The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE 801ST ENGINEER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
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HON. MIKE THOMPSON
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today along with Congressman John Garamendi, to honor the 801st Engineer Construction Company of the 397th Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Reserves for its exceptional service in the restoration of the Mare Island Naval Cemetery in Vallejo, California.
The 801st Engineer Construction Company was first established on July 8, 1942 and was activated in Northern Ireland in the same year. Additionally, individual soldiers from the company were mobilized in support of the Korean and Vietnam wars. In 1975, the company relocated to the Oakland Army Base before relocating to Vallejo on July 25, 2000.
The 801st Engineer Construction Company has been instrumental in the revitalization process of the Mare Island Naval Cemetery, which had fallen into disrepair over the last 30 years. The challenging restoration of this 2.5-acre cemetery began after the City of Vallejo applied for the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training Program to begin transforming Mare Island Naval Cemetery into a proper burial site for our veterans.
Soldiers from the 801st Engineer Construction Company, the 322nd Engineer Vertical Construction Company, senior leaders from the 416th Theater Engineer Command, and volunteers began the work in the cemetery in August 2019, cutting down invasive trees and overgrowth, restoring and cleaning of headstones, repairing the drainage system, and fixing the perimeter retaining wall. After four years of hard work, they have nearly completed this extensive project.
The Mare Island Naval Cemetery, the oldest naval cemetery on the West Coast, is home to over 860 soldiers, marines, and sailors who served in conflicts such as the War of 1812 and World War I. It is also home to dozens of their relatives who are interred there. The work of the 801st Engineer Construction Company has allowed us to restore this cemetery back to a sacred final resting place for our brave men and women in uniform and their families.
Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that the 801st Engineer Construction Company has played a vital role in ensuring the Mare Island Naval Cemetery is preserved for generations to come. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor the company and its soldiers here today.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 114(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 114(2)
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