afrotc-l: House Declares American GI "Person of the Century"

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• To: CAP-TALK@lists.cap.gov, VTCAP@primelink1.net, nhwglist@nhwg.cap.gov
• Subject: Fwd: House Declares American GI "Person of the Century"
• From: "Kevin Stuart" <klonghopper@hotmail.com>
• Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 21:14:30 GMT
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American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 12, 2000 -- House representatives voted 397-0
April 10 naming American GIs as the "Person of the Century" in
their Concurrent Resolution 282 with the Senate.

Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base are in the district of House
sponsor Rep. Robin Hayes of North Carolina. "I am continually
impressed and made proud by their dedication, commitment and
patriotism," he said in introducing his resolution.

"We are just turning the corner on a period in which we ask the
American GI to do more and more with less and less," Hayes
continued. "As I have gotten to know these brave men and women,
one statement continues to ring in my ears, the statement made
during a military personnel hearing at the Norfolk (Va.) Naval
Base was, 'Sir whatever you give us, we will get the job done.'

"The spirit of the American GI -- soldier, sailor, airman and
Marine -- that 'can-do spirit,' is why we honor today the
American GI as the 'Citizen of the Century,'" he said.

Rep. Mike Thompson of California extended "GI" to members of the
Coast Guard and Merchant Marine, saying, "It was the American
GI, known at different periods of the century by names such as
doughboys, Yanks, Buffalo Soldiers, Rough Riders or the American
Expeditionary Force, who carried America's value system abroad
and demonstrated unselfish courage aiding those who struggled
against tyranny and oppression. … Indeed, there is probably not
a region of the world whose people have not benefited from the
presence of the American GI during the 20th century."

Rep. Jim Gibbons of Nevada, a co-sponsor and one of the 10 House
supporters who spoke in favor of the resolution, is a veteran
Vietnam and Gulf War pilot. "The United States, through two hot
world wars and a long Cold War, and numerous wars and conflicts
in all the far-flung reaches of this troubled globe, has been
called the 'arsenal of democracy,'" he said. "The American GI
was the bearer of those arms and our American flag. He was, and
still is, the guardian of our and our allies' security and
freedom."

"The sacrifice, dedication and honor of our soldiers has been a
lamp unto the world, the shining beacon of liberty," Gibbon
concluded. "The American GI kept our flame of freedom burning
brightly through the grim and dark skies; through blood, sweat
and tears; through times of adulation and sadly, through times
of unreasonable contempt. But stand they did."

"Throughout this sad and bloody century, it was the GI -- the
American citizen soldiers -- who left hearth and home, put his
or her personal plans on hold, and traveled to every corner of
the world to save the concept of democracy and preserve the
value of freedom," said supporter Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona.
"Despots and dictators throughout this century were halted in
their tracks and driven back to their lairs because Americans
were not, as they thought, too soft and decadent to resist their
battle-hardened armies.

He concluded: "There have been many great people this century
who have symbolized the struggle for freedom in the 20th century
-- Churchill, Roosevelt, Reagan -- but it is the millions of
people behind them, the American GIs, who actually delivered on
that promise."

Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas raised the only dissenting voice
and voted present on the roll call. "I would support a
resolution which recognized their contributions," he said in
preface. "I would far prefer a more tangible showing of
appreciation, such as fulfilling the promises of health care
made to those who served."

The House referred the resolution April 11 to the Senate
Judiciary Committee.

Transcript of the House proceeding on Concurrent Resolution 282
is accessible through the April 10 Congressional Record from the
<a href=http://www.gpo.gov>Government Printing Office Web
site</a> at www.gpo.gov, or the <a
href=http://clerkweb.house.gov/evs/2000/index.asp>House of
Representatives roll call Web page</a> at
http://clerkweb.house.gov/evs/2000/index.asp, or the <a
href=http://thomas.loc.gov>Library of Congress</a> at
http://thomas.loc.gov.
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