August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6115 Whereas, 31 years after the enactment of as order-of-battle specialists, counterintel- (1) honors the bravery and dedication of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, ligence operatives, photo interpreters, psy- the Ritchie Boys; some telecommunication, electronic, and in- chological warfare experts, and other spe- (2) recognizes the importance of their con- formation technologies continue to be devel- cialists; tributions to the success of the Allied Forces oped without the goal of full accessibility Whereas, during World War II, Ritchie during World War II; and and inclusion for all people of the United Boys were assigned to every unit of the (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary States; and Army and the Marines as well as to the Of- of the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of Whereas, 31 years after the enactment of fice of Strategic Services and the Counter this resolution to Mr. Landon Grove of the the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Intelligence Corps; Ritchie History Museum. many businesses, public and private organi- Whereas, starting in 1942, the Ritchie Boys f zations, transportation systems, and services were sent as individual specialists to the Su- are still not accessible to all individuals preme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary SENATE RESOLUTION 350—RECOG- Force (‘‘SHAEF’’) in small elite teams to with disabilities: Now, therefore, be it NIZING AND CELEBRATING THE Resolved, That the Senate— join combat units in the North African, Med- (1) recognizes the importance of inde- iterranean, European, and Pacific theaters 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE pendent living for individuals with disabil- and to military camps, prisoner-of-war ENTRY OF MISSOURI—THE ities made possible by the enactment of the camps, and interrogation centers (such as ‘‘SHOW ME STATE’’—INTO THE Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 Fort Hunt, VA) in the United States; UNION AS THE 24TH STATE Whereas the Ritchie Boys accompanied the U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); Mr. BLUNT (for himself and Mr. (2) encourages all people of the United Army on D-Day in Europe as foot soldiers States to celebrate the advancement of in- with all Army divisions and as paratroopers HAWLEY) submitted the following reso- clusion and equality of opportunity made with all airborne divisions and were often se- lution; which was considered and possible by the enactment of the Americans lected to be the second soldier to land after agreed to: with Disabilities Act of 1990; the commander in order to provide needed S. RES. 350 (3) pledges to continue to work on a bipar- immediate interpretation in languages such as French, German, and Italian; Whereas the 200th anniversary of the entry tisan basis to identify and address the re- of Missouri into the Union as the 24th State maining barriers that undermine the na- Whereas the Ritchie Boys served as per- sonal interpreters for General George Patton marks a time for Missourians and all people tional goals of equality of opportunity, inde- of the United States to remember the past pendent living, economic self-sufficiency, and other military leaders; Whereas the Ritchie Boys served honorably and celebrate the future, including recog- and full participation for individuals with nizing the significant contributions of the disabilities, including by focusing on individ- in the Pacific in the assaults on Guadal- canal, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and the Phil- State of Missouri to the culture, governance, uals with disabilities that remain segregated and intellect of the United States; in institutions; ippines, including 2 Marine Corps Ritchie Boys who died in the initial landing on Iwo Whereas Congress and President James (4) pledges to work with States to improve Monroe approved statehood and entry into access to home- and community-based serv- Jima and a Ritchie Boy who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for bravery; the Union for the Missouri Territory on Au- ices for individuals with disabilities; gust 10, 1821, making it the Nation’s 24th (5) calls on the Department of Labor to Whereas about 140 Ritchie Boys lost their lives during World War II; State and the ‘‘Gateway to the West’’; provide information, resources, and tech- Whereas the Ritchie Boys garnered more Whereas the City of Jefferson, lying on the nical assistance that enable individuals with than 65 Silver Star Medals and numerous Missouri River, was named the Missouri disabilities to achieve economic self-suffi- Bronze Star Medals as well as at least 5 Le- State capital in 1821 for President Thomas ciency; and gion of Honor and many Croix de Guerre Jefferson, the third President of the United (6) calls on the Department of Health and Medals; States; Human Services to provide information, re- Whereas, among the 150-man Second Mo- Whereas the State served as the ‘‘Gateway sources, and technical assistance regarding bile Radio Broadcast Company of the Ritchie to the West’’, symbolized by the Gateway home- and community-based services and Boys, 6 members received the Croix de Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, representing a supports that enable individuals with dis- Guerre Medal and at least 15 received Bronze new beginning for so many people in the abilities to live independently. Star Medals for service and bravery; United States and marking the beginning for f Whereas the Ritchie Boys made significant Lewis and Clark, the Pony Express, the Or- egon and Santa Fe Trails, and individuals SENATE RESOLUTION 349—HON- contributions to the success of the Allied Forces on the Western Front through their venturing West to test their luck in the Gold ORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF knowledge and their skills, as demonstrated Rush; THE RITCHIE BOYS by a classified postwar report by the Army Whereas, despite the State’s role in some Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. CRAPO, finding that the Ritchie Boys were the dark moments in the history of the United Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. RISCH, and Mr. source of nearly 60 percent of the credible in- States, Missouri proves that we can have a brighter future, as evidenced by the fact that WYDEN) submitted the following reso- telligence gathered in Europe during World as commander of the District of South- lution; which was considered and War II; Whereas many of the Ritchie Boys contin- eastern Missouri, General Ulysses S. Grant agreed to: ued to serve their country following the con- utilized the Mississippi River to combat Con- S. RES. 349 clusion of World War II, including through federate forces, and Francis Preston Blair, Whereas, in 1942, the Federal Government service as translators or interrogators pros- Jr., who later became a United States Sen- ordered that a Maryland National Guard ecuting war criminals with the Judge Advo- ator, fought for the Union and organized the Training Ground be turned into a War De- cate General’s Office during trials at Dachau protection of Jefferson Barracks in St. partment Military Intelligence Training and Nuremberg; Louis, which contributed to the Confederate Center, which was named Camp Ritchie after Whereas the Ritchie Boys include such no- defeat in Missouri; the late Governor, Albert C. Ritchie; table figures as David Rockefeller, Archibald Whereas General John Pershing, born in Whereas, starting in 1942, more than 19,000 Roosevelt Jr, William Sloane Coffin, Philip Laclede, Missouri, was president and first men trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland Johnson, J.D. Salinger, and William War- captain of the West Point class of 1886, be- and became known as the Ritchie Boys; field, as well as Senators John Chafee of came a 5-star general and commander of the Whereas, while the approximately 2,800 ref- Rhode Island and Frank Church of Idaho, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) dur- ugees who had fled Nazi persecution in Ger- and the father of the current senior Senator ing World War I and served as the Chief of many and Austria and had come to the from Oregon, Ron Wyden; Staff of the United States Army from 1921 to United States as ‘‘enemy aliens’’ prior to the Whereas the Ritchie Boys also contributed 1924; entry of the United States into World War II outside of the military through careers as Whereas Missouri is the birthplace of only constituted approximately 14 percent of writers, artists, architects, academics, dip- President Harry S. Truman, the 33rd Presi- the total number of Ritchie Boys, they had lomats, economists, financiers, philan- dent, who— the strongest motivation to return to Europe thropists, and psychologists; (1) served as a captain in World War I, a and fight for their newly adopted country; Whereas, because the roles of the Ritchie United States Senator, and Vice President Whereas the Ritchie Boys included— Boys remained classified for decades, the before succeeding President Franklin D. (1) soldiers of many faiths (including public generally lacks awareness of their Roosevelt; Protestant, Jewish, and Catholic soldiers); contributions; (2) oversaw the end of World War II and (2) both soldiers born in the United States Whereas Camp Ritchie closed in 1998, and a rocketed the United States to the inter- and foreign-born soldiers from more than 70 museum and educational center is now being national stage through his foreign policy, in- countries; planned for the location; and cluding the founding of the United Nations (3) soldiers with German, Japanese (Nisei), Whereas, approximately 200 Ritchie Boys and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other language skills; and are still living, ranging in age between 95 (‘‘NATO’’) and the recognition