19076 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS July 13, 1983 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS MEMORIAL DAY-1983 What answer can we give, why must we An Anonymous World War I vet has said: have all these graves· here, why must we "God and the mllltary we adore in times have war? of danger, not before; The danger passed, HON. JAMES H. (JIMMY) QUILLEN We must consider that in the years from and all things righted, God is forgotten and OP TENNESSEE Civil War of brother against brother, or the veteran slighted." father against son, until this very day. our We must not let our veterans become IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES cities, our churches, our cemeteries, our slighted, especially jus"t for the reason they Wednesday, July 13, 1983 schools, our monuments have not been dam­ were a large number: We have ~ mllllon aged by foreign enemies who would attempt from WWI, 12.4 mllllon WWII, 5.8 million • Mr. QUILLEN. Mr. Speaker, like to take our liberties away from us. from Korea and more mllllons from the Viet many of our colleagues, I was pleased With movies and especially TV, you do not Nam War. With over 300,000 VietNam vets recently to participate in special Me­ have to be a combat veteran to see the de­ discharged with wounds received in combat, morial Day services in my home dis­ struction of war; but the memories of these many of these are suffering more from that trict. The speaker on that occasion, veterans are more vivid of burning villages, war than those of other wars-their person­ the Honorable John D. Goodin, city church steeples, targets of enemy fire be­ al grief in fighting a war they were not al­ cause these were favorite observation posts; lowed to win by political traitors who still judge of Johnson City, Tenn., gave a of ancient cemeteries filled with shell holes, refuse to admit their guilt; despised and very thought-provoking message to shattered gravesites and markers defiling spat upon by the likes of Jane Fonda and those gathered at the Mountain Home what had been beautiful resting places as her ilk; fighting the still undetermined ef­ Veterans' Administration Medical we have out here around us; every town or fects of Agent Orange. It has been suggest­ Center. I have just recently obtained a city, taken or retaken. marked by burned ed they have not received proper treatment, copy of these remarks, and would like and demolished homes and buildings, and and are not receiving it now because they to share Judge Goodin's thoughts with agonized and distraught people. happened to serve in that messy conflict. I our colleagues: We must never forget in our grief, that hope and pray these charges are untrue. the sacrifices made by our patriots have God forbid that happening on this center or MEMORIAL DAY-1983 made it possible that our cities, our homes, any other. They answered their call and are Thank you Congressman Quillen, ladies our churches and our cemeteries are un­ entitled to just as much respect and consid­ and gentlemen. marked by foreign forces. eration as the rest of us. Over fifty years ago while watching base­ The human cost of war surpasses so far Neither should we relax our interest, or ball games in this very spot, it would never any material loss of any nation, anywhere forget our POWs and MIAs, for whom we have occurred to me that I would be here as to be incomparable. But our civillan pop­ must hold hope and not give up on. While some day addressing a group in one of our ulation has not suffered death and destruc­ each has a personal survivor who lives in Nation's most solemn ceremonies. It is again tion. that hope, bear with us of World War II, in with heavy and humble heart today that I There are those, the living veterans, who which some 60,000 service people were unac­ occupy a place that has been filed by great are really the living dead-men in this very counted for. and honored Americans. station unable to do anything for them­ We absolutely must not allow ourselves to I call your attention to the colors of the selves; men whose bodies are wasted away forget that the will and courage to die, if Milltary Order of the Purple Heart, Capt. A. that they have no control and have no necessary, for our country and what it K. Broyles, Jr. Chapter, displayed here memory to carry on an intelligent conversa­ stands for, must be instilled in our future today for the first time. This chapter was tion. As a patient, a service officer, and a generations, and that they must be remind­ named after Capt. A. K. Broyles, Jr. who volunteer I have seen strong and dedicated ed that every generation may be forced to was the first Washington County casualty nurses weep at the loss of such as these, but make sacrifices to preserve our country. of the VietNam conflict. unfortunately and sadly there are instances President Reagan in proclaiming Memori­ Memorial Day, or as it is called in some of neglect, and to those employees here al Day and its purposes of paying tribute to areas, Decoration Day, honors all veterans, today who may have a tendency to spend our fallen patriots said "In doing this we are and today we especially honor those veter­ time in the day rooms-I charge you-you reminded that neither peace nor liberty is ans of World War I, from which we have have a duty to see that all your patients' guaranteed, and that our national ideals over one half mllllon with an average age in needs are met before you relax. There will remain threatened by global conflict, eco­ the late eighties. always be times when there is not enough nomic crises, violence and aggression". Many of us here were to survive by reason time to take care of everybody, but the dedi­ Strength is the only thing that some of of the training of the survivors passed unto cated find the time to take care of their our potential enemies recognize, and our fi­ us. We salute each and all of you. helpless patients. nancial sacrifice is a cheap price to pay to Memorial Day? It is just that-a day of re­ There are those here today whose loved enable us to be able to go to bed at night, membrance and for so many of us, and ones are among 130,962 service people safe in the knowledge that no government nearly all of us gathered here our memories buried overseas in twenty-four cemeteries secret agency will break our doors down in are painful ones. Among these nearly 7,000 maintained by the American Battle Monu­ the middle of the night, remove us or mem­ graves, lay the remains of our friends, our ments Commission. Citizens of liberated bers of our family to suffer mock trials or relatives, not all of whom died in battle countries regularly visit with flowers and in no trials at all, to receive sentences of death against our enemies, but all of who did serve Belgium and Holland are known to pick out or living death-for having expressed opin­ our country in its hour of need. certain graves and treat them as their own. ions that were not prescribed by our govern­ A particular memory in sorrow is the At Margratan in Holland near the German ment. Consider our freedoms that we have burial here of a young DeMolay, who lived border, they are especially attentive. At a places to take our grievances, to our mayors, at this center, who I watched take an oath memorial service there several years ago a our governors, our Congressmen, our Presi­ on the Holy Bible of Loyalty to God and Dutch lady, observing my armored insignia, dent, our Courts. Our speeches are uncen­ Country, and to give his life in the defense said "We shall never forget your liberating sored. Be reminded that our police depart­ of this country if called upon to protect it. us" and began weeping. It helps to know ments are protectors and not oppressors. He fulfilled that oath. And neither was he that in some areas we are still remembered That we travel freely anywhere without alone, or is he alone in memory. Each of us and appreciated. having to get permits to travel from one here today who saw combat are filled with You should know that on the walls of town to another, county or state, and so bitter memories of suffering and death, and these cemeteries are the names of those lost many other freedoms we casually accept throughout our lives will have reminders we or missing in action whose bodies were not and do not really appreciate some times. cannot control and we cannot wipe out of recovered. Even this date, servicemen are We have proved our courage on many oc­ our memories. being added to these, as they are discovered. casions and we must keep it as part of our There are those of us who will question Their names will go on these walls as they pride in being a free America, of feeling the forever-why? are found. security we enjoy, and remaining alert so e This .. bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. July 13, 1983 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 19077 that what has happened to other peoples More than 160 top business executives which is located in the Seventh Con­ cannot happen here.