Office of Strategic Services Congressional Gold Medal Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of S. 2234, legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to members of the Office of Strategic Services in recognition of their significant service and contributions against the Axis Powers during World War II.
I am pleased to note that the legislation has already passed the Senate with unanimous consent, and that companion legislation, introduced here in the House, has already received the endorsement of 320 cosponsors. Upon passage here in the House, the legislation will be cleared for the President's signature.
Created at the start of World War II, the Office of Strategic Services was the Nation's first effort to implement a coordinated intelligence system, laying the foundation for our modern-day intelligence and special operations capabilities.
In addition to honoring and recognizing the meaningful and personal sacrifice of the thousands of Americans who served as part of the Office of Strategic Services, the legacy of the OSS offers a number of lessons that continue to hold value to this day. Importantly, the legacy of the OSS serves as a reminder that effective coordination across our Nation's intelligence agencies continues to play a foundational role in promoting our national security interests.
The OSS also serves to remind us of the importance of working strategically and in concert with our longstanding allies to prevail against those who seek to do our Nation harm. Indeed, during World War II, the OSS played a critical role in organizing, training, supplying, and fighting alongside resistance organizations throughout Europe and Asia.
Moreover, throughout the war, the OSS demonstrated that our government is at its best when it brings together a wide range of individuals with diverse backgrounds. At its height in late 1944, the Office of Strategic Services employed nearly 13,000 individuals, nearly a third of whom were women. The service also drew its personnel not only from the military but also from civilians from all walks of life, including economists, psychologists, geographers, and a wide range of other fields.
Upon the dissolution of the Office of Strategic Services at the close of World War II, General William J. Donovan, who headed the OSS, stated that, ``We have come to the end of an unusual experiment. That experiment was to determine whether a group of Americans constituting a cross section of racial origins, of abilities, of temperaments, and of talents could meet and risk an encounter with long-established and well-trained enemy organizations.''
He went on to conclude that, ``You can go with the assurance that you have made a beginning in showing the people of America that only by decisions of national policy based upon accurate information can we have the chance of a peace that will endure.''
So I am pleased that we are honoring the thousands of men and women who made the sacrifice to serve as part of the Office of Strategic Services, whose contribution was so critical to America's ultimate triumph over the Axis Powers.
I am also pleased that the legislation will allow future generations to appreciate these contributions to our Nation and the world. By designating the Smithsonian Institution as the custodian of the medal, and by allowing for its display at other locations associated with the Office of Strategic Services, the legislation will ensure that the legacy and the lessons that can be drawn from the contributions made by members of the Office of Strategic Services will not be forgotten.
So as we enter into unchartered waters with the incoming administration, I hope that we will all take pause and heed the lessons of the OSS and remember that America is at its best when we work together with our longstanding allies and when we recruit diverse personnel to serve our government.
I also hope that it serves as a reminder of the importance of taking care of our veterans once their service has ended and they return to civilian life.
I urge adoption of the legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
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