[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 137 (Tuesday, September 27, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 TRIBUTE TO SGT. MAJ. KENNETH E. STUMPF

                                 ______


                          HON. THOMAS E. PETRI

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 27, 1994

  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the exceptional 
military service of Sgt. Maj. Kenneth E. Stumpf, U.S. Army, originally 
from Neenah, WI. Sergeant Major Stumpf will be retiring from his 29 
year military career on Friday. With his retirement, the U.S. military 
loses its last enlisted Congressional Medal of Honor holder.
  ``To this day I don't consider myself a hero. It was a job. My 
obligation. I was the only one in the squad not wounded.'' These are 
the words of Sergeant Major Stumpf--words which exemplify the attitude 
he has exhibited throughout his military service which I wish to 
commend today.
  Sergeant Major Stumpf was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1967 after 
having begun his military service in 1965 during the Vietnam war. 
Sergeant Major Stumpf was drafted from his factory job in Menasha, WI 
and soon found himself serving a tour of duty in Vietnam. In April 
1967, at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty, 
the then Staff Sergeant Stumpf distinguished himself while serving as a 
squad leader of the 3d Platoon, Company C, on a search and destroy 
mission. As Staff Sergeant Stumpf's company approached a village, it 
encountered a North Vietnamese rifle company occupying a well fortified 
bunker complex. During the initial contact, three men from his squad 
fell wounded in front of a hostile machinegun emplacement. The enemy's 
heavy volume of fire prevented the unit from moving to the aid of the 
injured men, but Staff Sergeant Stumpf left his secure position in a 
deep trench and ran through the barrage of incoming rounds to reach his 
wounded comrades. He picked up one of the men and carried him back to 
the safety of the trench. Twice more, Staff Sergeant Stumpf dashed 
forward while the enemy turned automatic weapons and machineguns upon 
him, yet he managed to rescue the remaining two wounded squad members. 
He then organized his squad and led an assault against several enemy 
bunkers from which continuously heavy fire was being received. He and 
his squad successfully eliminated two of the bunker positions, but one 
to the front of the advancing platoon remained a serious threat. Arming 
himself with extra hand grenades, Staff Sergeant Stumpf ran over open 
ground, through a volley of fire directed at him by the determined 
enemy, toward the machinegun position. As he reached the bunker, he 
threw a hand grenade through the aperture. It was immediately returned 
by the occupants, forcing Staff Sergeant Stumpf to take cover. 
Undismayed, he pulled the pins on two more grenades, held them for a 
few seconds after activation, then hurled them into position, this time 
successfully destroying the emplacement. With the elimination of this 
key position, his unit was able to assault and overrun the enemy. 
During this 10 hour ordeal, Staff Sergeant Stumpf was miraculously 
uninjured.
  After receiving the Medal of Honor, Staff Sergeant Stumpf returned to 
Vietnam for two more tours of duty until he was wounded in 1971. He 
returned to the States and experienced, like so many other Vietnam 
vets, indifference toward his service. Undaunted, Stumpf pursued his 
military career to help the common soldier, wanting to assist other 
soldiers by serving with them. Sergeant Major Stumpf, one of five 
living Congressional Medal of Honor winners from Wisconsin, will be 
leaving the military from his last assignemt at Fort McCoy's Army 
Readiness Group in Wisconsin.
  For his military service alone, as with every American soldier who 
serves the United States of America, Sergeant Major Stumpf deserves 
recognition. For his display of bravery and determination during the 
Vietnam war, Sergeant Major Stumpf deserves to be honored in the 
tradition of his own service--above and beyond the call of duty. 
Sergeant Major Stumpf displayed a spirit of aggressiveness, 
intrepidity, and an ultimate concern for the lives of his men while 
serving in Vietnam. His attitude is in the highest tradition of 
military service and reflects greatly upon himself and the U.S. Army. I 
am pleased to salute Sergeant Major Stumpf and his 29 year career in 
the U.S. Army.