CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E103 HON
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January 22, 2015 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E103 PANELISTS scendants and relatives, institutions, organiza- Finally, the 26th annual gala reception and Mike Betz spoke highly about the recent re- tions, historic places and groups. To name a awards ceremony hosted by Hon. CORRINE port, which was part of the Million Records few, such as the Kenneth Hawkins American BROWN was held in the Veterans’ Committee Project, an initiative of Student Veterans of Legion Post #61 of Atlantic City, New Jersey Hearing Room of the Cannon House Office America (SVA), which measured for the first- that contributed to linking the past with the Building. This year’s awards were presented time ever veterans’ performance in higher present. At the family level, there were de- by Ron Armstead before a full house to education; D. Wayne Robinson, a retired scendants Rev. Dr. Grainger Brown, Jr., the Linwood Alford, Gregory Cooke, Sgt. Patricia Command Sergeant Major spoke about Stu- Grandson of Cpl. Clifton Merimon, 372nd, who Harris, Col. Conway Jones, USAF, Ret., Will dent Veterans of America (SVA) Chapters earned the Distinguished Service Cross ‘It Takes a Village’ Smith, Robert ‘Bobby’ across the country, student veterans return on (DSC), Croix de Guerre and Medaille Miltiare; White, Ellis Ray Williams, Come Home Balti- investment (ROI) to America and his way of Tara Johnson, Granddaughter and Sgt. more, Eastern Seals Dixon Military and Vet- giving back as President/CEO; Col. David DeMarqus Townsend, USMC, disabled Iraq erans Community Service Center, Fulton Sutherland spoke about the importance of soldier and Great-Grandson of Sgt. Henry County Veterans Court and Mentorship Pro- connecting with families and community. He Johnson of the 369th; Charles Hamilton Hous- gram, Open Door Resource Center, Inc., also briefly told the story of Staff Sgt. Donnie ton, Jr., aging son of Lt. Charles Hamilton Stone of Hope Program, Student Veterans of Dixon, a career soldier who was killed on his Houston, Sr., WWI Officer, Harvard Law America, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, second tour of duty in Baloor, Iraq, and the School Graduate Class of 1923, and Civil Inc., Westside All Wars Memorial Building, the Easter Seals Center that is named after him to Rights Hero; Roger Morris, Grandson of Lt. ‘‘Parting Way’’ Museum of African American address the urgent needs of military service James Morris, Sr., a native of Georgia and and Cape Verdean American Ethnohistory, members, veterans and their families, or the Graduate of the U.S. Army’s first Class of Inc., the film ‘Choc’Late Soldiers from the homecoming; Sgt. DeMarqus Townsend spoke Black Officers in 1917, Jerry Bowman, Grand- USA,’ and World War I soldiers Ira Bowman, about his personal struggles with coming son of Ira Bowman, who served with the Lt. Charles Hamilton Houston, Sr., and Sgt. home from combat and Post Traumatic Stress 369th, and Clarence ‘Tiger’ Davis, who’s Aunt, Henry Johnson posthumously. The Rep. Disorder (PTSD). Louvenia Bradley-Harper, traveled to Paris in BROWN closed the awards segment with a Prof. Pellom McDaniels, author of the forth- 1918 to retrieve her son Melvin Harper’s body. rousing rendition of ‘God Bless America.’ coming ‘‘Memoir of Royal Christian, a Black She came home without his remains, saying, Special thanks goes to our historians, fami- World War I Soldier’’ (2015), spoke passion- ‘‘that he was in a much better place.’’ He is lies, friends, supporters and staff—Profs. Adri- ately about the importance of WWI, for African buried in Manheim, Germany. an Lentz-Smith, Joel Beeson, Pellom Americans social, political and economic ad- Equally important, all this served as the McDaniels, Journalist Yvonne Latty and Dr. vancement; Prof Adriane Lentz-Smith, author broader context for our pre-centennial WWI Linda Lagemann; Rev. Dr. Grainger Browning, of ‘‘Freedom Struggles: African Americans and Forum discussion, which was instructive and Jr., Tara Johnson, Sgt. DeMarqus Townsend, World War I’’ (2009), spoke of African Amer- insightful. First, many parallels were drawn be- USMC, Jerry Bowman, Robert Morris and ican soldiers returning home to join activist tween WWI and Iraq and Afghanistan return- Clarence ‘Tiger’ Davis; Dr. Frank Smith, Jr., working to gain full citizenship rights as rec- ees, particularly injuries (e.g. PTSD, TBI, sui- Prof. Maria Hoehn and Dr. Krewasky Salter; ompense for military service; Prof. Joel cides and domestic violence), and war’s im- Ralph Cooper, Morocco Coleman, Carmen Beeson spoke about the striking and uncanny pact on families, both military and civilians. Wilson II, Robert Blackwell, Elaine Sacks, Mil- parallels between our present moment in his- Second, in answering a couple of historical dred Kidd Smith, Tom Harris, Dr. Dorothy tory and the time before, during and after and philosophical questions such as did WWI Simpson-Taylor, Howard Jefferson, and Dr. WWI. Journalist Yvonne Latty, spoke about end all wars and Save the World for Democ- Davine Reed; Dr. Richard Lipsky, Education the pride that emerged from writing ‘‘We Were racy, and (2) do we learn from history, or re- Corporation of America, Smithsonian Channel, There: Voices of African American Veterans, peat it—given that the WWI Sykes-Picot National Archives and Records Administration; From World War II to the War in Iraq’’ (2004), Agreement of 1916, or Middle East boundaries Austin Brock, Col. Kevin Preston, USA, Ret., and later her ambivalence resulting from writ- continue to fuel conflict, and geo-political fight- and the Walt Disney Veterans Initiative; and ing ‘‘In Conflict: Iraq War Veterans Speak Out ing in the region today (along sectarian, tribal Sydney Renwick, Lee Footer, Stephanie Anim- on Duty, Loss, and the Fight to Stay Alive’’ and ethnic lines on the ground)—we would an- Yankah, Jonathan Halpern, Vernita Stevens, (2006), and last, but not least Dr. Linda swer a resounding ‘no!’ Which leads many of Hannah Kim, Reba Raffaelli, Ronnie Simmons Lagemann spoke out about the flood of mind- us to believe, or say, ‘‘the more things and Shantrel Brown. altering psychiatric drugs being administered change, the more they stay the same.’’ by military physicians for service personnel, Third, a long overdue bill (S. 2793) to au- f and veterans. thorize the award of the Medal of Honor to Afterward during the comments period Tara Sgt. Henry Johnson was introduced and HONORING PROFESSOR DAVID Johnson, the granddaughter of Sgt. Henry passed the Senate on September 18, 2014, HILLYER VOORHEES Johnson, WWI Hero, daughter of famed with a related bill (HR5459) being referred to Tuskegee Airman Herman Johnson of WWII, the House Armed Service Committee. How- HON. BILL FOSTER and mother of Sgt. DeMarqus Townsend, ever, the process is Congress must pass a OF ILLINOIS USMC, a Iraq combat veteran spoke with separate authorization due to the time period IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES for awarding has passed. But, once the legis- heartfelt emotion that her grandfather died Thursday, January 22, 2015 alone and destitute never receiving help for lation is passed it goes to the Joint Chiefs of his mental and health-related issues from Staff for verification, and afterward to the Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in WWI. Saying, while government has made President’s desk for signing. honor of Professor David Hillyer Voorhees and great strides in the care of returning troops, Fourth, Dr. Adriane Lentz-Smith says, his election as an Education Section Fellow of much more work is still needed, particularly at ‘‘there’s actually a deeper and longer story, or the American Association for the Advance- the family, friends and community level—be- view of the origins of the Civil Rights Move- ment of Science. cause we can’t afford to throw them (return- ment, than that of the 50’s Brown v. Board of Mr. Voorhees is an associate professor of ees) away. Education decision of 1954 & 60’s successful earth science and geology at Waubonsee In recognition of the continuing importance passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.’’ New Community College, which has campuses in of jobs for returning Iraq and Afghanistan sol- scholarship lends a sense of a longer and Sugar Grove and Aurora, Illinois. He is being diers and their families, the Veterans harder civil rights struggle, one that dates honored for his contributions as an educator Braintrust and Disney once again teamed up back to the World War One era (U.S. Su- and for his role in creating Geo2YC, a national for a special breakout session highlighting preme Court’s Plessy v. Ferguson decision of organization for geoscience faculty at two-year Disney’s Veterans Institute’s unique ‘‘10 1896) and the aftermath of the Civil War. colleges. Geo2YC, a division of the National STEPS’’ for creating a Veterans Hiring Pro- Leading Dr. Pellom McDaniel’s to call for, or Association of Geoscience Teachers, brings gram; in addition to discussing strategies, tac- recommend the creation of a Consortium for professors from two-year institutions together tics and interviewing techniques for bringing the Study of African Americans in World War for networking, support, and research into on-board veterans. One with the support of the Veterans geoscience education. Now, despite the fact that there are no Braintrust of the Congressional Black Caucus I would like to thank Mr. Voorhees for his longer any U.S. veterans left from World War to leverage and/or attract filmmakers, schol- commitment to science and quality education I, there were a number of World War I de- ars, supporters, etc. in our community. VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:49 Jan 23, 2015 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A22JA8.010 E22JAPT1 rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with REMARKS E104 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks January 22, 2015 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE That appreciation has been returned by mil- lasting environmental protections, though he DEATH OF SIR WINSTON lions of Americans over the generations.