[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 4, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H107-H108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE SACRIFICE AND COURAGE OF ARMY WARRANT OFFICERS DAVID 
                      HILEMON AND BOBBY W. HALL II

  Mr. SPENCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on National Security be discharged from further consideration of the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 1) recognizing the sacrifice and 
courage of Army Warrant Officers David Hilemon and Bobby W. Hall II, 
whose helicopter was shot down over North Korea on December 17, 1994, 
and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from South Carolina?
  Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I do 
not intend to do that, I think it needs to be explained, and I would 
like for the gentleman from South Carolina to concur in this, that this 
resolution deals with the fact that a helicopter of the Army was downed 
in Korea on December 17, 1994, and that Army Chief Warrant Officer 
David Hilemon and Army Chief Warrant Officer Bobby W. Hall II were shot 
down over North Korea.
  This resolution is intended to recognize the sacrifice of Army Chief 
Warrant Officer David Hilemon to his country and to express the 
gratitude for his selflessness and deepest regret for his loss of life 
to his family and to recognize the exceptional service of Army Chief 
Warrant Officer Bobby W. Hall II to his country and express 
commendation for his courage.
  Am I correct, I ask the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Spence]?
  Mr. SPENCE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. McCOLLUM. Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from South Carolina.
  Mr. SPENCE. That is exactly it, yes.
  Mr. McCOLLUM. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I 
would like to point out in particular to the families of those involved 
this was a tremendous ordeal.
  The individuals involved deserve the commendation that is given in 
this resolution. It was a very strenuous thing for our country to go 
through.
  It is only appropriate that the very first order of business of this 
Congress in terms of a formal resolution, beyond the proceedings we 
have done earlier today, be this concurrent resolution.
  With that in mind, and further reserving the right to object, I yield 
to the gentlewoman from Florida [Mrs. Thurman], in whose district 
resides the family and Bobby Hall, Warrant Officer Bobby Hall, who did 
survive, and I yield for whatever comment she may make under my 
reservation.
                              {time}  0210

  Mrs. THURMAN. I thank the gentleman from Florida and the gentleman 
from South Carolina.
  I know that you have worked tirelessly today to help me get this up 
tonight. So I really do appreciate their concern and their help.
  Mr. Speaker, today I introduced a resolution recognizing the 
sacrifice and courage of Army Warrant Officers Bobby Hall and David 
Hilemon, whose helicopter was shot down over North Korea on December 
17, 1994.
  David Hilemon gave his life in the service of our country, and Bobby 
Hall performed with bravery and honor during his 13 days in captivity 
in North Korea. These soldiers displayed the highest ideals of our 
armed services, and their efforts on behalf of our country should be 
justly noted.
  In addition, I thank the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] 
who played an invaluable role in bringing this incident to a close, and 
he also deserves our gratitude. His leadership helped secure the 
remains of David Hilemon, and he kept the pressure on the North Koreans 
to release Bobby Hall.
  Bobby Hall lives in Brooksville, FL, in the district I represent. On 
Saturday, Brooksville will be having a celebration in honor of his 
homecoming.
  I have to tell you I never saw anything like it, with yellow ribbons 
and declared vigils, people coming out into the street, giving food and 
doing things for the Halls and for their family and loved ones. They 
just went out of their way to make sure that these folks were taken 
care of in a time that was not easy.
  I do not believe that I ever have seen a community so committed or so 
united in purpose. Saturday's celebration will be a fitting tribute to 
Bobby Hall and his family and to the thousands of people who prayed for 
his safe return.
  Finally, I want to express my condolences to the family of David 
Hilemon for their loss.
  I again thank the gentlemen for their assistance.
  Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, and 
I do not intend to do so, I want to thank the gentlewoman for her 
efforts in this matter, and I would like to comment on the record that 
first of all Brooksville, FL, was my birthplace and hometown and Bobby 
Hall II whom we are noting here in this commendation, his father was in 
my high school class when I graduated from high school, Hernando High 
School there.
  I did spend time speaking with his father on several occasions during 
the 
[[Page H108]] time that he was in captivity. It is truly a very 
important day in that community to celebrate this occasion of the good 
news return and this particular commemorative is a very important piece 
of that.
  So I thank the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Spence] for 
offering it tonight.
  I do not intend to object.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Lazio of New York). Is there objection 
to the request of the gentleman from South Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                             H. Con. Res. 1

       Whereas on December 17, 1994, the helicopter of Army Chief 
     Warrant Officer David Hilemon and Army Chief Warrant Officer 
     Bobby W. Hall II was shot down over North Korea;
       Whereas as a result of this incident, Chief Warrant Officer 
     Hilemon sacrificed his life for his country and Chief Warrant 
     Officer Hall was taken captive by the Korean People's Army;
       Whereas on December 22, 1994, Chief Warrant Officer 
     Hilemon's remains were returned to the United States at the 
     Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjom and on December 28, 1994, he 
     was laid to rest with full military honors and in full view 
     of Mt. Ranier in the State of Washington, in accordance with 
     the wishes of Chief Warrant Officer Hilemon; and
       Whereas Chief Warrant Officer Hall, held in captivity for 
     13 days under stressful circumstances, served his country 
     above and beyond the call of duty: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) recognizes the sacrifice of Army Chief Warrant Officer 
     David Hilemon to his country and expresses gratitude for his 
     selflessness and deepest regret for his loss to his family; 
     and
       (2) recognizes the exceptional service of Army Chief 
     Warrant Officer Bobby W. Hall II to his country and expresses 
     commendation for his courage.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  

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