congressional_record: CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgE2191-3
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| CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgE2191-3 | 2000-12-15 | 106 | 2 | REMEMBERING THE FORGOTTEN OF THE FORGOTTEN WAR: AFRICAN AMERICANS IN KOREA | HOUSE | EXTENSIONS | ALLOTHER | E2191 | E2193 | [{"name": "Corrine Brown", "role": "speaking"}] | 146 Cong. Rec. E2191 | Congressional Record, Volume 146 Issue 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000) [Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E2191-E2193] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] REMEMBERING THE FORGOTTEN OF THE FORGOTTEN WAR: AFRICAN AMERICANS IN KOREA ______ HON. CORRINE BROWN of florida in the house of representatives Friday, December 15, 2000 Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, September 13-16, 2000 marked the 30th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Legislative Conference, the most significant socio-political gathering in the country to discuss issues of importance to the African American community. On September 15, 2000 Representative Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D- GA) and I convened, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration, another well attended, although highly emotional, 12th Annual Veterans Braintrust forum entitled: ``Remembering the Forgotten of the Forgotten War: African Americans in Korea.'' For the past several years my distinguished friend and colleague Sanford Bishop, Jr. and I have hosted the Annual Veterans Braintrust during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Legislative Conference because we both care a great deal about the well-being of America's veterans. Nevertheless, this year I was overwhelmed to be in the room with so many true heroes, and spoke for all my colleagues in thanking them for their service to this great nation. It makes me very proud that the Veterans Braintrust is one of the best attended forums during the Annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference. This year's event was particularly important because of the limited time we have to set the record straight on the sacrifices and service of African Americans during the Korean War. Because throughout the Korean War, African American soldiers were waging a war on two fronts. They fought gallantly beside their comrades in the most trying conditions, while battling the bigotry and racism that were still prevalent in the United States military. These same veterans continued their fight against racism at home by joining the grassroots of the Civil Rights Movement. Although Korea is known as the ``Forgotten War,'' we told them that we will never forget, and we won't let our colleagues in Congress forget about the brave men and women who made the freedom we enjoy today possible. Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr., reaffirmed that the Veterans Braintrust is an event which has become one of the traditional highlights of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual legislative conference, adding that this is a family affair which brings veterans and their families together from throughout the country, and gives us an opportunity to discuss issues of critical concern to us all. To our distinguished panelist, he said, it is because of Korean War veterans, both men and women who have answered the call of duty that we have the strongest military in the world and praised their unselfishness in risking their lives to protect our freedom. Today is their day. African American Korean war veterans are finally receiving the recognition that they truly deserve. With that said, Bishop introduced our keynote speaker, The Honorable Louis Caldera, Secretary of the Army. Secretary Caldera began by stating, that this forum was aptly named. ``Remembering the Forgotten of the Forgotten War.'' For many African Americans and for many reasons, Korea truly was the Forgotten War. It came on the heels of an exhausting World War II in which our Army literally led the effort to save the world from tyranny. Americans had expected to enjoy the fruits of this exhausting effort for some time. They had enough of war. But less than five years after V-J Day, they found themselves being asked once again to [[Page E2192]] sacrifice their sons and daughters to help defend freedom in a nation few had ever even heard of. But if Korea is the Forgotten War, then truly the African American soldiers who served in that conflict are the ``Forgotten of the Forgotten War,'' as the title of this forum suggests. They had been set apart and marginalized as a fighting force long before the beginning of the conflict. But by war's end they were integrated into units throughout the Army and involved in the thickest of the fighting. The tremendous contributions our soldiers made in that war have never been fully recognized. And particularly the contributions of our Korean veterans were not recognized in the way we hailed the return of our World War II veterans and certainly even less was made of the service and contributions of our African American veterans who were not fully recognized. Those who were overlooked included men like Congressman Charles Rangel and Congressman John Conyers, senior Members of the House, founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and decorated veterans of that war. Then Sergeant Rangel was awarded the Bronze Star with ``V'' while he served with the 503d Field Artillery Battalion. And 2d Of course there were tens of thousands of other African Americans who served bravely in the Korean War whose actions we must also commemorate and remember. I can tell you that I'm looking forward to next July 23, 2001, when we will lay a memorial wreath in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to pay tribute to the soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment and other African American soldiers who bravely fought and fell in that war. They gave their lives for freedom at Yechon, at the Han River, at Kunu-Ri and on many other battlefields where their blood now consecrates that land. Although there are many lessons that we have learned from our involvement in the Korean War. One of the most important lessons that Korea taught us was that segregation has no place in a modern military (or our society), but especially in the U.S. Armed Forces. We learned that the Army fights best when it is unified. We learned that leadership and bravery and courage knows no color boundary. Until Korea, the Army had reflected America's long and tragic history of racial discrimination by maintaining segregated units. It was costly, irrational, and an inefficient way to do business. It cost us in terms of the combat effectiveness of those segregated units. There were places where soldiers and leaders did not trust each other, held each other in disregard, and were rotated quickly through units where they did not invest time in bringing out the best in their men. The result was an Army where certain units were maligned and their reputations impugned because of unfounded rumors, innuendo and the adverse impacts of a self-defeating policy. President Truman's historic integration order of 1948 said the Armed Forces were officially integrated. But at the start of the Korean War, they were still segregated. Once we were thrown into that war we had no choice, in the wake of early setbacks, exacerbated by readiness shortcomings, our military leadership was forced to send African American troops to fight side-by-side with white soldiers at the front lines. As Lt. Gen. Julius Becton, one of our Army's most senior leaders and a personal role model when I was a young officer recently recalled that as a young African American officer serving in the early days of the Korean War, the question was put to him, where should we send the replacements who had started to come over to fill the thinning ranks? The idea of sending black soldiers to black units and white soldiers to white units and not putting a white soldier under command of a black officer all of a sudden had no relevancy. They refused to accept that kind of thinking and said ``we're going to send these soldiers where they are needed.'' And so they sent the soldiers to the units where they were taking the highest casualties. As General Becton now puts it ``Korea was what broke the eggshell to make the omelet to make integration a reality.'' Because all of a sudden soldiers were fighting side by side for their well-being, depending on each other, drinking from the same cup, giving blood to one another to save each other's lives and it made all the difference. Today, at a time when diversity is increasing rapidly, the Army is taking full advantage of the trail of opportunity that was first blazed by these African American soldiers. African Americans still comprise 29% of the enlisted ranks and fully 11% of our officer corps. We could not be the world's best land power force without these soldiers and without their leadership. They are integral to all we do, and of the future of this great Army, from our peacekeeping operations in the Balkans to our deterrence Mission on the Korea Peninsula, to the Persian Gulf. In the coming years, when America will need to draw even more on the diversity of her communities to meet the new challenges of the 21st century, we will continue to count on young African American men and women to shoulder the heavy burden of our nation's security. Thank you very much. God bless you and God bless our Korean War veterans. In addition, the Secretary of Labor paid a very special tribute to Korean War veterans bravery and helped honor those African Americans who served in the Korean War. The Secretary of Labor reminded each of us that the Korean War occurred at a time when African-Americans served in segregated units, and many of those units were in heavy combat. However, the success of the integration of the military enabled African American veterans to return home and become key participants in the success of America's workplace. Lastly, the Secretary asked that all Americans remember the loyalty and valor of African American soldiers who fought bravely in the Korean War, brought change at home, and helped build a bridge to better, and more diverse workplaces. Next, a poem written and read by SFC Laurence Hogan, USAR, Ret., called ``Korea--The Dying Game,'' dedicated to the men of the 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry (Bayonet) Division, who fought on Pork Chop Hill, set the tone for hearing a lot about the trials and triumphs of African American Korean war military luminaries like Col. Daniel ``Chappie'' James, Jr. (and later the first U.S. Air Force African American four-star General) who flew many combat missions during the Korean War and flew missions in Vietnam, as well as combat members of the infantry, artillery, engineers and ranger airborne organizations. Dr. Edwin R. Parson, noted Psychologist and recent recipient of the NAACP's Jesse Brown Leadership Award moderated our distinguished Korean war panelists Sgt. Eddie Dixon, National Historian, 24th Infantry Regimental Combat Team (RCT) Association; Dr. William Hammond, Author and Historian, US Army Center of Military History; Sgt. Maj. Samuel Gilliam, USA, Ret., Member of the 503d Field Artillery Battalion; Mr. Theodore ``Ted'' Hudson, Sr., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division; CSM Samuel Jenkins, USA, Ret., President, 24th Infantry Regiment Combat Team Association; Col. Charles E. McGee, USAF, Ret., President of the Tuskegee Airmen Association, Inc.; Mr. Curtis ``KoJo' Morrow, ``G'' Company, 1st Platoon, 1st Squad, 24th Infantry RCT; Maj. James ``Big Jim'' Queen, USA, Ret., Executive Officer, 2d Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne), and commentator Dr. William Ball, Professor of Political Science & University Scholar, from the University of Vermont. Dr. Parson opened by asking and attempting to answer the question, ``Why and how did America forget our Korean war veterans?'' In his professional experience as a psychologist he was not sure what America's historical lack of memory for the Korean War and its warriors was due to. But, to forget such noble and heroic exploits by these veterans so completely tells an astonishing story of not only national amnesia, but also societal insensitivity. Moreover, many people believe that when it comes to African American contributions for fighting our nation's wars at home and abroad America has always had a bad memory. It had a bad memory in forgetting the 33d US Colored Troops during the Civil War, and showed this same tendency in the forgetting of that war, as noted by Dr. Harvey Black, an African American surgeon in the Army of Northern Virginia. So, American amnesia for the sacrifices of Black Americans who served in the Armed Forces, beginning with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Indian Campaigns, Spanish- American War, through World War I and II to Korea and Vietnam is by now legendary. Forgetting Korea and its veterans may thus be said to be no exception. It's a tradition. But, despite our nation's historic forgetfulness, we are here today honoring all Korean War veterans. As we believe that this special tribute to our African American war veterans aims to make memory a friend, not foe. To turn off the fear and face our past with renewed courage, like the courage so powerfully and memorably demonstrated by our veterans in places like Inchon, Pusan, Bloody Peak, Old Baldy, Hill 200, Triangle Hill, Hill 440, Hill 666 (or Gung Ho Hill), the Chosin Reservoir, Yalu, Chorwan Valley, Munsan-ni, Kumpchon, Taejon, and other places where war's violence was met by them with the liberating force of sacrifice and valor. Later that evening, with the gracious assistance of the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee, and underwriting by Quality Support, Inc., an SBA 8(a) Vietnam Veteran Owned Firm, we honored [[Page E2193]] those who made the freedom we enjoy today possible. Those brave men and women who laid their lives on the line for a country that too often treated them as second class citizens. The invocation was given by Rev. Nathaniel Nicholson, 24th Infantry Regiment Silver Star winner; opening remarks by Mr. Wayne Gatewood, Jr., President & CEO, Quality Support, Inc.; with my brief introductory remarks for our keynote speaker and awards presenter the champion of America's veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Acting Secretary Hershel Gober with Ron Armstead, Executive Director, CBC Veterans' Braintrust as announcer. Secretary Gober thanked everyone for their warm welcome and especially thanked the Veterans Braintrust of the Congressional Black Caucus for arranging this event to honor some of our nation's most distinguished veterans--our African American veterans of the Korean War. He applauded the Veterans Braintrust of the Congressional Black Caucus for having worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Veterans Affairs as an advocate for minority veterans. And our Department is proud of our long association with this important group. It is a true partnership, and our nation's veterans have seen real benefits from it. In addition, he stated, fifty years ago, in response to an invasion by foreign troops, the United States and fifteen other nations sent troops to fight for the Korean Republic. It was the first time in history an international organization sent an international army to preserve democracy, and to fight for the freedom of another nation. 6.8 million Americans served in our military on active duty during the Korean War era; 1.8 million of them in the theater of operations. Nearly 37,000 Americans died; more than 92,000 were wounded. The fates of as many as 8,000 more men have never been accounted for. But thanks to their service and their sacrifices, Korea stands today a free nation, with people proud of their freedom, and grateful to the men and women from the United States who came to stand and fight with them in their hour of crisis. Among the 1.8 million men and women who fought in the Korean War there were more than 100,000 African Americans. Black personnel made up 13% of the total military strength in Korea. Americans of African descent have always served our nation with distinction; from Crispus Attucks at Bunker Hill, to the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, to the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. But before 1948, they fought, when they were allowed to fight, in segregated units--denied the opportunity to show their abilities in an integrated setting. However, after President Truman's 1948 executive order and the armed forces compliance forced by the requirements of war African American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines were quick to show they were every bit the equal of any soldier in combat, anywhere. Fifty years after the Korea was began, we know that America is best defended by an armed force that is truly representative of all of our nation's diversity. And it is also best defended by an armed force that is recruited, trained, and led in accordance with our nation's highest ideals--the ideals black veterans fought for in Korea. That knowledge may be the most important legacy that black Korean war veterans have given us. VA is proud to serve the heroes of the Korean war, and of all wars. The 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemorative Awards went to the following (partial list of) brave African American men and women LTC Mary Ellen Anderson, USA, Ret., Mr. Lonnie Ashe, Lt. Gen. Julius Becton, Jr., USA, Ret., Mr. Francis Brown, First Sergeant George Bussey, Sr., USA, Ret., Ens. Jesse L. Brown, USN (Posthumous), Mr. Nathaniel Brunson, Maj. David Carlisle, USA (Posthumous), Mr. Harold Cecil, Sgt. Cornelius Charlton, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient (Posthumous), Col. Fred Cherry, USAF, Ret., Mr. Earnest Cornish, Mr. Arthur Code, Mr. Samuel Crawford (Posthumous), Sgt. Earl Danzler, Sr., Sgt. Edward Dixon, Mr. Gerald Eldridge, Sr., Mr. Daniel Faulk, Mr. Joseph Frederick, Mr. Willie Wren, Sr., Mr. Albert Gibson, Sgt. Maj. Samuel Gilliam, USA, Ret., SFC. Novel Harris, Mr. Oliver Holiday, SFC. Laurence Hogan, USA, Ret., Mr. Theodore Ted Hudson, Jr., CSM. Samuel Jenkins, USA, Ret., Dr. Edwin Nichols, Dr. Leonard Lockley, Mr. Wilfred Matthews, Col. Charles E. McGee, USAF, Ret., Mr. Jerome Milborne, Mr. Curtis `KoJo' Morrow, Rev. Nathaniel Nicholson, 1st Lt. Mamie Smith Pierce, USA, Mr. William Ponder, Sr., Gen. Roscoe Robinson, USA, Ret. (Posthumous), Lt. Col. Lyle Rishell, USA, Ret., Sgt. Maj. Lewis Roundtree, USMC, Ret., Lt. Gen. Frank E. Peterson, Jr., USMC, Ret., Mr. Joseph Williams; Dr. Freeman Pollard, Ms. Marcine Shaw, Mr. Halbert Swan (Posthumous), Mr. James Thompson, PFC William Thompson, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient (Posthumous), Mr. LaVonne Willis, Mr. Robert Fletcher, Mr. Joseph Patterson, Dr. Jerome Long, Mr. Thomas Wynn, Sr., Dr. Charles Johnson, Jr., Mr. Leemon Smith (Posthumous), Mr. Jerry Carter, Mr. Joel Ward, and Sr. Master Sergeant Eddie Wright, USAF, Ret. With special unit awards going to the 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne), 77th Engineers Combat Company, 159th Field Artillery Battalion, 272nd Field Artillery Battalion (MNG), 24th Infantry Regiment Combat Team Association, Inc., 630th Ordinance Ammunition Company, 231st Transportation Truck Battalion (MNG), 376th Engineer Construction Battalion (MNG), 715th Transportation Truck Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment, and 65th Infantry Honors Task Force. For the commemorative forms overwhelming success I would like to give special thanks to Ms. Constance Burns, Curator, US Army Center of Military History; First Sgt. George Bussey, Sr., USA, Ret., Member of the 24th Infantry Regimental Combat Team (RCT); Mr. Leroy Colston, President African American Naval Veterans Association; Mr. Harry A. Davis, Immediate Past President, 24th Infantry RCT Association; Col. William DeShields, USA, Ret., Founder & President, Black Military History Institute of America, Inc.; Dr. Deborah Newman Ham, Professor, Morgan State University, Department of History; Mr. Reginald Lawrence, Team Leader, Jacksonville Vet Center; Dr. Charles Johnson, Jr., Professor, Morgan State University, Department of History; Mr. Wayne Gatewood, Jr., President & CEO, Quality Support, Inc.; Mr. Nicholos Martinelli, Representative Corrine Brown'sSanford Bishop, Jr.'s Legislative Staff; Mr. Daniel Smith, Founder & President, Korean War Family Endowment; Mr. Wilson Smith, Founder & President of African American Medal of Honor Memorial Association; Mr. Gabriel Tenabe, Curator, Morgan State University Museum; Mr. Marvin Eason, White House Liaison, Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Clifton Toulson, Associate Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration; Ms. Marilyn Valliant, Catering Manager, Doubletree Park Terrace Hotel, and Mr. Ron E. Armstead, Executive Director, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Veterans Braintrust. Once more, we would like to pay a very special tribute to three distinguished current members of Congress and Korean War veterans. Honorable Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Ranking Member on the House Ways and Means Committee, and Founder of the Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Braintrust; the Honorable John Conyers (D-MI), Ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee; and the Honorable William Clay (D-MO) Ranking Member on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. Three veterans who have also fought in the long hard battle for social, political and economic justice for all Americans. Finally, to the families of those killed, wounded, missing in action, or former prisoners of war, and particularly, Mr. Leemon Smith, Mr. Talmadge Foster, Past Director of Alabama's Veterans Leadership Program, Gen. Roscoe Robinson, USA, Ret. and Military Historians Col. David Carlisle and Col. John A. Cash, USA, Ret., speaking on behalf of the entire membership of the Congressional Black Caucus I would like to express our sincerest condolences and appreciation for their commitment, indomitable fortitude and dedicated service to country, community and family that characterized their lives. We owe you all. ____________________ |