H. Con. Res. 215
Agreed to August 23, 1994
One Hundred Third Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the twenty-fifth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four
Concurrent Resolution
Whereas James Norman Hall, a native son of the State of Iowa
born in Colfax in 1887, and a graduate of Grinnell College,
was a decorated war hero, noted adventurer, and acclaimed
author, who was revered and loved in France and Tahiti, and
throughout the South Pacific;
Whereas James Norman Hall exhibited an unwavering commitment
to freedom and democracy by volunteering for military service
early in World War I and by fighting alongside British forces
in the worst of trench warfare, including the Battle of Loos,
where he was one of few survivors;
Whereas James Norman Hall continued his fight for liberty by
becoming a pilot in the Lafayette Escadrille, an American pursuit
squadron of the French Air Service, and his courageous and
daring feats in air battles earned him France’s highest medals,
including the Legion d’Honneur, Medaille Militaire, and Croix
de Guerre with 5 Palms;
Whereas James Norman Hall was commissioned as a Captain in
the United States Army Air Service when the United States
entered World War I, continued his legendary exploits as an
ace pilot, acted as wing commander and mentor for then-Lieuten-
ant Eddie Rickenbacker, and was awarded the Distinguished
Service Cross Medal, for gallantry and bravery in battle, by
General Pershing;
Whereas James Norman Hall sought serenity after the destructive-
ness of World War I, moved to the South Pacific in 1920, married
a Tahitian woman and lived in Tahiti for over 3 decades, and
wrote a prodigious number of articles and books in the library
of his home in Arue, Tahiti;
Whereas much of James Norman Hall’s writing enriched the world’s
understanding of Tahiti and the South Pacific;
Whereas James Norman Hall coauthored, with Charles Nordhoff,
classic masterpieces that have come to epitomize the tropics,
including ‘‘Mutiny on the Bounty’’, ‘‘Pitcairn’s Island’’, and ‘‘Hurri-
cane’’;
Whereas, despite James Norman Hall’s achievements as a decorated
war hero and famed literary figure, he remained to his death
a humble, self-effacing man who endeared himself to the people
of Tahiti with his keen sense of generosity, kindness, and real
concern for others, prompting James Michener to state that James
Norman Hall was ‘‘the most loved American who ever came
to the tropics’’ and that when ‘‘he died, on every island in the
Pacific where even no man could read, there was sorrow’’; and
H. Con. Res. 215—2
Whereas the home and library of James Norman Hall, in Arue,
Tahiti, are being restored as a museum to honor this son of
the State of Iowa and hero of the United States, England, France,
and French Polynesia: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concur-
ring), That the Congress—
(1) honors James Norman Hall and recognizes his outstand-
ing contributions to the United States, France, Tahiti, and
the South Pacific, including his extraordinary service rendered
in wartime for the defense of freedom, his outstanding achieve-
ments in the literary field, and his lifework that has enriched
the world’s understanding of the people of the South Pacific;
and
(2) requests the President of the United States to provide
for the presentation of a copy of this concurrent resolution
by appropriate officials of the United States Government to
the President of Tahiti Nui (French Polynesia), so that it may
be publicly displayed at the James Norman Hall Museum in
Tahiti, where it will express the appreciation of the people
and Government of the United States for the contributions
of James Norman Hall and will show recognition of the achieve-
ments of this great son of the State of Iowa.
Attest:
Clerk of the House of Representatives.
Attest:
Secretary of the Senate.