[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 34 (Tuesday, March 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL DURHEN CHRISTIAN

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                    HON. ROBERT E. (BUD) CRAMER, JR.

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 4, 2003

  Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lieutenant Commander 
Michael Durhen Christian. Michael was a prisoner of war in Vietnam from 
April 24, 1967, to March 4, 1973. Today marks the 30th anniversary of 
his release.
  Mike was a highly decorated soldier, touting two Silver Stars, three 
Bronze Stars, four Air Medals, the Legion of Merit, and the Navy 
Commendation Medal. But perhaps what Michael is most well known for is 
the flag he made while in the Hao Lo POW Camp.
  In the last year of his imprisonment, Mike began collecting bits of 
fabric. He fashioned a needle out of bamboo, used the thread from his 
blanket, and made an American flag that he sewed to the inside of his 
jacket. Mike's flag was a source of pride and comfort for many of the 
soldiers. Mike would hold up his flag, and they would salute.
  When the guards at the POW Camp eventually found the flag, Mike was 
beaten and tortured for hours. When he was returned to the cell, Mike 
immediately gathered his remaining cloth and began to sew again. Leo 
Thorness, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and survivor of the 
Hao Lo POW Camp stated ``Now, whenever I see the flag, I think of Mike 
and the morning he first waved that tattered emblem of a nation. It was 
then, thousands of miles from home in a lonely prison cell, that he 
showed us what it is to be truly free.''
  Mike attended Butler High School in Alabama and still has family in 
our community. In September 1983, Mike lost his life in a house fire. 
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize LCDR Christian today. His 
patriotism and service to this country serve as an example to all 
Americans.

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