[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 17, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E107]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  TRIBUTE TO THE LATE MARCELINO SERNA

                                 ______


                         HON. RONALD D. COLEMAN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 17, 1995
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to 
posthumously honor Mr. Marcelino Serna of El Paso, TX. My bill would 
make the late Mr. Serna eligible for the award from the Army of the 
Congressional Medal of Honor by stipulation that the regulation which 
says that a nomination for that award must be filed within 2 years of 
the acts above and beyond the call of duty should be waived in this 
case. In my judgment, Mr. Serna deserves that medal just a surely as 
anyone who has ever been so honored.
  Marcelino Serna served in the U.S. Army from 1917 to 1919. He was 
born in Chihuahua City, in the Mexican State of Chihuahua in 1896. He 
died February 29, 1992 at the age of 95. He had held his U.S. 
citizenship since 1924. Seventy-one years ago, Mr. Serna was awarded 
the Army's second highest award for valor in combat, the Distinguished 
Service Cross. He was decorated with the highest military medals of 
Italy and France. The descriptions of his exploits on the battlefields 
of Belgium and France read like casebooks of heroism. In recovering 
from wounds suffered toward the end of the war, he was personally 
decorated by General John ``Black Jack'' Pershing.
  Some have speculated that Mr. Serna was not awarded the Medal of 
Honor because he was a buck private for most of the war, because he was 
not a citizen of this country at the time or because he could not speak 
English well. I hope that none of these reasons were ever given by 
anyone in a position of authority in these matters. They are insulting 
and they have no basis in law.
  This bill, once enacted, would begin to right a wrong, and to correct 
an oversight. I urge the committee of jurisdiction to take up the 
legislation as rapidly as possible so that the Army may look at the 
merits of this case.
                                H.R. --

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     time limitations specified in section 3744(b) of title 10, 
     United States Code, shall not apply with respect to the 
     posthumous award of the Medal of Honor under section 3741 of 
     such title to the late Marcelino Serna of El Paso, Texas, for 
     acts of heroism performed while serving as a private in the 
     United States Army during World War I.
     

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