[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 70 (Wednesday, June 3, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1006-E1007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS WILLIAM E. BARBER, WALTER D. 
 EHLERS, KENNETH A. WALSH, CLARENCE B. CRAFT, JOHN P. BACA, NELSON M. 
    HOLDERMAN, CHRIS CARR, DONALD A. GARY--ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 3, 1998

  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay tribute to the 
following men who are being commemorated with memorial plaques on May 
30 at the Civic Center ``Walk of Honor'' in

[[Page E1007]]

Santa Ana, California. These Medal of Honor recipients are again being 
honored for their bravery while serving in the military for our 
country. These exceptionally brave heroes live or have lived in Orange 
County for some time in their lives.
  William E. Barber, 78 of Irvine, California, was a captain of 220 men 
in Korea in 1950. During a fierce battle with the Chinese, he ignored 
orders to withdraw and fought with his men for five days in sub-zero 
temperatures. This extraordinary feat of bravery and fortitude saved 
thousands of American lives.
  Walter D. Ehlers, 76, of Buena Park, California, fought during the D-
Day invasion in 1944. He singlehandedly eliminated an entire machine-
gun crew. During this battle, he was shot by a sniper and yet he was 
not deterred. He carried a wounded rifleman to safety and returned to 
the fight.
  Kenneth A. Walsh, 81, of Santa Ana was a Marine pilot fighting 
against the Japanese formations over the Solomon Islands in 1943. He 
fearlessly dived into the Japanese squadrons and shot down two Japanese 
dive bombers and a fighter even though his own plane had been hit 
several times.
  Clarence B. Craft, 76, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was born and raised 
in Santa Ana California. As an Army private he led a grenade charge 
from the top of Hen Hill on Okinawa. Under the blaze of heavy artillery 
fire, he charged the enemy troops, driving them into a cave. He threw a 
satchel of grenades into the cave which caused an explosion killing the 
enemy troops.
  John P. Baca, 49, San Diego and Huntington Beach, California, fought 
in Viet Nam in the 1970's. When a hand grenade was thrown into the 
midst of his platoon, the Army specialist fourth class covered the 
grenade with his steel helmet and fell on the helmet, thus saving the 
lives of eight men.
  Three of the men honored today are deceased.
  Nelson M. Holderman, was a World War I Army captain who lived in 
Santa Ana. Though wounded three times in 1918 in the Argonne Forest in 
France, he carried two wounded men to safety through enemy fire.
  Chris Carr, was a World War II Army sergeant who lived in Huntington 
Beach, California. His troop was pinned down near Guignola, Italy, in 
1944. Carr climbed around a flank of German soldiers and captured five 
positions, killing eight and capturing 22.
  Donald A. Gary lived many years in Garden Grove, California. He was a 
World War II Navy lieutenant. When the USS Franklin was attacked by 
aircraft near Kobe, Japan, the munitions and stockpiles exploded. Gary 
assisted several hundred men to safety who were trapped in the smoke-
filed compartment.
  Each of these men has served the country and their fellow Americans 
by disregarding their own safety and their own lives. Extraordinary 
men, extraordinary feats. Their acts of heroism saved many American 
lives. I ask you to join me today in recognizing these remarkable men 
who played a most vital part in the preservation of America's freedom.

                          ____________________