Political Quotes

“with the approach of Memorial Day, it is my privilege to call the attention of this body to one of the greatest, yet least known, acts of sustained heroism in the history of the United States. It occurred 50 years ago in the sixth month of the Korean war. In December of 1950 American forces accomplished the unbelievable evacuation of 100,000 Allied troops from the port city of Hungnam in North Korea, barely hours ahead of the charging forces of our two newest enemies, North Korea and Communist China. At the same time our American soldiers, sailors, and marines, managed to evacuate another 100,000 persons, all North Korean civilian refugees who were fleeing their own harsh dictatorship and the ruthless Chinese army whose leaders had threatened to cut off their heads because some had been aiding our United Nations forces. One of the most heroic acts in the evacuation of Hungnam is the virtually unknown story of a small American merchant marine freighter, the S.S. Meredith Victory. With space for only twelve passengers, the ship loaded and rescued 14,000 North Koreans--the innocent people of our enemy--old men, young mothers with their babies on their backs and at their breasts, children carrying children. Their rescue was accomplished during one danger-filled voyage of three days and three nights in bitter winter cold that ended in safety and freedom on Christmas Day.”