E1630 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks September 21, 2012 

John Real, 90, lives in Ventura, California. A 

California native, he enlisted in the U.S. Army 

Air Corps after graduating from high school in 

1940. He was sent to the Philippines in April 

1941 and assigned to aerial reconnaissance at 

Clark Field with the 2nd Observation Squadron, 27th Bombardment Group, V Bomber 

Command, 20th Air Force. Real and his unit 

manned an observation tower on top of Mt. 

Mariveles, Bataan during Japan’s invasion of 

the Philippines where he tracked Japanese 

ship movement around the Olongapo Navy 

Yard. He walked down the mountain to surrender on April 9, 1942 and was stripped of all 

his belongings before being forced on the Bataan Death March. At the start of the march, 

he and others were used as human shields by 

being forced to walk in front of seized American 155mm caliber field guns (Long Toms) 

that the Japanese were firing at Corregidor. 

He was a POW at both Camp O’Donnell and 

Cabanatuan 1. He avoided a certain death at 

O’Donnell by volunteering for a work detail on 

Bataan. In September 1943, he was sent to 

Moji, Japan aboard the Hellship Taga Maru 

(aka Coral Maru) via Formosa. At Tokyo 5–B 

POW Camp in Niigata, he was a slave laborer 

unloading coal ships for Niigata Kairiku Unso, 

now part of the Rinko Corporation. After the 

war, Real received a BA degree in Business 

Administration from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a MA degree from 

the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. POW# 514 

George R. Summers, 90, lives in Riverside, 

California. Born in the Philippines, he grew up 

in California where he joined the Marine Corps 

Reserve in February 1941. Activated in June 

1941, his unit was sent to Guam in September 

1941. Japan invaded the island on December 

8, 1941, and he was taken prisoner by the 

10th of December. Summers was on the first 

transport of Allied POWs to Japan, the Argentina Maru with 420 American POWs from 

Guam to Tadotsu on the north coast of 

Shikoku. After arriving in Japan on January 

16, 1942, the POWs were transported to 

Zentsuji (Hiroshima Branch #1), a POW camp 

about eight kilometers from Tadotsu. He spent 

six months there clearing a mountainside to 

plant apple trees. He was then transferred to 

Tanagawa Osaka Area POW Command #4B 

Camp, where he helped to manually tear 

down a mountainside to build a breakwater for 

a primitive dry-dock and submarine base. This 

camp was noted for its severe malnutrition 

and extremely high death rate of POWs. Six 

months later, he was sent to Umeda Bunsho 

Camp in Osaka (Osaka 2–D UMEDA), Japan, 

where he worked for Nippon Express as a 

slave stevedore. He was transferred to a total 

of six POW camps due to American bombings. His last camp was the Nagoya 10–B 

Fushiki Camp, where he worked as a stevedore slave unloading soybeans from Korea for 

Fushiki Kairiku Unso until Japan’s surrender. 

After his release, he was hospitalized for six 

months at the Long Beach Naval Hospital. In 

retirement, he has focused on real estate investment and his hobbies of collecting Koi fish 

and exotic birds. POW# 347 

IN HONOR OF THE CITY OF BEREA 

HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

honor of the City of Berea, Ohio. Since 1836, 

the City of Berea has been an exemplary 

community within Northeast Ohio. 

Known as ‘‘The Grindstone Capital of the 

World,’’ the town’s symbol is a grindstone 

which serves as a tribute to the many grindstones that came out of its quarries. Every 

year, on Independence Day weekend, a festival named for the grindstones is celebrated 

by the City of Berea. 

Berea is home to several of Northeast 

Ohio’s most important fixtures such as Baldwin-Wallace College, the Cleveland Browns’ 

training facility and the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. Over the years, Berea has produced 

a number of notable residents including John 

Baldwin, Lou Groza, Jim Tressel and former 

U.S. Secretary of Defense, Neil H. McElroy. 

Today, the City of Berea is home to nearly 

20,000 residents who are led by Mayor Cyril 

Kleem. Mayor Kleem was recently elected to 

his second term in office. There are eight 

members on the City Council: Mary Brown, 

Dean Can Dress, Dale Lange, Margarette 

Kay, Nick Haschka, Jim Maxwell, Cheryl 

Banaszak and Richard Malott. 

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me 

in honoring the City of Berea and all of its 

residents. 

f 

STOP THE WAR ON COAL ACT OF 

2012 

SPEECH OF

HON. JAMES P. MORAN OF VIRGINIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

The House in Committee of the Whole 

House on the state of the Union had under 

consideration the bill (H.R. 3409) to limit the 

authority of the Secretary of the Interior to 

issue regulations before December 31, 2013, 

under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977: 

Mr. MORAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition 

to the Coal Miner Employment and Domestic 

Energy Infrastructure Protection Act. 

Here on the last days of the 112th Session 

of Congress, we are wasting time debating a 

bill, whose constituents parts have already 

been approved by this body. 

We’ve already spent considerable House 

time debating all five titles of this bill. 

And all five titles were rejected by the Senate and have received a veto threat from the 

President. 

Over the past 19 months this body has cast 

more than 300 votes against the environment. 

Just as repeating a falsehood doesn’t make 

it true, passing a bill in the House twice in the 

same session won’t make it a law. 

When the history of this Congress is written, 

it will be known as the least productive Congress in a century, eclipsing even the infamous ‘‘Do Nothing’’ Congress that President 

Harry Truman confronted more than 50 years 

ago. 

Rather than advance policies that would 

promote employment, help drought stricken 

farmers, even address the long-term solvency 

of Medicare, this House remains stuck on vilifying the Environmental Protection Agency 

and taking issue with its obligations under the 

law to protect the public’s health. 

This week’s announcement by Alpha Natural Resources that it plans to lay-off miners 

and scale back coal production by 16 million 

tons annually may fuel the argument that EPA 

is somehow responsible, but even Kevin 

Crutchfield, the company’s chief executive officer, acknowledged that the principle cause 

was ‘‘the result a difficult market in which 

power plants are switching to abundant, less 

expensive natural gas.’’ 

If natural gas is cheaper to burn than coal, 

then where is the legislation to ban its use? 

How about a war on natural gas? 

For decades the coal industry and utilities 

have been exempted from Clean Air Act regulations. 

It took court orders for previous administrations’ inactions and the current administration 

commitment to protecting the public’s health 

that led to today’s regulatory climate. 

And, while hundreds of miners may lose 

their jobs because of cheaper natural gas and 

new Clean Air and Clean Water Act regulations, tens of thousands of Americans, this bill 

so callously disregards, will be saved from 

premature deaths, asthma attacks, emergency 

room visits and missed work and school days 

each year. 

I will vote to protect the lives of thousands 

of Americans over the few hundred who might 

lose their jobs. 

If the majority truly cares about the fate of 

these miners, then support a jobs bill that will 

allow them to rebuild America’s infrastructure. 

This bill is wrong. 

It advances narrow, profit-based interests 

over the interests of everyday Americans. 

It presumes that a cleaner, healthier air and 

water must be subservient to the interests of 

keeping this nation’s dirtiest power plants and 

the most environmentally destructive mining 

techniques free from regulation. 

My colleagues, it’s a distorted set of priorities advanced by just a fraction of CEOs in 

the utility and mining industries who refuse to 

clean up their operations. 

We can have cleaner air and more jobs. 

And history provides us with proof it is possible. 

It’s already happened, and I credit George 

Herbert Walker Bush with having the courage 

and foresight to put his signature on the Clean 

Air Act of 1990. 

He would be vilified by the current House 

majority if he signed that bill today. 

It’s a sad commentary to see so many in 

this chamber beholden to an industry that prefers to invest in the political process rather 

than in saving lives by reducing its life-damaging practices. 

Few of my colleagues may realize that the 

coal consuming industries that have underwritten this assault on EPA had an opportunity 

to collaborate with the Obama administration 

on a regulatory framework. 

They were invited early on during the first 

year of the Obama administration to sit down 

and craft a compliance option. 

The administration had hoped to craft a deal 

similar to the historic deal it made with the nation’s auto industry on fuel efficiency and tailpipe emissions. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with REMARKS
September 21, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1631 

A National Journal article by Coral Davenport in the September 22, 2011 issue referenced this meeting. 

But unlike the auto industry, the coal consuming industries refused to negotiate. 

Instead, and let me quote from the article, 

they: 

‘‘banded together with the Republican 

Party to strategize, and the 2010 midterm 

elections offered the perfect battleground. 

The companies invested heavily in campaigns to elect tea party candidates crusading against the role of Big Government. 

Industry groups (like the U.S. Chamber of 

Commerce), tea party groups with deep ties 

to polluters (like Americans for Prosperity), 

and so-called super PACs (like Karl Rove’s 

American Crossroads) spent record amounts 

to help elect the new House Republican majority. 

My colleagues, this bill presents a false 

choice, peddled by an industry that refuses to 

clean up its act. 

This bill serves the interest of no one but a 

few CEOs who refuse to accept responsibility 

to the harm their operations have imposed on 

the rest of us. 

It needs to be defeated. 

I implore my colleagues to vote ‘‘no.’’ 

f 

TRIBUTE TO DR. FRENCH B. 

HARMON 

HON. HAROLD ROGERS OF KENTUCKY

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I 

rise today to pay tribute to my good friend and 

role model, Dr. French B. Harmon, and to celebrate his fifth year serving at First Baptist 

Somerset on October 21st, 2012. Dr. Harmon 

has showed tremendous leadership and involvement in the Somerset community, substantially increasing the Church’s membership 

within the last year, and strongly connecting 

with his congregation. 

Throughout his life, Dr. Harmon has always 

pursued learning. After graduating from Paul 

Blazer high school in Ashland, KY, he attended Marshall University, from where he received his Bachelor’s degree. Seeking to continue his education further, Dr. Harmon went 

on to receive degrees from University of Louisville (MA in Education), Southern Baptist 

Theological Seminary (MDtv and ThM), and 

Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin). Dr. 

Harmon has had a wealth of experience as a 

Christian leader, starting from his days in college as the Baptist Student Union President to 

becoming a Campus Minister to Pikeville College and Prestonsburg Community College. 

Dr. Harmon has been a strong leader in our 

community, organizing various mission trips 

that have greatly benefited those around him. 

This past June, Dr. Harmon led the First Baptist Somerset Church on a mission trip to 

Magoffin County after the town of West Liberty 

had been ravaged by multiple deadly tornadoes this past March. Harmon took a team of 

church members and a large load of building 

supplies to work on damaged homes, repair 

roofs, rebuild porches, and help get people 

back on their feet. 

Harmon has also stood up to the prescription drug epidemic in eastern Kentucky and 

has done his best to shed light on the issue. 

This past May he helped organize and lead 

the first ‘‘Pulaski Cares March for Hope’’ to 

spotlight the drug problem in the region and 

bring hope to those who were struggling with 

drug abuse. 

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me 

in honoring Dr. French B. Harmon, for his outstanding leadership and dedicated service to 

the Somerset community. 

f 

IN HONOR OF THE CITY OF 

BROOKLYN 

HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

honor of the City of Brooklyn, Ohio. Brooklyn 

Township was founded in 1818, became 

Brooklyn Village in 1927 and in 1950 the City 

of Brooklyn was established. 

The City of Brooklyn is home to many firsts 

in the U.S. In 1966, it became the first city to 

establish a seatbelt law. In 1999, it enacted 

the country’s first law to prevent cell phone 

usage while driving. Brooklyn High School’s 

auditorium hosted Elvis Presley’s first concert 

in the northern U.S. on October 20, 1955. 

Brooklyn is also home to a Hugo Boss Plant 

and the world headquarters of American 

Greetings and the popular Memphis Kiddie 

Park. 

Today, the City of Brooklyn is home to approximately 11,000 residents who are led by 

Mayor Richard Balbier. Mayor Balbier who has 

been serving as mayor since 2009 had previously served as the president of the Brooklyn City Council. There are six members on 

the City Council: Colleen Coyne Gallagher, 

Anthony DeMarco, Tom Murphy, Ron Van 

Kirk, Kathleen Pucci and Kevin Tanski. 

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me 

in honoring the City of Brooklyn and all of its 

residents. 

f 

CELEBRATING APAIT HEALTH 

CENTER’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY 

HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to congratulate APAIT Health Center, 

serving my 34th Congressional District, on 

their 25th anniversary. 

Since 1987, APAIT Health Center (formerly 

known as Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention 

Team) has worked to fulfill its mission of positively impacting the quality of life for medically 

underserved communities living with or at risk 

for HIV/AIDS and other health disparities 

through a seamless continuum of culturally 

competent and linguistically appropriate programs in Southern California. 

APAIT Health Center is a distinctly critical 

service provider for those living with HIV/AIDS 

and members of the LGBTQ community in the 

greater Los Angeles area. The agency serves 

clientele from diverse communities, including 

Asian and Pacific Islanders (API), Latinos, and 

African Americans. 

In its 25 year history, APAIT Heath Center 

has become the largest provider of HIV/AIDS 

services to API communities in Southern California, having served tens of thousands of individuals. 

APAIT continues to respond this year with 

the opening of a community health clinic in the 

vibrant Pico Union/Westlake area, a community with scarce health options for those who 

are low-income and uninsured. 

Private sector partnerships are also part of 

APAIT Health Center’s portfolio. APAIT Health 

Center has been the recipient of grants from 

Kaiser Permanente, John and Johnson, and 

the California endowment, to name a few. In 

addition, APAIT Health Center and its staff 

have received awards and commendations 

from local, state, and national entities, from 

the City of Los Angeles to the White House. 

APAIT’s proudest achievement, however, is 

consistently receiving high marks from their 

client satisfaction surveys. The most recent 

survey revealed 93 percent of clients feel their 

quality of life has improved since seeking 

services with APAIT Health Center. 

I once again congratulate APAIT Health 

Center on the celebration of their 25th anniversary. I thank them for their continued service to the Los Angeles community, and for the 

help they provide to those in need. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF DR. HOWARD 

MONROE FITTS, JR. ON THE OCCASION OF THE 38TH ANNUAL 

DURHAM NAACP FREEDOM FUND 

AND AWARDS BANQUET 

HON. G. K. BUTTERFIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to honor Dr. Howard Monroe Fitts, Jr. 

on his recognition as a Freedom Fund Honoree by the Durham Branch of the National 

Association for the Advancement of Colored 

People, NAACP. Dr. Fitts will receive this recognition next month in appreciation of his advocacy for civil rights and his diligent public 

service to the Durham community. 

Mr. Speaker, after completing a baccalaureate degree in biology at North Carolina 

Central University, NCCU, Dr. Fitts served as 

Teacher and Principal in Wilson County Public 

Schools. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 

1942 and served faithfully for three years before being honorably discharged in 1945 at the 

close of World War II. After the war, Dr. Fitts 

returned to academia where he earned a master’s degree in Public Health Education in 

1946, and a doctorate degree in Health Education from Columbia University in 1961. 

His involvement with the NAACP is deeply 

rooted, stemming back to his childhood when 

he worked alongside his father to sell the organization’s official magazine, Crisis. During 

that time, the young Dr. Howard Fitts was exposed to movements led by the church, health 

agencies, and other civil rights organizations. 

This exposure made an indelible impression 

on him, leading to his active participation and 

advocacy within the Durham community. As a 

result, Dr. Fitts quickly rose to leadership positions in the NAACP and the influential Durham 

Committee on the Affairs of Black People, 

DCABP. 

Among many of his most notable work include his key involvement in the desegregation of the Durham’s public school system, 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with REMARKS