World War I American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, a few short weeks ago, the world marked the 96th
anniversary of the signing of the peace accords between the Allied
Forces and Germany that ended what, at the time, was called the Great
War. Sadly, it was only the first of what we now call World Wars
because it was followed only two short decades later by the beginning
of what became known as World War II.
That anniversary, which America today calls Veterans Day, was, for
years, called Armistice Day, and it is still called that across Europe.
Four years from now, November 11, 2018, will mark the signing of that
armistice. It will be 100 years since the end of that ugly, bloody war
that ushered in aerial warfare, chemical weapons, tanks, and a host of
other horrors.
Mr. Speaker, in the ensuing century we have not managed to move past
war, and it is well that we remember its costs. For that reason, I rise
in strong support of this legislation before us, H.R. 2366, introduced
by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) along with the gentleman
from Missouri (Mr. Cleaver).
The World War I American Veterans Centennial Commemorative Coin Act
calls for the Treasury Secretary to mint and make available for sale no
more than 350,000 silver coins in recognition of the centenary of the
end of that war.
The veterans of the Great War are long gone, the last having died
nearly 4 years ago. It is well that we remember, though, that nearly 4
million Americans, men and women, served in uniform during the First
World War. Half of them served overseas, and some even volunteered to
fight for other Allied armies even before the U.S. entered the war in
April of 1917.
Of those 4 million veterans, even those who are not students of
military history know some of the names, such as General John Joseph
Pershing, known as ``Black Jack'' Pershing, who led the American
Expeditionary Forces in that war and became the only general of the
armies promoted to that rank while he was alive.
Sergeant Alvin York was perhaps the best known and most decorated
soldier, winning a Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a nest of
enemy machine guns at the height of the Meuse-Argonne battles in
France, capturing 32 of them and 132 enemies while killing 28.
James Norman Hall, an Iowa youngster, went to France before the U.S.
entered the war to fly with the American-staffed Lafayette Escadrille
of the French Air Corps, and later drifted to the South Seas where he
cowrote the ``Mutiny on the Bounty'' trilogy.
Mr. Speaker, the coins authorized by this legislation would be sold
at a price that would recoup all costs to taxpayers. The sale price
would include a surcharge that, after requirements for raising private
matching funds are met, would support the work of the World War I
Centennial Commission established by the 111th Congress to plan and
execute activities marking the centennial of the war.
This legislation currently has 302 cosponsors, and a companion bill
introduced by Senator Blunt has 72.
Mr. Speaker, while not celebrating this or any other war, I urge
Members to soberly reflect on the horrors and tragedy of this first
global conflict and to support this legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.
First of all, thanks to Mr. Cleaver and Mr. Lamborn for bringing this
bill to the floor today. Thanks for your dedicated work on that.
Thanks to Mr. Poe. Around here we just simply know him as ``Judge,''
but thanks for his poignant comments.
As a Vietnam veteran returning to the United States in the 1973 era,
I found a Nation that was disrespectful to young men and women who had
served, myself included. I took my uniform off and put it in a closet,
never to pull it out until I ran for Congress and people began to ask
why I didn't tell about the military story.
That is a condition and a mindset that no matter how you are
registered, no matter what culture you are in, what race, what
religion, we must never let this happen again. We must be willing to
sacrifice for those who have sacrificed for us and those who have been
willing to make the sacrifice.
My grandfather was in World War I. As I was approaching my time to go
to Vietnam, he visited with me about being in the Argonne Forest and
about being gassed there. It left him with a lung condition and frailty
throughout the rest of his life. But he never was sorry for serving,
never was sorry for those things that had happened to him.
It is young men and women who are willing to do anything for others'
freedom that we are honoring here today. And again, I would urge all to
support this legislation. It is a noble concept and a noble tradition
of remembering those who have served this country in the military.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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