[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 151 (Wednesday, October 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12916-S12918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     AWARDING THE MEDAL OF HONOR POSTHUMOUSLY TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 2263, which is at the 
desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A 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 PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, as the Senate considers H.R. 2263, a 
bill to authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Theodore 
Roosevelt for his actions on San Juan Heights in cuba during the 
Spanish-American War, I want to clarify what we are doing. This bill 
does not award the Medal of Honor to Theodore Roosevelt. It does 
authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to then Colonel 
Roosevelt.
  Colonel Roosevelt's actions on San Juan Heights may well merit the 
award of the Medal of Honor. However, in order to make such a 
determination, one must carefully review the historical record, 
including any eyewitness

[[Page S12917]]

accounts that may be available, and evaluate the record against the 
criteria for award of the Medal of Honor that was applied to other 
members of the Armed forces who were recommended for the Medal of Honor 
during the Spanish-American War. In my opinion, this is a task that can 
only be performed by the military services.
  In fact, in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
1996, we established a procedure in which the military services would 
evaluate recommendations for awards for past actions and notify the 
Committee on Armed Services of those found to be meritorious. Each 
year, in the National Defense Authorization Act, we waive the time 
limits for those awards recommended by the Secretaries of the Military 
Departments so that the award may be made.
  Mr. President, Senator Levin and myself, as well as Congressmen 
Spence, Skelton, and McHale have agreed to and signed a letter to the 
President regarding this issue. This letter makes it clear that we 
believe the President should consult with the Secretary of the Army, 
who is reviewing the accounts of Colonel Roosevelt's actions before 
deciding to award the Medal of Honor to Theodore Roosevelt. I ask 
unanimous consent that this letter be printed in the Record following 
my remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, this bill should not be seen as a 
precedent for Congressional decisions on military awards. Our 
legislation in 1996 established a procedure designed to ensure that 
heroic and meritorious actions do not go unrecognized solely due to the 
passage of time. However, the procedure also preserves the integrity of 
the military award system which is important to our military services 
and the American people.
  Mr. President, in closing, I want to commend Congressman McHale for 
his determined efforts in bringing this matter to our attention. It is 
my fervent hope that Colonel Roosevelt's action will be appropriately 
recognized while preserving the time honored processes and traditions 
within our military services for awarding our Nation's most hallowed 
award for valor, the Medal of Honor.

                               Exhibit 1


                                  Committee on Armed Services,

                                 Washington, DC, October 20, 1998.
     The President,
     The White House, Washington, DC 20500
       Dear Mr. President: We want to share our views with you on 
     H.R. 2263, a bill that authorizes and requests you to award 
     the Medal of Honor posthumously to Theodore Roosevelt for his 
     actions in the attack on San Juan Heights, Cuba during the 
     Spanish American War.
       We supported this legislation with the intent and 
     understanding that: (a) prior to reaching a decision on 
     awarding the Medal of Honor posthumously to Theodore 
     Roosevelt pursuant to this legislation, you will seek the 
     advice of the Secretary of the Army; (b) Theodore Roosevelt 
     will be considered for eligibility for the Medal of Honor 
     based on the same standard of merit that was applied to other 
     members of the armed forces who received this medal during 
     the Spanish American War; and (c) the Secretary of the Army 
     will prepare a full and formal record of Theodore Roosevelt's 
     valor, inviting public submissions, with emphasis on the 
     eyewitness and contemporaneous accounts of Roosevelt's 
     battlefield courage.
       If an injustice was done to Theodore Roosevelt in 
     withholding the Medal of Honor, we believe it should be 
     corrected.
           Sincerely,
     Carl Levin,
       Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Armed Services, 
     United States Senate.
     Strom Thurmond,
       Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, United States 
     Senate.
     Ike Skelton,
       Ranking Minority Member, Committee on National Security, 
     United States House of Representatives.
     Floyd Spence,
       Chairman, Committee on National Security, United States 
     House of Representatives.
     Paul McHale,
       Member, Committee on National Security, United States House 
     of Representatives.

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I support this legislation that authorizes 
and requests the President to award the Medal of Honor posthumously to 
Theodore Roosevelt for his actions in the attack on San Juan Heights, 
Cuba during the Spanish American War. I support this legislation 
because the letter to the President that Senator Thurmond has put in 
the Record makes clear the congressional intent in passing this 
legislation.
  I want to briefly summarize the key points of this letter. It is our 
intent and understanding that: prior to reaching a decision on awarding 
the Medal of Honor posthumously to Theodore Roosevelt pursuant to this 
legislation, the President will seek the advice of the Secretary of the 
Army; Theodore Roosevelt will be considered for eligibility for the 
Medal of Honor based on the same standard of merit that was applied to 
other members of the armed forces who received this medal during the 
Spanish American War; and the Secretary of the Army will prepare a full 
and formal record of Theodore Roosevelt's valor, inviting public 
submissions, with emphasis on the eyewitness and contemporaneous 
accounts of Roosevelt's battlefield courage.
  Mr. President, military awards and decorations--particularly 
decorations for valor--are a hallowed part of the military services' 
core values and traditions, and are critical to the morale and esprit 
of the men and women who serve in our armed forces. In my view, the 
decision to award a medal of valor is the prerogative of the military 
service, not the Congress. That is why Congress recently enacted 
section 1130 of Title 10 United States Code. This section allows 
Members of Congress to request a Service Secretary to review proposals 
for military decorations that were not previously submitted in a timely 
fashion, but leaves the final determination as to the merits of 
approving the decoration to the Service Secretary.
  There are many people who believe that Theodore Roosevelt's actions 
in the attack on San Juan Heights are deserving of this high honor, and 
that this honor was withheld from him at the time despite the 
recommendation of his military chain of command. I believe that a 
complete record should be assembled and the entire issue should be 
carefully reviewed by the Army. Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera 
recently pledged to Congress that the Army is conducting this review, 
and he has agreed to review personally all of the material in this 
case.
  Mr. President, if an injustice was done to Theodore Roosevelt in 
withholding the Medal of Honor, it should be corrected. But the 
legislation we are passing today is advisory and not directive. Before 
the President reaches a final decision on whether to award the Medal of 
Honor to Theodore Roosevelt, our letter to the President makes clear 
the congressional intent that he should consult with the Secretary of 
the Army.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise in support of H.R. 
2263, legislation that encourages the posthumous award of the Medal of 
Honor to Theodore Roosevelt.
  The courage demonstrated by Col. Theodore Roosevelt as he led the 
First US Volunteer Cavalry in an attack on San Juan Heights, Cuba, has 
rightly become a part of American folklore. That day, on July 1, 1898, 
in one of the most famous military actions in our nation's history, 
Roosevelt showed why he is rightly regarded as an American hero.
  Roosevelt had every reason to expect to be awarded the Medal of 
Honor. Award of this most prestigious medal to ``TR'' was recommended 
by his commanding general.
  Unfortunately, political considerations at the time stood in the way. 
As Roosevelt's great grandson, Tweed Roosevelt, testified before 
Congress last month, however, TR did not take the occasion of his 
assumption of the presidency to retaliate against those who had denied 
him an award he clearly deserved. The same character he showed in 
battle during the Spanish-American War continued to be evident once 
Roosevelt reached the pinnacle of power in the United States.
  Fortunately, today the Senate is taking legislative action that will 
allow this injustice to be corrected. One century after TR and his 
Roughriders

[[Page S12918]]

charged up San Juan Heights, the Senate stands ready to pass 
legislation that would authorize and request that the Medal of Honor be 
awarded posthumously to Theodore Roosevelt. I was pleased to work with 
the distinguished leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee on 
this matter, and thank them for their good work.
  As those of my colleagues who have studied Roosevelt's life are 
aware, my state has a special connection with Theodore Roosevelt. TR 
liked to say that the years he spent in the Badlands of North Dakota 
were the best of his life. Today, Theodore Roosevelt National Park 
stands as an enduring reminder of TR's love for North Dakota and the 
profound impact that my state had on this remarkable American.
  As a North Dakotan and an American, I am pleased that the life and 
ideas of Theodore Roosevelt are receiving renewed attention. TR's 
ruggedness, patriotism, optimism, and spirit reflect what is best about 
our country. He also articulated a vision of America that remains 
compelling today, and merits a new look. Teddy Roosevelt called for 
maintaining a strong national defense, protecting our environmental 
treasures, encouraging entrepreneurship, and, by broadening access to 
education and health care, ensuring that every American has a viable 
shot at realizing their dreams. This is a vision we all would do well 
to pursue.
  Again, Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues for their support 
of the legislation before us today, and congratulate the Armed Services 
Committee for its leadership in seeing that an historical wrong can be 
righted before the end of this session of Congress. Theodore Roosevelt 
was a great American who displayed remarkable courage in battle. It is 
good to know that the bill we will pass today will help get him the 
recognition he deserves.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise to indicate my 
strong support for this bill. It is my sincere conviction that we are 
today making right a historic wrong. One hundred years ago, Theodore 
Roosevelt was denied the Congressional Medal of Honor simply because he 
attempted to force the War Department to return sick veterans of the 
Spanish-American War to their homes in the United States. In so doing, 
he embarrassed a political rival, who it just so happened was also the 
Secretary of War. As a result, despite the unanimous recommendation of 
his uniformed superiors, his political superior denied him the nation's 
highest military honor.
  On July 1, 1898, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, commander of the 1st 
U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment--the famed ``Rough Riders''--was just 
39 years of age. He had resigned his position as Assistant Secretary of 
the Navy so that he could help organize the regiment. American forces, 
battling both the Spanish and the Cuban jungle, prepared to storm San 
Juan Hill and the heights surrounding the strategic port city of 
Santiago, Cuba. within the protected walls surrounding the port of 
Santiago sat the Spanish fleet, which had to be neutralized if the 
United States was to win the war.
  The American attack against Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill was pinned 
down immediately by the merciless fire of the Spanish forces entrenched 
on the heights above. According to one participant, ``the situation was 
desperate. Our troops could not retreat as the trail for two miles 
behind them was wedged with men. They could not remain where they were 
for they were being shot to pieces. . .'' U.S. forces still hunkered 
down at the foot of the hill were unable to return fire.
  After long delay, Roosevelt received orders to advance. With 
Roosevelt at their lead, the Rough Riders advanced to the front of the 
American line. Determined to rally the American forces to victory, 
Roosevelt shouted: ``If you don't want to go forward, let my men 
pass.'' Roosevelt dared and goaded men in the rear forward until they 
crowded the ones in front of them. The whole line, tired of waiting and 
eager to close with the enemy, was straining to go forward.
  Leading the charge up the hill, Roosevelt waved his hat and went up 
the hill with a rush. With Roosevelt in the lead, thee American forces 
reached the summit of Kettle Hill and swept aside the last of the 
Spanish defenders. Without hesitating, Roosevelt directed his men to 
fire against the Spanish defenders on nearby San Juan Hill, where 
another American force was advancing in the face of heavy fire. 
Rallying his forces, Roosevelt leapt forward advancing into the valley 
between Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. In his excitement to charge the 
Spanish position, Roosevelt soon realized instead of the entire 
regiment following him, only five other men had joined him in the 
charge.
  Roosevelt then proceeded to run back to Kettle Hill, where he angrily 
yelled at the regiment to follow him. The Rough Riders responded by 
shouting: ``We didn't see you go! Lead on and we will follow!'' Lead he 
did. Once again, Roosevelt, this time with the Rough Riders behind, 
rushed up San Juan Hill for a second time. Once again, Roosevelt led 
his men into the Spanish line on the top of the height. Roosevelt then 
succeeded in organizing and leading the defense of the heights 
throughout the night. Out of four hundred men in the regiment, 86 had 
been killed or wounded, six were missing and another 40 were struck 
with heat exhaustion.
  Military experts, historians, and everyone who had witnessed both the 
charge up Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill agreed that they had occurred 
and succeeded because of the man who had led them. For his actions, 
Colonel Leonard Wood, 1st U.S. volunteer Cavalry, recommended Roosevelt 
for the Congressional Medal of Honor. The recommendation received 
endorsement throughout the chain of command.
  After the cessation of hostilities, the American forces remaining on 
Cuba, including the rough riders, were ravaged by malaria and fever. 
The commanders on Cuba, including Roosevelt and Leonard Wood, pleaded 
with the War Department, to bring the men home. But Secretary of War 
Alger, who believed the troops were infected with yellow fever, wished 
to delay their return until the disease had run its course. Fearing 
that the continued stay of the troops on the island would result in the 
death of thousands, Roosevelt, with the support of the other commanders 
on the island, drafted a letter demanding that the troops be brought 
back home lest thousands die in Cuba.
  The letter was published in the press, and was a great embarrassment 
to President McKinley and Secretary of War Alger. Although subsequently 
Roosevelt received credit for bringing the troops home, Alger rejected 
the recommendation of Roosevelt's superiors that he be awarded the 
Medal of Honor for his actions. Roosevelt's wife would later write that 
Alger's rejection of Roosevelt's recommendation for the Medal of Honor 
``was one of the bitterest disappointments of his life.''
  I will admit that I approached the prospect of legislating the 
nation's highest military award for valor with some concern. However, 
my review of the facts of this case have convinced me that Teddy 
Roosevelt earned the Medal of Honor on the battlefield, only to see it 
denied for political reasons. I am pleased, one hundred years later, to 
be a part of correcting this injustice today.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I commend Congressman McHale and a number of 
House Members that took the time and stayed committed to this until we 
did get it accomplished. From what I have learned about it, it is the 
right thing to do.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the 
third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, 
and that any statements relating to the bill be placed at the 
appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 2263) was considered read the third time, and passed.

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