Extensions of Remarks E39 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS
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February 1, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E39 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS RECOGNIZING THE DUTY OF THE hillsides. At night they materialized to har- the present Director, who have been most MARIANAS SCOUTS ass; by day their sniper shots struck without supportive; Mr. Pete Callahan, Commander warning. Americans continued to die. of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3457, who The US Commander of the Military Gov- helped mobilize national recognition; Sen- HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD ernment decided that local men, who best ator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, a vet himself, OF GUAM knew the local terrain and spoke Japanese, who weighed in with the Pentagon when we IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES could best track down these holdouts. needed him; and the Northern Marianas Leg- Fifty Chamorros and Carolinians were se- islature, under the leadership of Speaker Monday, January 31, 2000 lected and put under the command of the 6th Diego T. Benavente and President Paul A. Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, on Janu- Provisional Military Police Battalion. They Manglona, which passed two resolutions on ary 31, 2000, a ceremony will take place in were issued Marine Corps uniforms, trained behalf of our World War II veterans, spurred the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana to use rifles and grenades, and instructed in to act by Representatives Frank G. Cepeda hand-to-hand fighting. Islands honoring and recognizing the service and David M. Apatang. Major Harry Blanco, Once on duty, platoons of these local Ma- should also be recognized; he extended PX of a small group of civilian men who, during rine Scouts, as they were known, combed Mt. privileges to the Scouts, even before they WWII on the island of Saipan, willingly put Tapotchau, the hills of Laulau and Kagman, were declared to be vets; a much appreciated themselves in harm’s way to ensure that and the ridges of Marpi, exposing and cap- act of faith. American soldiers could defeat the occupying turing Japanese. The Scouts also took part THE ROSTER OF SCOUTS Japanese military forces. Commonwealth of in the American expeditions to round up the hundreds of Japanese troops on the islands of Ignacio Reyes Ada, Antonio M. Aguon, An- the Northern Mariana Islands Resident Rep- tonio Angailen, Pedro SN. Attao, Santiago resentative, the Honorable Juan Babauta, has Pagan and Maug. The service of these men of the Marianas Miyasaki Babauta, Antonio Manahane been key in making sure the sacrifice and saved American lives. But their service was Benavente, Juan V. Benavente, Daniel T. service of these men are recognized by the never fully acknowledged. Borja, Gregorio Flores Borja, Gregorio United States. I commend Mr. Babauta for his It took six years of work, beginning with Camacho Cabrera, Juan Camacho Cabrera, persistence and wish to submit his statement exhaustive research in military archives at Albert S. Camacho, Lorenzo Tudela honoring the ‘‘Marianas Scouts’’ for the the National Archives, the Marine Corps His- Camacho, Cristino S. Dela Cruz, Joaquin Duenas Dela Cruz, Bernardo C. Deleon Guer- RECORD. torical Center, and the Naval Archives, through some 50,000 pages of war records and rero, Joaquin C. Deleon Guerrero, Jose S. AT LAST AMERICA REMEMBERS MARIANAS diaries, to uncover the few sentences attest- Deleon Guerrero, Lorenzo Diaz Deleon Guer- SCOUTS ing to the Scouts’ service. For the men rero, Serafin Borja Kaipat, Juan Limes, They helped American Marines find their themselves had no paper record, only their Rafael C. Mafnas, Jose Blas Magofna, Miguel way on unfamiliar ground during one of memories. Blaz Magofna, Pedro Mettao, Nicolas World War II’s fiercest battles. And once the Then, the materials had to be presented to Quidachai Muna, Francisco Nekai, Juan Japanese-held island of Saipan was ‘‘secure’’ the Department of Defense Civilian/Military Quitugua Norita, Isidro Limes Ogarto, Fran- they continued to help: rooting out the hun- Service Review Board for its scrutiny. On cisco C. Palacios, Joaquin B. Pangelian, dreds of enemy soldiers who remained a men- September 30, 1999, two years after the origi- Juan San Nicolas Pangelian, Edward M. ace, lurking in the dense jungle and hidden nal submission, the decision came down: Peter, Jose Roberto Quitano, Benigno A. deep in limestone caves. ‘‘In accordance with the provisions of Pub- Rabauliman, Antonio T. Rogolofoi, Isidro R. But when the fighting was finally over, the lic Law 95–202 and upon the recommendation Rogopes, Vicente T. Rosario, Ignacio fifty Chamorro and Carolinian men who had of the Department of Defense Civilian/Mili- Mangarero Sablan, Segundo Tudela Sablan, volunteered to join the US military after the tary Service Review Board, the Secretary of Herberto San Nicolas, Pedro F. Sakisat, invasion of Saipan were forgotten by the US. the Air Force, acting as the Executive Agent Felipe Agulto Salas, Gofredo Aguon Sanchez, They received no discharges, no campaign of the Secretary of Defense, determines . Juan A. Sanchez, Guillermo P. Saures, ribbons, none of the benefits accorded other the service of . three scouts/guides, Felipe Mazinnis Seman, Juan Malus US veterans. Only their families and friends Miguel Tenorio, Benedicto Taisacan, and Tagabuel, Benedicto Satur Taisacan, Anto- remembered the valor of these ‘‘Marine Cristino Dela Cruz, who assisted the U.S. nio Camacho Tenorio, Antonio P. Tenorio, Scouts.’’ Marines in the offensive operations against Vicente Olaitiman Taman, Miguel On Monday, January 31, at least America the Japanese on the Northern Mariana Is- Pangelinan Tenorio, Pedro Peter Teregeyo, will remember. lands from ‘June 19, 1994, through September and Manuel Seman Villagomez. In a ceremony to be attended by Brigadier 2, 1945,’ shall be considered ‘active duty’ for General R.E. Parker, Commanding General purposes of all laws administered by the De- f of the US Marine Corps Base in Hawaii and partment of Veterans Affairs. personal representative of Marine Corps ‘‘Additionally, the service of a group de- UNFAIRNESS IN TAX CODE: Commandant General James L. Jones, the scribed as ‘the approximately 50 Chamorro MARRIAGE TAX PENALTY twenty-one surviving Scouts and the mem- and Carolinian former, native policemen who ory of those who have already passed on will received military training in the Donnay finally receive the recognition they deserve. area of central Saipan and were placed under HON. JERRY WELLER General Parker will present the Scouts or the command of Lt. Casino of the 6th Provi- OF ILLINOIS their survivors with the ribbons and medals sional Military Police Battalion to accom- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES acknowledging service in the Asiatic-Pacific pany United States Marines on active, com- Campaign and commemorating Victory in bat-patrol activity from August 19, 1945, to Monday, January 31, 2000 the World War II. The men will also receive September 2, 1945,’ shall be considered ‘ac- Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to their official discharges at the rank of cor- tive duty’ for purposes of all laws adminis- highlight what is arguably the most unfair pro- poral. tered by the Department of Veterans Af- vision in the U.S. Tax Code: the marriage tax The Marianas Campaign of 1944 was crit- fairs.’’ ical to the outcome of World War II. The fall Now, on Janaury 31, the Scouts will re- penalty. I want to thank you for your long term of the Marianas led directly to the fall of the ceive their discharges, medals, and ribbons. interest in bringing parity to the tax burden im- government in Tokyo, because now America Among those who should be recognized for posed on working married couples compared was within bomber range of the Japanese their efforts to make this day possible are: to a couple living together outside of marriage. home islands. That strategic significance Mr. Joseph C. Reyes, President of the US This month President Clinton gave his State was reflected in the ferocity of the fighting Armed Forces Veterans Association in the of the Union Address outlining many of the here and the tenacity of the Japanese de- Northern Marianas, who was tireless in pur- things he will spend the budget surplus on. fenders. suit of this goal; former members of the Even after the battle of Saipan was official Northern Marianas Legislature Crispin I. House Republicans want to preserve 100% of over and the Japanese military command Deleon Guerrero and Vicente C. Guerrero, the Social Security surplus for Social Security had surrendered, still there were hundreds of who would not let our men be forgotten; both and Medicare and use the non-Social Security Japanese soldiers hidden in the dense jungle, Joseph Palacios, the former Director of the surplus for paying down the debt and to bring squeezed into pockets of limestone in the CNMI Veterans Office, and Jesus C. Muna, fairness to the tax code. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. VerDate Mar 15 2010 16:32 Jun 22, 2011 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\ERIC\E01FE0.REC E01FE0 gechino on DSK3YST671PROD with REMARKS E40 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks February 1, 2000 A surplus provided by the bipartisan budget poses a higher tax penalty on marriage? Do that our tax code punishes society’s most agreement which cut waste, put America’s fis- Americans feel it’s fair that the average mar- basic institution. The marriage tax penalty cal house in order, and held Washington’s feet ried working couple pays almost $1,400 more exacts a disproportionate toll on working to the fire to balance the budget. in taxes thatn a couple with almost identical women and lower income couples with chil- While President Clinton parades a long list income living together outside of marriage? Is dren.