HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL OF NEW YORK IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Tuesday, June 11, 1996

Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker I rise today to recognize one of our Nation’s most celebrated and talented actors, writers, and directors and a true friend of mine, Ossie Davis who recently hosted the fourth annual National Memorial Day Concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington, DC. Mr. Davis, a veteran who was a surgical technician in North Africa during World War II for years avoided Memorial Day celebrations. This year’s event televised on PBS marked a significant transformation in his life.

As a veteran of the Korean War and ardent supporter of our Nation’s veterans I want to acknowledge the contributions made by the veterans of this Nation and I can think of no one more qualified to host the fourth annual National Memorial Day concert than the incomparable Ossie Davis.

For the edification of my colleagues in the House, I would like to share the article written by James Zumwalt in Parade Magazine on May 26, 1996 titled "We Should Pay Tribute." [From Parade Magazine, May 26, 1996]

WE SHOULD PAY TRIBUTE

(By James Zumwalt)

Tonight at 8 p.m. EDT, Ossie Davis will be the host for the fourth year of the National Memorial Day Concert, held on the West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The PBS telecast (check local TV listings) will include performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as dramatic readings and archival footage from various wars in American history. A special segment will be dedicated to the women who worked statewide in World War II. And tributes will be made to Desert Storm veterans and to American soldiers now serving in Bosnia.

Davis, now 78, served as a surgical technician in North Africa in World War II. Yet, until a few years ago, he had never participated in any Memorial Day celebrations. "I did not want to get involved in anything that glorified war," he told me. While in Africa, Davis witnessed not only the horrors of battle, he said, but also pronounced racism among fellow American troops. He recalled watching a white soldier choose to die rather than accept care from the only medics available, because they were black. And he watched troop trains in Africa—returning U.S. servicemen home after the war—in which blacks were segregated while whites shared cars with German prisoners who, he said, were granted more dignity than the African-American troops.

"I felt betrayed,’’ Davis recalled. I had come to feel that I had been not only a patriot but a fool. I left the Army very depressed."

On returning home to Georgia, Davis turned briefly to alcohol. But in 1946 he got two lucky breaks: He landed a part in a Broadway play, and he met his future wife, the actress Ruby Dee. They have been married for 47 years. Davis went on to distinguish himself not only as an actor but also as a producer, writer and director. Recently, he appeared in The Client and Grumpy Old Men.

Through the years, Davis’ anti-war sentiments remained strong. Why, then, did he agree to be the host of these concerts? "I realized that no matter what I thought of war, we should pay tribute to those both living and dead who sacrificed," he explained. "The military also has made significant strides," he went on. "Colin Powell who will speak at the concert was no accident—he was an affirmation of what has changed. One of the things I’m proudest of about America is that once she got into it, she came up with a color-blind Army."

Davis also believes that the ignobility to warfare shouldn’t lessen the tribute we pay to those who served. "They gave what Lincoln called ‘‘the last full measure of devotion," he said. "They did what was required to defend something greater than they were."