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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E819-E820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
V-J Day
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HON. KEVIN HERN
of oklahoma
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 4, 2020
Mr. KEVIN HERN of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the
veterans of the First District of Oklahoma, who served in the Pacific
Theater of the Second World War, in remembrance of Victory over Japan
Day, commonly known as V-J Day.
Following the surrender of Japanese forces on August 15, 1945,
President Harry Truman proclaimed, ``This is a victory of more than
arms alone. This is a victory of liberty over tyranny.'' The dark years
of fighting had finally come to an end, through the bravery and
sacrifice of a generation of Americans.
As we stand here seventy-five years later, their legacy reminds us of
God's grace, the true meaning of honor, and the unimaginable blessing
bestowed on each and every one of us to live in the United States of
America.
Today, I honor some of the bravest warriors on the face of the
earth--heroes who were willing to venture into unknown territories to
meet an uncertain fate, who weathered unimaginable circumstances.
When their nation called, men and women left their families, spouses,
and children to go to a foreign place stricken with war and savagery,
all because they knew the United States of America was the last great
hope on earth. Those who served not only saved our nation and our world
from tyranny, but they changed the course of history forever.
As the news of the war ending spread around the world, we can only
now imagine the thrill of emotions that spread like fire through
country sides and city squares across America. Millions of people took
to the streets, many of which were covered with blizzards of confetti,
and citizens crowded into churches to
[[Page E820]]
thank God for this victory and for the beginning of a new era of peace.
Yet, seventy-five years later, we are still reminded of the true cost
of that peace. Our current generation has also witnessed the sacrifice
of American lives in the name of freedom. While our nation always
attempts to protect American lives through any diplomatic tools
available, human history reveals the sad reality that sometimes the
liberty of all must be defended by a brave few. As Winston Churchill is
often attributed as stating, ``We sleep soundly in our beds because
rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would
do us harm.''
As a society, we must remember and educate our children to ensure
that future generations never forget the heroes that saved our world
from tyranny and destruction. Americans gather on V-J day to do just
that: celebrate the greatest generation--those who came back home and
those who laid down their lives on the field of battle.
With the utmost humility, l recognize and honor those who served in
the Second World War throughout the Pacific Theater and beyond. It is
the greatest honor to live in a country with such valiant men and
women, much less to represent so many of them in Congress.
Victory over Japan Day is a necessary reminder of not only the
enormous sacrifice and triumph of American warfighters over tyrannical
empires, but ultimately, it exhibits the capacity of the American
spirit to overcome all obstacles in order to complete the task at hand.
I pray that we now, as Americans, face today's tests and trials with
the same resolve, unity, and honor as those brave patriots who shed
their blood from the beaches of Normandy to the islands of Okinawa. May
we, too, find victory in our day.
____________________