[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 186 (Tuesday, December 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2187-E2188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING LARENCE C. ``LARRY'' MAXWELL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2011

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Veterans of Foreign 
Wars Chowchilla Post 9896 Life Member Larence C. ``Larry''

[[Page E2188]]

Maxwell who served his country honorably from a very young age.
  Larence C. ``Larry'' Maxwell entered the United States Army shortly 
after completing high school and began a journey that would see him 
serve in multiple wars and conflicts for thirty-two years throughout 
the world culminating with promotion to Command Sergeant Major, the 
highest enlisted rank in the Army.
  The son of Andrew and Addie Maxwell of Chowchilla, Larry was born in 
Madera on December 21, 1946. He was raised in Chowchilla, where he 
attended elementary school and attended Le Grand High School. In 1965, 
he entered the Job Corps. In 1966, he was drafted at age nineteen and 
subsequently enlisted in the Army. He completed basic training at Fort 
Ord, California and then Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard 
Wood, Missouri, where he was selected for training as an Army Engineer 
Heavy Equipment Operator. His first duty assignment was with C Company, 
94th Engineer Battalion in Nillingen, Germany, where he assisted in the 
construction of facilities for ammunition and equipment when France 
resigned from NATO.
  Vietnam was the next tour for the young Army combat engineer. He was 
assigned to the 92nd engineer Battalion in January 1968 as a heavy 
equipment operator and squad leader. The 92nd was known as the ``Black 
Diamonds'' and gained a reputation as the ``can do'' unit during combat 
operations, earning fourteen battle streamers in Vietnam and four 
Meritorious Unit Commendations and the Vietnamese Civil Action Honor 
Medal First Class. Maxwell participated in the Tet Offensive and four 
more major campaigns until his tour ended in January 1969. He was 
wounded by enemy mortar fire in May 1968 and was medevaced to the Army 
hospital at Bien Hoa and after recovery from his wounds he returned to 
the 92nd for duty.
  He concluded his twelve-month tour and returned stateside. He took a 
brief break from the Army for two years before re-enlisting in 1971, 
and was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, with the 68th engineer Company 
as a squad leader and heavy equipment operator, where he worked on 
numerous projects including those for the Bureau of Indian Affairs on 
the Mescalero Indian Reservation. After Fort Bliss, he received orders 
to report to the 598th Supply and Service Company in Kaiserslautern, 
Germany, where he assumed duties as Class 3 Distribution Chief. He 
subsequently was promoted to Assistant Platoon Sergeant of the 
Equipment Platoon with the 370th engineer company. While serving in 
Germany, his unit was designated as the best engineer company in the 
U.S. Army.
  In 1975, he reported to B Company, 43rd engineer battalion, Fort 
Benning, Georgia, where he served initially as a squad leader and 
promoted to platoon sergeant. With obvious leadership qualities, he was 
assigned to the 36th Engineer Group as an instructor in the Basic 
Leadership Course. His superiors selected him to attend the Engineer 
Advanced Course at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Upon completion of the 
Advanced Course, he was selected for Drill Sergeant School at Fort 
Leonard Wood, Missouri. After graduation from Drill Sergeant School, he 
served as Drill Sergeant from June 1979 to October 1982.
  He returned to Germany as First Sergeant with the 58th Combat 
Engineer Mechanized 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Downs Barracks, at 
Fulda, Germany. The unit was responsible for protecting the East/West 
German border. After completion of the tour with the 11th Armored, he 
found himself back at Fort Leonard Wood as First Sergeant of A Company, 
6th Battalion, 10th Infantry Basic Training.
  In June 1988, he was selected for the Sergeants Major Academy at Fort 
Bliss, Texas. After graduating from the Sergeants Major Academy in 
January 1989, he was assigned to Army forces at Camp Nimble in Korea as 
First Sergeant of B Company, 44th Engineer Battalion. The 44th had 
responsibilities for duties on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). In 
September 1989, he was promoted to Sergeant Major and served in the 
capacity in Korea at Camp Mercer.
  After returning stateside, he assumed duties as Sergeant Major for 
the 535th Prime Power Detachment at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. The 
535th had teams stationed in Kentucky, Georgia, Virginia, New Jersey, 
Panama, and Germany.
  At the beginning of the Gulf War, Maxwell was designated Command 
Sergeant Major. In the U.S. Army, the leadership position of Command 
Sergeant Major is the highest enlisted rank and acts as the senior 
enlisted advisor to the commanding officer and represents all the 
enlisted soldiers of the command.
  Maxwell was made Battalion Sergeant Major of the 43rd Engineer 
Battalion and deployed to Saudi Arabia, where he became Command 
Sergeant Major of Task Force 43 assigned to echelons above corps during 
hostilities with Iraq.
  After the Gulf War, he participated in disaster relief during 
Hurricane Andrew. He deployed to Somalia twice, first as Sergeant Major 
with Task Force 43, 10th Mountain Division, and the second time when 
his battalion was attached to United Nations' forces for the 
construction of Victory Base. He subsequently deployed to Panama and 
Costa Rica for civic action projects and construction of medical aid 
facilities. His last assignment was Command Sergeant Major of the 84th 
Engineer Battalion and Sergeant Major of the 45th Corps Support Group 
(Forward), with the Army's famed ``Tropic Lightning'' 25th Infantry 
Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. While at Schofield, Maxwell 
deployed with units throughout the Philippines, and other areas. After 
thirty-two years of service to his country, he retired from the U.S. 
Army in 1998 and returned to Madera.
  For his service, Command Sergeant Major Maxwell was awarded numerous 
decorations including: two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze 
Star, Purple Heart, three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, four 
awards of the Army Commendation Medal, three awards of the Army Medal, 
Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with five campaign stars, 
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, two awards of the National Defense 
Service Medal, United Nations Medal, ten awards of the Good Conduct 
Medal, two awards of Humanitarian Service Medal, the Korean Defense 
Service Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of Vietnam 
Cross of Gallantry Unit Award with frame, the Southwest Asia Service 
Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, two awards of the Army Service Ribbon, 
four awards of the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the German 
Schutzenschnur, the Bronze and Silver de Fleury Medal, and the Drill 
Sergeant Badge. During his military career, Larry earned an Associate 
of Arts degree from Central Texas College.
  After retirement from the Army, Larry worked as a Corrections Officer 
for the Madera County Probation Department, where he performed duties 
as an instructor in ceremony and physical drill at the boot camp. In 
2000, his drill team won the Grand Prize at the Fresno Veterans Day 
Parade. He was promoted to sergeant in 2002 and continued to teach and 
counsel adolescents to become productive members of society until his 
retirement from the Probation Department in January 2010.
  Larry is a life member of Chowchilla VFW Post 9896 and American 
Legion Post 148. He is a member of the Army Engineer Association, the 
Noncommissioned Officers Association, the Association of the United 
States Army, and the Armed Forces Association. He is a member of the 
Grace Community Church and is a volunteer with Food Bank.
  Larry has two brothers, Charley Maxwell (deceased) of Idaho, First 
Sergeant (Ret.) Donnie Maxwell, Sr. of Madera, and three sisters, Donna 
Lea and Bonnie Bartley of Madera, and June Maxwell of Cleveland, 
Oklahoma. Larry married his first wife, Linda Swilley of Chowchilla and 
had three children, Garry Maxwell and his wife Tonya of Falmouth, 
Kentucky, and a daughter Samantha and husband Tim Richards of 
Chowchilla, and daughter Wendy and husband Chris Yowell of Chowchilla. 
Larry married Ronda Davis of Mulberry Indiana, who has two children, 
Jonathan Shambaugh and wife Melanie of West End, New Jersey, and 
Courtney Shambaugh and Andrew Watkins of Highland, New Jersey. Larry 
has thirteen wonderful and very active grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Larence C. ``Larry'' Maxwell 
for his honorable service to our great country, and wishing him the 
best of luck and health in his future endeavors.

                          ____________________