[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 140 (Thursday, October 8, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10121-H10126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORIZING AWARD OF CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 2263) to authorize and request the President to award the
Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously to Theodore Roosevelt for his
gallant and heroic actions in the attack on San Juan Heights, Cuba,
during the Spanish-American War.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2263
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the
President is authorized and requested to award the
congressional Medal of Honor posthumously to Theodore
Roosevelt, of the State of New York, for his actions in the
attack of San Juan Heights, Cuba, during the Spanish-American
War on July 1, 1898. Such an award may be made without regard
to the provisions of section 3744 of title 10, United States
Code, and may be made in accordance with award criteria
applicable at the time of the actions referred to in the
first sentence.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Buyer) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, on September 28 I chaired a Subcommittee on Military
Personnel hearing that examined the evidence supporting the award of
the Medal of Honor to Theodore Roosevelt for his valor on July 1, 1898,
during the Battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War.
During the hearing we heard compelling testimony about the courage
and decisiveness of Theodore Roosevelt from two of our colleagues who
studied his actions that day in great detail, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Lazio) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale).
We learned the details of the military battle that day and the
political battle that followed from the historians, Dr. John A. Gable,
the executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, and Mr.
Nathan Miller, the author of the biography ``Theodore Roosevelt, A
Life.''
Mr. Speaker, finally, we also heard from Mr. Tweed Roosevelt, the
great-grandson of Theodore Roosevelt. We heard about the man Theodore
Roosevelt, a man of immense energy and intelligence and a family man, a
man of unwavering moral fiber, a man of immense stature in the history
of this Nation, and the great impact that he had upon his four sons.
Then we stop and think about the fact that this is a family that lost
four sons in a uniform, three in World War I and one in World War II.
Mr. Speaker, we are honored today to have Mr. Tweed Roosevelt in the
gallery to witness this historic celebration of an important moment in
the
[[Page H10122]]
life of his great-grandfather. On behalf of myself and the Committee on
National Security and the House of Representatives, I would like to
thank Mr. Roosevelt for being here today to represent his family and to
share this moment with us.
We can talk about the greatness of the man in Theodore Roosevelt,
about his fidelity and his honor and his integrity, and we recognize
that these are attributes for which there is no disagreement on this
House floor with regard to this President. But what we must focus on is
not about the life of the man and how he led it and his impact upon not
only his family and the Nation, we have to focus on what happened, as
was documented by evidence that occurred at the Battle of San Juan Hill
in San Juan Heights. It is his heroic performance, the documented
evidence that it did meet the established standard for the award of the
medal at the time.
I would like to summarize the evidence of Theodore Roosevelt's
heroism that I found instructive. The extraordinary nature of his
bravery was confirmed by superiors, subordinates and other
eyewitnesses. His willingness to expose himself to the most extreme
hazards of the battle, as evidenced by a number of people killed or
wounded around him, and his decision to lead the charge on horseback,
the only mounted man in the attack, demonstrated an utter and complete
disregard for his own life. Such qualities at least equaled the
selfless service of those who were awarded the Medal of Honor for
service that day, most for rescuing wounded comrades under fire.
His raw courage and fearless, bold and decisive action in leading
these two charges when other commanders and officers around him
hesitated to do so saved lives. Not only did his actions save lives on
that day, but his conspicuous action and valor changed the course of
the battle and clearly set him apart from his contemporaries.
His recommendation for the Medal of Honor came from two officers:
Major General William Shafter and Colonel Leonard Wood, who were most
qualified to judge whether the extraordinary bravery and nature of
Roosevelt's actions qualified for the award of the medal since
previously both had been awarded the medal themselves.
Mr. Speaker, I, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Personnel, get
many different requests to somehow reshape or change the course of
history, whether some unit is entitled to this form of citation, or
someone should have been promoted that was unjustly, or even overturned
courts-martial is correct, and I am always very hesitant to take my
judgments of the day and replace them for the judgments of those who
are were there at the time.
What is clear to me about this case, about Theodore Roosevelt and the
Medal of Honor, was that it was the military that recommended that he
receive the Medal of Honor. That is what got my attention the most. And
it was my dear friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale),
who sat me down and made me focus, and he pointed something out to me
that was very intriguing, and it was to focus upon the individual of
whom recommended and the individual of whom endorsed the Medal of
Honor.
When I think of Colonel Leonard Wood, there is a fort named after
Colonel Leonard Wood in Missouri. His rank, he was the assistant
surgeon of the United States Army and he received the Medal of Honor
himself, and he did that because voluntarily he carried out dispatches
through the region infested at the time with hostile Indians, making a
journey of 70 miles in one night and walking 30 miles the next day;
also, for several weeks while in close pursuit of Geronimo's band, and
constantly expecting an encounter, commanded an attachment of infantry
which was then without an officer and to the command which he was
assigned upon his own request.
The individual that endorsed the Medal of Honor was Major General
William Shafter, who is a recipient of the Medal of Honor himself. At
that time during the Civil War, he was a lieutenant. He was engaged in
a bridge construction, and he was not being needed, and then he
returned with his men to engage with the enemy, participated in a
charge across an open field that resulted in casualties to 18 out of 22
of his men. At the close of the battle, with his horse shot out from
underneath him, and he was severely wounded, he remained on the field
that day and stayed to fight the next day, only to have his wounds
finally take him aside.
So when I think about where in our history have we ever had two
individuals who were recipients of the Medal of Honor themselves
recommend someone else receive the Medal of Honor. These are two
individuals who understand what it means to be awarded the medal, and
that is where I give the most credibility.
Mr. Speaker, in the absence of records, and to substantiate why the
decoration was disapproved at the time, I believe there is credible
evidence that politics and not an honest assessment of his valor was
the prime consideration for the evaluation of Theodore Roosevelt's
recommendation for the Medal of Honor. There is no doubt in my mind
that then Secretary of War Russell Alger and the McKinley
administration were acutely embarrassed by press reports generated by
Roosevelt's criticism of Alger's decision not to return the troops home
after the war because the administration feared a yellow fever epidemic
in this country. When the troops were returned home shortly after the
exposure of the issue to the press, it was painfully clear that
Secretary Alger resented Theodore Roosevelt's involvement.
Mr. Speaker, the evidence supporting the award of the Medal of Honor
to Theodore Roosevelt is overwhelming.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McHALE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor).
Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, today we are considering H.R.
2263, a bill to authorize the President to award the Congressional
Medal of Honor to Theodore Roosevelt for his historic charge during the
Battle of San Juan Heights. I am pleased to join my colleague, who
should have been Secretary of the Navy, the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. McHale) in cosponsoring this legislation.
Teddy Roosevelt's charge up Kettle Hill at San Juan Heights is one of
the most inspiring moments in our Nation's history. His bravery and
gallantry demonstrates how one man's initiative can change the course
of a battle. For his bravery he was nominated for the Congressional
Medal of Honor. However, it was never bestowed by the Secretary of the
Army.
Mr. Speaker, the Medal of Honor is the highest award our Nation can
bestow, and, therefore, we should not confer this honor lightly.
However, we must recognize the standards for awarding the medal at that
time were not the same as the standards for awarding it now. We need
the Department of Defense to examine this case on its merits in light
of the others who won the Medal of Honor during that engagement.
The Subcommittee on Military Personnel recently held a hearing on the
case for awarding the Medal of Honor, the award that Colonel Roosevelt
valued so highly and that his superiors so clearly wanted to give him.
While I was unable to attend this hearing because of the hurricane that
was in south Mississippi last Monday, I understand that witnesses
unanimously reaffirmed the case for awarding the medal. I hope this
legislation will give the Department the chance to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, while I have the chance, I would like to take this
opportunity to commend the bill's author, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale). Paul has not been a Member of Congress as
long as some others, but he has served this body extremely well. He was
asked by the President to serve as the Secretary of the Navy and
declined, and was one of a very few people on this side of the aisle
who felt that the best thing for our country, regardless of partisan
politics, was to ask the same man who offered him the job of Secretary
of the Navy to resign.
I think the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale) is the kind of
people that we need more of in Congress. I regret his departure, and I
am honored to have cosponsored this bill with him.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from New York (Mr. Solomon),
[[Page H10123]]
the chairman of the Committee on Rules.
Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the great American from Indiana,
and I also want to commend another great American from Pennsylvania
(Mr. McHale). I praise him for a different reason. He was a good
marine, he is still a good marine, and that is why I salute him and
admire him so much.
Mr. Speaker, I really am pleased to rise in strong support of this
bill. Theodore Roosevelt is universally recognized as one of the most
popular and significant public figures in American history, and we New
Yorkers are particularly proud of him as the greatest Republican in the
history of our State.
He was a man who devoted his life to fighting for what he called a
``square deal,'' my colleagues remember that, for every American. His
name is synonymous with the principles of fairness, justice, love of
nature and the highest standards of morality and ethics, standards that
he maintained both in public and private life.
So it is a proud moment for me to endorse his receiving the Medal of
Honor. This bill will correct the miscarriage of justice which denied
him the Medal of Honor during his own lifetime, despite the strong
recommendations on his behalf by superior officers and others with whom
he served in the Spanish-American War.
Mr. Speaker, not only have I had the privilege of representing the
home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Hyde Park, New York, but I also
represent the Adirondack Mountains where President Theodore Roosevelt
spent much of his time. I would like to take just the rest of my time
to tell a little-known story about the circumstances that surrounded
Theodore Roosevelt's accession to the Presidency.
When President McKinley was shot in Buffalo, New York, then-Vice
President Roosevelt rushed to the scene. Upon being assured by doctors
that the President was out of danger, Roosevelt joined his family for a
camping and hiking trip in the Adirondack Mountains up where I live,
and, Mr. Speaker, on the afternoon of September 13, 1901, Roosevelt and
several hiking companions were descending from Mount Marcy, one of the
most beautiful mountains in the Adirondacks, when word came that the
President's condition had taken an unexpected turn for the worse.
They then hiked 12 miles in 3 hours and 15 minutes through the woods
to reach a lodge where Mrs. Roosevelt was staying and they could await
developments. And at 10 p.m., word came the President was sinking
rapidly.
Roosevelt set out from there in a single horse-drawn carriage on a
breakneck ride through the night in a thickly-forested area to reach
the railroad station at North Creek, New York. The horse and driver
were changed twice en route, and Roosevelt covered 34 miles in a little
over 6 hours. In the final relay, he covered 16 miles in just one hour
and 41 minutes, and I challenge anybody to do that. Upon his arrival at
North Creek just after dawn on September 4, 1901, Theodore Roosevelt
was informed that he was the 26th President of the United States of
America. It was exactly 43 days before his 43rd birthday. He then
boarded the train for Buffalo and was formally sworn in later that day.
Today, in my congressional district, there is a plaque that marks the
approximate spot where Roosevelt was in his mad dash through the night
at the moment that McKinley died. It was at that moment in that spot
that he became the President of the United States of America.
Mr. Speaker, let me just conclude by making one more point. Theodore
Roosevelt's wartime exploits are well-known. Perhaps less well-known
today is the fact that he was the very first American person to receive
the Noble Peace Prize. He was awarded that singular honor in 1906 in
recognition of his successful effort to negotiate settlement in the
Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt's role as a peacemaker provides a very
interesting counterpart to his role as a soldier.
{time} 1545
It is for that later role that we give him this due recognition today
in awarding him that Medal of Honor. I just commend my good friend and
former marine, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Paul McHale) for
bringing this badly needed legislation to the floor, finally.
Mr. McHALE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Let me first of all thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Solomon)
for his very nice remarks. I would point out to the gentleman from New
York that the carriage to which he made reference is today on display
in the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake. My family and I had the
opportunity to view that carriage a few years ago.
Let me also thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor) for the
kind personal remarks that he directed toward me. In the interest of
complete truth, I want to make it clear that I withdrew my name for
consideration as Secretary of the Navy before the President had made
any final decision, and before any offer had been made to me.
Moving on to what is truly important, the combat record of Theodore
Roosevelt, I rise to recommend to the membership of the House that the
Medal of Honor be granted to former President Theodore Roosevelt.
On July 1, 1898, Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt of the 1st Volunteer
Cavalry led an extraordinary charge on San Juan Heights, located on the
island of Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Eyewitness accounts
indicate that Colonel Roosevelt distinguished himself by, and I quote,
``displaying the greatest bravery, and placing his life in extreme
jeopardy by unavoidable danger to severe fire.''
I have had conversations in recent days with the Acting Secretary of
the Army and the Secretary of the Army, where a position was presented
to me that although Theodore Roosevelt had been brave on that day, they
indicated it did not appear, based on the Army's analysis of the
recommendation, that the courage shown by Theodore Roosevelt was
extraordinary by comparison to other officers of similar rank and
responsibility.
Mr. Speaker, I have been a Member of this Congress for 6 years. I
have been a United States Marine for 26 years. I would like to state in
the strongest possible personal terms that the valor displayed by
Theodore Roosevelt that day, July 1, 1898, was absolutely
extraordinary, breathtaking. If anything, history has not credited to
Theodore Roosevelt the full measure of courage that he showed under
fire.
I respectfully submit, for reasons that I find inexplicable, the Army
has failed to appreciate his leadership at that time and place. I
believe, however, the record of contemporaneous correspondence captures
full well the point that I am making.
As I read these accounts of men with him during the battle, I ask
Members to determine whether or not the courage that Theodore Roosevelt
showed that day was extraordinary, and whether or not, in light of
observations of those who were there, he did indeed earn the Medal of
Honor.
July 6, 1898, just 5 days after the battle, to the Adjutant General,
Washington, D.C.:
Sir, I have the honor to recommend Colonel Theodore
Roosevelt, 1st U.S. Voluntary Cavalry, for the Medal of Honor
for distinguished gallantry in leading a charge on one of the
entrenched hills to the east of the Spanish position in the
suburbs of Santiago de Cuba July 1, 1898, very respectfully,
Leonard Wood, Colonel U.S. 1st Volunteer.
First endorsement, 3 days later, July 9, 1898:
Earnestly recommended, Joseph Wheeler, General, U.S.
Volunteers, commanding, a gentleman who returned to active
duty as a commanding officer from this very body where he was
at that time serving as a member of the United States House
of Representatives.
Second endorsement, July 9, 1898, Respectfully forwarded to the
Adjutant General of the Army:
Approved; William R. Shafter, U.S. Volunteers, commanding.
The recommendation, Mr. Speaker, then went to Secretary of War Alger.
From that point forward, what was purely a military recommendation,
based on extraordinary courage under fire, became mired in unrelated
tangential and unfortunate politics.
Let me read the firsthand observations of those who witnessed
Theodore Roosevelt's courage:
Headquarters, United States Military Academy, April 5, 1899.
My duties on July 1st, 1898, brought me in constant
observation of and contact with Colonel Roosevelt from early
morning until shortly before the climax of the assault of
[[Page H10124]]
the Cavalry Division on the San Juan Hill, the so-called
Kettle Hill. During this time, while under the enemy's
artillery fire from El Poso and while on the March from El
Poso to San Juan fjord, to the point from which his regiment
moved to the assault about 2 miles, the greater part under
fire, Colonel Roosevelt was conspicuous above any others I
observed in his regiment in zealous performance of duty, in
total disregard of his personal danger, and in his eagerness
to meet the enemy.
At El Poso, when the enemy opened on that place with
artillery fire, a shrapnel bullet grazed one of Colonel
Roosevelt's wrists. The incident did not lessen his exposure
under fire, but he continued so exposed until he had placed
his command under cover.
In moving to the assault of San Juan, Colonel Roosevelt was
most conspicuously brave, gallant, and indifferent to his own
safety. He, in the open, led his regiment. No officer could
have set a more striking example to his men or displayed
greater intrepedity.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel, U.S.
Army, Superintendent of West Point.
The second piece of correspondence, December 17, 1898:
I hereby certify that on July 1, 1898, Colonel, then
Lieutenant Colonel, Theodore Roosevelt, 1st Volunteer
Cavalry, distinguished himself throughout the action, and on
two occasions during the battle when I was an eyewitness to
his conduct, was most conspicuous and clearly distinguished
above other men as follows:
Number one, at the base of San Juan, or first hill there
was a strong wire fence or entanglement in which the line
hesitated under grueling fire and where the losses were
severe.
Mr. Speaker, I would insert parenthetically that Roosevelt's unit
that day sustained higher casualties than any other unit engaged in the
battle.
Returning to the text:
Colonel Roosevelt jumped through the fence, and by his
enthusiasm, his example and courage, succeeded in leading to
the crest of the hill a line sufficiently strong to capture
it.
In this charge, the cavalry division suffered its greatest
loss, and the Colonel's life was placed in extreme jeopardy
owing to the conspicuous position he took in leading the line
and being the first to reach the crest of that hill while
under heavy fire of the enemy at close range.
Number two, at the extreme advance position occupied by our
lines, Colonel Roosevelt found himself the senior, and under
instructions from General Sumner to hold that position, he
displayed the greatest bravery and placed his life in extreme
jeopardy by unavoidable exposure to severe fire while
adjusting and strengthening the line, placing the men in
positions which afforded best protection; and his conduct and
example steadied the men by severe but necessary measures to
prevent a small detachment from stampeding to the require.
He displayed the most conspicuous gallantry, courage, and
coolness in performing extraordinarily hazardous duty.
Captain, 1st Lieutenant, U.S. Cavalry.
December 30, 1898:
I have the honor to recommend that Theodore Roosevelt, late
Colonel of the 1st Volunteers, U.S. Cavalry, receive the
Medal of Honor as a reward for conspicuous gallantry on July
1st, 1898. Colonel Roosevelt, by his example and
fearlessness, inspired his men at both Kettle Hill and the
ridge known as San Juan. He led his command in person, and I
witnessed Colonel Roosevelt's action.
I hereby certify that on July 1st, 1898, at the Battle of
San Juan, Cuba, I witnessed Colonel Roosevelt, then Lt. Col.
Roosevelt, First Volunteer Cavalry, United States Army
Mounted, leading his regiment in the charge on San Juan. By
his gallantry and strong personality, he contributed most
materially to the success of the charge of the Cavalry
Division up San Juan Hill.
Mr. Speaker, I have further eyewitness documentation, but in the
interests of time, let me simply conclude by speaking extemporaneously.
Those who served with Theodore Roosevelt never doubted his courage.
The men who went up the hill with him that day for the rest of his life
and for the rest of their own, remembered a man of extraordinary
courage who, in time of battle, displayed himself to enemy fire with
absolute fearlessness.
There is absolutely no historic doubt that after being recommended by
his commanding officer, as pointed out by the gentleman from Indiana
(Mr. Buyer), himself a recipient of the Medal of Honor, and the two
senior officers next in the chain of command, Theodore Roosevelt was
denied the Congressional Medal of Honor because he was then publicly
engaged in an unrelated political dispute with the Secretary of War,
who never quite found time to sign the recommendation that had been
fully endorsed by the military chain of command.
After Theodore Roosevelt died, his widow, Edith, said that having
been recommended for the Congressional Medal of Honor and having not
received it was one of the most significant disappointments of
Roosevelt's' life.
Let me conclude with this, Mr. Speaker, if I may. I admire Theodore
Roosevelt, the President, tremendously, but after 26 years as a United
States Marine, I would not recommend any man, including Theodore
Roosevelt, for the Congressional Medal of Honor unless I believed deep
in my heart that he had, through the display of valor, earned that
decoration in battle. Mr. Speaker, I am absolutely convinced that that
was the case.
Because of political intervention, a man who later became President
of the United States but who on that day was simply a very, very brave
lieutenant colonel was denied the medal for which he had been properly
recommended.
It has been 100 years. Mr. Speaker, we today, in the memory of a
great President and perhaps an even greater warrior, we have the
opportunity to reverse a century of injustice by granting to Theodore
Roosevelt, not President Roosevelt but Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, the
medal that he earned in battle.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Long
Island, New York (Mr. Lazio), who has worked very hard on this, along
with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale).
Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) for his leadership in bringing this
to the floor. I also would like to acknowledge the great work of many
different people who are not here in the Chamber, but who were
instrumental in giving us the factual basis for this, including the
Theodore Roosevelt Association, Tweed Roosevelt, James Roosevelt, and
many others.
I rise in strong support of this bill to authorize the President to
award the Medal of Honor to that great Long Islander, Theodore
Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt was a man of honor, a man who held tightly
to his ideals and stayed true to them in the face of adversity. The
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Paul McHale) too is such a man, and I
cannot think of a more fitting tribute before he leaves this House than
to pass this bill and to have it signed into law.
Theodore Roosevelt is a personal hero of mine. His leadership at the
Santiago Heights is one of the reasons I admire him so. There were
legions of men on the battlefield that day, and Teddy Roosevelt was
just one, but unique among many, he seized the moment, cast aside all
regard for personal safety, and he made history. He made history
because of a choice he made in the face of danger, in the face of
death. While we generally do not have to guard our lives because of the
decisions we make here, we do have to guard our honor. I look to
Theodore Roosevelt as an inspiration.
As has been remarked earlier, Roosevelt was a great President and a
great statesman, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, an author, a
conservationist, a reformer, a trustbuster, a great Commissioner of
Police in New York City, a great Governor of the State of New York.
But for none of those reasons are we here today, as the gentleman
from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale) said. It is because of what he did on
that fateful day on July 1, one hundred years ago.
We speak more and more about role models in our society. Roosevelt
was a role model of the first order. He told the truth. He did what he
promised to do. He was an acknowledged inspiration to another
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. He remains a role model for all Americans.
The same character that made Theodore Roosevelt a role model also
made him a hero. America could use some of that character right now.
Today we have the marvelous opportunity to correct an injustice and
complete the historical record. We have an opportunity to help grant
Theodore Roosevelt the Medal of Honor that he so richly deserved 100
years ago. He does not deserve it because of what we say now in this
Chamber, but because the historians and his contemporaries tell us he
does.
Roosevelt's heroism on July 1 of 1898 has been documented. With his
cavalry
[[Page H10125]]
pinned down and taking heavy casualties, he fearlessly, on horseback,
charged Kettle Hill, armed only with a revolver, knowing that his men
would follow. The Rough Riders' heroic assault, with the brave Buffalo
Soldiers and others, assured a quick victory, seized the high ground,
and saved many lives.
Despite being recommended for the Medal of Honor by his superiors and
subordinates alike, including those that have been referenced who have
won the Medal of Honor themselves, the Secretary of War, Russell Alger,
denied the medal out of personal dislike for Roosevelt.
Many others disagreed about this, but it was clear the medal was not
denied on the merits; some say it was because Roosevelt called to have
his troops brought back so they would not face further losses as a
result of yellow fever, some because they felt Roosevelt was so
exuberant, some because Roosevelt was simply a volunteer. But it was
not based on the merit.
The Medal of Honor citation for Lt. Col. Wendell Neville during the
Mexican Campaign of 1915 could easily be inserted in a citation for
Theodore Roosevelt. It reads as follows:
His duties required him to be at points of great danger in
directing his officers and men, and he exhibited conspicuous
courage, coolness, and skill in his conduct of the fighting.
Upon his courage and skill depended, in great measure,
success or failure. His responsibilities were great and he
met them in a manner worthy of commendation.
In the modern age, individual cases of heroism occur, but the weapons
of today open opportunities for unprecedented individual achievements
in combat.
In the formal application I have submitted to the Army I cite the
action of a Platoon Sergeant McLeery during the Vietnam War. McLeery
single-handedly assaulted a hilltop Vietnamese bunker complex, firing
his machine gun from the hip and tossing grenades at the enemy. Upon
reaching the top of the hill, McLeery shouted encouragement to his
platoon, who then joined him in the assault. McLeery then began a
lateral assault on the bunker line.
{time} 1600
His modern weapons made possible the damage; however, his success was
due to his leadership and his courage. The Medal of Honor is not made
of machine guns, grenades, or killed enemies, but of uncommon valor, of
courage, and of leadership. Strip away the weaponry, and Roosevelt's
leadership and courage at Santiago is of the same caliber.
A hundred years ago an error was made. It is time to right this
wrong. It is time to give Theodore Roosevelt the medal he earned in the
closing years of the last century. It is time for justice.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) the chairman of the policy
committee.
Mr. COX of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this
resolution to recognize Theodore Roosevelt with the Medal of Honor, and
in support of the two veterans of the armed services, the gentleman
from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
McHale) who have dignified us with this effort to bring it to the
floor.
Mr. Speaker, I want in particular to recognize one of those two
sponsors, because he is going to be leaving us at the end of this
Congress which is close upon us. I listened the gentleman from
Pennsylvania read about Teddy Roosevelt and describe to us the
qualities that he possessed and the very reasons that he should receive
this honor.
Mr. Speaker, during the gentleman's tenure in Congress, he has been
exposed to severe fire, metaphorically, but nonetheless truly. He has
led his colleagues and his countrymen by his conduct and his example.
I came to work with the gentleman from Pennsylvania when the
President was preparing to send troops to Bosnia, and I know the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) did as well. In meetings with him,
with the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of State, and
other Members of the administration, the gentleman from Pennsylvania
was always enormously well prepared, always articulate, and always made
his points with compelling logic.
His patriotism has always been evident. Upon his retirement, we can
do no less than to honor him by passing this bill and by recognizing
that the extraordinary qualities that Teddy Roosevelt displayed are
qualities that the gentleman also possesses.
Mr. McHALE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for
his kind words.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), a dangerous proposition in
this case.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I find myself on this side of the aisle
in order to honor the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Paul McHale) and
thank him very much. I would like to associate myself with the remarks
of the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox). I think that he summed up
the admiration that all of us have for the gentleman from Pennsylvania
and an admiration that will go with him in the years ahead.
Mr. Speaker, it was 100 years ago this year that Teddy Roosevelt led
his Rough Riders in the Battle of San Juan Hill, which was a decisive
battle of the Spanish-American War. History has long overlooked the
significance of that battle and the significance of that war, as well
as the heroism of Colonel Teddy Roosevelt.
Had the battle of San Juan Hill been lost, America's expeditionary
force would likely have been stuck into a no-win conflict, mired down
with thinning ranks, troops being thinned, yes, from disease and from
lack of competence on the part of our own country in terms of the art
of fighting a war.
In fact, at that time we did not know how to transport our troops. We
did not know how to supply our troops. And many more of those people
who volunteered, those young heroes who volunteered during the Spanish-
American War died of eating tainted meat than they did from enemy
bullets, because our country did not have the expertise. And if it had
not been for the determination and the courage and the gallantry of men
like Theodore Roosevelt, that war would have turned out differently.
We need to ask ourselves as Americans, as we look back on this long
forgotten war in the last century, what would the America that we know
have been like had we lost that war? Most certainly had we lost that
small war, America's attitude towards involvement in the world would
have been totally different. The American ``can do'' consciousness that
was so much a part of the 20th century would not have been a part of
the decision-making process of our leaders and of our people when the
great threats to all mankind emerged in the 20th century. That of
Naziism, Fascism, Japanese militarism, and communism.
Instead, America faced the 20th century with a positive sense of
destiny; that we were meant to be a positive force in the world. This
can be tied back to the success of that small war, that forgotten war,
the Spanish-American War and Teddy Roosevelt's pivotal moment in
American history.
Teddy Roosevelt, in leading his troops up San Juan Hill, showed as
much gallantry, and we have heard the evidence today, as our Medal of
Honor winners. He exposed himself to the withering fire of the enemy
and literally led his troops on horseback and making a target out of
himself.
Yes, Teddy Roosevelt deserved the Nation's highest award and
politics, as we heard, got in the way. Let us today pay this long
overdue honor to this American President and this American hero.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Buyer), and also like to say thanks to my good friend and colleague the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McHale) who is going to be leaving
this House, but he will be with us. Thanks to his efforts, we are
expressing the appreciation in this long overdue tribute.
Teddy Roosevelt's courage and leadership in this battle, and his
indomitable spirit, did much to shape the American character. We are
giving him thanks today. It has also been stated by another friend who
is also leaving, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Solomon) that Teddy
Roosevelt was also the winner of the Nobel Prize. And if we succeed
today, and I hope we do and I hope this goes through the legislative
process, Teddy Roosevelt will be the only individual in history to have
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earned both the Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize. I think that
is a fitting tribute for a man who represented so much and did so much
to shape the 20th century, the American century.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as I reviewed this case, a list of words come to mind. I
want to share them. They are words that come to mind with regard to
Teddy Roosevelt and his gallantry. They are virtues and ideals and
values that we can all admire. I think about valor, bravery, gallantry,
courage. He was audacious. He was bold. He was dauntless, fearless,
gutsy. He had intrepid character. He was valiant, stalwart, steadfast.
Yes, venturesome and daring.
And then I add three more: Bold-hearted, brave-hearted and
lionhearted.
Those words, yes, apply to Teddy Roosevelt and his conspicuous valor
and gallantry on that day, and that is why I believe this House should
overwhelmingly pass this resolution to authorize the President of the
United States to award the Medal of Honor to one of our great
presidents, Theodore Roosevelt.
Let me conclude and say to my very dear friend, as you go home to
your family, this Congress will miss you, the country will miss you,
but more importantly, I am going to miss you, my friend.
When I think about bold-hearted and brave-hearted and lion-hearted, I
think of Paul McHale, because your heart is in the right place, my
friend. Godspeed to you, and that phone is two-way. Do you hear me?
Mr. McHALE. I do.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McHALE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
for concluding remarks.
Mr. Speaker, is it too late to announce my reelection campaign? Had
all these nice things been said about me a year ago I might have run
again.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Roosevelt, Tweed Roosevelt, I am delighted and
honored that you are here with us today. Throughout the entire
presidency of Theodore Roosevelt our forces were never ordered into
battle. Theodore Roosevelt understood that the ultimate purpose of
military power is to deter conflict and he, in fact, achieved that goal
during his presidency.
I have had the opportunity on a number of occasions to go to the
Roosevelt Room at the White House, where the Nobel Prize awarded to
Theodore Roosevelt for his efforts in negotiating a peace in the Russo-
Japanese War remains on display.
I can think of nothing more fitting for Theodore Roosevelt and in
fact I can think of nothing more emblematic of our Nation than one day,
following this action, to have the Congressional Medal of Honor on that
mantle for display immediately adjacent to the Nobel Peace Prize.
We are a nation that reveres peace. We do all that we can to achieve
peace, and we are prepared to go to war only in those cases when
necessary to defend the fundamental interests and liberty of the
citizens of our Nation.
We abhor war. We strive for peace. Those two medals, side-by-side, on
display in the Roosevelt Room, would capture much of Theodore Roosevelt
and all that is good in our Nation.
Mr. Speaker, in a couple of moments, when it is procedurally proper,
I am going to call for a recorded vote. We have little time remaining
in this Congress. It is imperative that the other body act within the
next 24 to 48 hours. In order to impress upon the other body the
sincere, overwhelming support of the membership of this House, I will
call for a recorded vote so that the transmittal of that voting tally
may, on the other side of the Capitol, provide an incentive for prompt
consideration in the other body.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaTourette). Before putting the
question, the Chair would remind all Members that pursuant to clause 8
of rule XIV it is not in order to recognize or call to the attention of
the House any occupant in the gallery.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 2263.
The question was taken.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5, rule I, and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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