[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

[[Page H10126]]

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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