[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 11 (Thursday, January 22, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E101-E103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WORLD WAR I HISTORY LESSONS FOR TODAY'S RETURNING IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES-
______
HON. CORRINE BROWN
of florida
in the house of representatives
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I, with my colleagues Sanford
Bishop and Charles Rangel, rise to submit a report, written by Ron
Armstead, of the 26th Annual Veterans Braintrust at the 44th Annual
Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference.
2014 is the beginning of the worldwide celebration of the centennial
of World War I, known as the ``war to end all wars.'' Although, the
U.S. didn't join the war until 1917, we would like to point out one
American Eugene Jacques Bullard, born in Columbus, GA, who enlisted on
October 19, 1914 to fight for France. He later, became the first
African American, combat aviator in history with the motto: ``All Blood
Runs Red'' Also note, 33 years after his death, and 77 years after
being denied entry into the U.S. Army Air Corps--Bullard was
posthumously commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
Nearly 5 million Americans served during the war, and 116,516
Americans died in defense of democracy overseas. World War I also
marked the first time in the nation's history that American soldiers
went abroad to defend foreign soil against aggression. During the war
to end all wars, the U.S. enlisted 367,710 African American men as
soldiers--most from the south--into the Armed Forces. About 200,000
were sent to France and about 50,000 of those saw combat. The vast
majority served in the Service of Supply (SOS) units in Europe with the
American Expeditionary Force (AEF) on the Western Front, while also
encountering French civilians and colonial African troops alike.
U.S. World War I veterans have moved from memory to history. We are
reminded that the last American soldier to die in World War I was
Private Wayne Miner of Kansas City, and he was but one of the many
African Americans, who participated in Black Regiments during the war.
This included the celebrated 369th, formerly New York 15th National
Guard ``Harlem Hellfighters,'' made up of volunteers, who served more
days under continuous fire (181 days) than any other regiment in the
AEF during the entire war, and the first American unit to reach the
Rhine River, while suffering 40% killed and wounded--with 171 African
Americans from the 369th alone being awarded the Croix de Guerre, or
French Legion of
[[Page E102]]
Merit for heroism in battle, as well as the entire unit.
Regarding the Black American in the World War for Democracy, are the
historic words of Emmett Scott, Special Assistant to the Secretary of
War Newton D. Baker. ``The Negro, in the Great War for Freedom and
Democracy, had proved to be a notable and inspiring figure. The record
and achievements of this racial group as brave soldiers and loyal
citizens, furnish one of the brightest chapters in American history.''
American Negroes in the World War, 1919.
This stands in sharp contrast to what Maj. Gen. Robert L. Bullard,
Commander of the American 2nd Army during World War I, and an Alabama
racist who wrote in 1923 ``Poor Negroes! They are hopelessly inferior .
. .'' ``If you need combat soldiers, and especially if you need them in
a hurry, don't put your time upon Negroes.''
Thus, the framework for the 26th Annual Veterans Braintrust Forum was
African Americans, history, advocacy and legacy. The invocation and
benediction was presented by Rev. Dr. Grainer Browning, Jr., setting
the tone and sending a message of hope and faith for the discussions to
come. Harlem's own Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), senior Member of the
House Ways and Means Committee led the remarks by describing veterans
as a special fraternity of men and women. While also recognizing WWI
icon Capt. Hamilton Fish, and historic places such as Hellfighter
Square and the Harlem Armory, home of the 369th Veterans Association
and Museum. As he said, ``when the flag goes up, we fight.'' But, for
many economically it is their only choice, or chance. He also cautioned
that there is a lack of confidence in our government (or trust
deficit), despite the arguable threat to national security. And amid
White House pronouncements there will be no American boots on the
ground, versus the fact that between 1600 to 2000 troops are already on
the ground. Equally important, he said, the challenge sent to Congress
is whether ``we are at war'' and determining ``what is the actual
threat to America.'' Additionally, shouldn't we set aside enough money
for those returning from harm's way, and shouldn't everybody be ``on
call,'' including those children of those most politically and
economically powerful.
Rep. Bishop, in joining with his colleagues Brown, Rangel and Eddie
Bernice Johnson in thanking Ron Armstead for his continued support,
said to the veterans in the audience--``we owe you an immeasurable
debt, for without your sacrifices, our freedom and liberties would not
be as secure.'' Further, ``this year marks the 100th anniversary of
WWI, and we must remember the many sacrifices made during WWI and
African Americans that served during this dark period.''
On May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed by Congress
requiring all male citizens between the ages of 21 and 31 to register
for the draft. However, even before the act was passed, African
American males from all over the country eagerly joined the war effort.
They viewed the conflict as an opportunity to prove their loyalty,
patriotism and worthiness for equal treatment in the United States.
This is still true today, WWI veterans and the veterans of today give
selflessly of themselves for the love of their country, yet some still
have to fight to receive the recognition for their actions and earned
benefits.
``It is said `those who forget the lessons of the past are bound to
repeat them.' War has always been full of unplanned consequences for
our service members; we must be vigilant in responding to the needs of
our veterans, and our obligations in sharing the same passion for
defending our nation. We must learn from the past, work on progress for
the future, and continue to work on areas that need improvement. I hope
that when you leave today's discussion, the information you have heard
will build a lasting bond, and help us work together, improving service
members and their families quality of life, as well as expanding the
opportunities to our service member's still on active duty, and to our
veterans.''
Finally, Bishop emphasized this point as we focus on WWI and the
impact it had on those African Americans returning from war, ``A people
without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like
a tree without roots.''
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson expressed her disappointment at seeing the
President's issuing of 24 medals of honor, that did not include a
certain individual who truly deserves to be honored--specifically,
Petty Officer Doris `Dorie' Miller. Petty Officer Miller was awarded
the Navy Cross by President Roosevelt before his death in 1943,
although he was never awarded the Medal of Honor, the Navy has
concluded that the Navy Cross appropriately recognizes his actions,
however, she and many others have always believed this to be distinctly
untrue.
Rep. Corrine Brown, who has served on the House Committee on Veterans
Affairs for over twenty-two years, announced that she was seeking the
Ranking Member position for the House Veterans Affairs Committee in the
114th Congress. She noticed that when the Democrats were in charge,
they passed the largest veterans health care budget in the history of
this country; passed the largest increase of the GI Bill since World
War II; and tried to insure veterans against a Republican government
shutdown by providing advanced appropriations for health care programs.
``These advanced appropriations provide veterans with much needed
security in the future.''
Brown looks forward to bringing veterans issues back to the forefront
of policy in the House of Representatives along with working together
with those veterans and veterans advocates represented here today to
present a strong voice for our deserving veterans. She finished by
quoting President George Washington, who said, ``The willingness with
which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how
justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the
veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their
country.''
The keynote speaker was the Deputy Secretary of the Department of
Veterans Affairs Sloan Gibson. Deputy Secretary Gibson was confirmed as
Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs on February 11, 2014--and on May
30, 2014, was appointed Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
The Deputy Secretary stated, one hundred years ago the first shots
were fired that would lead our nation into World War I. The first step
in fulfilling President Lincoln's charge to care for those ``who shall
have borne the battle . . .'' And on April 6, 1917, the nation called,
and Henry Johnson, Needham Roberts and thousands of others answered the
call. Their unit was the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the ``Harlem
Hellfighters,'' who served with the French 16th Division in the Argonne
Forest on the Western Front. Pvt. Johnson suffered 21 combat injuries,
and Pvt. Roberts a grenade wound in hand-to-hand combat. For their
valor they were the first Americans to earn the Croix de Guerre,
France's highest military honor. Yet, few details are recorded about
Needham Roberts, who died in an asylum in 1949. But, much more is known
about Sgt. Henry Johnson's transition from military service, discharge
records fail to account for his severe wounds--no Purple Heart, no
Pension. Debilitating injuries cost him his job, his family, and he
died destitute in 1939, only 32 years old. The VA was not there for
him.
Even 75 years later we find that still shocks the conscience,
prompting the question the Veterans Braintrust asks: a century after
sending our national treasure ``Over There,'' are we doing any better
supporting their transitions over here?
First, in any effort we have to make sure every veteran, regardless
of social and economic circumstances, has the opportunity for a happy
and fulfilling life. Second, to really do better, the VA has to look at
everything we do through the eyes of those we serve--our veterans. And
that is where Secretary Bob McDonald is leading us--to a veteran-
centric organization that measures performance by veterans' outcomes
and impacts, as opposed to inputs, activity, outputs, or good
intentions. The metrics that matter are Veteran outcomes and impacts.
We won't attempt to recite all the examples, or accomplishments he
cited, of the VA doing better such as Veterans Treatment Courts, Vet
Centers. . . .
But here are a number of unfortunate facts: homelessness for veterans
of color is disproportionately high. While 20% of veterans are
minorities nearly half of homeless veterans in temporary shelters are
minorities. Another fact is, a disproportionate number of criminal
justice involved veterans are minorities. These and similar health
disparities led to establishing VA's Office of Health Equity (OHE) in
2012 under the leadership of Dr. Uhenna Uchendu. With OHE's singular
mission being to help ensure all veterans receive effective and
equitable health care--regardless of race, gender, age, geography, and
culture or sexual orientation. In closing, Gibson said, ``So are we
doing better in supporting warfighters' transitions? The short answer
is, yes, we're doing better. But we still have lots to do. All of us,
together.
The other very special guest speaker was Three Star Gen. Ronald
Bailey, USMC, originally from St. Augustine, Florida. In his remarks,
he spoke about the 100th Anniversary of World War I being a rare
opportunity to reflect on where we have come from, share stories such
as Leo C. Chase, the first soldier to die from St. Augustine as a
consequence of Vietnam fighting in the battle of the Ia Drang Valley
(which story is vividly told in the 1992 book, ``We Were Soldiers Once
and Young: Ia Drang--The Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam''). We
were also able to extrapolate important lessons, and offer long overdue
recognition as part of the healing process. Lastly, he called the Hon.
Corrine Brown, the 'Lion of the Marine Corps,' for her unwavering
efforts in honoring the Montford Point Marines with the Congressional
Gold Medal.
[[Page E103]]
Panelists
Mike Betz spoke highly about the recent report, which was part of the
Million Records Project, an initiative of Student Veterans of America
(SVA), which measured for the first-time ever veterans' performance in
higher education; D. Wayne Robinson, a retired Command Sergeant Major
spoke about Student Veterans of America (SVA) Chapters across the
country, student veterans return on investment (ROI) to America and his
way of giving back as President/CEO; Col. David Sutherland spoke about
the importance of connecting with families and community. He also
briefly told the story of Staff Sgt. Donnie Dixon, a career soldier who
was killed on his second tour of duty in Baloor, Iraq, and the Easter
Seals Center that is named after him to address the urgent needs of
military service members, veterans and their families, or the
homecoming; Sgt. DeMarqus Townsend spoke about his personal struggles
with coming home from combat and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Prof. Pellom McDaniels, author of the forthcoming ``Memoir of Royal
Christian, a Black World War I Soldier'' (2015), spoke passionately
about the importance of WWI, for African Americans social, political
and economic advancement; Prof Adriane Lentz-Smith, author of ``Freedom
Struggles: African Americans and World War I'' (2009), spoke of African
American soldiers returning home to join activist working to gain full
citizenship rights as recompense for military service; Prof. Joel
Beeson spoke about the striking and uncanny parallels between our
present moment in history and the time before, during and after WWI.
Journalist Yvonne Latty, spoke about the pride that emerged from
writing ``We Were There: Voices of African American Veterans, From
World War II to the War in Iraq'' (2004), and later her ambivalence
resulting from writing ``In Conflict: Iraq War Veterans Speak Out on
Duty, Loss, and the Fight to Stay Alive'' (2006), and last, but not
least Dr. Linda Lagemann spoke out about the flood of mind-altering
psychiatric drugs being administered by military physicians for service
personnel, and veterans.
Afterward during the comments period Tara Johnson, the granddaughter
of Sgt. Henry Johnson, WWI Hero, daughter of famed Tuskegee Airman
Herman Johnson of WWII, and mother of Sgt. DeMarqus Townsend, USMC, a
Iraq combat veteran spoke with heartfelt emotion that her grandfather
died alone and destitute never receiving help for his mental and
health-related issues from WWI. Saying, while government has made great
strides in the care of returning troops, much more work is still
needed, particularly at the family, friends and community level--
because we can't afford to throw them (returnees) away.
In recognition of the continuing importance of jobs for returning
Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers and their families, the Veterans
Braintrust and Disney once again teamed up for a special breakout
session highlighting Disney's Veterans Institute's unique ``10 STEPS''
for creating a Veterans Hiring Program; in addition to discussing
strategies, tactics and interviewing techniques for bringing on-board
veterans.
Now, despite the fact that there are no longer any U.S. veterans left
from World War I, there were a number of World War I descendants and
relatives, institutions, organizations, historic places and groups. To
name a few, such as the Kenneth Hawkins American Legion Post #61 of
Atlantic City, New Jersey that contributed to linking the past with the
present. At the family level, there were descendants Rev. Dr. Grainger
Brown, Jr., the Grandson of Cpl. Clifton Merimon, 372nd, who earned the
Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Croix de Guerre and Medaille
Miltiare; Tara Johnson, Granddaughter and Sgt. DeMarqus Townsend, USMC,
disabled Iraq soldier and Great-Grandson of Sgt. Henry Johnson of the
369th; Charles Hamilton Houston, Jr., aging son of Lt. Charles Hamilton
Houston, Sr., WWI Officer, Harvard Law School Graduate Class of 1923,
and Civil Rights Hero; Roger Morris, Grandson of Lt. James Morris, Sr.,
a native of Georgia and Graduate of the U.S. Army's first Class of
Black Officers in 1917, Jerry Bowman, Grandson of Ira Bowman, who
served with the 369th, and Clarence `Tiger' Davis, who's Aunt, Louvenia
Bradley-Harper, traveled to Paris in 1918 to retrieve her son Melvin
Harper's body. She came home without his remains, saying, ``that he was
in a much better place.'' He is buried in Manheim, Germany.
Equally important, all this served as the broader context for our
pre-centennial WWI Forum discussion, which was instructive and
insightful. First, many parallels were drawn between WWI and Iraq and
Afghanistan returnees, particularly injuries (e.g. PTSD, TBI, suicides
and domestic violence), and war's impact on families, both military and
civilians.
Second, in answering a couple of historical and philosophical
questions such as did WWI end all wars and Save the World for
Democracy, and (2) do we learn from history, or repeat it--given that
the WWI Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, or Middle East boundaries
continue to fuel conflict, and geo-political fighting in the region
today (along sectarian, tribal and ethnic lines on the ground)--we
would answer a resounding `no!' Which leads many of us to believe, or
say, ``the more things change, the more they stay the same.''
Third, a long overdue bill (S. 2793) to authorize the award of the
Medal of Honor to Sgt. Henry Johnson was introduced and passed the
Senate on September 18, 2014, with a related bill (HR5459) being
referred to the House Armed Service Committee. However, the process is
Congress must pass a separate authorization due to the time period for
awarding has passed. But, once the legislation is passed it goes to the
Joint Chiefs of Staff for verification, and afterward to the
President's desk for signing.
Fourth, Dr. Adriane Lentz-Smith says, ``there's actually a deeper and
longer story, or view of the origins of the Civil Rights Movement, than
that of the 50's Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954 & 60's
successful passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.'' New scholarship
lends a sense of a longer and harder civil rights struggle, one that
dates back to the World War One era (U.S. Supreme Court's Plessy v.
Ferguson decision of 1896) and the aftermath of the Civil War. Leading
Dr. Pellom McDaniel's to call for, or recommend the creation of a
Consortium for the Study of African Americans in World War One with the
support of the Veterans Braintrust of the Congressional Black Caucus to
leverage and/or attract filmmakers, scholars, supporters, etc.
Finally, the 26th annual gala reception and awards ceremony hosted by
Hon. Corrine Brown was held in the Veterans' Committee Hearing Room of
the Cannon House Office Building. This year's awards were presented by
Ron Armstead before a full house to Linwood Alford, Gregory Cooke, Sgt.
Patricia Harris, Col. Conway Jones, USAF, Ret., Will `It Takes a
Village' Smith, Robert `Bobby' White, Ellis Ray Williams, Come Home
Baltimore, Eastern Seals Dixon Military and Veterans Community Service
Center, Fulton County Veterans Court and Mentorship Program, Open Door
Resource Center, Inc., Stone of Hope Program, Student Veterans of
America, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Inc., Westside All Wars
Memorial Building, the ``Parting Way'' Museum of African American and
Cape Verdean American Ethnohistory, Inc., the film `Choc'Late Soldiers
from the USA,' and World War I soldiers Ira Bowman, Lt. Charles
Hamilton Houston, Sr., and Sgt. Henry Johnson posthumously. The Rep.
Brown closed the awards segment with a rousing rendition of `God Bless
America.'
Special thanks goes to our historians, families, friends, supporters
and staff--Profs. Adrian Lentz-Smith, Joel Beeson, Pellom McDaniels,
Journalist Yvonne Latty and Dr. Linda Lagemann; Rev. Dr. Grainger
Browning, Jr., Tara Johnson, Sgt. DeMarqus Townsend, USMC, Jerry
Bowman, Robert Morris and Clarence `Tiger' Davis; Dr. Frank Smith, Jr.,
Prof. Maria Hoehn and Dr. Krewasky Salter; Ralph Cooper, Morocco
Coleman, Carmen Wilson II, Robert Blackwell, Elaine Sacks, Mildred Kidd
Smith, Tom Harris, Dr. Dorothy Simpson-Taylor, Howard Jefferson, and
Dr. Davine Reed; Dr. Richard Lipsky, Education Corporation of America,
Smithsonian Channel, National Archives and Records Administration;
Austin Brock, Col. Kevin Preston, USA, Ret., and the Walt Disney
Veterans Initiative; and Sydney Renwick, Lee Footer, Stephanie Anim-
Yankah, Jonathan Halpern, Vernita Stevens, Hannah Kim, Reba Raffaelli,
Ronnie Simmons and Shantrel Brown.
____________________