III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 138 

Honoring National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day on April 9, 

2017, and commemorating the 75th anniversary of the fall of Bataan. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 25, 2017 

Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. DAINES, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. 

RUBIO, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. 

MANCHIN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. TESTER, and Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day 

on April 9, 2017, and commemorating the 75th anniversary of the fall of Bataan. 

Whereas, throughout United States history, United States 

servicemen and servicewomen held as prisoners of war 

have endured unimaginable cruelty and unspeakable 

treatment at the hands of their captors in— 

(1) British prison ships floating in the harbor of 

New York City; 

(2) tiger cages in North Vietnam; 

(3) coal mines in Omuta, Japan; and 

(4) mine shafts in Berga, Germany; 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 138 IS 

Whereas many of these servicemen and servicewomen, while 

in service to the United States, lost their lives as prisoners of war under cruel and inhumane conditions; 

Whereas United States servicemembers held as prisoners of 

war have— 

(1) endured situations few people of the United 

States can imagine; and 

(2) found courage in a darkness that other people of 

the United States will hopefully never experience; 

Whereas National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day 

was established to memorialize the surrender by General 

Edward P. King of 80,000 United States and Filipino 

troops on the Bataan Peninsula on April 9, 1942, which 

led to— 

(1) the infamous Bataan Death March; and 

(2) nearly 4 years of brutal imprisonment and slave 

labor for the survivors; 

Whereas, by May 10, 1942, over 11,500 soldiers from the 

United States and the Philippines surrendered on Corregidor, a fortress island in Manila Bay, and at various 

bases on islands in the southern Philippines, which resulted in the largest surrender of United States soldiers 

in United States military history; 

Whereas, during World War II, over 26,000 prisoners of war 

from the United States were held by Imperial Japan, of 

which an estimated 40 percent died, and nearly 1⁄3 of 

those deaths occurred on ‘‘hell ships’’ that carried the 

prisoners of war to Japan to become slave labor in Japanese companies; 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 138 IS 

Whereas the productive peace between the United States and 

Japan has produced a model of reconciliation between 

former combatants; 

Whereas, in 2009, the Government of Japan offered an apology to the United States prisoners of war for the damage 

and suffering of the prisoners of war in Imperial Japan; 

Whereas, in 2010, the Government of Japan established a 

program for former prisoners of war and their families 

to visit Japan and the former prisoner of war camps; and 

Whereas the former prisoners of war who have participated 

in the program described in the ninth whereas clause 

have encouraged the Government of Japan to partner 

with Japanese companies to continue the program as— 

(1) an international model of reconciliation; and 

(2) a permanent fund to support projects for remembrance, documentation, education, and exchange: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors National Former Prisoner of War 

3 Recognition Day on April 9, 2017; 

4 (2) commemorates the 75th anniversary of the 

5 fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942; and 

6 (3) applauds the efforts of the Government of 

7 Japan toward a historic apology for the maltreat8 ment of United States prisoners of war by Imperial 

9 Japan. 

Æ 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS