[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 103 (Monday, June 25, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H7037-H7038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CHARLES GEORGE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER
Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 2546) to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center in Asheville, North Carolina, as the ``Charles George Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2546
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF CHARLES GEORGE DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTER.
(a) Designation.--The Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center located at 1100 Tunnel Road, Asheville, North
Carolina, shall after the date of the enactment of this Act
be known and designated as the ``Charles George Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center''.
(b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map,
document, record, or other paper of the United States to the
medical center referred to in subsection (a) shall be
considered to be a reference to the Charles George Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Hare) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-
Waite) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
In its history, the Medal of Honor has been awarded only 3,463 times.
3,458 of those were awarded for separate acts of heroism. I'm here
today to tell you about one such act and the extraordinary individual
who performed it. I am truly in awe of his courage and selflessness.
His name was Charles George. He was a Private First Class in the
United States Army. PFC George distinguished himself by going above and
beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy on the night of
November 30, 1952.
He was a member of a raiding party committed to engage the enemy and
capture a prisoner for interrogation. Subject to intense mortar and
machine gun fire, and suffering several casualties throughout the
advance, he fought
[[Page H7038]]
valiantly, and upon reaching the crest of the hill, leaped into the
trenches and engaged with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.
When friendly troops were ordered to move back upon completion of the
assignment, he and two comrades remained to cover the withdrawal. While
in the process of leaving the trenches, a hostile soldier hurled a
grenade into their midst.
PFC George shouted a warning to one comrade, pushed the other soldier
out of danger, and with full knowledge of the consequences,
unhesitatingly threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing the full blast
of the explosion. Although seriously wounded in this display of valor,
he refrained from any outcry which would divulge the position of his
companions.
The two soldiers evacuated him to the forward aid station and shortly
thereafter he succumbed to his wounds.
This brave young man epitomized courage and self sacrifice. To show
our deep appreciation, and so that we never forget, H.R. 2546 would
name the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina,
as the Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
{time} 1630
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 2546, which would rename the Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina, the
Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
This legislation was introduced by my colleague from North Carolina,
Representative Heath Shuler, and I appreciate his efforts to bring this
bill to the floor for consideration so that we can pay tribute to yet
another Medal of Honor recipient.
This legislation honors a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for
his comrades in arms and for his country. As a grateful Nation, it is
fitting and right to offer tribute to him by giving his name to a
facility that expresses our Nation's promise to those who served us in
military uniform.
Private First Class Charles George was a native of Cherokee, North
Carolina, and a member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. He
served his country bravely in the U.S. Army and was posthumously
awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on the night of November 30,
1952.
On that night in Korea, Private First Class George was a member of a
raiding party committed to engage the enemy and capture a prisoner for
interrogation. During the execution of its mission, the group was
subjected to intense enemy fire and suffered several casualties. PFC
George fought valiantly and, upon reaching the crest of the hill, leapt
into the trenches and closed with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.
When friendly troops were ordered to pull back upon completion of the
mission, he and two comrades provided cover for the withdrawal of
troops. While they were leaving the trenches, a grenade was hurled into
their midst. PFC George shouted a warning to his comrades, pushed one
soldier out of the way, and threw himself on the grenade. Even though
severely injured and certainly in agony, PFC George remained quiet so
that his comrades' position would not be disclosed. His companions
evacuated him to the first aid station, where he shortly succumbed to
his wounds.
Mr. Speaker, at this time I will submit the text of Private First
Class George's Medal of Honor citation for the Record.
*George, Charles
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army,
Company C, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Songnae-dong, Korea, 30 November 1952.
Entered service at: Whittier, N.C. Born: 23 August 1932,
Cherokee, N.C. G.O. NO.: 19, 18 March 1954. Citation: PFC
George, a member of Company C, distinguished himself by
conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and
beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy on the
night of 30 November 1952. He was a member of a raiding party
committed to engage the enemy and capture a prisoner for
interrogation. Forging up the rugged slope of the key terrain
feature, the group was subjected to intense mortar and
machine gun fire and suffered several casualties. Throughout
the advance, he fought valiantly and, upon reaching the crest
of the hill, leaped into the trenches and closed with the
enemy in hand-to-hand combat. When friendly troops were
ordered to move back upon completion of the assignment, he
and 2 comrades remained to cover the withdrawal. While in the
process of leaving the trenches a hostile soldier hurled a
grenade into their midst. PFC George shouted a warning to 1
comrade, pushed the other soldier out of danger, and, with
full knowledge of the consequences, unhesitatingly threw
himself upon the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the
explosion. Although seriously wounded in this display of
valor, he refrained from any outcry which would divulge the
position of his companions. The 2 soldiers evacuated him to
the forward aid station and shortly thereafter he succumbed
to his wound. PFC George's indomitable courage, consummate
devotion to duty, and willing self-sacrifice reflect the
highest credit upon himself and uphold the finest traditions
of the military service.
Mr. Speaker, Private First Class Charles George's incomparable
heroism exemplifies the courage, self-sacrifice, and patriotism that
are woven throughout the fabric of our Armed Forces. His consuming
regard for his comrades exemplifies the very strong bond of those who
served in the military feel for one another. PFC George made the
ultimate sacrifice for us, and it befits that signal act that we name
the Asheville North Carolina VA Medical Center in his honor.
I urge my colleagues to support this excellent legislation,
introduced by Mr. Shuler, so that we can name the facility in honor of
a very, very brave man who helped our country and certainly the country
of South Korea during the Korean War.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague in urging all of my
colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 2546.
Mr. SHULER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to request that a great honor
be bestowed on an equally great soldier. I am referring to PFC Charles
George, a son of western North Carolina who bravely sacrificed himself
for his fellow soldiers and for his country. Private First Class George
came from Cherokee, NC. He was a proud member of the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians and an exemplary soldier in the U.S. Army.
On the night of November 30, 1952, George's company was operating
near the South Korean village of Songnae-dong. While charging an enemy
camp, Private First Class George dodged mortar and machine-gun fire,
jumped into the enemy's trenches, and engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
When the American soldiers were ordered to retreat, Private First Class
George remained behind to ensure the safety of his withdrawing
companions. The enemy then launched a grenade into his company, at
which point Private First Class George dove upon the explosive,
absorbing the blast and saving his comrades. He died soon after while
being evacuated by his fellow soldiers.
Private First Class George was awarded the Congressional Medal of
Honor and is the only member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee
Indians to be given this mark of distinction. Now, Mr. Speaker, I ask
that we bestow another honor upon Private First Class George by placing
his name on the Asheville VA Medical Center. This center has a 112-bed
acute care facility and a 120-bed extended care facility that serves
veterans in western North Carolina and sections of Georgia, South
Carolina, and Tennessee. It provides quality and comprehensive primary,
tertiary, and long-term health care to those who have valiantly
sacrificed for our country.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Filner for his leadership
on this issue, as well as the American Legion and the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians for their diligent efforts to ensure that PFC George
is given the honor he deserves. I ask that my colleagues support me in
renaming the Asheville VA Medical Center the Charles George VA Medical
Center.
Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hare) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 2546.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. HARE. 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 question will
be postponed.
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