[Journal of the House of Representatives, 1994] [Friday, June 17, 1994 (65), Para 65.15 Honoring James Norman Hall] [Pages 1125-1126] [From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov] Para. 65.15 honoring james norman hall On motion of Ms. BYRNE, by unanimous consent, the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service was discharged from further consideration of the following concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 215): Whereas James Norman Hall, a native son of the State of Iowa born in Colfax in 1887, and a graduate of Grinnell College, was a decorated war hero, noted adventurer, and acclaimed author, who was revered and loved in France and Tahiti, and throughout the South Pacific; Whereas James Norman Hall exhibited an unwavering commitment to freedom and democracy by volunteering for military service early in World War I and by fighting alongside British forces in the worst of trench warfare, including the Battle of Loos, where he was one of few survivors; Whereas James Norman Hall continued his fight for liberty by becoming a pilot in the Lafayette Escadrilles, an American pursuit squadron of the French Air Service, and his courageous and daring feats in air battles earned him France's highest medals, including the Legion d'Honneur, Medaille Militaire, and Croix de Guerre with 5 Palms; Whereas James Norman Hall was commissioned as a Captain in the United States Army Air Service when the United States entered World War I, continued his legendary exploits as an ace pilot, acted as wing commander and mentor for then- Lieutenant Eddie Rickenbacker, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Medal, for gallantry and bravery in battle, by General Pershing; [[Page 1126]] Whereas James Norman Hall sought serenity after the destructiveness of World War I, moved to the South Pacific in 1920, married a Tahitian woman and lived in Tahiti for over 3 decades, and wrote a prodigious number of articles and books in the library of his home in Arue, Tahiti; Whereas much of James Norman Hall's writing enriched the world's understanding of Tahiti and the South Pacific; Whereas James Norman Hall coauthored, with Charles Nordhoff, classic masterpieces that have come to epitomize the tropics, including ``Mutiny on the Bounty'', ``Pitcairn's Island'', and ``Hurricane''; Whereas, despite James Norman Hall's achievements as a decorated war hero and famed literary figure, he remained to his death a humble, self-effacing man who endeared himself to the people of Tahiti with his keen sense of generosity, kindness, and real concern for others, prompting James Michener to state that James Norman Hall was ``the most loved American who ever came to the tropics'' and that when ``he died, on every island in the Pacific where even no man could read, there was sorrow; and Whereas the home and library of James Norman Hall, in Arue, Tahiti, are being restored as a museum to honor this son of the State of Iowa and hero of the United States, England, France, and French Polynesia: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress-- (1) honors James Norman Hall and recognizes his outstanding contributions to the United States, France, Tahiti, and the South Pacific, including his extraordinary service rendered in wartime for the defense of freedom, his outstanding achievements in the literary field, and his lifework that has enriched the world's understanding of the people of the South Pacific; and (2) requests the President of the United States to provide for the presentation of a copy of this concurrent resolution by appropriate officials of the United States Government to the President of Tahiti Nui (French Polynesia), so that it may be publicly displayed at the James Norman Hall Museum in Tahiti, where it will express the appreciation of the people and government of the United States for the contributions of James Norman Hall and will show recognition of the achievements of this great son of the State of Iowa. When said concurrent resolution was considered and agreed to. A motion to reconsider the vote whereby said concurrent resolution was agreed to was, by unanimous consent, laid on the table. Ordered, That the Clerk request the concurrence of the Senate in said concurrent resolution.