releases: https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=91780822-CEC5-4AEE-AD68-DFF1FCB6CD49
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=91780822-CEC5-4AEE-AD68-DFF1FCB6CD49 | Barrasso: Keep the Bells of Balangiga in Wyoming | 2017-11-15 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Republican | House | WY | John Barrasso | B001261 | www.barrasso.senate.gov | legacy | Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks. WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor on the Bells of Balangiga veterans memorial at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne and its significance to veterans in Wyoming and across the country. Barrasso also outlines why he opposes a provision in the conference report to accompany the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that would allow the secretary of defense to dismantle veteran memorials like the Bells of Balangiga and move them to a foreign nation. Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s remarks: “I also want to speak today about an issue that is very important to our veterans in Wyoming and across the country. “The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act conference report includes a provision that allows America’s veterans memorials to be used as political bargaining chips. “I think it’s a very bad idea. “There’s a specific provision in this report that allows the secretary of defense to dismantle a veteran memorial and move it to a foreign nation. “We have one of these memorials at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. “This memorial honors American soldiers who were massacred more than one hundred years ago in a town called Balangiga, in the Philippines. “On September 28, 1901, a group of 400 Filipino insurgents armed with machetes attacked American soldiers in Company C, of the 9th Infantry. “It was a sneak attack while the Americans were mostly unarmed and having breakfast. “The insurgents signaled their attack by ringing the bells of the local church. “Company C had 75 soldiers – and 48 of them were killed in this attack, or died of their wounds, or went missing in action. “It was the worst defeat for the American Army since the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. “These bells were used in an act of war against American soldiers. “The Army legally brought the bells back to America to honor the troops of Company C who were lost in this massacre. “The 11th Infantry Regiment brought them to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and today the Bells of Balangiga are part of the memorial at F.E. Warren Air Force Base. “Over the years, the Department of Defense and the State Department have tried a few times to move these bells to the Philippines. “In 2012, President Obama’s Department of Defense even tried to cover up the fact that it was secretly making plans to move the bells. “I have opposed these efforts every step of the way. “The majority of veterans in Wyoming oppose dismantling this veteran memorial. “The Wyoming Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion have both passed resolutions against moving the bells. “The American Legion has also taken a stand on the national level. “It has opposed the removal, and encouraged Congress to pass legislation to protect veteran memorials. “During the confirmation hearing for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, I asked him specifically about the Bells of Balangiga. “He made a commitment to me that he would include Congress and our veteran organizations in any conversations regarding war memorials. “I recently received a letter from the State Department and they say they are unaware of any plans to move the bells to a foreign country. “We need to make sure that no plans ever develop. “This conference report will take away any lines of communication between the administration and the Congress on this issue. “America needs to make clear that we will never stop honoring our war dead – no matter where, or when, they sacrificed. “To dismantle this memorial would be an insult to the memory of the men who were massacred that day in the Philippines. “Wyoming has a strong tradition of honoring our veterans – especially those who gave their lives. “The United States should not be using our veteran memorials as bargaining chips to negotiate with foreign nations. “For this reasons, I oppose Section 2864 of the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act. “I will continue my work to protect our veteran memorials. “I will continue to use my voice for the soldiers of Company C who have no voice of their own.” ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |