Political Quotes

“Madam President, 12 days ago, on April 3, we brought sad news of the passing of Douglas Burtell, of Bowman, ND, the last known World War II veteran residing in my State from the legendary 164th Infantry Regiment of the North Dakota National Guard. Tomorrow would have been his 97th birthday, April 16. I join in remembering and honoring him and the generation of heroes he represents to our State and to our Nation. Douglas Burtell joined the National Guard in Fargo at the age of 16. In February of 1942, 2 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, this Casselton native was among the 1,723 young men to mobilize in the 164th Infantry Regiment. Ten months later, the regiment sailed into history as the first U.S. Army unit to offensively engage the enemy in the Pacific when they landed at Guadalcanal on October 13, 1942. There they reinforced the 1st Marine Division and spent more than 600 days in the combat zone until August 1945. His talent for illustration was noticed at the national regiment headquarters, where he was trained in intelligence and reconnaissance. There he interpreted aerial photography, analyzed captured materials, and drew maps based on patrol reconnaissance reports. His service included combat on the Philippine Islands, Bougainville, and Guadalcanal, and he received the Purple Heart after being wounded in action. Returning to North Dakota after the war, Mr.…”