Congressional Record, Volume 148 Issue 85 (Monday, June 24, 2002)

[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 85 (Monday, June 24, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H3834-H3836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

DESIGNATING OFFICIAL FLAG OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR

Mr. SCHROCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
joint resolution (H.J. Res. 95) designating an official flag of the
Medal of Honor and providing for presentation of that flag to each
recipient of that Medal of Honor, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:

H.J. Res. 95

Whereas 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 Armed Forces of the United
States;
Whereas the Medal of Honor was established by Congress
during the Civil War to recognize soldiers who had
distinguished themselves by gallantry in action;
Whereas the Medal of Honor was conceived by Senator James
Grimes of the State of Iowa in 1861; and
Whereas the Medal of Honor is the Nation's highest military
honor, awarded for acts of personal bravery or self-sacrifice
above and beyond the call of duty: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF MEDAL OF HONOR FLAG.

(a) In General.--Chapter 9 of title 36, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``Sec. 903. Designation of Medal of Honor Flag

``(a) Designation.--The Secretary of Defense shall design
and designate a flag as the Medal of Honor Flag. In selecting
the design for the flag, the Secretary shall consider designs
submitted by the general public.
``(b) Presentation.--The Medal of Honor Flag shall be
presented as specified in sections 3755, 6257, and 8755 of
title 10 and section 505 of title 14.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the
following new item:

``903. Designation of Medal of Honor Flag.''.

SEC. 2. PRESENTATION OF FLAG TO MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS.

(a) Army.--(1) Chapter 357 of title 10, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``Sec. 3755. Medal of honor: presentation of Medal of Honor
Flag

``The President shall provide for the presentation of the
Medal of Honor Flag designated under section 903 of title 36
to each person to whom a medal of honor is awarded under
section 3741 of this title after the date of the enactment of
this section. Presentation of the flag shall be made at the
same time as the presentation of the medal under section 3741
or 3752(a) of this title.''.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``3755. Medal of honor: presentation of Medal of Honor Flag.''.
(b) Navy and Marine Corps.--(1) Chapter 567 of such title
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``Sec. 6257. Medal of honor: presentation of Medal of Honor
Flag

[[Page H3835]]

time as the presentation of the medal under section 6241 or
6250 of this title.''.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``6257. Medal of honor: presentation of Medal of Honor Flag.''.
(c) Air Force.--(1) Chapter 857 of title 10, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:

``Sec. 8755. Medal of honor: presentation of Medal of Honor
Flag

``The President shall provide for the presentation of the
Medal of Honor Flag designated under section 903 of title 36
to each person to whom a medal of honor is awarded under
section 8741 of this title after the date of the enactment of
this section. Presentation of the flag shall be made at the
same time as the presentation of the medal under section 8741
or 8752(a) of this title.''.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``8755. Medal of honor: presentation of Medal of Honor Flag.''.
(d) Coast Guard.--(1) Chapter 13 of title 14, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after section 504 the following
new section:

``Sec. 505. Medal of honor: presentation of Medal of Honor
Flag

``The President shall provide for the presentation of the
Medal of Honor Flag designated under section 903 of title 36
to each person to whom a medal of honor is awarded under
section 491 of this title after the date of the enactment of
this section. Presentation of the flag shall be made at the
same time as the presentation of the medal under section 491
or 498 of this title.''.
(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
504 the following new item:

``505. Medal of honor: presentation of Medal of Honor Flag.''.
(e) Prior Recipients.--The President shall provide for the
presentation of the Medal of Honor Flag designated under
section 903 of title 36, United States Code, as added by
section 1(a), to each person awarded the Medal of Honor
before the date of the enactment of this resolution who is
living as of that date. Such presentation shall be made as
expeditiously as possible after the date of the designation
of the Medal of Honor Flag by the Secretary of Defense under
such section.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Schrock) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Schrock).

General Leave

Mr. SCHROCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on H. J. Res. 95, the joint resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mr. SCHROCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Iowa (Mr. Latham).
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to inquire, would it be
appropriate to recognize the fact that the designer of this flag, Bill
Kendall, from Jefferson, Iowa, is in the gallery?

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is reminded not to refer to
visitors in the gallery.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, then I shall not refer to the fact that he
is in the gallery.
Mr. Speaker, the Medal of Honor, the Nation's highest award for
bravery, is a true representation of the best in the American spirit.
Requiring eyewitness accounts of gallantry, at selfless mortal risk,
and so far above the call of duty as to be beyond reproach should such
action not have been undertaken, recipients of this award are surely
those for whom the Star Spangled Banner was written; these are the
people who make our country the Land of the Free and the Home of the
Brave. I believe that these worthy individuals are deserving of a
significant and continuous public display and believe that a flag is a
fitting way to honor our heroes.
As an Iowan, I am proud to continue the tradition of honoring those
who have distinguished themselves in battle.
On December 9, 1861, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes introduced S. No.
82 in the United States Senate, a bill designed to promote the
efficiency of the Navy by authorizing the production and distribution
of medals of honor. On December 21, the bill was passed, authorizing
200 such medals be produced ``which shall be bestowed upon such petty
officers, seamen, landsmen and marines as shall distinguish themselves
by their gallantry in action and other seamanlike qualities during the
present war,'' referring to the Civil War at that time.
Mr. Speaker, 2 months later on February 17, 1862, Massachusetts
Senator Henry Wilson introduced a bill to authorize an Army Medal of
Honor. President Lincoln signed the bill on July 14, 1862; and the
nonservice specific Medal of Honor was born at that time.
Originally, the Medal of Honor was only to be presented to enlisted
men, but on March 3, 1863, this was extended to officers as well.
The last action in which the Medal of Honor was awarded was in
Mogadishu, Somalia, on October 3, 1993.
There have been 3,459 Medals of Honor awarded for 3,453 separate acts
of heroism performed by 3,439 individuals, including 9 of which were
unknown; and today there are 143 living recipients of the Medal of
Honor.
Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of Sergeant Bill Kendall for designing
this flag. He has worked very, very hard to make sure that these folks
who have given so much for our country, many times making the supreme
sacrifice for the Nation, are so honored. The intention is to have this
flag available for their families, for communities who want to honor
Medal of Honor recipients so they can continue to show the type of
respect for these recipients that is so well deserved.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that the House today will move on a unanimous
basis to have a flag of honor for the Medal of Honor winners. This
design is something that Mr. Kendall came up with. It is, I think,
extremely well done. We are very, very proud of Mr. Kendall for all his
work on this effort.
Obviously, the Department of Defense may make some changes as to
exactly how they believe the final flag should look. But the need for
this is real, for the families, for those individuals who are living
today that are Medal of Honor winners; and for the communities to show
their pride and respect for these individuals is, in fact, proper.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can move this bill today.

{time} 1815

Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 95, which
would designate an official flag of the Medal of Honor and provide for
its presentation to each recipient of the Medal of Honor. The Medal of
Honor is our Nation's highest military award for valor that can be
bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Forces of the United
States.
The existence of the Medal of Honor began back in 1861 when Iowa
Senator James W. Grimes introduced a bill that authorized the
production and distribution of medals of honor to be bestowed upon
petty officers, seamen, landsmen and Marines as shall distinguish
themselves by their gallantry in action. President Abraham Lincoln
signed the bill and the Navy Medal of Honor was born. The next year,
1862, a similar bill for an Army Medal of Honor was introduced and
signed into law. The Air Force did not receive its own version of the
Medal of Honor until 1965. Until then, Air Force recipients were
awarded the Army Medal of Honor.
It was not until 1963 that Congress established guidelines for
awarding the Medal of Honor. The medal can only be awarded for action
against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military
operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while
serving with friendly forces in an armed conflict in which the United
States is not a belligerent party.
The first Medal of Honor was presented to Private Jacob Parrott, one
of six men who were awarded the medal for their action in the great
locomotive chase in April 1862. Since then, there have been 3,458
Medals of Honor awarded for 3,453 separate acts of heroism performed by
3,439 individuals. Nineteen service members have received the Medal of
Honor twice.
Mr. Speaker, as thousands of our men and women in uniform continue
their efforts in the war against terrorism, it is only fitting that we
recognize those

[[Page H3836]]

who have performed acts of bravery or self-sacrifice above and beyond
the call to duty. An official flag to be presented to our Nation's
Medal of Honor recipients is only fitting. I urge my colleagues to
support this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCHROCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. McHugh).
Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Virginia, a
very distinguished member of the Committee on Armed Services, yielding
time to me. I particularly want to pay my compliments to the gentleman
from Iowa (Mr. Latham) for advancing this very important initiative.
Mr. Speaker, for the last 2 years now, it has been my honor to serve
as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Personnel of the Committee on
Armed Services. Our main responsibility on that body is to ensure that
we do all that we can to provide for those brave men and women who
serve this Nation so valiantly and with no hesitation as members of our
armed services. We take that responsibility very, very seriously. This
bill was originally under our jurisdiction; but thanks to the gentleman
from Iowa's very hard work, we were pleased to waive jurisdiction to do
everything we could on that committee, the committee that has primary
responsibility for our armed services, so that it could move as
expeditiously as possible to the House floor for its consideration here
today. I certainly join with those who have spoken here previously in
underscoring what I believe, as well, is the importance of this
initiative and the very important significance that stands behind it.
I think it is difficult for any of us as Americans to look back on
September 11 and to discern much that is positive, but certainly one of
the more positive attributes of that has been the reaffirmation in the
minds of, I have to believe, every American of the heroes that have
served in this Nation's military and who continue to serve today. And
no matter which branch of the service they may choose to contribute to,
no matter what era they may have served in, as we have learned and been
reminded of so very importantly since September 11, these are truly men
and women who deserve our respect and who earn our honor in such
extraordinary ways.
But amongst all those heroes in our military are those who
distinguish themselves to an even higher degree. As we have heard the
illustrious history of the Medal of Honor, it is one that I think is
reward in itself. Clearly the medal that is presented to those and has
been presented to those 3,439 individuals in our Nation's history
deserves an even added amount of respect. But for all of the symbolism,
for all of the appreciation that lies behind the medal, I think that
there is more we can and should do. Certainly the designation of this
flag as an official token, as an official representation in addition to
the medal, would be, in my judgment, a very, very fitting action.
I understand the House rules and I will not acknowledge that Sergeant
Bill Kendall is in the gallery here today, but I certainly want to
extend our appreciation collectively on behalf of the House, if I may
be so presumptuous, for taking up this initiative and for the designing
of what I certainly look upon as a very, very fitting tribute, one that
can add to the honor that we feel toward these very, very special
individuals. And as the gentleman from Iowa suggested, I think so
correctly, one that can carry forward with their family members, with
their descendants, to be displayed in those ways that can signify how a
loved one, a family member, someone they knew, contributed above and
beyond the call of duty.
It is really a rare opportunity in this House, Mr. Speaker, that we
have the chance to do something that on the surface may seem relatively
simple, but I think beneath it all carries such great significance.
Both as a member of the Committee on Armed Services but more
importantly as an American, I think this is a very, very special
initiative and like the speakers before, I certainly urge all of our
colleagues to join in supporting it and giving it the unanimous
approval on the upcoming vote that it deserves.
Mr. Speaker, I thank again the gentleman from Iowa for taking this
initiative and for working so hard to make this moment a reality.
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be part of
this presentation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SCHROCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution sponsored by
the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham). As we continue our struggle
against terrorism, my thoughts, and I am certain the thoughts of many
Americans, turn to the military men and women on the front lines. Their
commitment and courage never fail to inspire me and lift my spirits.
America is justifiably proud of the wonderful people serving our Nation
in uniform. Among the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and
Coast Guardsmen who have served over our Nation's history, there is a
special group of heroes who have through their selfless deeds and
sacrifices demonstrated the highest level of gallantry. I am referring
to those members who have been awarded the Congressional Medal of
Honor.
Mr. Speaker, the standards for award of the Medal of Honor leave
little doubt about the remarkable nature of the heroic acts involved.
The heroic deed of the person must be proven by incontestable evidence
to be so outstanding as to clearly distinguish it as being beyond the
call of duty. The heroism must involve the risk of the person's life,
and it must be of the type of deed that, if the person had not done it,
would not subject the person to any justified criticism. Only one has
to read the citations that accompany the medals to appreciate the
incredible devotion to comrades and country that is indicative of each
recipient.
This resolution would provide an additional honor to every recipient
of the Medal of Honor by creating a Medal of Honor flag to be presented
to the recipients. The Medal of Honor flag will also be a symbol to all
who see it of the great strength and courage that resides within the
American spirit.
Mr. Speaker, today as our Nation faces many difficult days ahead, we
need this type of symbol to remind us that even ordinary people are
capable of great deeds when freedom is threatened. For these reasons, I
am proud to join the gentleman from Iowa in this resolution and urge my
colleagues to support its adoption.
Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer my voice of support
for House Joint Resolution 95, designating an official flag for the
Medal of Honor. Since the Civil War, American soldiers who distinguish
themselves in defense of our nation have been honored with the Medal of
Honor. In fact, it was at the suggestion of Iowa Senator James Grimes,
in 1861, that the Medal of Honor was created. All members of our armed
forces are patriots, but the 3,458 soldiers who have received this
honor have gone far above and beyond the call of duty. In defense of
our nation, they have risked or given up their lives, so that so many
can live freely as Americans. In this time of war, as the veterans of
the future selflessly defend American freedom and values in the far
corners of the world, it is appropriate to move a step further to
designate a special flag for Medal of Honor recipients. Its
simplicity--thirteen white stars on a blue field, just like the medal
it accompanies--allows us all to remember the tremendous cost that a
small number of soldiers have paid to ensure our freedom.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Isakson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Schrock) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution, H.J. Res. 95, as
amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.

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