[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 15, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H730-H731]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COLONEL SAM JOHNSON, A TRUE HERO AMONG US

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Poe) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the date was April 16, 1966. The 
pilot was Sam Johnson, United States Air Force. He was a colonel, and 
he was doing his second tour of duty in Vietnam. He was flying with the 
fighter squadron called Satan's Angels. He was a career pilot who had 
already flown 62 combat missions during the Korean war, flying an F 86 
Sabre jet. Colonel Johnson also flew with the famed Air Force 
Thunderbirds.
  But on that day, April 16, 1966, Colonel Johnson in his F 4 was shot 
down by ground fire by the North Vietnamese. He was captured, and he 
was put in a prisoner of war camp. Madam Speaker, he was in that POW 
camp for 7 years.
  Because of the way that he would not give in to the torture and to 
the interrogation, the enemy moved him to the famous Hanoi Hilton, a 
place they called ``Alcatraz.'' It was as bad a POW camp that ever 
existed in history. Alcatraz was where 11 POWs were put because they 
were the most obstinate men, and they were leaders of other POWs. They 
were hard-nosed, and they had to be segregated. They called themselves 
the ``Alcatraz gang.'' They were defiant, and the North Vietnamese 
called this man right here, Colonel Sam Johnson, ``Die Hard.''
  They tortured him, but they got no information from him. During that 
time, that 7 years he was beaten and tortured, Sam Johnson never broke 
down. He was so obstinate that they finally decided to put him in 
solitary confinement where he remained for 4 years in a cell that was 
3-feet-wide by 9-feet. During that 4 years, all that was in that cell 
was a light bulb above his head that the enemy kept on for 24 hours a 
day. During the nighttime, they put Sam Johnson in leg irons, and 
during that 4 years, he never saw or talked to another American.
  While in the POW camp, he and other POWs communicated with each other 
with a code by tapping on the wall, and during that time, he memorized 
the names of the other 374 POWs in captivity. He kept that memory going 
so that, when he got away or was released or escaped, he would be able 
to tell their loved ones who they were and where they were. It was 
brutal, it was harsh, it was cruel, it was mean.
  The enemy laughed and made fun of Colonel Sam, and all he ever said 
was, Is that the best you can do? For food, he ate weeds and pig fat 
and rice, and

[[Page H731]]

he went from 200 pounds to 120 pounds. After 7 years of confinement, on 
February 12, 1973, 39 years ago this week, Colonel Sam Johnson was 
finally released.
  After his release, Colonel Johnson continued to serve in the United 
States Air Force for a total of 29 years. While he was in that POW 
camp, back home in Texas, his wife, Shirley, knew he'd been shot down, 
but she didn't know what had happened to him for 2 years--whether he 
was alive, dead, or missing in action.
  After he left the United States Air Force, he served in the State 
house in Texas. He had his own business, and then in 1991, he came to 
the House of Representatives, where he continues to serve with 
distinction and to represent the folks from Texas.
  Sam Johnson returned to America with honor. He is a special breed. He 
is the American breed. He is that special warrior, even during the time 
he was a captive warrior, who never forsook his duty and never forsook 
his honor.
  Colonel Sam and other Vietnam veterans were not only treated badly in 
Vietnam, but many who returned were treated poorly by America. These 
vets had no welcome home parades. They were cursed and they were spit 
upon. America did not really appreciate those old warhorses from 
Vietnam.
  So, to Colonel Sam and all who served in Vietnam, welcome home, 
welcome home, welcome home.
  Some served and returned. Some served and did not return. Some served 
with the wounds of war.
  So, to Colonel Sam Johnson, we appreciate your service because the 
worst casualty of war is to be forgotten.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________