[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 149 (Thursday, November 10, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO DR. JAMES RECKNER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RANDY NEUGEBAUER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 10, 2005

  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today 
to pay tribute to Dr. James Reckner, Director of the Vietnam Center at 
Texas Tech University.
  Dr. Reckner, a combat veteran who served two tours in Vietnam, is a 
dedicated historian who has created an internationally renowned program 
dedicated to all aspects of the Vietnam War. The main focus at the 
Vietnam Center has been the Virtual Vietnam Archive. Second only to the 
U.S. National Archives, Texas Tech University is home to one of the 
most complete collections of artifacts related to America's involvement 
in Southeast Asia.
  Dr. Reckner's vision began in 1989 when he asked his freshman history 
class to name a general from the Vietnam War. He was amazed to discover 
that only 1 student out of 100 knew the name of General William C. 
Westmoreland, the commander of American military operations during the 
Vietnam War.
  As a result, Dr. Reckner organized a meeting with a group of West 
Texas veterans to talk about what steps could be taken to preserve the 
stories, information, and lessons from the Vietnam conflict and pass 
them on to future generations. It was then that the Texas Tech Vietnam 
Center was born.
  For 15 years, dedicated veterans, scholars and students have been 
collecting and preserving materials relating to the American Vietnam 
experience. The Virtual Vietnam Archive now contains more than 2 
million pages of material. Earlier this year, James Harton, a Rating 
Specialist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sent a letter 
to U.S. Representative Steven Buyer, Chairman of the House Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs, outlining the successes of the archive. Mr. Harton 
wrote, ``Because of the documents provided by Texas Tech, I am often 
able to resolve a veteran's claim within fifteen minutes as opposed to 
the request sent to the USASCURR.'' Often times requests sent to the 
U.S. Armed Services Center for Unit Record Research take 6 to 12 months 
for a reply. With the help of Texas Tech's virtual archive, Mr. Harton 
has been able to resolve over 500 veteran's claims in the past four 
years.
  America's men and women in the military give their time, and in many 
cases life and limb, to serve our country. Dr. Reckner served his 
country admirably during the Vietnam War. Today, he continues to serve 
this country and the memory of a significant time in American history. 
Thanks to his efforts, the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech University will 
assist future generations in remembering the Vietnam experience.
  It is our duty to ensure that our children and grandchildren never 
forget our country's finest heroes and always know of their sacrifices. 
Their sacrifices and those of our military families serve as freedom's 
foundation. Without the brave efforts of all the soldiers, sailors, 
airmen, and marines and their families, our country would not stand so 
boldly, shine so brightly, and live so freely.

                          ____________________