[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 155 (Friday, November 7, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12056-S12057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING NEW MEXICO MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

 Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, Veteran's Day is an appropriate 
occasion to honor those who have served our Nation so nobly. I'd like 
to take this occasion to offer special recognition to New Mexico's most 
distinguished veterans, our living Medal of Honor winners. Col. Robert 
Scott, who celebrates his 84th birthday this month, is a longtime 
resident of Santa Fe, NM, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor 
for his heroic deeds during World War II. Cpl. Hiroshi Miyamura, from 
Gallup, NM, was honored for his bravery as an infantryman during the 
Korean war. Second Lt. Raymond Murphy, a resident of Albuquerque, 
served heroically with the U.S. Marine Corps during that conflict. Sgt. 
Louis Richard Rocco, also from Albuquerque, celebrating his 59th 
birthday this month, received the Medal for his courageous deeds as a 
medic during the Vietnam war. New Mexico and the Nation are proud of 
these fine men and deeply grateful for their contributions to the 
freedom enjoyed by all Americans.
  Since the birth of our Nation in 1776, 40 million American men and 
women have bravely sacrificed and served in defense of the freedoms 
that we enjoy, perhaps even sometimes take for granted. But our freedom 
isn't free, it was bought and paid for with the sacrifices of more than 
1 million of those heroic servicemen and women who gave their lives for 
God and country. It was our first President who cautioned a young 
nation that, ``If we desire peace, it must be known that we are at all 
times prepared for war.''
  Time and again in our 220-year history, our Nation's sons and 
daughters have been called upon to demonstrate that preparedness. 
Perhaps in no other war, however, was their resolve more tested than 
when our Nation struggled within itself during the Civil War. Early in 
that conflict, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes realized that soldiers 
needed not only leadership, they needed role models--heroes to look up 
to and emulate. To accomplish this, he introduced to this body, 
legislation authorizing a Medal of Honor for sailors and marines who 
distinguished themselves by their gallantry in action, in order to 
``promote the efficiency of the navy.'' Six months after President 
Lincoln authorized the Navy's Medal of Honor on December 21, 1861, he 
signed similar legislation introduced by Massachusetts Senator Henry 
Wilson to establish a Medal of Honor for members of the U.S. Army.
  Since it was established by the Senate and authorized by President 
Lincoln 136 years ago, the Medal of Honor has been awarded to only 
3,408 veterans of military service. The ``roll call'' of heroes 
includes an 11-year-old Civil War naval cabin boy, an escaped slave, 
the sons of two Presidents, conscientious objectors, privates and 
generals, chaplains and medics, and members of the U.S. Senate. These 
heroes have come from every State in the Union, from all nationalities 
and ethnic backgrounds, and from all social and economic strata. Three 
other Medal of Honor winners hail from New Mexico--about whom we are 
equally proud; Richard Rocco, Raymond Murphy, and Hiroshi Miyamura. 
Each of these men, and all winners of this coveted award have one thing 
in common, an action of such remarkable heroism ``above and beyond the 
call of duty at the risk of their own life'', that their comrades in 
arms have called them ``heroes.''

  World War I gave us 119 Medal of Honor heroes, men like Eddie 
Rickenbacker and Sgt. Alvin York. But when the armistice was signed 
concluding the ``war to end all wars'' at the 11th hour of the 11th day 
of the 11th month in 1918, all America prayed that there would be no 
need to extend the honor of Medal of Honor recipient to future

[[Page S12057]]

generations, a distinction that could be achieved only as a result of 
U.S. involvement in a war.
  Sadly, this would not be the case. Since that first ``Veterans Day'', 
subsequent tyranny and human rights violations around the world have 
continued to test the commitment of our Nation's men and women in 
uniform. In the horror and devastation of the battles to defend freedom 
and human dignity since World War I, more than 30 million Americans 
have risked everything. All who served were heroes in their own right, 
and to each of them we owe our thanks, our thoughts and our prayers 
this Veterans Day. Of this multitude of patriots, only 811 received the 
Medal of Honor. So incredible were their acts of courage that only 316 
of them survived to wear this highest honor.
  It is often said that the youth of our Nation today need real heroes, 
men and women of patriotism and integrity, examples of sacrifice and 
service; that they can look up to and emulate. We who are of 
generations past can lament the loss of great Americans such as Sgt. 
York, Jimmie Doolittle, Audie Murphy, and other heroes of our 
childhood. But I am happy to report that today there are still many 
heroes and heroines in our land, men and women who embody the 
principles and character that have created and preserved the United 
States. Among those role models are the millions of veterans that we 
honor today, and among those veterans of military service are 168 
surviving Medal of Honor heroes. Today, as we honor all our Nation's 
veterans, I would like to pay special homage to our New Mexican Medal 
of Honor winners.
  On November 30, 1913, Robert Sheldon Scott was born here in the 
Nation's capital. His family later moved to California where Bob Scott 
attended school before moving again to my own State of New Mexico. Bob 
Scott answered his Nation's call to duty to serve during World War II.
  On June 30, 1943, Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Adm. William Halsey 
launched ``Operation Cartwheel'', a bold two-pronged offensive to gain 
control of Rabul in the Pacific. On the day, Admiral Halsey landed the 
43rd Infantry Division on the New Georgia in the Solomon Islands for 
the purpose of capturing the Japanese-held Munda airstrip. 
Underestimating the jungles of the island and the tenacity of its 
Japanese defenders, Halsey expected the campaign to last only 2 weeks. 
By mid-July the Admiral was forced to land two more divisions on the 
island, and the attack on the airstrip resumed with new fervor on July 
25. More than 1,000 Americans would give up their lives in the effort.

  By July 27, the 43d Infantry's 172d Regiment bogged down in front of 
a salient facing the Munda airstrip. Battle-weary and demoralized from 
27 days of bitter fighting, the well-entrenched enemy seemed to have 
again halted the advance. Two days later, a squad from the 172d's 1st 
Battalion again assaulted the hill. Young Army Lt. Robert Scott led his 
men halfway up the hill to a position within 75 yards of the enemy, 
when the Japanese counterattack stopped them. Enemy soldiers rose from 
their fortifications firing their rifles and throwing grenades. Their 
fierce attack threw the exhausted Americans off the hill. Except for 
Lieutenant Scott.
  Ducking behind the blasted remains of a tree stump, the brave 
lieutenant had an unobstructed view of the enemy bunkers. Despite being 
twice wounded and once having his rifle shot from his hand, for the 
next half hour, Lieutenant Scott stood alone on the hill to repulse the 
enemy. Throwing some 30 grenades, his one-man stand ended the enemy 
assault and caused them to withdraw. His Medal of Honor citation 
concludes with the notation that ``our troops, inspired to renewed 
effort by Lieutenant Scott's intrepid stand and incomparable courage, 
swept across the plateau to capture the hill, and from this strategic 
position, four days later, captured Munda airstrip.''
  Of his award, Mr. Scott recently wrote, ``I was awarded the Medal of 
Honor in World War II for deeds one day as a Second Lieutenant infantry 
platoon leader, deeds that I initiated at least in part from the 
conviction that I ought to have enough guts to do what I was authorized 
to order a sergeant or private soldier to try to do.''
  Today, Bob Scott still lives in the town of his youth, Santa Fe, NM. 
He is one of four of my State's living Medal of Honor heroes. The ninth 
oldest of our Nation's living Medal of Honor recipients, on the 30th 
day of this month, he will celebrate his 84th birthday. Our Governor, 
the Honorable Gary Johnson, has declared that day to be ``Colonel 
Robert Scott Day'' throughout our State.
  Other Medal of Honor recipients from New Mexico contributed similar 
deeds of valor. Corporal Miyamura of Gallup was with Company H holding 
a defensive position near Taejon-ni, Korea in April 1951. When the 
enemy began to overrun his position, Corporal Miyamura left his 
sheltered position and engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat, then 
returned to his position to tend to the wounded. Under attack again, 
Corporal Miyamura manned two machine-guns to provide covering fire 
while his squad withdrew. He killed more than 50 enemy soldiers before 
his ammunition was depleted and he was severely wounded.

  Second Lt. Raymond Murphy served as a platoon commander of Company A, 
1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division in action against the 
enemy west of Panmunjom, Korea. Wounded by artillery fire, Lieutenant 
Murphy refused medical aid while leading his men up a well-defended 
hill through a withering barrage of enemy fire. Murphy rescued many of 
his fallen comrades and returned each time to lead the assault and 
provide cover for his troops. While all the wounded evacuated and the 
assaulting units began to disengage, he remained behind with a carbine 
to cover the movement of friendly forces off the hill. After reaching 
the base of the hill, he organized a search party and again ascended 
the slope for a final check on missing Marines, locating and carrying 
the bodies of a machine-gun crew down the hill. Wounded a second time, 
he again refused medical assistance until he was certain that all of 
his men had been safely evacuated.
  Sgt. Louis Richard Rocco of Albuquerque served in Vietnam as a medic 
northeast of Katum. While evacuating wounded comrades, Sergeant Rocco 
directed fire against the enemy to enable a helicopter to land and 
assist in the operation. In the battle, the helicopter was disabled by 
enemy fire and crashed. Sergeant Rocco continued to direct covering 
fire while personally extracting survivors from the helicopter and 
carrying them to safety through dense foliage and enemy fire.
  It is said, ``Poor is the nation that has no heroes or heroines, but 
beggard is the nation that has and forgets them.'' On this day, our 
Nation has set aside to remember our veterans, as I stand before the 
same body that established the Medal of Honor, I offer this special 
salute to Col. Robert S. Scott, Cpl. Hiroshi H. Miyamura, 2d Lt. 
Raymond G. Murphy, and Sgt. Louis Richard Rocco--great citizens of the 
State of New Mexico and the Nation.

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