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House floor remarks honor veterans on 80th VJ Day; three Arkansas veterans recognized
Summary
An unnamed House speaker commemorated the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on the House floor, honoring World War II-era veterans Floyd Brantley, John Mass (transcript variant 'Mast'), and Mary Fine, and cited national service totals and Arkansas-specific figures.
An unidentified Speaker on the House floor marked the 80th anniversary of VJ Day and recognized several veterans from Arkansas for their service.
The Speaker said it was "fitting that we pause to remember" the unconditional surrender of the Empire of Japan to Gen. Douglas MacArthur aboard the USS Missouri and called the event a moment to honor "the courage and sacrifice of the greatest generation." The remarks noted that "more than 16,000,000 Americans served," including "195,000 from the state of Arkansas."
The Speaker then named individual veterans. He recognized Floyd Brantley of Conway, Arkansas, saying Brantley first enlisted in the Navy in 1943 and served as a hospital corpsman with the First Marine Division in the Russell Islands and New Guinea. The Speaker said Brantley later attended Baylor University, joined Air Force ROTC, served as a transport officer in Busan, South Korea, and spent a decade in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam era before retiring as a colonel, with "more than 23 years to the defense of our nation," the Speaker said.
The Speaker next honored "mister John Mass" (the transcript later uses the variant "Mast"), describing him as a 97-year-old veteran who began service in 1943 with the U.S. Army Air Corps and retired from the United States Air Force in 1969 after roughly 26 years of service. The Speaker listed overseas postings in the Philippines, Guam, Thailand, Greenland, Germany, and bases across the United States.
Finally, the Speaker recognized Mary Fine, who turned 100 on March 12. The Speaker said Fine served in the Women's Army Corps beginning in 1942 and worked in roles including phone operator and translator, adding that women in the corps "were integral to our victory" and to the functioning of wartime operations.
The Speaker closed by asking colleagues to join him in honoring the veterans and yielded back the remaining time.
