American Battle Monuments Commission Secretary Charles Djou discusses maintaining U.S. military cemeteries around the world and Marty Skovlund and Joe Kent discuss their book "Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War."
Bernard Bluestein, John Christman, and Seymour Nussenbaum, three of the seven surviving veterans of the WWII "Ghost Army" were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony with military leaders and lawmakers. The "Ghost Army" is a previously classified group that confused WWII adversaries by using deterrence tactics such as fake radio transmission, sound engineering, inflatable tanks, and illusions. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) described tactics used to deceive German forces and said, "They used the sounds of thousands of troops when there were only dozens of troops and it worked." In addition, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) quoted a declassified document about the "Ghost Army" and said, "Rarely, if ever, has there existed a group of such few men which had so great an influence on the outcome of a major military campaign."
In 1912, a special Senate committee heard from 82 witnesses about ice warnings that were ignored, the inadequate number of lifeboats, and treatment of different classes of passengers aboard the Titanic.
In the 1940s, a Senate committee led by Senator and future President Harry Truman examined the national defense program and whether there was corruption in defense contracting.
In the 1950s, the Senate explored whether communists had infiltrated the State Department, the Army, and other federal agencies. Proceedings ultimately led to the censure of Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-WI).
In 1973-74, lawmakers examined events surrounding the 1972 break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC. The investigation led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
In 1987, House & Senate select committees jointly examined the clandestine operation of selling missiles to Iran in exchange for the release of hostages in Lebanon, with proceeds going to Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
In 1993 and 1995, House committees examined events surrounding the deadly 1993 siege carried out by the federal government and other law enforcement agencies at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas.
President Biden, Defense Secretary Austin, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Chalres 'CQ' Brown delivered remarks at the annual Memorial Day observance ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Marty Skovlund and Joe Kent discussed their book "Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War" about Shannon Kent, a wife, mother, and special operator who was killed at the age of 35 by a suicide bomber while hunting high value targets on a classified mission in Syria in 2019.
Capitol Visitor Center curator Christine Blackerby took us through an exhibit looking at congressional investigations through the years, from Titanic to Watergate. She explained the steps in an investigation and showed us artifacts including a decoding machine used before Pearl Harbor, subpoenas to bank presidents after the 1929 stock market crash, and a security log from the Watergate complex.
In 1912, a special Senate committee heard from 82 witnesses about ice warnings that were ignored, the inadequate number of lifeboats, and treatment of different classes of passengers aboard the Titanic.
In the 1940s, a Senate committee led by Senator and future President Harry Truman examined the national defense program and whether there was corruption in defense contracting.
In the 1950s, the Senate explored whether communists had infiltrated the State Department, the Army, and other federal agencies. Proceedings ultimately led to the censure of Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-WI).
In 1973-74, lawmakers examined events surrounding the 1972 break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC. The investigation led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
In 1987, House & Senate select committees jointly examined the clandestine operation of selling missiles to Iran in exchange for the release of hostages in Lebanon, with proceeds going to Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
In 1993 and 1995, House committees examined events surrounding the deadly 1993 siege carried out by the federal government and other law enforcement agencies at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas.