[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 49 (Thursday, April 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  FORTY-THREE BRAVE AMERICAN SOLDIERS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM TURNER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 4, 2001

  Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, history almost forgot forty-three American 
soldiers who were involved in one of the hottest firefights of the Cold 
War. The morning after Thanksgiving in 1984, the soldiers monitoring 
the demilitarized zone on the North Korean border saw their North 
Korean counterparts race across the border towards them, in hot pursuit 
after a fleeing Soviet defector. What followed for almost an hour was a 
gunfight between the forty three American soldiers, their South Korean 
allies, and dozens of attacking North Koreans. In the exchange of fire, 
an American soldier was injured, one South Korean was killed, and at 
least two North Koreans were killed and another two wounded.
  The forty-three American soldiers faced the danger of combat, 
protecting our liberty and our commitment to democracy. But for years, 
they were never recognized with the Combat Infantryman's Badge--a mark 
of honor and distinction reserved for those American soldiers who faced 
enemy fire and survived.
  Finally, after seventeen years, these brave men will receive the 
recognition they deserve. The reasons for the delay--bureaucratic 
politics and inconsistent regulations--might just as well be forgotten 
by history. But we must never let these men, their courage, their 
sacrifice, and their honor, be relegated to the status of a footnote in 
the history books.
  Our nation has always had its heros. From the great revolutionaries 
like Patrick Henry and George Washington to the pioneers like Daniel 
Boone and Davy Crockett, we have always looked to those who risked 
themselves for a greater purpose. Some of our heros left their mark 
with a flourish, and some carried out their role with only silent 
dignity, yet we have always respected them with out gratitude and our 
honor.
  The Combat Infantryman's Badge is a simple piece of cloth; a musket 
bordered by a wreath on a pale blue background. But the risk, 
sacrifice, and indeed, heroism that it represents is real.
  To these forty-three brave American soldiers, we owe a great debt. 
Decades may have passed since that November morning they stood tall and 
protected us, but the memory shall not fade. History will never forget 
their courage.

                          ____________________