Awarding Congressional Gold Medal to First Special Service Force
Floor Speech
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Mr. COTTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today to seek swift approval of H.R. 324, a bill to grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Special Service Force in recognition of its superior service during World War II. The bill, introduced by my colleague from Florida (Mr. Miller), has 324 cosponsors, befitting the storied history of this unit.
Mr. Speaker, the bravery and valor of the Army Special Forces, more commonly known as the Green Berets, are well known to most Americans. But many don't realize that this unit was born out of the First Special Service Force and the courageous soldiers that fought with it during World War II. The award of the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their heroic service will help ensure that this unit attains the historical recognition it deserves.
Formed in 1942 to take on the hardest jobs in the most adverse conditions, the First Special Service Force was composed of American and Canadian soldiers. The unit fought bravely in the Italian Apennine Mountains against elite German units--the 104th Panzer Grenadiers and the Hermann Goering Paratroops--who were defending Hitler's Gustav Line south of Rome. They defeated German forces at Monte La Difensa after fighting south of the center of the line at Monte Cassino and participated in the successful assault of Monte La Remetanea and several nearby mountains. Sadly, of the 1,800 of the First Special Service Forces fighting soldiers and their 800 support troops, there were 2,300 casualties suffered in the 250 combat days before the unit was disbanded in December of 1944.
Mr. Speaker, the men of the Special Forces fought with their faces blackened by their own boot polish. They were so feared that the Nazi defenders called them the Black Devils and the unit took that name as its own, calling itself the Devil's Brigade. Proud of their strength and bravery, Special Forces soldiers left cards with their patch insignia and the phrase ``The Worst is Yet to Come'' on corpses in enemy territory.
Following World War II, a permanent elite unit was formed based on the experiences of the Special Forces and OSS operatives during the war. Today, that unit has evolved into the Army's Green Berets and a similar unit in Canada, the Special Operations Regiment.
Today, we hear stories of brave men and women in uniform defending freedom around the world. I've seen some of this awe-inspiring bravery firsthand in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a soldier myself. But as we hail our soldiers of today, let us remember the heroism and bravery of the Greatest Generation during World War II. This legislation authorizes the striking and award of a single gold medal that will go to the First Special Service Force Association in Helena, Montana, the original training site of the First Special Force, and the sale of bronze duplicates of that medal.
I ask for immediate passage of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. COTTON. I appreciate that reference to John 15:13, ``Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.'' Certainly, many members of the Devil's Brigade did that, as they do today in our Special Forces.
Now, Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller), the sponsor of this legislation.
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Mr. COTTON. I yield myself the balance of my time.
I join my colleagues, the gentleman from Georgia and the gentleman from Florida, in urging unanimous passage of this very important legislation the week before Memorial Day to honor the Devil's Brigade.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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