[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12074]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING GYS JANSEN VAN BEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RAUL R. LABRADOR

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 24, 2012

  Mr. LABRADOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join 
me in recognizing my constituent, Gys Jansen van Beek for his heroism 
and service to the United States of America during World War II. Mr. 
van Beek emigrated from the Netherlands in 1948 and has been a resident 
in my state of Idaho since 1954.
  I pay tribute to those resistance fighters that are now, or have, 
worked and served in harm's way seeking liberty and freedom. Many men 
and women have aided the United States in the fight for freedom from 
oppression during and since World War II; this is homage to one such 
man. Mr. van Beek was an active member of the Dutch Resistance during 
World War II. Members of the Dutch Resistance were instrumental in 
aiding refugees and enemies of the Nazi regime. It has been 
conservatively estimated that between fifty to sixty thousand 
individuals were directly involved in resistance activities, with 
hundreds of thousands more offering assistance.
  Tens of thousands of resistance fighters lost their lives as a direct 
result of their courageous efforts. Capture meant imprisonment, 
deportation, relocation to concentration camps, and many times certain 
death. Mr. van Beek aided several British, Canadian and American downed 
fighter pilots during World War II. One such individual, 1st Lieutenant 
Howard Moebius, P-51 pilot from Wisconsin, wrote of the experience in 
his book, ``The Valley of the Shadow''. Without the efforts of Mr. van 
Beek, these gentlemen would surely have perished during the war. Mr. 
van Beek placed himself and his family in danger with his resistance 
efforts.
  Van Beek's courage and determination earned him decorations from the 
governments of Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and the United 
States after the war. It is fitting that we honor Mr. van Beek for his 
service and also be reminded of the many others who assisted in the 
liberation efforts. We often forget about the Resistance Fighters who 
sacrificed much in an effort to bring peace and freedom to millions. 
Acts such as those by Mr. van Beek, provide us all with a model of 
courage in the face of atrocity. I stand today to convey appreciation 
to Mr. van Beek for his selfless acts of service to our Nation.