[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11239]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING THOSE WHO SERVED ON WAKE ISLAND

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the servicemembers 
and civilians who served on Wake Island in World War II, as the last 
gathering of the Survivors of Wake-Guam-Cavite, Inc., is scheduled to 
be held in Boise in September.
  Survivors of the defense of Wake Island and their families have held 
annual reunions and other get-togethers for the last nearly 71 years. 
Idaho became home to annual reunions of Wake Island survivors and their 
families. Many of these gatherings have been organized by Alice Ingham, 
whose husband was on Wake Island, but since many Wake Island survivors 
have now, unfortunately, passed away, the organization has decided to 
wind down their reunions, noting, ``We would like to honor all of our 
Wake men--the living, the deceased, and those who never made it home 
from the war--with this final reunion.'' The last worker from Idaho, 
Joe Goicoechea of Boise, passed away this past year.
  The astounding Americans who served on Wake Island and their families 
are lasting examples of courage and resolve. The history of World War 
II and the bravery of the American servicemembers who fought for our 
Nation and its allies are familiar parts of our collective national 
history, but an often overlooked part of this legacy is the service of 
the civilian workers on Wake Island who were swept into the war. The 
civilian workers, including many Idahoans, working for Morrison Knudsen 
Company, building infrastructure on the island, when it was attacked 
the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor, immediately became 
soldiers. Their service cannot be forgotten. I thank all those who have 
helped keep the memories of those who served on Wake Island alive.
  In Veterans Memorial Park in Boise, a memorial honoring Americans who 
served on Wake Island gives the following account: ``Five hours after 
bombing Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, Japanese forces attacked 
Wake Island, a tiny island midway between Hawaii and Japan. The United 
States was constructing a runway essential for planes to refuel on 
their way through the area. There were 449 Marines, 68 Sailors, 6 Army 
Air Corps, and 1146 civilians employed by the Boise-based Morrison 
Knudsen Company on the island. Approximately 250 of the MK workers were 
from Idaho. For 15 days the military and civilians bravely defended the 
island from the Japanese forces. Wake Island fell to the Japanese on 
December 23, 1941.
  ``Following the battle, 98 civilian construction workers were kept on 
Wake Island to labor for the Japanese. When their work was complete, 
they were forced to dig their own graves before being executed. The 
remaining defenders of the island, both military and civilian, were 
taken as prisoners of war by the Japanese and held for 44 months. These 
brave heroes endured exceedingly harsh conditions, serving as slave 
labor for the Japanese government in Japan and China. Many died in 
captivity. In 1981 the civilian MK employees were granted Veteran 
status in recognition of their service in the War of the Pacific . . 
.''
  Those who survived and returned home have enriched our communities. 
Thank you to those who served on Wake Island and their families for the 
immeasurable service you have given to our country and for your 
enduring examples of devotion and strength.

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