April 6, 1977 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 10843 attending any elementary or secondary school order to accomplish any objective or purpose, H.J. Res. 150. January 17, 1977. Judiciary. in their own neighborhood, where such school express or implied, under the Constitution. Constitutional Amendment. Increases the 1s not established purposely to perpetuate H.J. Res. 149. January 17, 1977. Judiciary. term of office of a Representative of Con­ segregation, to attend any other school Constitutional Amendment. Provides for the gress to four years. Sets forth the procedures against his or her own choice, the choice of direct popular election of the President and applicable when a Representative becomes his or her pa.rents, parent or guardian, in Vice President of the United States. a. candidate for th~ Senate. EXTE,NSIONS OF REMARKS BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP TO CELE­ highway commissioners; Isaac Taylor, ' fight against tyranny during World War BRATE 150TH BffiTHDAY constable and collector, and Freeman Il was that of the resistance movement Bass, poundmaster. in Poland in 1939. Arthur Rurak and Garrett Vreeland The gallant fight of the Polish people HON. WILLIAM D. FORD were directors of the poor; Herman He­ was witnessed by other free peoples OF MICHIGAN cox, Clyde Compeau, William Fletcher, around the globe, and the hearts of the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Isaac Thurston, John Conrad, and West were with them. In 8eptember of Tuesday, April 5, 1977 Thomas Long were fence viewers, and that year, 19 days after the Nazi in­ George Clark and Isaac Taylor were vasion of Poland had begun, the people Mr. FORD of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, highway overseers. of Great Britain sent the following mes­ I would like to bring to the attention of From the old township minute books, you and my colleagues the approaching sage to the defenders of Warsaw: local officials have compiled a list of all The entire world admires your courage. sesquicentennial of tlie township of top township officials from 1827 down to Poland once again became a victim of ag­ Brownstown, in my !'5th Congressional the present. gression by her neighbors. Through her District, of Michigan. The township administration today in­ heroic struggle against the aggressor she Brownstown Township will be 150 cludes W. Curt Boller, supervisor; Mrs. once again became the standard bearer o! years old next Wednesday, April 12, and Rose Legg, clerk; Steve C. Berecz, treas­ Europe's freedom. We, your allies, shall con­ the people of this fast-growing commu­ urer; Phoebe Stromp, Charles Galdes, tinue the war to restore your liberty. nity are planning a year-long celebration Edmund E. Lazar, and Charles R. Stark­ Mr. Speaker, I enter into the RECORD of this historic event. ey, trustees, and Milton A. Coop, Edward at this time a letter to the editor of the On April 12, 1827, Brownstown was one A. Lezotte, Patrick LaFede, and Bradford of the original nine townships created in Washington Star from Mr. Walter G. Porath, constables. Gerald A. Mc­ Zachariasiewicz, president of the Ameri­ Wayne County, in what was then the Nally and Mrs. Audrey Stroia are judges Territory of Michigan. Tradition relates can Counsel of Polish Cultural Clubs, in for the 33d district court. which Mr. Zachariasiewicz recoun~ the that the community was named for Mr. Speaker, Brownstown Township is Adam Brown, who was captured by the last days of free Poland: planning a yearlong celebration to mark A GALLANT DEFENSE OF LIBERTY Wyandot Indians in 1764, when he was this historic milestone in the community 8 years old, and grew to manhood among I read with great interest Alan Simons' history. the Indians. He married an Indian wife "Q and A" interview with Dan Kurzman A committee to plan and carry out the (Jan. 2'5). Mr. Kurzman's book 1s a moving and became a highly respected man, celebration is headed by Mrs. Louella testimony to the heroic Polish Jews who died among both the Indians and early white Machcinski, and also includes Mrs. Clara in the ruins of Warsaw's ghetto, hoping that settlers. Sypes, Mrs. Andree Jones, Craig Seger, their sacrifice would shake the conscience Among the prized possessions pre­ Mrs. Virginia LaPointe, Mrs. Irene of the world. It rightfully pays justice to the served in the Brownstown Township Hall Starkey, Mrs. Yvonne Boller, Mrs. indomitable spirit and courage of men and is the original township minute book dat­ women who refused to be enslaved and Joanna Loeschner, Raymond Michaels, debased. ing back to 1827. It lists the origi..'lal Mrs. Gloria Cooper, and Gilbert and township officers, and gives a fascinating I am, however, puzzled as to why, in ex­ Betty Flotte. tolling the undeniable virtues of the defend­ picture of daily life in that far-off era. A kickoff f esti val is planned for April ers of the Warsaw ghetto, Mr. Kurzman chose Brownstown originally covered 43 12, the actual birthday date, followed by to denigrate another historic example of un­ square miles, but has since been reduced a birthday cake program in May, and an paralleled human fortitude and patriotism. to its present 24 square miles by the in­ elaborate Township Field Day celebra­ "When you consider that all of Poland fell corporation of four cities from the origi­ tion in August. Included will be the pub­ to the Nazis in a few days," he said, "you nal area-Gibraltar, in 1961; Rockwood, can realize what this means for the Jews to lication of a Brownstown memorial have held off these Germans for about a in 1964, and the cities of Flat Rock and booklet by the local Jaycees; the presen­ Woodhaven in 1965. month, at lea.st." tation of awards to long-time residents, Even if this statement were true, I fail From the few scattered settlers and and the sale of souvenir patches, bumper to see the necessity for any comparison to trappers of the 1820's, the township to­ stickers, and glasses. mustrate the dimensions of the ghetto bat­ day has grown to a thriving community Local historians are conducting re­ tle. The unfortunate truth, however, is that of some 16,000 persons. search to locate other descendants of the Mr. Kurzman grossly distorted the facts sur­ Among the early settlers was George rounding this tragic period of Polish history. Busenbark, who in 1837 received from the first settlers, particularly descendants of Poland was first to challenge Hitler's Ger­ general land office in Detroit the deeds to the first township officers. many, but it did not fall in a few days, and two 40-acre tracts in Brownstown. These The commitee, and the township ad­ when it did fall, not all of it fell to the Nazis. deeds, signed by President Martin Van ministration, are striving for an all-out Poland fell to two aggressors: Germany and Buren, are in the -possession of Mr. community effort to make the Brown­ Soviet Russia. stown Sesquicentennial an event that The first German motorized detachment, Busenbark's great-great-granddaughter, part of three German invading armies, Mrs. Bernice Thomas, who has presented will long be remembered. I am proud, Mr. Speaker, to help pub­ reached the suburbs of Warsaw on Sept. 8, copies to the township. Her father, John 1939 (the invasion started on Sept. 1). After Busenbark, aged 83, still lives in the com­ licize this historic observance, and to three weeks of battle and furious, uninter­ bring it to the attention of my colleagues munity. rupted bombing by the Luftwaffe, Warsaw­ here in the House. without water, light, food and ammuni­ Among the other early settlers were tion-was forced to capitulate. That was Michael Vreeland and Henry Woodruff, Sept. 29. whose names live on in Brownswwn A GALLANT DEFENSE OF LIBERTY Ten days earlier, while Warsaw was con­ Township roads, and B. F. Knapp, George tinuing its heroic resistance, the following c. and P. T. Clark, William Munger, John message was sent from the people of Great Forbes, Dr. John Leteur, and Col. Britain to the gallant d~fenders of Warsaw: HON. JACK F. KEMP "The entire world admires your courage. Nathaniel Case. OF NEW YORK Poland once again became a victim of ag­ The first township officers included IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES gression by her neighbors. Through her Moses Roberts, supervisor; James Vree­ Tuesday, April 5, 1977 heroic struggle against the aggressor she land, clerk; Jacob Knox, William Hazard, once again bee11.me the standard bearer of and David Smith, assessors; Elias Vree­ Mr. KEMP. Mr. Speaker, one of the Europe's freedom. We, your allies, sha:l con­ land, William Fletcher, and Isaac Taylor, most heroic examples of a free people's tinue ·the war to restore your liberty.' 10844 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 6, 1977 Mr. Kurzman chose to pass over lightly officials of 16 jurisdictions working to­ grams until 1978. At that time I hope these testimonies to Poland's gallant defense gether t:tirough their own regional orga­ that the first priority of the committee of her liberty and human dignity. He also ignored the crucial fact that, on Sept. 17, nization, the council of governments, for will be to consider the arbitrary dis­ Soviet armies had invaded Poland from the the betterment of their own communities tinctions made in the 1974 act. My pro­ East. This was the triumµh of the treacher­ in particular and the metropolitan com­ posal will eliminate one of those dis­ ous Ribbentrop-Molotov collusion to impose munity in general. tinctions which has caused a hardship their reign of terror on the bleeding and No new layer of government was neces­ to retired workers and their families.