these American heroes should 
be recognized for this high honor here in the heart of our nation--the 
United States Capitol--for their bravery, patriotism, and selfless 
service. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution to honor these 
men and women who valiantly served our Nation.
  Mr. HARPER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Napolitano).
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add my support to 
President Obama's signing into law S. 1055 on October 5 of this last 
year, which grants the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental 
Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service the Congressional 
Gold Medal and also authorizes the use of Emancipation Hall in the 
Capitol Visitor Center to award this medal to the brave service men and 
women in recognition of their service during World War II, which my 
husband was a participant of.
  For too long, we tended to ignore the contributions of our military 
men and women simply because they don't look traditional.

                              {time}  1250

  I know that in California, we did the same thing with the fishing 
village in San Pedro that had been ignored. They lost everything and 
were put into camps during the war.
  On another matter, Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to 
address an issue that is very, very disconcerting to many of us, 
especially those in the Latino community.

[[Page 13951]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I yield the lady 1 additional minute.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. I thank the gentleman.
  Mental health in our Latino community has been ignored for too long, 
especially in all minority communities but mostly in Hispanic. It's an 
issue that we need to take the stigma out of, because we don't want to 
hear it, we don't want to see it, and we certainly don't want to speak 
about it. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for Hispanic 
Americans aged 15 to 24, the 13th leading cause for Hispanics of all 
ages. To quote Mia St. John, three-time world boxing champion, Latina, 
affected by mental illness growing up and a strong mental health 
advocate, ``I was the first generation in my family born in America. 
All I wanted to be was American. I had stress and depression symptoms 
that professionals could have recognized as anxiety or psychosis. By 
the time I was 18 I was homeless and contemplating suicide.''
  We have H.R. 751, the Mental Health in Schools Act, onsite mental 
health delivery services for our youth, which will save lives and give 
hope and shares the message to never be afraid or be ashamed to ask for 
help.
  I ask for support for mental health and H.R. 751.
  Mr. HARPER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Washington (Mr. McDermott).
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a very proud honorary member of 
the Nisei vets, the group that you are honoring today and in support of 
this resolution.
  Seattle was the site of a roundup of thousands of Americans. Ordinary 
Americans, had businesses, had truck farms, kids were going to high 
school and were going to college. One of them, a young man named 
William Nakamura, was an 18-year-old kid at Garfield High School who 
was rounded up and taken out to the middle of Idaho to a camp out 
there. And then the government said, if you'd like to come back and 
join the military and serve, you can.
  There was lots of debate among the people in the camps about whether 
they should come back or not. And as you heard, 10,000 came back and 
were the most decorated unit in the history of the United States 
military. They distinguished themselves beyond any group that has ever 
served for this country.
  William Nakamura took out two machine gun nests and was himself 
killed, and the courthouse in Seattle is now named after him as a 
memorial to what this country really stands for. The Japanese 
Americans, the Nisei vets, set an example for this country we must 
never forget.
  As we look at our Muslim brothers, and we sometimes can't distinguish 
just exactly--you hear ugly talk that's reminiscent of what went on in 
this country in the early 1940s. We must never let us act again as we 
did against these Japanese Americans. They proved that an American is 
an American, no matter what his face looks like or her face looks like, 
they are Americans. They deserve that respect and they deserve the due 
process of law. They lost all their property in Seattle, unless they 
could give it to someone and say, would you take care of this? Some 
people did get it back at the end because other, Caucasian Americans, 
took it and held it for them and gave it back after the war. They did 
not receive due process of law. There were all kinds of violations of 
their civil rights. And that's why this memorial is important for us to 
remind ourselves of how real Americans act, no matter where they came 
from, and how much they're willing to give to make this country the 
strong place that it is.
  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, I am prepared to 
close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Again, I urge all Members to support this 
resolution. I'm extremely proud myself to support it. My father was a 
member of the United States Marine Corps that served in the Pacific 
theater, and I'm sure he was very proud of the Japanese American men 
and women that were out there supporting and helping him.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. Con. Res. 28, 
which will allow the use of Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol for a 
Medal of Honor Ceremony.
  During World War II, many members of University of Hawaii's Reserve 
Officers Training Corps, ROTC, were Nisei, the American-born sons of 
Japanese immigrants. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, these brave men 
aided the wounded, buried the fallen, and helped defend vulnerable 
areas in Hawaii.
  Despite their bravery and loyalty to the United States, in January of 
1942 the U.S. Army discharged all Nisei in the ROTC unit, deemed them 
ineligible for service, and segregated all Japanese-Americans out of 
their military units. Meanwhile, over a hundred thousand Japanese-
Americans were forcibly moved from their homes to internment camps. 
This forced ouster forever changed the lives of these Japanese-
Americans, many of whom lost their land and other property.
  Nonetheless, members of the Hawaii Provisional Infantry Battalion, 
made up of Japanese-Americans, joined the 100th Infantry Battalion, 
also comprised of Japanese-Americans, to train as soldiers. President 
Roosevelt admired their bravery and determination, and decided to allow 
Nisei volunteers to serve in the military again, where they were 
incorporated into the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
  Members of the 100th and the 442nd risked their lives to fight for 
our country and allies in Europe. The 442nd ``Go for Broke'' unit was 
sent repeatedly to the front lines. The 4,000 men who started in April 
1943 needed to be replaced more than three times. The unit became the 
most decorated in U.S. military history for its size and length of 
service, with the 100th Infantry Battalion earning the nickname ``The 
Purple Heart Battalion.'' The 100th and the 442nd received seven 
Presidential Unit Citations, 21 Medals of Honor, 29 Distinguished 
Service Crosses, 560 Silver Stars, 4,000 Bronze Stars, 22 Legion of 
Merit Medals, 15 Soldier's Medals, and more than 4,000 Purple Hearts, 
among numerous additional distinctions. One of these Medal of Honor 
recipients is Hawaii's own senior Senator, Daniel K. Inouye, the 
sponsor of today's resolution.
  The Army's Military Intelligence Service, MIS, was composed of about 
6,000 Japanese-American soldiers who conducted covert intelligence 
missions, including translating enemy documents, interrogating enemy 
prisoners of wars, intercepting radio transmissions, and persuading 
enemy combatants to surrender. The contributions of the MIS have only 
recently come to light and been publicly acknowledged.
  Last year Congress passed and President Obama signed into a law a 
bill to collectively award the Medal of Honor to Japanese American 
Veterans of the 442nd Regiment, the 100th Infantry Battalion, and the 
Military Intelligence Service. It was a distinct honor to be present at 
the bill signing and meet several of these heroes in person.
  Today's resolution allows the use of Emancipation Hall on November 2, 
2011 in the U.S. Capitol for a ceremony to present the Medal of Honor 
to these brave Japanese-American veterans for their service and 
sacrifice during World War II. Many veterans from Hawaii or their next-
of-kin will travel a great distance to attend this ceremony.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 
Con. Res. 28, the concurrent resolution authorizing the use of 
Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to award 
the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the 100th Infantry 
Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence 
Service, United States Army, in recognition of their dedicated service 
during World War II. This resolution awards well deserved recognition 
and the honor of the Congressional Gold Medal to the brave soldiers who 
dedicated their lives to service during World War II.
  Emancipation Hall, located in the Capitol Visitor Center is a fitting 
location for recognizing these courageous patriots; in Emancipation 
Hall there stands a replica of the Statue of Freedom, the statue that 
sits atop the Capitol dome. The Statue of Freedom is described by 
Thomas Crawford, its creator, as an allegorical figure of freedom, 
``triumphant in both war and peace.'' Triumphant in both war and peace. 
I can think of no place more appropriate to honor the brave men of the 
100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the 
Military Intelligence Service. They chose to enter into military 
service,

[[Page 13952]]

made a commitment to this country and to each other, fought for 
freedom, and were triumphant in war and peace.
  The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by Congress for 
outstanding deeds or acts of service to the security, prosperity, and 
national interest of the United States. The Congressional Gold Medal is 
the highest civilian award. The men and women of the Armed Forces, past 
and present, devote their lives to the security, prosperity and 
national interest of the United States. It is a great honor and 
privilege to be able to recognize the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd 
Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service, United 
States Army, for their dedicated service during World War II.
  In 1944, the 100th battalion and the 442nd battalion merged to fight 
against Germany and defend freedom and democracy in Europe. Among the 
members of these battalions were many Hawaiians and Japanese Americans. 
Mr. Speaker, these are exemplary examples of bravery and the 
extraordinary measure of these men, who rose to meet a challenge and 
answered a call to defend the Nation. Their courage showed the world, 
and shows us today, that as a nation, our capacity to overcome may well 
be limitless.
  The men of the Armed Forces in World War II fought to defend the very 
ideals on which our Nation was founded. The 100th Infantry Battalion, 
442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the Military Intelligence Service 
risked their lives to defend that which Americans cherish, liberty, 
democracy, and the basic freedoms of the Constitution. They gave this 
Nation more than their support, they gave it their strength, and some 
gave their lives, in what Abraham Lincoln called ``the last full 
measure of devotion.''
  Mr. Speaker, the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat 
Team, and the Military Intelligence Service deserve this honor, as they 
deserve our respect, our admiration, and our enduring gratitude. Their 
legacy of selfless patriotism lives on today, and serves as an example 
for all Americans. I am proud to support S. Con. Res. 28, a concurrent 
resolution authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol 
Visitor Center for an event to award the Congressional Gold Medal, 
collectively, to the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat 
Team, and the Military Intelligence Service, United States Army, in 
recognition of their dedicated service during World War II. I am 
pleased to join my colleagues in supporting this very worthy 
resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Harper) that the House suspend the 
rules and concur in the concurrent resolution, S. Con. Res. 28.
  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. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

                          ____________________