Korean War Veterans Recognition Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2632) to amend title 4, United States Code, to encourage the display of the flag of the United States on National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2632, the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act, would amend the Flag Code to include Korean War Veterans Day among the times and occasions for display.

Section 6(d) of title IV, the United States Code, states that the flag should be displayed on all days, but singles out a number of days for special recognition. Among those days are the birthdays of President Washington, President Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day, to name a few.

It is more than appropriate that we add to this list Korean War Veterans Day. Doing so will provide a fitting reminder for all of us to remember and to honor the men and women who served so honorably in the Korean war.

The Korean war has been referred to as America's ``forgotten war'' because it came on the heels of World War II and was later overshadowed by Vietnam, but although fighting between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea lasted a mere 3 years, from June 1950 until July 1953, it was ferocious. At least 2.5 million people lost their lives.

The war brought the United States into battle with the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. And with the Soviet Union having recently joined the United States in developing nuclear weapons, there was a very real concern that the war it might escalate into would be a nuclear conflict.

The Korean war cost more than 54,000 American lives in that 3-year period, almost as many as who died in the 16 years of the Vietnam war. In addition, more than 103,000 American soldiers were wounded in Korea.

It's more than fitting that this Nation remember and honor the service of our Korean war veterans, and this legislation will provide a poignant reminder of that service.

I especially want to commend my colleague, the gentleman from New York, the Honorable Charles Rangel, for introducing this legislation. He is, himself, a veteran of the Korean conflict, having served in the Army from 1948 through 1952, and also the United States Civil War, which ended back in 1865. He served in that war as well.

And I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. And I believe that my humor has gone over the heads of those who occupy the Chamber at this particular time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague and my mentor, Representative Rangel, as much time as he may consume.

(Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I would yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my dear colleagues, Chairman Rangel and Judge Poe out of Houston, Texas, and also my friend from Georgia, Dr. Broun--or Bron. I call him ``Congressman,'' but we have a great relationship, and I enjoy his fellowship. I wish

to associate myself with the comments of all three of these gentlemen.

It's rather ironic that 56 years after the Korean War ended we are on the verge of, perhaps, another Korean war, and I don't think that the times could be more tense in South Korea than they are now. I had the opportunity to visit about 6 months ago, and the mood and the heavy feeling of impending war will remain heavily etched on my heart. I am hopeful that this administration can lead us and can lead the world out of this conflict.

This is just one of many, but I will tell you my personal experience as a young boy. I didn't get challenged too much, but whenever anyone did step to me, I would have to take defensive action. If I had my hands tied behind me, that would not be a fair fight, and if I had not been working out a little bit and if my muscles had not been in shape, I would not have been able to handle the conflict or deter it.

Mr. Speaker, I will report to you that I only had about 10 fights and lost only one, and I'll tell you that those were the things that helped me to ward off any future belligerence.

Certainly, in this country and in this world, we would be remiss as a Congress, as a legislative branch, if we did not prepare for the worst. With respect to our defense, it means that we have got to have a strong military and one that is well equipped to meet whatever the challenge may be. We cannot assume that there will not be another Cold War, because you could not assume, at the end of World War II, that the Chinese and the Russians would get together and gang up. I did not know that for sure, and then, boom, it happened.

Things are unexpected. It seems like, every 50 years, there is something big that happens, and we're at 56 years now. We simply cannot afford, as a Nation, to be caught without our defenses as tight as they can be. That means our firepower, our sea power, our power in outer space, our cyberspace, and our infantry. All of these aspects of our defense have to be up to par, so I am happy to serve on the Armed Services Committee where I can be a spokesperson and a proponent of making sure that this country remains strong.

I want to thank all of the veterans. My dad served in World War II, and today, he is 86 years old and is not doing too well, but I am proud of him serving his country, and I am proud of every other serviceman and -woman who has served this country. I look forward to a peaceful world; but if not, we have to do what we have to do.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I want to thank Chairman Conyers and Mr. Smith for allowing this bill to come on the floor. I want to congratulate Chairman Conyers and Sam Johnson, who served in the Korean war, for participating and making this become a reality, and Ileana Ros- Lehtinen, as well as Diane Watson and Peter King.

In 1948, millions of young people throughout these United States joined the military. We, some of us were sent to Fort Dix in New Jersey, and from there we went to Fort Lewis, Washington, to join the Second Infantry Division, the only division, actually, that was trained all over the world in order to be the one combat-ready division.

Sometime in June of 1950, we were alerted that the North Koreans had invaded South Korea. Most of us didn't even know where Korea was, but we were prepared to fulfill our responsibility as infantry people.

The 24th and the 25th divisions were stationed in Japan, and they were immediately sent to South Korea. The truth was that the North Koreans had driven them to the tip of the peninsula to such an extent that, when we arrived in July, there was some question as to whether or not we could land; but we did in what they called the Pusan Perimeter. We fought from that perimeter to the 38th parallel. As most of you know, General MacArthur landed at Icheon, and we had completely surrounded the enemy as we knew it, and moved up far beyond North Korea until we reached the tip of that peninsula, which was the Yalu River, which separated South Korea and North Korea from China. It was then that the Chinese entered this war and completely surrounded us and the entire Eighth Army.

We lost so many, so many American lives. So many Americans were captured. So much pain was caused to so many families and to so many communities. Now there are only 2 million of these veterans who are left, and 1,000 of us die every day. Notwithstanding the fact that in my lifetime, for most of it, I've known nothing but wars and that this one is just referred to as the Forgotten War, it just appears to me that this is the most painful because so many veterans have never really received the accolades for the sacrifices that they have made. Their families have suffered so much.

So this is just a small way for America to be able to say that we don't know how many conflicts there will be for which we will have to call on our young people to defend our great Nation or the principles for which we stand, but I think this is the least that we can do to have our flag to commemorate this so-called armistice that took place on July 27 so that we will know that, in the hearts of all Americans, there were people who made these sacrifices and that America is thankful for it.

So, Mr. Johnson, I appreciate the fact that we have brought this to the floor. I do hope that the veterans who are left who fought in Korea and, more importantly, that their families and communities know that our Nation is saying thank you.

I rise today to speak on my bill, the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act. This bill is important not only to our nation's commitment to defending freedom across the world especially in these times of global conflict.

I would like to thank Chairman Conyers and Ranking Member Lamar Smith of the Judiciary Committee for their work in getting this bill to the Floor today. I also want to thank the original cosponsors: Chairman Conyers and Sam Johnson, who both served in the Korean War, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Diane Watson, and Peter King.

This straightforward bill honors the 6.8 million Americans who served during the Korean War period, and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, by adding National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, July 27th, to the list of dates on which our American flag should be especially displayed.

By recognizing the Armistice Day--the day on which the Korean War unofficially ended, ensuring South Korea's independence and democracy-- this bill promotes an annual reminder of the sacrifices made by our military men and women during the war period, including the 54,246 U.S. deaths and more than 8,100 POW/MIAs in the three short years that the Korean War lasted.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I noticed that the gentleman from New York was a little concerned when he was informed that he served in the Civil War in 1865.

But be that as it may, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2632, the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act, amends the official Flag Code to add National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, which is July 27, to the list of days on which the American flag should be displayed.

In 1950, the North Korean military, with the aid of the Chinese, crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. This act of Communist aggression was met by 22 countries who joined together to challenge one of the many threats that developed during the cold war challenge; a United Nations endeavor, but most of those troops were, of course, as always, from the United States.

Americans comprised the majority of that valiant force, and almost 2 million members of the U.S. military successfully drove back the North Korean forces in places such as Pork Chop Hill and the Pusan Perimeter. And during that war, 34,000 Americans never came home, 92,000 others were wounded.

Were it not for the immense bravery and sacrifice of the men and the women who served in Korea during those cold winters, even more of the world would have been denied prosperity and freedom behind the Iron Curtain.

In 1953, the Military Armistice Agreement halted the march of communism into South Korea. Today, as we once again confront a belligerent, nuclear-armed North Korea, once again backed by the Chinese, we owe it to the veterans of the Korean war and their families to honor their service by adding July 27, National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, to the list of days in which the Flag Code encourages displaying the Stars and Stripes.

As a cosponsor of this resolution, I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2632.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Broun).

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Korean war is an odd sort of name in that it was first never called a ``war.'' Back when men went to Korea, for some reason, somebody in the press decided to call it a ``conflict'' like it's a street fight or something, and because of that, I don't think that the Korean war veterans have received the recognition that they deserve.

This was a hard-fought, bloody, cold war where 34,000 Americans died and where 92,000 others were wounded. Because of history, those folks who served, and as my friend from Georgia has pointed out, we still have men and women in Korea who are protecting those borders between North and South Korea. Still, technically, those two countries are at war with each other because there was never a treaty; there was just an armistice.

We should give those people the recognition they rightfully deserve, because that was the first battle, the first war, where the free West met the Communist and was successful in defeating communism in Korea. We let people know we will fight wherever we need to go throughout the world to prevent communism from spreading. The men and women who served in Korea, who rightfully did that and who honorably did that, should be recognized.

I'm glad to see that we have finally built them a memorial on the Mall, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, a great tribute with the other memorials that we have, the World War II Memorial that we have and the Vietnam Memorial.

So this legislation is important. It's important that we, as Americans, remember our history and that we rise to a level where we understand that all of those veterans, that all of those men and women who served, deserve the rightful recognition for what they did for America when they were called to do so.

With that, I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I thank my friend, Judge Poe, for yielding a couple of minutes to me.

Mr. Speaker, I want to rise in absolute support of this bill. The Korean war has been called the Forgotten War. The Vietnam war is the war of forgotten veterans. I served in the Marine Corps. I actually had a commission in the Navy and, later on, in the Air Force. As one who believes in the Constitution as our Founding Fathers meant it when they wrote it, I know that national defense is the number one issue that this Congress should focus upon more so than anything else, and we ought to give--it is right to give; it is due to give--recognition to these brave men and women who were engaged in the conflict in Korea.

We signed an armistice with the Koreans, and technically, we're still at war there. We still have veterans who are missing in action from many wars. We still have veterans who are stationed all over this world in an effort to maintain freedom in America. So it's absolutely critical that we recognize our veterans, not only from the Korean war but from all wars, whether it's World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, or the war that's ongoing in Afghanistan.

I hope that America will pause and will thank the service men and women who have put on a uniform, who have given their time, their efforts, their limbs, their eyes, their lives to protect freedom in America.

So I congratulate the Members who have brought this very important legislation to the floor. I thank my friend Mr. Rangel from New York for his service to the Nation. I thank all members of the military for serving this Nation. I very ardently support this.

I appreciate, Judge Poe, your yielding me some time.

Mr. Speaker, today I proudly rise in strong support of H.R. 2632, legislation that adds National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, July 27, to the list of days on which the flag of the United States should be displayed. I am particularly proud to have joined my colleague from New York, Mr. Rangel, who served with great distinction and valor in the Korean War, in being an original cosponsor of this bill.

The Korean War was a major battlefield in the Cold War as American forces and our allies fought so heroically to resist North Korean aggression and prevent communist forces from imposing their rule on the Republic of Korea.

Nearly seven million Americans served during the Korean War period and this legislation offers a fitting tribute to honor their contributions and sacrifices. And there were many. The United States suffered 54,246 casualties and over 8,000 POW/MIAs during this ``Forgotten War.'' H.R. 2632 properly recognizes their efforts and ensures that American courage and resolve in Korea will never be forgotten by authorizing the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff on July 27.

I urge adoption of the legislation.