Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory and sacrifice of Walter ``Finch'' Kwiecinski of Duluth, Minnesota. Walter's story is the story of his generation and should make each of us reflect on the sacrifices that were made to allow us the precious gift of democracy and self-government. Born in 1914 on a farm near Duluth, Minnesota, to Polish immigrants, Walter enlisted in the Army at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, on February 6, 1941. After basic training, he was sent to Fort Mills on Corregidor Island in the Philippines. Walter manned a 12-inch mortar on Battery Way and fought valiantly to repel the Japanese invasion of Bataan and Corregidor. Standing until the very end with his unit sustaining 77 percent casualty rates, Walter fought on until May 6, 1941, when Corregidor fell and General Wainwright cabled these words to President Roosevelt: There is a limit of human endurance, and that point has long passed. Walter was taken prisoner by the Japanese and survived hellish conditions in POW camps and transport on the ``hell ships'' to be slave labor in Japan. His family presumed him dead. He was liberated in August 1945 and returned home December 5, 1945. He then humbly set about going back to work as a mechanic. Marrying Mary Anne Krebs, he raised a beautiful family and lived a life of dignity. Yesterday, May 8, marked the 25th anniversary of Walter Kwiecinski's death. We should all be thankful for his life. ____________________”