[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 78 (Thursday, May 27, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6278-S6280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        THE CONTRIBUTION OF IMMIGRANTS TO AMERICA'S ARMED FORCES

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, with Memorial Day soon upon us, I wanted 
to share with my colleagues some of the testimony from yesterday's 
Senate Immigration Subcommittee hearing on ``The Contribution of 
Immigrants to America's Armed Forces.'' It featured some dramatic 
testimony from both immigrants and native-born individuals.
  Let me begin by quoting the testimony of Elmer Compton, a native of 
Indiana who served in Vietnam.

       When I look at my wife, son and daughter, I cannot keep 
     from thinking of one particular immigrant by the name of Al 
     Rascon and the contribution he made to me and my family on 
     March 16, 1966. The heroic and gallant actions of Al Rascon 
     on that day, I believe saved my life, as well as other 
     members of my team.
       On March 16, 1966, Al Rascon was with the Recon Platoon on 
     a search and destroy mission known as Operation Silver City. 
     My team had engaged a well-armed enemy force. The enemy force 
     had fire superiority that immediately pinned down the entire 
     point squad with heavy machine gun fire and numerous hand 
     grenades. Through the intense fire of automatic weapons and 
     grenades, Rascon made his way to point where my squad was 
     pinned down and could not move in any direction. Wounded 
     himself, Rascon continued to work his way to my position, 
     attending to wounded as he did.
       After reaching my position I could see that he was in great 
     pain. He began to patch me up. As I was placing M16 fire in 
     the direction of the enemy, two or three hand grenades were 
     thrown in the direction of Rascon and myself, landing no more 
     than a few feet away. Without hesitation, Rascon jumped on 
     me, taking me to the ground and covering me with his body. He 
     received numerous wounds to his body and face.
       I truly believe his actions that day saved my life. What 
     more can a person do for God, Country and his fellow man.
       In closing, I think of the Military Code of Conduct. The 
     First Code, I am an American fighting man, I serve in the 
     forces which guard our Country and our way of life. And

[[Page S6279]]

     I am prepared to give my life in its defense.' The immigrants 
     I had the privilege to know and serve with upheld this Code. 
     Again, thank you for this opportunity.

  Erick A. Mogollon, a Guatemalan-born immigrant and Gulf War veteran, 
is a Senior Chief Petty Officer with the U.S. Navy. At the hearing he 
summed up the views of many immigrant soldiers and sailors when he 
testified,

       After having had the opportunity to meet so many shipmates 
     over the course of my career, I can honestly say that the 
     contribution of immigrant American's can never be fully 
     measured. These Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, have 
     left their motherland, been welcomed by the United States and 
     have given of themselves to the defense of this nation. For 
     many immigrants, they have given and will continue to give 
     because of their deep appreciation and dedication to the
     Untied States. They know, first hand, how it is to live 
     without the protection and security they now count on, and 
     will give their lives to protect it.

  The statement of Paul Bucha, president of the Congressional Medal of 
Honor Society, also included some strong declarations that I believe 
are worth sharing. Mr. Bucha testified,

       Tens of thousands of immigrants and hundreds of thousands 
     of the descendants of immigrants have died in combat fighting 
     for America. I put to you that there is a standard, a basic 
     standard, by which to judge whether America is correct to 
     maintain a generous legal immigration policy: Have immigrants 
     and their children and grandchildren been willing to fight 
     and die for the United States of America? The answer--right 
     up to the present day--remains a resounding ``yes.''
  I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the testimony delivered 
by Mr. Bucha and Senior Chief Mogollon be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the statement was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

 Statement of Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Senior Chief (AW), 
  Erick A. Mogollon, United States Navy, Subcommittee on Immigration, 
Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, on ``The Contribution 
         of Immigrants to America's Armed Forces'' May 26, 1999

       Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Committee, I 
     am honored to appear before you today to talk about immigrant 
     American's contribution to the Armed Forces and our national 
     defense. I'd like to share with you a few thoughts on how I 
     became an American and why I joined the United States Navy.
       I was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala on 24 January 1960 
     and immigrated to the United States with my family in 1970. 
     My mother, three brothers and one sister lived outside of 
     Boston in Milford, Massachusetts. In 1973, I moved to East 
     Douglas and attended Douglas High School. I am proud to say I 
     graduated in 1979 with high honors. While in high school, I 
     entered the Delayed Entry Program and shipped out to boot 
     camp in September 1979. I joined because of the opportunity 
     to excel and to give of myself in gratitude for what this 
     great country of ours has done for me and my family. I'd like 
     to acknowledge the support of my wife, Marilyn and my 
     children, Solines (15), Erick (12), Elias (9) and Marilyn (6) 
     throughout my career. Sailors go to sea, but the family must 
     always remain behind.
       Being able to qualify for service was itself an 
     accomplishment that encouraged me to do my best. I graduated 
     at the top of my class from ``A'' school and was assigned to 
     the world's best aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy 
     (CV-67). After serving on Kennedy, I was assigned to VR-22 
     and VQ-2 in Rota, Spain. I have enjoyed the opportunity of 
     overseas service and earned my qualification as an Aviation 
     Warfare Specialist. While in Spain, I was fortunate and 
     honored to receive the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces 
     Europe, Leadership Award for Petty Officers. Being chosen 
     from thousands of highly qualified shipmates was truly 
     rewarding. The most important highlight of this tour was my 
     citizenship. On June 17, 1985, I became a United States 
     Citizen at Fanuiel Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.
       After leaving Spain, I asked for reassignment to the U.S.S. 
     John F. Kennedy (CV-67). I am proud of the ship and our 
     combat service during Operations Desert Shield and Desert 
     Storm. As a newly promoted Chief Petty Officer, I served as a 
     flight deck chief during the war and was directly responsible 
     for the launching and recovery of our combat aircraft. During 
     the war, U.S.S. John F. Kennedy aircraft participated in over 
     120 combat strike missions and flew nearly 4000 strike 
     sorties. I am proud to say we did not lose any pilots or 
     aircrew during the war. The pride, professionalism and 
     dedication of our sailor's was evident in daily operations.
       After the war, I was assigned to U.S.S. America (CV-66) as 
     the Leading Chief Petty Officer for V-3 division and was able 
     to experience the contributions of many immigrant Americans 
     who are dedicated to the defense of our nation. I now teach 
     leadership to the senior enlisted force and am assigned to 
     the Submarine School in Groton, CT. This highlight gives me 
     the opportunity to instill pride and commitment to others.
       After having had the opportunity to meet so many shipmates 
     over the course of my career, I can honestly say that the 
     contribution of immigrant American's can never be fully 
     measured. These Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, have 
     left their motherland, been welcomed by the United States and 
     have given of themselves to the defense of this nation. For 
     many immigrants, they have given and will continue to give 
     because of their deep appreciation and dedication to the 
     Untied States. They know, first hand, how it is to live 
     without the protection and security they now count on, and 
     will give their lives to protect it.
                                  ____


   Testimony of Paul Bucha, President, Congressional Medal of Honor 
   Society, Before the Subcommittee on Immigration, Committee on the 
   Judiciary, United States Senate, Concerning ``The Contribution of 
 Immigrants to America's Armed Forces'' May 26, 1999, 10 a.m., Dirksen 
                                  226

       My name is Paul Bucha, President of the Congressional Medal 
     of Honor Society, and I have asked Charles MacGillivary, a 
     past president of the society, to present my testimony. I 
     want to thank you Senator Abraham for holding this hearing 
     and, more importantly, for displaying leadership on the 
     immigration issue and reminding us of America's great 
     tradition as a nation of immigrants.
       Let me state my position clearly: All of us owe our freedom 
     and our prosperity to the sacrifices of immigrants who gave 
     of themselves so that we might have more. We are fortunate 
     and we are forever indebted to those who have gone before.
       The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action 
     against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an 
     individual serving in the U.S. Armed Services. Generally 
     presented to its recipient by the President in the name of 
     Congress, it is often called the Congressional Medal of 
     Honor. In 1946, the Medal of Honor Society was formed to 
     perpetuate and uphold the integrity of the Medal of Honor and 
     to help its recipients. In 1957, Congress passed legislation, 
     later signed by President Eisenhower, that incorporated the 
     Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
       A review of the records shows that 715 of the 3,410 
     Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in America's 
     history--more than 20 percent--have been immigrants. I would 
     like to share the stories of some of these individuals so the 
     committee can better understand the sacrifices made by these 
     and other immigrants.
       Lewis Albanese, an immigrant from Italy served during the 
     Vietnam War as a private first class in the U.S. Army. On 
     December 1, 1966, Albanese's platoon advanced through dense 
     terrain. At close range, enemy soldiers fired automatic 
     weapons. Albanese was assigned the task of providing security 
     for the platoon's left flank so it could move forward.
       Suddenly, an enemy in a concealed ditch opened fire on the 
     left flank. Realizing his fellow soldiers were in danger, 
     Albanese fixed his bayonet, plunged into the ditch 
     and silenced the sniper fire. This allowed the platoon to 
     advance in safety toward the main enemy position.
       The ditch that Lewis Albanese had entered was filled with a 
     complex of defenses designed to inflict heavy damage on any 
     who attacked the main position. The other members of the 
     platoon heard heavy firing from the ditch and some of them 
     saw what happened next: Albanese moved 100 meters along the 
     trench and killed six snipers, each of whom were armed with 
     automatic weapons. But soon, Albanese, out of ammunition, was 
     forced to engage in hand-to-hand combat with North Vietnamese 
     soldiers. He killed two of them. But he was mortally wounded 
     in the attack.
       ``His unparalleled action saved the lives of many members 
     of his platoon who otherwise would have fallen to the sniper 
     fire,'' reads the official citation. ``Private First Class 
     Albanese's extraordinary heroism and supreme dedication to 
     his comrades were commensurate with the finest traditions of 
     the military service and remain a tribute to himself, his 
     unit, and the U.S. Army.'' Lewis Albanese was 20 years old.
       Mexican-born immigrant Marcario Garcia was acting squad 
     leader of Company B (22nd Infantry) near Grosshau, Germany 
     during World War II. Garcia was wounded and in pain as he 
     found his company pinned down by the heavy machine gun fire 
     of Nazi troops and by an artillery and mortar barrage. Garcia 
     crawled forward up to one of the enemy's positions. He lobbed 
     hand grenades into the enemy's emplacement, singlehandedly 
     assaulted the position, and destroyed the gun, killing three 
     German soldiers.
       Shortly after returning to his company, another German 
     machine gun started firing. Garcia returned to the German 
     position and again singlehandedly stormed the enemy, 
     destroying the gun, killing three more German soldiers, and 
     capturing four prisoners.
       Finally, Lieutenant John Koelsch was a London-born 
     immigrant who flew a helicopter as part of a Navy helicopter 
     rescue unit during the Korean War. On July 3, 1951, he 
     received word that the North Koreans had shot down a U.S. 
     marine aviator and had him trapped deep inside hostile 
     territory. The terrain was mountainous and it was growing 
     dark. John Koelsch volunteered to rescue him.
       Koelsch's aircraft was unarmed and due to the overcast and 
     low altitude he flew without a fighter escort. He drew enemy 
     fire as he descended beneath the clouds to search for the 
     downed aviator.

[[Page S6280]]

       After being hit, Koelsch kept flying until he located the 
     downed pilot, who had suffered serious burns. While the 
     injured pilot was being hoisted up, a burst of enemy fire hit 
     the helicopter, causing it to crash into the side of the 
     mountain. Koelsch helped his crew and the downed pilot out of 
     the wreckage, and led the men out of the area just ahead of 
     the enemy troops. With Koelsch leading them, they spent nine 
     days on the run evading the North Koreans and caring for the 
     burned pilot. Finally, the North Koreans captured Koelsch and 
     his men.
       ``His great personal valor and heroic spirit of self-
     sacrifice throughout sustain and enhance the finest 
     traditions of the U.S. Naval Service,'' his citation for the 
     Medal of Honor reads. That self-sacrifice, the citation 
     notes, included the inspiration of other prisoners of war, 
     for during the interrogation he ``refused to aid his captors 
     in any manner'' and died in the hands of the North Koreans.
       These and other immigrant Medal of Honor recipients tell 
     the story not only of America's wars but of America's people. 
     After all, we must never forget that all of us are either 
     immigrants are the descendants of immigrants.
       Tens of thousands of immigrants and hundreds of thousands 
     of the descendants of immigrants have died in combat fighting 
     for America. I put to you that there is a standard, a basic 
     standard, by which to judge whether America is correct to 
     maintain a generous legal immigration policy: Have immigrants 
     and their children and grandchildren been willing to fight 
     and die for the United States of America? The answer--right 
     up to the present day--remains a resounding ``yes.''

                          ____________________