Political Quotes

“I wish to commemorate the honorable veterans and civilians of Umatilla County, OR, who worked tirelessly and fought valiantly for their community and country during the Second World War. These brave men and women served in a variety of capacities on all fronts, working to support the war effort at home, defending our coastlines from attack, and risking their lives in battle overseas. As the country continues to mark the 70th anniversary of World War II this year, I am proud to raise my voice to pay tribute to the men and women of Umatilla County for their part in the Allied victory. Umatilla County played a unique and important role in helping our country achieve victory in World War II. In 1941, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created an airport in Pendleton, OR, which became home to the U.S. Army Air Forces 17th Bombardment Group. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the 17th Bombardment Group was called upon to defend the west coast from Japanese submarines. The group's aircraft and many of its members participated in the daring Doolittle Raid on Tokyo--the first U.S. bombing of the Japanese homeland. All 80 of Jimmy Doolittle's raiders trained in Pendleton, and 5 of them were Oregonians. Umatilla County also played home to another facility vital to the war effort: the Umatilla Army Depot, located near Hermiston, OR. The Umatilla Army Depot was a repository for munitions and supplies in hundreds of semisubterranean silos.…”