[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 103 (Monday, June 25, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H7039-H7041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
OSCAR G. JOHNSON DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL FACILITY
Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 2602) to name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility
in Iron Mountain, Michigan, as the ``Oscar G. Johnson Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Facility''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2602
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. NAME OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL
FACILITY, IRON MOUNTAIN, MICHIGAN.
The Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in Iron
Mountain, Michigan, shall after the date of the enactment of
this Act be known and designated as the ``Oscar G. Johnson
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility''. Any
reference to that medical facility in any law, regulation,
map, document, record, or other paper of the United States
shall be considered to be a reference to the Oscar G. Johnson
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility.
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.
Medal of Honor recipients have performed selfless acts of courage.
When reading their citations, we are deeply humbled by the courage and
selflessness of their actions to save their comrades and to defend this
great country.
H.R. 2602 would name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical
facility in Iron Mountain, Michigan, as the Oscar G. Johnson Department
of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility.
The following is from the citation for Sergeant Johnson, who at the
time of his action was a private first class in the United States Army.
It was September, 1944, and the Allied Forces were attempting to break
the German defense line in Italy known as the ``Gothic Line'':
He practically single handedly protected the left flank of his
company's position in the offensive to break the German Gothic Line.
Company B was the extreme left assault unit of the corps. The advance
was stopped by heavy fire from Monticelli Ridge, and the company took
fire behind an embankment.
Sergeant Johnson, a mortar gunner, having expended his ammunition,
assumed the duties of a rifleman. As leader of a squad of seven men, he
was ordered to establish a combat post 50 yards to the left of the
company to cover its exposed flank.
Repeated enemy counterattacks, supported by artillery, mortar, and
machine gun fire from the high ground to his front, had by the
afternoon of 16 September killed or wounded all of his men. Collecting
weapons and ammunition from his fallen comrades, in the face of hostile
fire, he held his exposed position and inflicted heavy casualties upon
the enemy, who several times came close enough to throw hand grenades
at him.
On the night of September 16, the enemy launched its heaviest attack
on Company B, putting its greatest pressure against the lone defender
of the left flank. In spite of mortar fire which crashed about him and
machine gun bullets which whipped the chest of his shallow trench,
Sergeant Johnson stood erect and repulsed the attack with grenades and
small arms fire.
He remained awake and alert throughout the night, frustrating all
attempts at infiltration. On 17 September, 25 German soldiers
surrendered to him. Two men, sent to reinforce him that afternoon, were
caught in a devastating mortar and artillery barrage.
With no thought for his own safety, Sergeant Johnson rushed to the
shell hole where they lay half buried and seriously wounded, covered
their position by his fire, and assisted a medical corpsman in
rendering aid. That night he secured their removal to the rear and
remained on watch until his company was relieved.
Five companies of the German paratroop regiment had been repeatedly
committed to the attack on Company B without success. Twenty dead
Germans were found in front of his position. By his heroic stand and
utter disregard for personal safety, Sergeant Johnson was in large
measure responsible for defeating the enemy's attempts to turn the
exposed left flank. What an incredible hero, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Johnson is no longer with us, but we can keep alive his memory by
naming the facility in his honor.
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. 2602, a bill to designate the VA medical
facility in Iron Mountain, Michigan, as the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical
Facility. This legislation was introduced by my colleague from
Michigan, Representative Bart Stupak, and it will honor a soldier who
served his country with gallantry and distinction under fire during
World War II near Scarperia, Italy. I appreciate Congressman Stupak's
hard work and initiative on this legislation.
On September 16, 1944, Sergeant Johnson, a mortar gunner, expended
his ammunition and assumed the duties of a rifleman. As the leader of
the squad of seven men, he was ordered to establish a position 50 yards
to the left of his company to cover its exposed flank. Repeated enemy
counterattacks had by that afternoon killed or wounded all of his men.
Collecting weapons and ammunition from his fallen comrades, he
continued to hold his exposed position and inflicted heavy casualties
on the enemy throughout the night. On September 17, 25 German soldiers
surrendered to him; 25 soldiers surrendered to one very brave soldier.
Two men were sent out to reinforce him that afternoon, but were
caught in devastating mortar fire. Sergeant Johnson secured their
removal and continued to hold his position until his company was
relieved on September 18. Twenty dead Germans were found in front of
his position. By his heroic stand and utter disregard for personal
safety, Sergeant Johnson was in large measure responsible for defeating
the enemy's attempts to turn the exposed left flank.
Mr. Speaker, I will submit Sergeant Johnson's complete Medal of Honor
citation into the Record.
Johnson, Oscar G.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 363d
Infantry, 91st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near
Scarperia, Italy, 1618 September 1944. Entered service at:
Foster City, Mich. Birth: Foster City, Mich. G.O. No.: 58, 19
July 1945. Citation: (then Pfc.) He practically single-handed
protected the left flank of his company's position in the
offensive to break the German's gothic line. Company B was
the extreme left assault unit of the corps. The advance was
stopped by heavy fire from Monticelli Ridge, and the company
took cover behind an embankment. Sgt. Johnson, a mortar
gunner, having expended his ammunition, assumed the duties of
a rifleman. As leader of a squad of 7 men he was ordered to
establish a combat post 50 yards to the left of the company
to cover its exposed flank. Repeated enemy counterattacks,
supported by artillery, mortar, and machinegun fire from the
high ground to his front, had by the afternoon of 16
September killed or wounded all his men. Collecting weapons
and ammunition from his fallen comrades, in the face of
hostile fire, he held his exposed position and inflicted
heavy casualties upon the enemy, who several times came close
enough to throw hand grenades. On the night of 1617
September, the enemy launched his heaviest attack on Company
B, putting his greatest pressure against the lone defender of
the left flank. In spite of mortar fire which crashed about
him and machinegun bullets which whipped the crest of his
shallow trench, Sgt. Johnson stood erect and repulsed the
attack with grenades and small arms fire. He remained awake
and on the alert throughout the night, frustrating all
attempts at infiltration. On 17 September, 25 German soldiers
surrendered to him. Two men, sent to reinforce him that
afternoon, were caught in a devastating mortar and artillery
barrage. With no thought of his own safety, Sgt. Johnson
rushed to the shell hole where they lay half buried and
seriously wounded, covered their position by his fire, and
assisted a Medical Corpsman in rendering aid. That night he
secured their removal to the rear and remained on watch until
his company was relieved. Five companies of a German
paratroop regiment had been repeatedly committed to the
attack on Company B
[[Page H7040]]
without success. Twenty dead Germans were found in front of
his position. By his heroic stand and utter disregard for
personal safety, Sgt. Johnson was in a large measure
responsible for defeating the enemy's attempts to turn the
exposed left flank.
Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Johnson continued to serve his country after
the war. He served as a foreman of a National Guard vehicle maintenance
shop in Lansing, Michigan, giving his Nation 30 years of service with
the National Guard. On May 13, Mr. Johnson died in Iron Mountain,
Michigan, leaving behind a legacy of heroism and gallantry.
I support H.R. 2602 as a fitting tribute to a good man who served his
Nation well, not just in war but also throughout his life. I certainly
urge all of the Members to support this and would remind the Members
that certainly Mr. Johnson is one of the many reasons why we do call
this, Mr. Johnson's era, the ``Greatest Generation.''
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield such time
as he may consume to the author of this wonderful piece of legislation,
Congressman Bart Stupak from the State of Michigan.
Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
I rise today in support of H.R. 2602, a bill to name the Veterans
Affairs medical facility in Iron Mountain, Michigan, after Oscar G.
Johnson. I am proud to have authored this legislation and proud to
bring it to the floor. Oscar Johnson was a friend of mine, and he was a
legend in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
I would like to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for
their support of this legislation.
As was mentioned, Oscar Johnson was a Congressional Medal of Honor
winner and a Dickinson County native. He was awarded the Congressional
Medal of Honor for his actions in combat near Scarperia, Italy, in
September, 1944.
{time} 1645
I will not go through all the details, as that has already been done
by the previous two speakers who have eloquently outlined the heroic
actions of Oscar Johnson. Mr. Hare and Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite did an
excellent job in doing that. I would like to add a few other thoughts.
As was indicated, Sergeant Johnson's service to his country did not
stop after he returned home from World War II. In fact, Mr. Johnson
continued to serve honorably as a foreman of the National Guard vehicle
maintenance shop in Lansing, Michigan, our State capital.
During his 30 years of service, Mr. Johnson worked alongside and
guided young soldiers, Vietnam-era veterans, and newly enlisted women
in our military service. Oscar Johnson quickly became a beloved member
of his local community and exemplified the dedication and sacrifice
made by all the men and women who served in the Armed Forces,
especially during World War II. He was a local hero and a great
American. Mr. Johnson is one of 68 World War II Medal of Honor
recipients to have survived combat.
Mr. Johnson passed away in 1998 and developed a reputation for
conducting himself with modesty, dignity and honor.
At this time, I will enter into the Record an article entitled, ``A
Soldier's Story,'' which appeared in the Iron Mountain Daily News after
his death in 1998. This article eloquently describes Mr. Johnson's
heroic actions during World War II and his commitment to this country.
A Soldier's Story
(By Jim Anderson)
Oscar Johnson was reluctant, in a newspaper interview, to
relate the details of a World War II battle that earned him
the Congressional Medal of Honor.
``The way they describe my role, it sounds like I might
have been a little better than I was,'' he said.
The story of the battle, as told in his medal presentation,
is extraordinary.
Johnson, a soldier from Foster City, practically single-
handedly defended the left flank of his company's position
from a German paratroop regiment.
The certificate accompanying his Medal of Honor, the
nation's highest military decoration, tells it as follows:
Near Scarperia, Italy in September 1944, Johnson's company
(Company B) was stopped by heavy fire from Monticelli Ridge
and took cover behind an embankment. Johnson, a mortar
gunner, having expended his ammunition, assumed the duties of
a rifleman.
As leader of a squad of seven men, he was ordered to
establish a combat post 50 yards to the left of Company B to
cover its exposed flank. Repeated enemy counterattacks,
supported by artillery, mortar and machine gun fire from the
high ground, had by the afternoon of Sept. 16 killed or
wounded all his men.
Collecting weapons and ammunition from his fallen comrades,
in the face of hostile fire, he held his exposed position and
inflicted heavy casualties upon the enemy, who several times
came close enough to throw hand grenades.
That night, the enemy launched a heavy attack on Company B,
putting its greatest pressure against the lone defender of
the left flank.
In spite of mortar fire that crashed about him and machine
gun bullets that whipped the crest of his shallow trench,
Johnson stood erect and repulsed the attack with grenades and
small-arms fire.
He remained awake and on the alert throughout the night,
frustrating all attempts at infiltration.
On Sept. 17, 25 German soldiers surrendered to him. Two men
were sent to reinforce him that afternoon, but were caught in
a mortar and artillery barrage.
Johnson, ignoring his own safety, rushed to the shell-hole
where they lay half-buried and seriously wounded, covered
their position by his fire, and assisted a medic in rendering
aid. That night, he secured their removal to the rear and
remained on watch until his company was relieved.
Five companies of the German paratroop regiment had been
repeatedly committed to the attack against Company B without
success. Twenty dead Germans were found in front of Johnson's
position.
According to his presidential citation, Johnson's heroic
stand and utter disregard for personal safety was in large
measure responsible for defeating the enemy's attempts to
turn the exposed left flank.
Oscar Johnson, one of the rare recipients of the Medal of
Honor to have survived combat, died Wednesday at the age of
77.
He had gone on, after the war, to serve as foreman of a
National Guard vehicle maintenance shop in Lansing. During 30
years of duty with the Guard, he saw a lot of changes.
``During the '50s, we got a lot of boys joining to avoid
the draft,'' he said in a 1980 Panax Newspapers interview.
``A lot of them were farm boys who knew a lot about
equipment. I enjoyed working with them. Now we get guys in
who have to be taught to drive a stick-shift.''
The biggest change, he said, was working with women.
``I can't say anything bad about them,'' he said. ``They
make real good jeep drivers and they seem to have more
responsibility toward their vehicles. They don't think a
thing about pulling out a battery or crawling underneath with
an oil pan.''
He said the Vietnam-era veterans he worked with at the
Guard were really no different than the veterans of World War
II or the Korean War.
``The biggest difference is that they don't get as much
attention,'' he said.
After his Guard service, Johnson retired in Dickinson
County.
He was a regular church-goer.
A couple of years ago, he attended a Good Friday service at
First Lutheran Church in Iron Mountain. I'm sure he attended
many others--this happened to be one I managed to make.
Part of the service is the reading of the ``Good Friday
Solemn Reproaches,'' representing the agony and reproaches of
the crucified Savior.
This line is included:
``I grafted you into the tree of my chosen Israel, and you
turned on them with persecution and mass murder.''
Those lines might have been echoing in my thoughts when I
noticed Oscar.
The sight of his ruddy face and white hair made it
especially clear that it took his sacrifices, and those of
countless others, to stop the unspeakable horrors inflicted
on Jews in Europe.
Near the end of the service, after a silence is kept for
meditation on the mystery of redemption, there is a time to
visit a cross at the altar.
Traditionally, one is to bow before the cross, touch it, or
kiss it.
Oscar Johnson approached the cross, walking with a slight
limp as he did in his later years, but with a sure confidence
and grace.
He didn't bow before the cross, touch it, or kiss it.
What he did was this. He gave it a casual, respectful
soldier's salute and limped back to his pew.
To this day, the memory of that simple gesture brings
forward tears.
Maybe it's true, as Johnson claimed, that the Medal of
Honor story made him sound a little better than he was.
It must also be true that he was more.
So it is fitting tonight that we honor Oscar Johnson, his years of
service and his family by naming the Veterans Affairs Medical Facility
in Iron Mountain Michigan the ``Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans
Affairs Medical Facility.''
This legislation has been endorsed by the city of Iron Mountain, the
Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American
[[Page H7041]]
Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the Military Order of the Purple
Heart.
Mr. Johnson was the last Congressional Medal of Honor winner living
in the Upper Peninsula. As I stated earlier, he was a friend of mine. I
first introduced this legislation in 2000, it is now 2007. It is time
for the family and friends to have the honor of Oscar Johnson having
his name attached to the VA Medical Facility in Iron Mountain,
Michigan.
I would also like to thank the entire Michigan U.S. House delegation
for cosponsoring this legislation, and our two Senators, Stabenow and
Levin, for their support of this legislation. And I thank the previous
speakers.
General Leave
Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 2602.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support
H.R. 2602.
Mr. Speaker, 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. 2602.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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