Honoring Edward Day Cohota, Joseph L. Pierce, and other veterans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who fought in the United States Civil War.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 415) honoring Edward Day Cohota, Joseph L. Pierce, and other veterans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who fought in the United States Civil War, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of House Resolution 415, which honors Edward Day Cohota, Joseph L. Pierce, and other veterans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who fought in the United States Civil War.

Despite generations of exclusion and discrimination, Asian Pacific Americans have served in our American forces with loyalty and dedication since the time of our Civil War. Unfortunately, many of their stories too often do not receive the attention, recognition, or credit they fittingly deserve. The stories of Mr. Cohota, Mr. Pierce, and other veterans of Asian Pacific Islander descent who fought in our Civil War are a few of such stories.

Edward Day Cohota, the best-documented Asian veteran of the Civil War, was found as a small child stowed away in a merchant ship bound for Massachusetts from the port of Shanghai, China, in 1854. The captain of the ship, Sergeant S. Day, discovered the half-starved child two days from port and adopted him as his own. Named after the merchant ship, Cohota, Edward Day Cohota spent the next several days sailing with Sergeant Day and Mrs. Day until Sergeant Day and his family retired to Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1857.

When the Civil War broke out, Cohota joined the 23rd Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and fought bravely in the Battle of Drury's Bluff near Richmond and at the Battle of Cold Harbor. Mr. Cohota went on to proudly serve in the United States Army for 30 years.

In 1935, he died in Hot Springs, South Dakota, still a foreigner in the only homeland he had ever really known, as he had been denied American citizenship after the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882.

Joseph Pierce is another Asian Pacific Islander who served in uniform during the American Civil War. At age 21, Pierce enlisted in the 14th Connecticut Infantry in August 1862. Connecticut ship captain Amos Peck found Pierce adrift in the South China Seas and brought him home where he was raised with the rest of the Peck family and the family's children. The 14th Connecticut Infantry unit participated in the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, and he also fought with them at the Battle at Chancellorsville in May 1863. The 14th was also at the Battle of Gettysburg where they helped repel Pickett's Charge that fateful day.

Since the Civil War through today's current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, Asian and Pacific Islanders continue to honorably and bravely serve our Nation in uniform.

We in Congress recognize and express our sincerest appreciation for the courageous and loyal contributions made by soldiers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent during the Civil War. We honor their distinguished and dedicated service in preserving and maintaining the Union and are proud of the rich diversity of our heritage.

I thank my colleague from California (Mr. Honda) for bringing forward this bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my friend and colleague, the Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda).

Madam Speaker, at this time, I have no further speakers and yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues from Indiana and from Virginia for their wonderful support and recognition.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 415, a resolution I introduced which recognizes and honors Asian Pacific Islander American soldiers who fought during the United States Civil War.

Recent historical research has uncovered evidence of over 250 soldiers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who served in the Union and Confederate forces during the United States Civil War.

I have introduced H. Res. 415 to recognize and honor Edward Day Cohota and Joseph L. Pierce, as well as the numerous others veterans of API descent who bravely fought in the United States Civil War. These two men, both of Chinese ancestry, are explicitly named in this resolution as the most-documented and researched veterans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the U.S. Civil War.

In comparison to the total population in the United States, a disproportionately high percentage of soldiers of API descent are listed on both the Union and Confederate rosters. By volunteering to serve in the Armed Forces of their adopted homeland, they risked their lives and declared their allegiances as vigorously as any other community.

Instead of honoring and recognizing their service, our country denied these veterans the ability to naturalize through the bigoted laws enacted during this period.

I believe that for their contribution to our Nation's history, and the injustices done to them despite their patriotism, veterans of API descent who fought in the U.S. Civil War are worthy of recognition by the United States House of Representatives.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, without whose efforts this resolution would not be possible. In their own words, the Chinese American Citizens Alliance has been ``committed to achieving passage of this resolution because national historic recognition was the least our country could do posthumously for an important, special group of unsung heroes.'' The Chinese American Citizens Alliance has worked arduously on behalf of these veterans and their families for years, and their work pays off today as the House considers this resolution.

In closing, Madam Speaker, I am pleased that this resolution is on the floor today. The families of these veterans and community supporters have waited a very long time for these brave soldiers to be honored by our government, and I urge my colleagues to support this small effort to recognize the contributions made by Asian Pacific Islander Civil War soldiers.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 415, a resolution to honor and recognize veterans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who fought valiantly in the United States Civil War.

Historical research indicates that more than 250 soldiers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent served in both the Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. Mr. Edward Day Cohota and Mr. Joseph L. Pierce, both of Chinese descent, are the most documented and researched of these veterans.

Mr. Cohota enlisted in the 23rd Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in 1864 and fought courageously in the Battle of Drury's Bluff, where other soldiers reported that he had seven bullet holes in his coat but was not wounded. Mr. Cohota continued to serve in the U.S. Army for a total of 30 years.

Mr. Pierce enlisted in the 14th Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, in 1862 and fought in his first battle at Antietam. He further distinguished himself in the Battle of Gettysburg, and bravely volunteered for a perilous attack on Bliss Farm during the day of Pickett's charge.

Remarkably, despite the fact that many people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent were not allowed to naturalize during this period, a disproportionately high percentage enlisted to fight on both sides of the Civil War. After the war, however, scores of these soldiers and sailors were unjustly denied their due recognition and benefits.

H. Res. 415 is a long overdue expression of appreciation for the loyal service of the Civil War veterans of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. The United States House of Representatives stands to recognize their contributions to our Nation's history and to speak against the injustices done to them despite their patriotism and honorable service.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 415, which recognizes the service of two remarkable Asian Civil War veterans and also pays respect to all participants of this war with Asian and Pacific Islander heritage.

Arriving in America as a stowaway aboard a ship from China, Edward Day Cohota enlisted in the 23rd Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, in the early years of the Civil War. He fought in the Battle of Drury's Bluff in Virginia on May 16, 1864. His wartime service continued at the Battle of Cold Harbor in Virginia on June 3, 1864. After the war, Mr. Cohota continued to serve for a total of 30 years active duty in the United States Army.

Joseph L. Pierce enlisted in the 14th Regiment, Connecticut Voluntary Infantry, in 1862 and fought on America's bloodiest day, September 17, 1862, in the Battle of Antietam. After managing to avoid being one of the 23,000 casualties of that battle, he continued to distinguish himself on the battlegrounds at Gettysburg where his unit helped to repulse Pickett's charge.

These two soldiers are but two of the Asian and Pacific Islanders who served their adopted Nation so well in the Civil War.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Honda of California, for introducing this resolution. I would like to encourage my colleagues to give their appreciation to these volunteers whose service has not been fully recognized. Therefore, I urge a ``yes'' vote on House Resolution 415.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.