[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 105 (Tuesday, July 14, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H8037-H8039]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  WILLIAM C. TALLENT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OUTPATIENT CLINIC

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 402) to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs 
Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the ``William C. Tallent 
Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 402

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF WILLIAM C. TALLENT DEPARTMENT OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS OUTPATIENT CLINIC.

       (a) Designation.--The Department of Veterans Affairs 
     Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, shall be known and 
     designated as the ``William C. Tallent Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Outpatient Clinic''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
     document, record, or other paper of the United States to the 
     outpatient clinic referred to in subsection (a) shall be 
     considered to be a reference to the William C. Tallent 
     Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Filner) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) 
each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page H8038]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.

                              {time}  1300

  Mr. FILNER. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this naming bill comes to us from the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Duncan). He is a great supporter of veterans and of this 
Nation, and I am going to leave it to him to explain what Mr. Tallent 
has done to deserve this honor.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he might consume to 
the distinguished gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a bill to name the Veterans Affairs 
Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the William C. Tallent 
Veterans Outpatient Clinic.
  I first want to thank Chairman Filner and Mr. Boozman, the gentleman 
from Arkansas, for bringing this legislation to the floor today and for 
their assistance and for the help of the staff on both sides in regard 
to this bill.
  In East Tennessee, Mr. Speaker, there is perhaps no person better 
known for devotion to area veterans than Bill Tallent. While the story 
of his service in World War II reads like a Hollywood script, his 
lifelong dedication to fellow veterans, his humble demeanor and his 
career as a public servant make him the perfect candidate for the 
naming of the Veterans Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville.
  Following his capture by the Nazis during the Battle of the Bulge, 
Mr. Tallent spent 6 months as a prisoner of war. At his capture, 
notorious Nazi General Josef Sepp Dietrich lined him and his fellow 
soldiers up against a wall and ordered their execution; but through the 
grace of God, a fellow soldier persuaded the general to spare them and, 
instead, ship them to a prisoner of war camp. Mr. Tallent survived long 
enough to engineer an escape 6 months later with one other soldier, the 
only one willing to risk certain execution if captured.
  As he made his way across Germany, wearing tattered clothes and 
sleeping in graveyards at night to avoid Nazi troops, Mr. Tallent and 
his fellow soldier searched for the American front line. One day, while 
on a scavenger trip into a nearby German town and while looking for 
food, a Buick carrying an American general came speeding down the 
street. Bill Tallent jumped in front of the car and gave a salute. He 
was rescued. His bravery, determination and sacrifice during this 
experience earned him two Purple Hearts and one Bronze Star.
  While Bill Tallent's prisoner of war story is legendary, so is his 
service to veterans. Mr. Tallent founded the Smoky Mountain chapter of 
American Ex-Prisoners of War, where he served as its commander. During 
his tenure, he helped compile the prisoner of war stories of other 
members, and he gave the publication to the Knox County Public Library 
for posterity. He has spoken to many civic clubs and to other groups 
about his experiences and about his dedication to veterans and to this 
country.
  He was also appointed by the Governor to serve on the Veterans 
Administration Home Policy Board, where Mr. Tallent was instrumental in 
bringing a veterans' nursing home to Knoxville.
  Bill Tallent's lifelong service to veterans also includes serving as 
commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, chapter 356; as a 
member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, chapter 173; and as a member of 
the Disabled American Veterans, chapter 26.
  In addition to his service to veterans, Mr. Tallent devoted his 
professional career to the public good, serving as Knox County 
Commissioner of Finance from 1953-1980, being reelected to that 
position several times.
  Mr. Speaker, there is, perhaps, no greater sacrifice an American can 
make than that of serving his country during a time of war. Bill 
Tallent not only answered that call but did so with courage and 
humility. In 2003, he told the following to my hometown newspaper, the 
Knoxville News Sentinel:
  ``I would not go through what I went through again if you paid me $1 
million a day to do it. But I would do the same thing again, without 
compensation, just for the privilege of living as a free American.''
  Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree we need more Bill Tallents in 
this world. I appreciate this opportunity to honor Bill Tallent, and 
this country is a better place today because of him and because of his 
service to this country. I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation to name the Veterans Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville, 
Tennessee as the William C. Tallent Veterans Outpatient Clinic.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am 
prepared to yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, we've all seen the old World War II movies 
where the hero barely escapes death or captivity through the valiant 
efforts of others or by his own wit or ingenuity. William C. Tallent 
was one of those true American heroes who has done both.
  Serving in the United States Army as part of the 28th Infantry 
Division of World War II, as Mr. Duncan said, he was captured and, 
along with other American troops, was nearly executed. Mr. Tallent 
spent 6 months in captivity at a POW camp before escaping with another 
American soldier willing to face execution if recaptured by the 
Germans. For his bravery, determination and sacrifice during the war, 
Bill Tallent, who was twice wounded, was awarded two Purple Hearts and 
a Bronze Star.
  Naming the VA Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee as the 
William C. Tallent Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic is 
a fitting tribute to a great public servant, veteran and servicemember. 
I appreciate Mr. Duncan's bringing this forward, and I urge my fellow 
Members to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 402, a bill to designate 
the VA Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the ``William C. 
Tallent Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic'' which would 
honor a valiant World War II hero and servant to his fellow veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, we have all seen the old World War II movies where the 
hero barely escapes death or captivity through the valiant efforts of 
others, or by their own wit and ingenuity. William C. Tallent is one of 
those true American heroes who has done both. Serving in the United 
States Army as part of the 28th Infantry Division in World War II, he 
was captured by German troops in 1944 and, along with other American 
troops, was nearly executed by General Josef Sepp Dietrich. Instead, 
the successful pleading of his commanding officer saved his and his 
comrades' lives just before the execution order was given.
  Bill Tallent spent six months in captivity at a POW camp before 
escaping with another American soldier willing to face execution if 
recaptured by the Germans. They made their way to the American front 
line, sleeping in cemeteries and scrounging for food. They were found 
by U.S. forces, while foraging for food. For his bravery, 
determination, sacrifice during the war, Bill Tallent, who was twice 
wounded, was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.
  During an interview in 2003 by the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Bill 
Tallent said best what drives Americans to fight for their country in 
times of war; he stated ``I would not go through what I went through 
again if you paid me one million dollars a day to do it. But I would do 
the same thing again, without compensation, just for the privilege of 
living as a free American.''
  Bill Tallent has continued his dedication to our Nation's veterans 
through his work in various veteran organizations. He established the 
Smoky Mountain Chapter of American Ex-Prisoners. In his role as 
commander of this organization, he worked to preserve the memory of 
POWs by collecting the stories of other POW members and then depositing 
them in the Knox County Public Library. Appointed to the Veterans 
Administration Home Policy Board by the Governor, Mr. Tallent played an 
important role in bringing a state veteran's home to Knox County.
  Naming the VA Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the 
``William C. Tallent Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic'' 
is a fitting tribute to a great public servant, veteran, and 
servicemember.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the full support of my colleagues on this 
legislation
  We have one additional speaker. I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Broun).
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, and I agree with my good 
friend Jimmy Duncan from Tennessee. We need more people in this country 
serving this Nation.
  As I spoke earlier, I think we are doing a tremendous disservice to 
our

[[Page H8039]]

veterans in this country by not fulfilling the promises that we've made 
to them. The way that we can get more people into the military, the way 
that we can get more folks, good people, who will be willing to serve 
our Nation, is to be able to fulfill the promises that we give them on 
enlistment or on a commissioning.
  We are not doing that. We are not fulfilling those promises. We are 
not giving those people the kind of health care that they so 
desperately need, and we are certainly not helping their spouses, 
because we are not giving them the health care financing that they need 
either.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I rise today not only in support of this bill to 
name this facility in Knoxville after this hero, but we have to 
remember the heroes in Iraq and in Afghanistan today, those heroes I 
see at the VA hospital in Augusta, Georgia--the Charlie Norwood VA 
Medical Center--those heroes I see at the Eisenhower Medical Center in 
Fort Gordon, Georgia, those heroes who have lost a leg or an arm, those 
heroes who want to go back to their units in theater to continue to 
fight for our freedom.
  We cannot turn our backs upon those heroes, just like we cannot turn 
our backs upon the past heroes. I think it's a travesty the way this 
government has treated our veterans. We're not doing them right. It 
verges on criminal because we have broken our promises, and we need to 
fulfill those promises, and I'll do everything I can as a Member of 
Congress in supporting the veterans in my 10th Congressional District 
in Georgia. As a physician, I understand their medical needs. I'll do 
everything I can as the Congressman from the 10th Congressional 
District of Georgia to make sure that our veterans have all of the 
promises made to them fulfilled. This government has broken promises. 
It continues to break promises. It has got to stop, and I'll do 
everything I can to fulfill those promises.
  I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Before yielding back, I would just like to again thank 
the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Duncan, for bringing forward this, 
really, very nice and very timely recognition of Mr. Tallent. I urge 
all of my colleagues to support this bill.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous material on H.R. 402.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FILNER. I thank Mr. Duncan for bringing us this wonderful story 
of Bill Tallent, and I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 
402.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 402.
  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. BROUN of Georgia. 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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