Floor Statement Honoring Company K

FLOOR STATEMENT HONORING COMPANY K

Mr. President, today -- on the 58th Anniversary of the unconditional surrender of Germany and the end of World War II in Europe -- a flag will be flown over this Capitol building here in Washington, DC -- to honor the men who served in Company K, the Most Decorated Company in the 409th Regiment of the 103rd Infantry Division, 6th Corps of the 7th Army. The members of the Company will display this flag at their reunion later this year in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and at all future reunions, in memory of the men from K Company who fell on the field of battle -- the men who did not return home.

Though it has been 58 years -- nearly six decades, Mr. President -- since these men served and fought and lived and died together, the men of K Company, now in their late 70s and 80s, continue to remember and honor their brothers who died in battle.

The members of K Company -- the men who did return home -- the men who were able to lead their lives and have families and grow old and spend time with their children and grandchildren and now even great-grandchildren -- these men have great reverence for those who died. As Bill Gleason, who was a Private in Company K, so eloquently once wrote:

"Some in our Company were denied the chance to reach old age. They didn't make it to adulthood. They never were old enough to vote in an election. They died then -- there in France or Germany. . . . They are frozen in time as they were -- forever youthful."

I'd like to take a moment, Mr. President, to read the names of those men of K Company -- the men who perished during battle -- the men who remain, as Mr. Gleason so fittingly wrote, forever youthful:

Wilson F. Rogers from Tacoma, Washington. James Rosenbarger from Corydon, Indiana. Rosco Fry from Spickard, Missouri. Stanley Berdinski from Muskegon, Michigan. Bruno Pachisky from Chicago, Illinois. Sherman Sprague from Clinton, Iowa. Alex Hurtiz from El Paso, Texas. Charles Frakes from Kokomo, Indiana. Abe Umansky from San Diego, California. Edwin Byron from Akron, Ohio. Albert Strang.

Mr. President, K Company was no ordinary company. It was recognized as the Most Decorated Company in the 409th Regiment. The soldiers of K Company fought valiantly in France, Germany, and Austria. They saw combat in the Rhineland from September 15, 1944 to March 12, 1945 and in Central Europe from March 22, 1945 to May 11, 1945.

Two books have been written about the Company -- one by Bill Gleason, called Task Force Kommando: Camp Howze Texas to Jenbach Austria; and A Combat Infantryman in World War II, by Otis Cannon, who also served in the Company. Both books provide an excellent perspective of an Infantry company in combat during World War II. They describe the reality of the War that these brave, young Infantrymen on the frontlines faced. They paint us a picture of what life was really like for these men -- how they struggled and endured fierce fighting, rugged terrain, and miserable conditions until they helped secure the ultimate victory 58 years ago today.

K Company's commander was Captain Joseph Bell, who hailed from Topeka, Kansas. By all accounts, Captain Bell was a man among men. He was fearless. He was a brilliant tactician. And, he was respected and admired by all who served under him.

I was quite taken by a description of Captain Bell that I read from a recent email exchange between two former K Company soldiers. In this email, one of the men recalled his first impressions of Captain Bell and how this man and how this Company have had a lasting impact on his life. I think that this depiction captures a very colorful image of Captain Bell and how he was looked up to and admired. I'd like to take a few moments to read from that email -- it begins as a young, World War II Army Private, who has recently arrived in Europe, awaits his company assignment:

"We were told that the next morning, we would be assigned to some infantry company. That night, we went into a bar and were bought some beer by some GI's who knew we were (for want of a better word) very uptight. All they talked about was Captain Bell and his K Company. They told us that if we wanted to do a lot of fighting that would be the company to be assigned to. That was really not what [my buddy, Ernie Dessecker] and I had in mind!

A little before dark, someone on the other side of the room yelled that Captain Bell was walking down the street and every single soldier in that bar got up and crammed the windows to get a look at him. He had a couple of other officers on both sides of him, but he was walking a step or two ahead. It was a dirt muddy street, but he looked like he was walking on a parade ground. After he went by, you could hear Captain Bell stories all over the bar.

The next day, we were loaded on a truck and at each town, it would stop and some names were called to get off. When Dess and I were told to get off, the first thing we asked was, "What company is this?" When told it was Company K, we both wished we could climb back on that truck and head for the rear echelon! Of course, in a very short time, we were so very proud to be part of Captain Bell's Company K, and that pride continues to this day.

I was assigned to John Miller's squad in the second platoon with Sergeant Hart and Lieutenant Monk as platoon leaders. They were very kind and excellent leaders. I learned a lot from them that has stayed with me all these years."

Mr. President, leaders like Captain Bell and John Miller and Sergeant Hart and Lieutenant Monk were tough soldiers, but they had to be, and all the men who served under them came to understand that.

As Bill Gleason wrote about Captain Bell, "We understood . . . that if we made it through the war, we would owe our lives to him. And, we do.... [H]e kept us alive simply because he insisted we stay alive." Leaders, like Captain Bell, made all the difference.

As Memorial Day approaches, Mr. President, I ask my colleagues to think about Captain Bell and the men of K Company. I ask my colleagues to think about and remember all the men and women who served our Nation during World War II -- and to think about and remember all the men and women who have defended our Nation since that time. Memorial Day is a time to honor and remember these individuals. They fought -- and therefore, all of us now know peace and freedom -- our children and our grandchildren know peace and freedom. We owe them our respect -- and, we give them our thanks.

I am grateful for the men of Company K, Mr. President.

I am grateful that they fought so that I can be here today in a free country -- that I can stand here today on the Floor of the United States Senate in the world's greatest Democracy.

And, I am grateful that we can continue to enjoy Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness because of their efforts nearly 60 years ago.

I thank them.

I thank all the men of K Company and especially one man who served in the Company -- the author of the email I quoted just a moment ago -- a Private named Richard DeWine. To him, I will simply say, "Thank you, Dad."

I thank the Chair and yield the Floor.