[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1842-E1843]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TEJANOS OF WORLD WAR II

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, America honors Hispanic Heritage 
this month. I would like to recognize some of Texas' heroes who served 
their country in body and deed, held up the torch of bravery and, in 
turn, were awarded Medals of Honor for their actions.
  Born in San Marcos, Texas, Cleto Rodriguez enlisted in the U.S. Army 
in 1944, where he served as a Private in Company B, 148th Infantry, 
37th Infantry Division. On February 9, 1945 in Manila, while crossing a 
railroad station, Cleto's platoon was stopped by intense Japanese 
gunfire. Without being ordered to do so, Rodriguez and a fellow 
soldier, Private First Class John N. Reese, Jr., left the platoon and 
marched straight into the enemy volley. For two and a half hours, 
charged on conquest, Rodriguez and Reese killed over 82 Japanese 
soldiers and paved the way for an American victory at the railroad 
station that day. Sadly, Reese was killed in action defending his 
friends and country. For his ``determination to destroy the enemy and 
courage in the face of tremendous odds,'' Rodriguez was awarded the 
Medal of Honor. He became the first Mexican American GI to be given 
this award in the South Pacific.
  Private First Class Silvestre Herrera, drafted to the U.S. Army in 
1944, was a seasoned

[[Page E1843]]

veteran. He had been stationed on the front lines in Germany for 
several months. A part of the 36th ``Texas'' Division, Herrera had 
experienced the most violent fighting in the Central Europe campaign 
when the Allies closed in to deliver the finishing blow on Nazi 
Germany. As Americans advanced toward the border, German resistance 
mounted. That day, Herrera's division, the 142nd Regiment, neared the 
French-German border town of Mertzwiller. When orders were given to 
advance the town, Herrera, being a scout, was 400 yards ahead of his 
company. The regiment was suddenly overwhelmed by machine gun nest fire 
from the enemy. Armed with only a bayonet and an M1 hand rifle, Herrera 
single-handedly captured eight German soldiers and sent them to 
American lines. However, upon gearing up for a second attempt to end 
the gunfire, he stepped on an anti-personnel mine that blew off both 
his feet. Despite the intense pain and loss of blood, Herrera continued 
to fight and kill two more German soldiers. His presence enabled his 
comrades to lead a full frontal attack on the enemy position. For his 
heroism that day Silvestre Herrera was awarded the Congressional Medal 
of Honor.
  And last, but certainly not least--a hero from Congressional District 
2. One of twelve children from a large Mexican American family, Lucian 
Adams was born in Port Arthur, Texas in 1922. The summer of 1944, Adams 
was stationed near the town of Saint-Die in the Mortagne forest of 
France. With supply lines cut off by the Germans, Adams was sent out as 
a scout for his company and alerted the commander of three enemy 
machine gun nests. He was given orders to ``go on out there and make a 
breakthrough to get those GIs.'' Armed with a borrowed Browning 
automatic rifle, Adams and his men started walking in a heavily wooded 
area of the forest. Having only walked 10 yards, enemy machine guns 
killed three men and wounded six others almost instantaneously. The 
company ran to take cover. However, Adams charged forward. He killed 
nine Germans, shot lobbying grenades, eliminated three enemy machine 
guns and forced two German infantrymen to surrender. In a matter of 10 
minutes, Adams had successfully cleared the woods of enemy soldiers and 
reopened the severed supply line. Adams was dubbed ``The Texas 
Tornado'' by his company men and received the Medal of Honor in 1945.
  The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest award for gallantry in 
action and is only given to the bravest of the brave. It is the 
American symbol of knighthood. Men like Rodriguez, Herrera and Adams 
deserve only the utmost respect from their countrymen. They are statues 
of strength--true visions of valor. With a thankful heart, I tip my hat 
to the Texas heroes who fought and are fighting for liberty. America 
salutes you.
  And, that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________