E2156 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks December 1, 2011 COMMENDING REP. GONZALEZ’S 67TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ed to enable our valiant allies to finally col- CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP BATTLE OF POCKET lapse the Pocket. The first to arrive were the soldiers of Major General Norman D. Cota’s HON. GEOFF DAVIS 28th Infantry Division, which had fought hard HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL OF KENTUCKY in the Bulge. They arrived on January 19th, OF NEW YORK IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES taking over the 3rd Infantry Division’s sector in the Kaysersberg valley. Thursday, December 1, 2011 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES On January 22nd, the 3rd Infantry Division, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise Thursday, December 1, 2011 now under MG O’Daniel, with attached 254th today in recognition of the upcoming 67th an- Infantry Regiment of the 63rd Infantry Division Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to niversary of the Battle of Colmar Pocket. and reinforced by a combat command of the recognize the service of Congressman The Battle of the Colmar Pocket was fought 5th French Armored Division, launched the II between January 22 and February 9, 1945, to CHARLES GONZALEZ. I am sad that after seven Corps main effort to breach enemy defenses great terms in the House, Congressman liberate the last major French city occupied by protecting the Colmar Canal and to isolate the German Army. The ferocious preliminary CHARLES GONZALEZ will not be seeking reelec- Colmar from the River by seizing the tion. Picking right up from where his father left fighting which formed the Colmar Pocket bridge at Neuf-Brisach. January 22nd found began after the arrival of U.S. 7th Army and off, CHARLES has been a tremendous leader then Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd B. Ramsey from for the people of the Texas 20th Congres- 1st French Army forces at , north of Somerset, Kentucky, in command of the 3rd sional District and the . Colmar, on November 23rd and , Battalion, 7th Infantry. He had commanded the south of Colmar on November 25th, 1944. battalion since taking command in the Anzio CHARLES and I share the honor of rep- These Armies, under command of the 6th resenting large Hispanic communities. As the beach head in February 1944, and had com- Army Group under Lieutenant General Jacob manded it for , the invasion Chairman of the Hispanic Caucus and his ten- L. Devers, had fought their way through the ure in Congress, he has fought fiercely to bet- of Southern France, the Southern France Mountains to reach these cities begin- campaign, and through the Vosges. Leading ter the lives of all Hispanics in America. We ning in mid-September, and were the first mili- both proudly co-sponsored the DREAM Act. his battalion across the River, through mine- tary force in history to successfully do so. fields against dug-in enemy machine gun posi- We both share the belief that everyone in The 1st French Army, commanded by Gen- tions south of the village of Guemar in a night America deserves the equal opportunity to eral Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, had the mis- attack, Ramsey showed outstanding leader- pursue the American Dream. sion to clear the Pocket and liberate Colmar, ship and gallantry which led to the award of CHARLES and his compassion will be greatly destroying the German forces in the Pocket or the Silver Star. Despite being wounded by missed. I wish him and his family all the best driving their remainder across the Rhine. Ini- enemy shell fragments, he ensured his bat- and more. tially, the 36th Infantry Division, under Major talion continued advancing in the face of stub- General John Dahlquist, arrived at Selestat on born resistance, breaking through the enemy December 4, 1944, fixing the northern shoul- f positions and enabling the rest of the division der of the Pocket. Under French command, to drive south. REGARDING THE IMPRISONMENT the 36th Infantry Division fought its way south OF ALAN GROSS to the vicinity of Kaysersberg, Ostheim, Ramsey would continue his sterling combat Mittelwihr, and , in frigid winter service and go on to achieve the rank of Major weather, where the division fought off fanatical General, and commanded the AMERICAL Di- HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN German counterattacks launched in support of vision in Vietnam from 1969 until 1970. He was severely injured in a helicopter crash in OF CALIFORNIA the German Offensive, the . In mid-December this stalwart divi- Vietnam and eventually was forced to retire for IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES sion was withdrawn from the Colmar sector to medical reasons in 1974. MG Ramsey is a proud son of Kentucky, and a member of the Thursday, December 1, 2011 rest and refurbish after its long, debilitating campaign through the Vosges. For the fighting University of Kentucky Hall of Fame. Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to collapse the Pocket, two 36th Infantry Divi- The 3rd Infantry Division’s dogged attack with deep concern over the plight of an Amer- sion soldiers received the Medal of Honor, and imaginative scheme of maneuver enabled ican citizen overseas. Today marks two years Sergeant Ellis R. Weicht and T/SGT Bernard it to reach and cross the Colmar Canal the that Alan Gross, a 62-year old international P. Bell. night of January 29–30 after a week of very development specialist who has worked for Major General Iron Mike O’Daniel’s 3rd In- heavy fighting. This combat included a serious over two decades helping people in troubled fantry Division then under acting Division incident at the bridge across 111 at the areas across the globe, has been held in a Commander Brigadier General Robert N. Maison Rouge where the failure of the bridge Cuban prison. Young, which had also fought its way as part resulted in isolated battalions of the 30th and 15th Infantry Regiments defending unsup- For the first fourteen months of his captivity, of 7th Army through the Vosges Mountains to ported against severe enemy armored coun- Mr. Gross was held without charge. In Feb- Strasbourg, was attached to II Corps of the terattacks. For actions during January 22nd ruary of this year, he was charged with ‘‘acts 1st French Army under Major General Aime through the 26th, two Medals of Honor would to undermine the integrity and independence’’ de Goislard de Monsabert, and in mid-Decem- be awarded to 3rd Infantry Division soldiers, of the State, then given a two-day trial and ber continued the fight to collapse the northern PFC Jose F. Valdez and 2LT Audie L. Mur- sentenced to 15 years in prison, his appeal section of the Pocket, seizing Kaysersberg, phy. denied. Sigolsheim, Mittelwihr, and Bennwihr and the dominating high ground of Hill 355 above The XXI Corps, commanded by Major Gen- Mr. Gross was in Cuba on behalf of USAID. Sigolsheim and Hill 216 outside Bennwihr in eral Frank W. Milburn, took command of the He was there to help the country’s small Jew- the final two weeks of December 1944. For 3rd Infantry Division, the 28th Infantry Division, ish community establish an intranet and im- their intrepid and gallant actions in the fighting the 75th Infantry Division commanded by prove its access to the internet. His presence between December 15 and January 21, 1945, Major General Roy E. Porter, the 5th French and actions were not meant to pose a threat the following 3td Infantry Division soldiers Armored Division, and the 12th Armored Divi- or danger to the Cuban government. Since were awarded the Medal of Honor: 1LT sion commanded by Major General Roderick being incarcerated, he has lost approximately Charles P. Murray, Jr.; 1LT Eli Whitely; LTC C. Allen at the end of January and continued 100 pounds, his health is deteriorating, and Keith L. Ware; T/SGT Gus Kefurt; and T/SGT the attack which succeeded in the 3rd Infantry two immediate family members, his mother Russell Dunham. Division’s seizure of NeufBrisach. The 75th In- and daughter, have been diagnosed with can- As this difficult fighting was taking place, fantry Division attacked and protected the 3rd cer. other 1st French Army units were pressing re- Infantry Division’s west flank. The 28th Infantry His 15-year sentence is absurd, and his maining German units in the Vosges Moun- Division launched its attack from the continuing incarceration is inhumane. I urge tains at the westernmost extent of the Pocket, Kaysersberg valley and cleared the suburbs of my colleagues to join me in requesting that as well as in the south near Mulhouse. The Colmar, enabling units of the French 5th Ar- the Cuban government release Mr. Gross on tough fighting and harsh winter weather had mored Division to enter the city on February humanitarian grounds as quickly as is pos- greatly worn down the French, and it was de- 2nd. Immediately thereafter, the 12th Armored sible. termined further U.S. reinforcement was need- Division was committed for a drive south and

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