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“Remembering Douglas Burtell (Executive Session)” mentioning Kevin Cramer was published in the Senate section on pages S1973-S1974 on April 15.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Remembering Douglas Burtell
Mr. CRAMER. Madam President, 12 days ago, on April 3, we brought sad news of the passing of Douglas Burtell, of Bowman, ND, the last known World War II veteran residing in my State from the legendary 164th Infantry Regiment of the North Dakota National Guard. Tomorrow would have been his 97th birthday, April 16. I join in remembering and honoring him and the generation of heroes he represents to our State and to our Nation.
Douglas Burtell joined the National Guard in Fargo at the age of 16. In February of 1942, 2 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, this Casselton native was among the 1,723 young men to mobilize in the 164th Infantry Regiment. Ten months later, the regiment sailed into history as the first U.S. Army unit to offensively engage the enemy in the Pacific when they landed at Guadalcanal on October 13, 1942. There they reinforced the 1st Marine Division and spent more than 600 days in the combat zone until August 1945.
His talent for illustration was noticed at the national regiment headquarters, where he was trained in intelligence and reconnaissance. There he interpreted aerial photography, analyzed captured materials, and drew maps based on patrol reconnaissance reports. His service included combat on the Philippine Islands, Bougainville, and Guadalcanal, and he received the Purple Heart after being wounded in action.
Returning to North Dakota after the war, Mr. Burtell earned his high school GED, attended art school in Minneapolis, and spent much of his life in lumber, millwork, and camper sales in Fargo. He spent his last years living near his daughter in Bowman, ND.
Often attending reunions of the 164th Regiment Infantry Association, he was present at its final gathering in October 2017. He helped relatives of other veterans with research about the war experiences of their loved ones
And he painted throughout his life, generously sharing his work with friends. Mr. Burtell's artwork helped tell the everyday stories of the soldiers as they fought their way through the South Pacific. His illustrations are a lasting testament to the heroic contributions of the 164th Infantry Regiment to World War II. He was honored in March when North Dakota Adjutant General, Major General Al Dohrmann announced one of his sketches would be featured on a new recognition coin. Other artwork is etched in granite on the 164th Infantry Regiment Memorial located at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery near Mandan, which is now Mr. Burtell's final resting place.
Madam President, on behalf of all Dakotans and a grateful nation, I offer my deepest condolences to Douglas Burtell's family and friends, including his daughter and son-in-law, Barb and Steve Conley, his two granddaughters, and five great-grandchildren.
Today, with most of our World War II veterans now gone, Mr. Burtell's artwork preserves the faces of so many brave North Dakotans and exemplifies their patriotism and dedication.
The 164th Infantry Regiment's motto in French, ``Je Suis Pret,'' ``I Am Ready,'' inspires today's North Dakota National Guard motto of
``Always Ready, Always There.'' God bless the memory of Douglas Burtell and the brave soldiers of World War II who were always ready.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas
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