[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 26 (Monday, February 25, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H609-H615]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING CONGRESSMAN SAM JOHNSON ON 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF RELEASE FROM 
                          PRISONER OF WAR CAMP

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Holding). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 3, 2013, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special 
Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about a remarkable 
individual that serves with us in the House of Representatives.
  We are really surrounded by remarkable people, 435 individuals who 
came from other walks of life. Most of them had other careers before 
they came to the House of Representatives. But tonight, we're going to 
talk about the anniversary of one individual. Because, you see, 40 
years ago, Colonel Sam Johnson was released as a prisoner of war in 
Vietnam. He had spent 7 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
  It all started when he was flying one of his F-4s, being a pilot. 
This was not a new experience. I mean, after all, he had served in 
Korea and flew 62 combat missions in an F-86 Sabre called Shirley's 
Texas Tornado, after his wife, Shirley. So he flew 62 in the Korean 
war; Vietnam, he's on his 25th mission flying an F-4 Phantom. He left 
Laotian airspace, came into North Vietnam, and he was shot down by 
ground fire. This was not his first tour of duty in Vietnam; it was his 
second tour of duty. Sam Johnson is an American warrior.
  After he was shot down on this day, April 16, 1966, his life took a 
turn, a different turn. When he parachuted out of his plane, his 
shoulder was injured--of course the Vietnamese, they didn't do anything 
to help his injuries, and he still carries some of those wounds from 
his prisoner days and from when he crashed or when he came back down to 
Earth in that parachute. He was captured by the North Vietnamese Army 
and he was put in a prisoner of war camp.
  The North Vietnamese probably developed prisoner of war camps better 
than anyplace on Earth. They were hard, they were tough, they were 
mean, and not everybody survived those camps. So he spent 7 years as a 
prisoner of war, and they interrogated him every day. But Sam never 
gave in. In fact, the Vietnamese called him ``Die Hard.'' He was the 
first person that I know of that was called ``Die Hard'' because he 
would never die no matter how hard they beat him.
  He was so obstinate, Mr. Speaker, that they sent him to the infamous 
``Hanoi Hilton''--satire, of course; it was everything but a hotel--and 
put him in a section called Alcatraz, where he and 11 obstinate 
prisoners of war were put together. Sam Johnson was so tough, would 
never break, would never give information, that they finally put him in 
solitary confinement.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to describe the cell to you that he spent 4 years 
of his life in--solitary confinement. It was 3 feet by 9 feet. It's 
about the size of this table, 3 feet, over to about that podium, 9 
feet. That was his cell. That's where he was for 4 years. They left the 
light on constantly. At night, they would come in and put him in leg 
irons--4 years solitary confinement. But he never gave up.
  He learned how to communicate with other prisoners by tapping on the 
wall. He learned the names of the other 374 members, memorized their 
names so that when he got out--because he expected to get out--that he 
could tell their families that they were there.
  But he never broke. He was never broken. He continued to do what he 
was supposed to do to honor America and represent America, but he never 
gave information to America's enemies.
  So tonight, we commemorate his 40th anniversary of being released 
from that prisoner of war camp when the war was over. Seven years of 
his life he gave to this country in a camp that most of us would never 
survive.
  At this time, I'd like to yield to the majority leader, the gentleman 
from Virginia (Mr. Cantor).
  Mr. CANTOR. I thank the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here tonight to honor and celebrate our friend, 
Sam Johnson, the gentleman from Texas that we all know as a friend and 
colleague, but that I think America knows as a hero.
  Sam, as the gentleman from Texas points out, was awarded two Silver 
Stars and two Purple Hearts, among his many other decorations, for 
fighting bravely for freedom, and for 7 years Sam Johnson was held as a 
prisoner of war by the North Vietnamese--the horror of which none of us 
will ever know

[[Page H610]]

but lies deep within the soul of this great American patriot.

                              {time}  1930

  Indeed, Mr. Speaker, the 40th anniversary of his freedom is reason 
for celebration and is the reason we are gathered here in the Chamber 
tonight. Sam's heroism and bravery are acts for which all Americans owe 
him a debt of gratitude.
  But I'd also like to talk about our friend, Sam. Mr. Speaker, it's no 
exaggeration when I say I believe that Sam Johnson is the moral compass 
of our conference. He considers every issue fairly, and he's never 
afraid to reach across the aisle and work with Members there or on our 
side of the aisle or with freshman Members, as he did with me when I 
first came to Congress in 2001.
  As many of us know, Sam and Shirley Johnson recently lost their son, 
Bob. All of us would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the 
Johnsons for their loss. Over these past weeks, we all saw anew the 
grace and humility that Sam carries with him every day.
  Mr. Speaker, that's Sam. America and his beloved Texas are better 
places because of his decades-long service. And my life, Mr. Speaker, 
has been immeasurably enriched by our friendship.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the majority leader for his important 
words.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Pete Sessions.
  Mr. SESSIONS. I appreciate the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) for 
leading the discussion tonight in honor of the great Member of Congress 
from the Third Congressional District, Sam Johnson. I want to take a 
few minutes tonight to not just acknowledge how great Sam Johnson is to 
the Texas delegation but really to highlight what he means to this 
body.
  Sam Johnson has been a Member of this body since 1991. He came in a 
special election as a result of a hard-fought race in Dallas, Texas, 
when Congressman Steve Bartlett stepped down. And Sam Johnson came to 
the United States Congress not just with a background of 29 years of 
serving in the United States Air Force as being a top gun pilot and a 
man who had served this country in war and at the Hanoi Hilton, but he 
came here with thoughts and ideas about his home of Texas, representing 
Collin County and Dallas County, Texas.
  It's not just a high honor for us to have Sam as our Member of 
Congress at that time and currently, but Sam came to this body with 
ideas that he felt like would make our country stronger and better. 
More than just respect for the flag and respect for the men and women 
that serve in our military, but really for respect for human life and 
individuals, he believes that individuals make our country stronger and 
better; and he has devoted his life, the times we fly back and forth, 
Sam talks about how important people are and people's dreams, people 
back home. He remembers not just the stories about individuals, but I 
think he idolizes hard work and people who commit themselves to the 
sacrifice for others.
  Sam is known in this body for several years now as the most admired 
Member of Congress. And he's not the most admired Member of Congress 
because of just being a nice man--and that he is--but really for 
standing up and talking about the values of this country, the values of 
this country, what we stand for and how he wants it to be even better.
  He and Shirley have, for years, stood up across Texas and across this 
country and talked about how important we are if we sacrifice to make 
others' lives better, if we leave our country better than the way we 
found it. And so tonight on behalf of the people of the 32nd 
Congressional District, which is Dallas, which is right next to 
Congressman Sam Johnson, I stand up and applaud the life of Sam 
Johnson, his service to our country, not just the United States Air 
Force and the American people, but also the man that calls home Plano, 
Texas, and the Third Congressional District, our great friend and 
colleague, Congressman Sam Johnson.
  So, Sam, congratulations. Congratulations for not just a job well 
done but for the 40 years that you have been back home and what you 
have done to your life as a result of the service for what you believe 
was the right thing to do.
  I thank the gentleman from Texas, Judge Poe, for the time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman. The gentleman, Mr. Sessions, 
points out a little-known fact that after Colonel Sam Johnson got out 
of that prisoner-of-war camp, he stayed in the Air Force and served a 
total of 29 years. He also served in the famed Thunderbirds. He has 
quite a remarkable Air Force career.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Ralph Hall, the senior 
member of the Texas delegation and the House of Representatives.
  Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. I do rise, as others, 
today for a great American and a very dear friend, Sam Johnson. It's 
been said over and over again about Operation Homecoming, but that's 
one of the great days that I remember. And I'm sure it's in Sam's mind 
and heart and that he appreciates all of us here getting to say a few 
words about him.
  He served, as you know, for 29 years in the United States Air Force 
flying combat missions in both Korea and Vietnam, captured by enemy 
forces, going to spend 7 years in captivity as a prisoner of war, 
including 42 months of solitary confinement. Despite that confinement, 
Sam never lost his faith in God. He continued to show leadership and 
courage, helping to teach other prisoners how to survive. Through those 
7 years, Sam remained committed to staying strong and helping other 
fellow soldiers doing the same thing.
  Finally, on February 12, 1973, he returned to U.S. soil with other 
fellow American servicemen in what was known as Operation Homecoming. 
Once home, he was united with his wife, Shirley, who faithfully waited 
and prayed for Sam's safe return.
  It's a fact about Sam's fighting for our country. He also suffered 
for our country. This isn't the prime reason his constituents vote for 
him, though it would be enough; but Sam is completely aware of the 
rules of the House of Representatives and one of the Speaker's leading 
whips. When Sam speaks, we listen.
  Sam and Shirley suffered the loss of a son the last week of February. 
I hope they felt the love and grief we shared with them and the family. 
We know that grief is addressed in the Bible. Love spawns grief, and 
without love there's little grief. There is much love in the Johnson 
family for their neighbors and friends. For the approximately 7 years 
Sam and the others suffered in the Hanoi Hilton, a 4-letter word was 
always on their mind: home.
  In closing, let me just say that Sam continues to fight on behalf of 
our veterans and members of the armed services. After 40 years, he 
continues to serve the American people with the same strength and 
resolve that he demonstrated in Vietnam. I'm truly honored to have the 
opportunity to serve with such an exemplary American and to call him a 
friend. Sam's commitment to his country, faith, and family are values 
that every American should live by. I ask all my colleagues, of course, 
to vote ``aye.''
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a great American and a dear 
friend of mine, Sam Johnson, in honor of the 40th Anniversary of 
``Operation Homecoming.'' On February 12, 1973, 591 American prisoners 
of war, including Sam Johnson, returned from Vietnam after being held 
as prisoners for seven years. Sam is the epitome of a true American 
hero. His unwavering dedication to freedom and to serving his country 
exemplifies what it means to be a patriot.
  Sam served for 29 years in the United States Air Force, flying combat 
missions in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In 1966, during one of 
his missions, Sam's plane was shot down over North Vietnam. He was 
captured by enemy forces and would go on to spend seven years in 
captivity as a Prisoner of War, including 42 months of solitary 
confinement.
  ``After his capture, Sam was sent with 10 other POWs to a special 
facility where they were kept in solitary confinement from 1967-1969. 
Self-named the ``Alcatraz Gang,'' they were sent there for their strong 
resistance against their captors. They were shackled in legcuffs every 
night and endured continued torture. Sam never lost hope, and remained 
unbreakable against his torturers. Sam, along with the other members of 
the ``Alcatraz Gang,'' was moved back to the infamous Hanoi Hilton 
where he served out the remainder of his time in Vietnam.
  Despite his confinement, Sam never lost his faith in God. He 
continued to show leadership and courage, helping to teach other 
prisoners

[[Page H611]]

how to survive. Throughout those seven years, Sam remained committed to 
staying strong and helping other fellow soldiers to do the same.
  Finally on February 12, 1973, Sam returned to U.S. soil with other 
fellow American servicemen in what was known as ``Operation 
Homecoming.'' Once home, he was reunited with his wife Shirley, who 
faithfully waited and prayed for Sam's safe return.
  Sam and I shared Collin County for many years in the U.S. Congress 
and we would often speak to constituents together. I always dreaded to 
compare my war service as a fighter pilot with the Navy with Sam's 
service. His record, every phase, was so much more admirable and 
dangerous than my several years, that I felt like I had run off to 
Canada.
  As a fact, about Sam's fighting for our country, he also suffered for 
our country. This isn't the prime reason his constituents vote for him, 
though it would be enough. Sam is completely aware of the rules of the 
House of Representatives and is one of the Speaker's leading Whips. 
When Sam speaks, we listen.
  Sam and Shirley suffered the loss of a son the last week of February, 
and I hope they felt the love and grief we shared with them and the 
family. We know that grief is addressed in the Bible. Love spawns 
grief, and without love, there is little grief. There is much love in 
the Johnson family, and their neighbors and friends.
  For the approximately seven years Sam and the others suffered in the 
Hanoi Hilton, a four-letter word was always on their mind: HOME.
  My dad was in WWI, and he went overseas with the same soldiers, and 
returned back to the USA with many of those he fought with. To show how 
much they loved home and the sight of the Statue of Liberty, as they 
entered the New York Harbor, one of my dad's friends said to the Statue 
of Liberty, ``Old lady, if you ever see me again, you are going to have 
to turn around.'' That's what going home meant to most Veterans of the 
various wars.
  Sam continues to fight on behalf of our veterans and members of the 
Armed Services. After 40 years, he continues to serve the American 
people with the same strength and resolve that he demonstrated in 
Vietnam. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve with such 
an exemplary American, and to call him ``friend.'' Sam's commitment to 
his country, faith, and family, are values that every American should 
live by. I ask all my colleagues present today to join me in honoring 
such an outstanding American hero, Sam Johnson.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for his wise words.
  I now yield to the gentlewoman from Fort Worth, Texas, Ms. Kay 
Granger.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, we're here tonight to honor our friend and 
colleague, Sam Johnson, a man of service, a man of faith, and a man of 
tremendous courage.
  Sam was released from captivity 40 years ago as part of Operation 
Homecoming. It was a plan to bring home POWs. As part of the Paris 
Peace Accords of 1973, 591 POWs were brought home as part of that 
operation, and our dear friend, Sam, was one of those.
  Sometimes there are people that do great things but very few people 
know about it, people in their family or a few close friends. Sam 
Johnson's life has not been that way because it's been recognized 
because his achievements are so outstanding and he's been such a 
leader. So I think those recognitions deserve to be repeated tonight: 
two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, 
a Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, three 
Outstanding Unit Awards; and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society 
gave Johnson their highest civilian accolade, the National Patriot 
Award.
  Sam, it's such an honor for all of us to serve in this House with 
you, be a friend of yours and learn from you. Thank you for all your 
service.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas, 
Mr. Michael Conaway.

                              {time}  1940

  Mr. CONAWAY. I thank the gentleman from Texas for setting up this 
evening to honor our friend and colleague, Sam Johnson.
  Sam's career and exploits have been talked about several times now, 
and I won't repeat those, but there are a couple of things I would like 
to highlight. One, not only was he an Air Force pilot, but he was also 
a member of the elite Thunderbirds, which is the Air Force's best of 
the best. That is a demonstration team that goes across this country 
and around the world representing the Air Force, representing our 
country.
  Another thing about Sam is that he had the good fortune of marrying 
Shirley. If you read Sam's book, ``Captive Warriors,'' one of the most 
poignant parts of that book is Shirley's unwavering, steadfast belief 
that Sam was still alive. There was a long time while Sam was in 
captivity that we didn't have proof of life. Shirley was being told by 
some very influential folks that Sam had perished, and she just flat 
out simply refused to believe that, throughout all of the evidence. And 
so for a number of years there she held that vigil, and it was 
rewarded, of course, by Sam's coming home some 40 years ago this week.
  I don't have a lot of heroes on this Earth. Sam Johnson is one of 
them. If I ever get around to writing memoirs and somebody asked me 
what am I the most proud of of service in this House, one of those 
things will be being able to say that I'm among the select and 
privileged group to have served with Sam Johnson. He is a warrior of 
the best order, and it is with the most heartfelt emotions that I can 
muster that I thank him for his service. If I count the years 
correctly, it's 29 in the Air Force, 10 years in the Texas Legislature, 
and some 22 years here. That's 61 years. I don't know how old Sam is, 
but that has got to be about half his life anyway.
  So it is with great pleasure that I thank Sam for his long service to 
our country. Thank you, Sam.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman from Texas.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Round Rock, Texas, Judge John 
Carter.
  Mr. CARTER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Sam Johnson is an American hero, and everybody in this House knows 
that. He's an American hero for all kinds of ways that he served this 
country. Many of the people here are going to talk about those ways, 
and every one of them are important.
  I read Sam's book. It's an awesome book. It makes you cry at points; 
it makes you struggle. But it also expresses the kind of a man and, 
quite frankly, the kind of a family Sam Johnson has.
  Sam was a guy with a broken leg, dislocated shoulders, who looked 
them straight in the eye and spit in their face and told them to take 
their best shot. And he suffered for it, he suffered unmercifully for 
it, but he never gave in to the enemy. He always stood his ground, to 
his detriment, and it harmed him in so many physical ways. And yet the 
thing that makes me always tear up is you read the part of the book 
where Sam steps off that plane, when we finally repatriated our 
prisoners, and saluted and said, Colonel Sam Johnson reporting for 
duty, sir. And Sam reports for duty.
  People say, Who do you want to have your back in a foxhole? But 
people also say, Who do you want to have your back in Congress? I want 
Sam Johnson to have my back in Congress. He's a friend. He's one of my 
best friends in this Congress. I've gotten to know him very well. He 
and I go to a Christian retreat together almost every year.
  And that's one of the things you notice from the book. Sam didn't 
talk about himself. He talked about when they took him out and he 
thought, This time they're going to shoot me. He prayed to God that he 
could stand there and be a man. And they went, Ready, aim, fire, click, 
and one more time they didn't shoot him. And at that time he thanked 
God and his Savior, because he knew he had witnessed a miracle.
  Meanwhile, his sweet wife was praying and fighting on the home front 
because she didn't know. She got very little news about what was going 
on in Sam's life, but she never gave up because her faith strengthened 
her. And that's part of the theme of that book that you need to pick up 
and read, that their faith strengthened them in trials that none of us 
can ever imagine.
  Sam Johnson is a hero, not just because of what went on in Vietnam 
and what our enemy did to him. He's a hero because he comes here every 
day and he fights for the people of his district and for the State and 
for this country. He's willing to take a risk and step out, even now 
after all the years of service, both legislatively and in the Congress. 
Sam Johnson is one who is willing to step out and take the shots.
  I was once asked by ``60 Minutes'' to define what a leader is, and I 
said,

[[Page H612]]

Well, I'm just a history guy who reads history. I always thought in the 
First World War how hard it would have been to come out of those 
trenches and charge those machine guns with a bolt-action rifle, and 
that the officers who climbed out in front and said, ``Let's go, boys; 
let's go get 'em,'' were the heroes, and the guys that stayed in the 
bottom and said, ``You go get 'em, boys,'' they were not heroes. And a 
special hero is one who says, ``I'm going first and I'll take the 
shots.''

  There's plenty of shots to be had in this Chamber, and those are 
political shots. But I'm proud to say that that same hero that spit in 
the enemy's face, Sam Johnson, is still willing to stand up and take 
the shots in Congress. And for that reason, I today honor my good 
friend Sam Johnson and tell him I want him to keep taking care of my 
back, because I need it real bad.
  God bless you, Sam. You're my friend.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, Judge Carter points out something that happened to Sam 
Johnson during that 7 years that a lot of people don't realize.
  When he was in that little cell, 3-foot by 9-foot, he was so 
obstinate, the North Vietnamese Army would take him out of the cell; 
they would beat him up. He would never break. They would get so mad at 
that, that he wouldn't break, that they would line him up against the 
wall and they would tell him they're going to shoot him. They would 
blindfold him. They would get their AK-47s ready and, as Judge Carter 
mentioned, they would pull the trigger--click, click, click--then they 
would laugh at him.
  Sam Johnson would say, ``Is that the best you got? Is that the best 
you got?'' He didn't take anything from the Vietnamese, even though 
they tried to do everything they could to break him down.
  That's what makes him so remarkable. You may notice, Mr. Speaker, 
he's sitting back here on our scriptural row. All the Texans sit on the 
same row. He sits in the middle. One reason we sit back there is 
because that's the row he picks. So we all sit next to him. And you'll 
see every day when the House is in session, the Texans, we're all 
together sitting around Sam Johnson. We kind of stick together for a 
lot of reasons.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Texas, Dr. Michael Burgess.
  Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here tonight to honor Congressman Sam Johnson. 
It's also appropriate to take a moment and send our thoughts and 
prayers to Congressman Johnson's family during a difficult time that 
they're going through right now.
  As we've heard tonight, Congressman Johnson is a decorated war hero. 
During his 29-year service in the United States Air Force, Congressman 
Johnson flew in 62 combat missions in the Korean War and 25 missions in 
the Vietnam War. He endured almost 7 years as a prisoner of war in 
Hanoi, with a majority spent in solitary confinement, after being 
captured in North Vietnam.
  Congressman Johnson persevered through this dreadful experience, 
returned to the United States and was reunited with his wife and three 
children on February 12, 1973. This week marks the 40th anniversary of 
his release, and we celebrate his achievements and the sacrifice for 
his country. In fact, 10 years ago this week, I gave what was my first 
speech on the House floor honoring then Sam Johnson's 30th anniversary 
of freedom, and at that time his wife, Shirley, was with us in the 
gallery.

                              {time}  1950

  When Sam came home, he undertook a duty to continuously support and 
protect every man and woman who risks his life fighting for the United 
States of America. This was a motivation for his decision to run for 
office, and it is a true statement to the character and virtues that he 
gained from his service to this country.
  In thinking about Shirley, every summer, she does a fashion show in 
Frisco, Texas. Sam is my neighbor to the east from the congressional 
district that I represent. Shirley does a fashion show, the proceeds of 
which go to provide scholarships for kids in the area--true dedication 
to community service. We are all so honored to have Sam and Shirley in 
our lives.
  Thank you, Congressman Johnson. Thank you for being my friend and my 
mentor, for providing me expertise when I ran for the House and when I 
arrived at the House. You continue to provide mentorship to me today.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I now recognize the gentleman from 
Tyler, Texas, Judge Gohmert.
  Mr. GOHMERT. I thank my friend, a former judge as well.
  It is an honor to be here and to be part of this Special Order to 
honor our friend Sam Johnson.
  Sam and Shirley are public servants in every sense of the word. There 
were the 29 years in the Air Force. The United States service was what 
he was. It's what he did. There were the 7 years in Hanoi Hilton--one 
of the worst prisons ever concocted in the imagination of sick minds--
and he spent 42 months of that in solitary confinement. There are 
people running around the world saying that you can't put people in 
solitary confinement, but they were not around to help Sam Johnson 
during that horrible time in Hanoi. This is the 40th anniversary of his 
release, and America has been better for Sam Johnson's living and 
serving and for Shirley's being his partner even though, for 7 years, 
they were apart.
  I know, on the first day I was sworn in, I was sitting right over 
here on the aisle, talking to another Republican, and Sam came down the 
aisle. His body still shows the torture and the broken bones that never 
healed properly and the bones that grew around nerves that they were 
never able to fix.
  When he got even with me, I stood up and shook his hand and said, 
Sam, it is such an honor to serve with you in this body. Sam has always 
been a man of honesty and integrity, a man whose judgment I could 
trust.
  He said, Well, it's an honor serving with you--which was a stretch--
but then he said, But don't trust that fella next to you. I found out 
after that that Sam Johnson's advice was always good and always advice 
that could be well taken.
  After some of the revelations in the Middle East of a U.S. prison 
camp, I said, Sam, did you hear about the torture of making people 
strip down and put panties on their heads?
  And he said, Yeah.
  I said, Was that ever a choice that you were given?
  He said, If it had been, I'd be naked, wearing panties still today.
  That was nothing compared to the hell that that man was put through 
in Hanoi.
  Then I found out that in our U.S. prisons--it's open information--
that we provide not only a Koran, which has never been touched by 
American hands, but also an arrow on the floor that points in the 
direction that the Islamic prisoner would want to pray, and we give him 
a prayer rug.
  I asked Sam, When you were in Hanoi, did you have a prayer rug and a 
Bible, as that was part of your faith?
  And he said, No. Actually, what we had was a tiny, little rod that 
was placed on the floor--our feet in shackles. We would be beaten on 
the back until we dropped, and my knees would hit that tiny rod.
  It doesn't sound like much, but when you spend hours or days with 
your knees and all your weight on a tiny, little rod on the floor, it 
gets pretty unbearable. And that was some of the less torturous stuff 
this man went through on our behalf.
  Part of his service to this country are his children and his 
grandchildren, and it is with great sadness that I know Sam and Shirley 
and this country lost Bob Johnson--Plano High School to Texas A&M. His 
children and grandchildren.
  Sam, our hearts are with you. You have sacrificed more than anybody I 
know on behalf of this country, and it is an honor to serve with you.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman from Tyler, Texas.
  I now recognize a gentleman from Texas, Mr. Lamar Smith.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. First of all, I want to thank the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Poe) for organizing this Special Order tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, today's Special Order is to honor our friend, colleague 
and a true American patriot, Congressman

[[Page H613]]

Sam Johnson, and his 40th anniversary of freedom.
  Congressman Johnson has a long history of serving our country. He 
spent 29 years in the United States Air Force and flew 87 combat 
missions during the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was awarded two Silver 
Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star with Valor, and 
has received many other recognitions. Today, we celebrate Operation 
Homecoming and observe the 40th anniversary of his release from a 
Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp.
  Congressman Sam Johnson was captured and held for 7 years in a POW 
camp in Vietnam. He spent 42 months in solitary confinement--an 
unfortunate record. Though tested both physically and mentally, almost 
beyond comprehension, his unwavering love of God and country remained 
steadfast. A firsthand account of Congressman Johnson's experience in 
the Vietnamese POW camp can be found in his riveting and inspiring 
book, ``Captive Warriors,'' which will cause you to weep.
  His commitment to his country was matched only by his wife Shirley's 
commitment to him. Friends say she set a seat at the table every night 
while he was gone with the hope and expectation that he would come 
home.
  After his release, Congressman Johnson started a homebuilding 
business from the ground up. Then he was elected to the Texas House of 
Representatives for 7 years, and he has now represented Texas' Third 
Congressional District since 1991.
  It is a professional honor and a personal privilege to serve with 
Congressman Sam Johnson. Today, we thank him for his service to our 
country and to the American people.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize another aviator, although he 
wasn't in the Air Force--he was in the Navy, which still counts. He 
served our country as a naval aviator before coming to the House of 
Representatives, Mr. Pete Olson of Sugar Land, Texas.
  Mr. OLSON. I want to thank my friend and fellow Texan, Judge Ted Poe, 
for hosting this Special Order: celebrating the greatest Texan in 
Congress, Colonel Sam Johnson, on the 40th anniversary of his return 
home after 7 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
  We've heard the stories of Sam's lifetime of service to our Nation. 
They are the stuff of legends--the best of the best. Sam was shot down 
on his 25th mission over Vietnam, captured and imprisoned by the enemy. 
He was put in a special prison known as Alcatraz. His 2 years in 
Alcatraz were described by Sam as ``hell on Earth.''
  Twenty years after Sam left Alcatraz, I began my training to become a 
naval aviator. Part of that training included prisoner-of-war school, 
also known as SERE school--survival, evasion, resistance, and escape. 
In SERE school, we were locked in a dark box. We were deprived of sleep 
and exposed to interrogation techniques depicted in the movie ``Zero 
Dark Thirty.'' The main lesson I learned in SERE school was because of 
Sam Johnson: that my duty as a POW was to resist and to resist and to 
resist and to resist and to resist--to my breaking point as a human 
being.

                              {time}  2000

  When I hit that point, my duty was to bend a little, give some 
incomplete and vague information, regroup, and start anew--to resist, 
to resist, to resist, to resist, and to resist.
  Because of Sam Johnson's experience, every U.S. military pilot who 
follows in his footsteps, like me, knows in his heart if we're 
captured, we will never stop resisting our captors, and we will always 
come home with honor, like Sam did.
  The heart of Sam Johnson, the Sam Johnson I know, can be summed up in 
the first sentence Sam reportedly said to his fellow POWs after he left 
solitary confinement: Lieutenant Colonel Sam Johnson, reporting for 
duty, sir.
  I imagine that our POW in charge responded to Sam with a slow, crisp 
salute saying, Colonel Johnson, take charge, and carry out the plan of 
the day.
  Sam has been taking charge and carrying out the plan of the day his 
whole life. I wasn't there to greet Sam when he came home 40 years ago, 
so I say it to my friend now: Welcome home, Sam. Welcome home.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman from Sugar Land, Texas, for 
his insightful words. You pointed out, Mr. Olson, that he spent 4 years 
in a prisoner-of-war camp. During those 4 years, he didn't talk to 
another American for 4 years. He could tap on the wall to contact them 
in codes that they'd developed over the numerous years they'd all been 
in confinement. They tapped out the names of the other prisoners, the 
374 other prisoners that had been in the Hanoi Hilton at one time. They 
all memorized the 11, the Alcatraz Gang, as they called themselves. 
They memorized those names because they all expected that they were 
going to escape and get back and be able to tell those families who had 
come into the camp. A remarkable story.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Roger Williams.
  Mr. WILLIAMS. I'm honored to stand here today and say a few words 
about one of my personal heroes and friends, and one of America's 
greatest patriots, Sam Johnson. This month is cause for celebration as 
it marks 40 years since nearly 600 American POWs, including Congressman 
Johnson, stepped foot on American soil after enduring years of 
captivity during the Vietnam war.
  Many of us couldn't endure for one day what Sam Johnson endured for 7 
years, much less endure it with unbreakable strength, unending faith in 
God, and constant hope that this incredible man has.
  His captors knew him as a die hard, one of the few POWs who refused 
to give in and cooperate with their anti-American propaganda. His 
fellow American prisoners knew him as a leader, one whose spirit could 
not be broken, whether he was in leg stocks or solitary confinement, 
for 4 years. And his family knew him as their hero, a man who loved 
serving his country and was willing to sacrifice his life in defense of 
freedom.
  I'm honored to know him as a friend. Throughout his 29-year career in 
the Air Force, he earned many distinguished decorations, awards, and 
merits. But for those who have had the pleasure of sitting at the 
dinner table with Sam, you know those years were also filled with 
laughter and antics. After all, he did fly with the legendary 
Thunderbirds before the FAA existed.
  Men like Sam Johnson are what have made our military great--and our 
country--the greatest force on Earth. He has built a remarkable legacy 
with his lifelong service to America, to the great State of Texas and, 
most importantly, to his family and loved ones.
  Colonel Johnson, thank you for your service to our country and for 
your example to us all. And I'd like to remind people, America doesn't 
give because it's rich; America is rich because it gives. And it's 
given us Sam Johnson, and for that we're very grateful.
  Luke 6:38 says:

       A good measure be given to you, pressed down, shaken 
     together, put into your lap; for the measure you give will be 
     the measure you get back.

  Sam, you gave it all to us, and you deserve every great thing that 
happens to you. So may God bless you, and may God bless our troops.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman.
  I now yield to the gentleman from Lubbock, Texas, Mr. Randy 
Neugebauer.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. I thank the gentleman. It is indeed an honor and a 
privilege for me to participate in this recognition of our colleague 
but, more importantly, my friend, Sam Johnson.
  You know, when I got to Congress, you get to know people, and 
particularly because Sam was in the Texas delegation, and people 
started saying, they'd say you know Sam's story, and they would begin 
to tell me a few things about Sam Johnson. So some of the things that 
you're hearing tonight are things you would have never heard from Sam 
Johnson because Sam doesn't talk about what he does. He just goes about 
doing the right thing.
  In fact, he's got a history of serving this country. When you think 
about Sam Johnson, you think about service. You know, a lot of people 
serve. Sam has served in our military. He served in our Texas House, 
and now in the United States Congress, but not everybody serves with 
equal sacrifice. And when you think about Sam Johnson's life, you think 
about sacrifice.
  How I learned more about Sam was an interesting trip that I took with

[[Page H614]]

then-Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert. We flew to Vietnam to be one 
of the first delegations to have a Speaker of the House be in Vietnam 
since the end of the Vietnam war. And so I decided on that trip that I 
would read Sam's book. So all of the way over there, I read Sam's book, 
and it was just by fate that I read the last page as we landed in 
Hanoi.
  Tears streamed down from my eyes as I had been on this journey that 
Sam takes you through his book of sacrifice and pain, but also a man 
that had faith. And it was his faith that he relied on on a daily 
basis, and his commitment to his country and his commitment to those 
who were with him, and the fortitude that he showed of taking those 
sometimes daily beatings, and this quietness of solitude. As we landed 
there, I was thinking about Sam and his spending 7 years in those 
conditions and then coming back home.
  But as you read that book, what you also know is another hero, and 
Sam would be quick to point out, and that was his wife, Shirley, who 
never gave up hope, never gave up on Sam because she knew the Sam 
Johnson that we've been talking about tonight. She knew that Sam 
wouldn't go down easy.
  Sam, we're so proud of you and so glad to serve with you. One of the 
memorable points of that trip is just a few months before that, Sam 
himself had traveled back to Hanoi, the first time since he had left, 
and he had signed the guest book just a few pages over:

       Sam Johnson back again, where I spent 7 years of my life.

  It was an honor for me to sign just a few pages over. For a great 
American hero but, more importantly, for a great friend: God bless you, 
Sam Johnson, and God bless the United States of America.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman.
  I would ask the Speaker how much time I have remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Radel). The gentleman has 17 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the Speaker.
  I yield to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Blake Farenthold.
  Mr. FARENTHOLD. Thank you, Congressman Poe.
  I'm honored today to stand up here to honor the bravery and 
commitment that Congressman Sam Johnson has shown his country. Sam 
lived through an experience that would bring even the toughest soldier 
to his knees. He was in the Air Force for 29 years and was a prisoner 
of war for 7 after his F4 plane was gunned down in North Vietnam.
  Now today, 40 years after he was released from captivity, we 
celebrate his freedom. He was beaten and tortured and kept in a small 
cell; yet he refused to give up or disclose any information to the 
enemy. The sacrifice and peril that Sam went through is on the heart of 
every young man or woman who commits himself to serve the Armed Forces. 
Sam and his family just suffered a tragic personal loss. I have no 
notes here; you can read about Sam and his accomplishments and his 
heroics on the Internet. Or better yet, buy the book.
  I want to talk for a minute about my experience in the slightly over 
2 years that I have been in the House serving with Sam.
  There is nobody that has the respect of this Congress the way Sam 
Johnson does.

                              {time}  2010

  I don't know a single person on either side of the aisle that doesn't 
appreciate Sam's service and sacrifice and hold him in the highest 
esteem. And that's saying something, when we're serving in a body 
that's constantly bickering, that has an 8 percent approval rating. But 
if all of us who serve were half the man that Sam Johnson is, we would 
have a 100 percent approval rating here in Congress.
  I'm honored to serve with Sam. I thank him for his service, though 
that seems just too little for what he has done and given up for this 
country. But I'm proud to call him a friend.
  God bless you, Sam. God bless Texas, and God bless the U.S.A.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Steve Stockman.
  Mr. STOCKMAN. Mr. Speaker, when I got here 18 years ago, when I first 
got here I was wet under the ears, and I started looking at different 
people's voting patterns. And I didn't know, you know, which way to go 
or whatever. All I know is Sam in private is the way he is publicly. 
And privately, Sam, you're a hardcore American patriot. And I started 
to learn a lot from you.
  But reading your history and what you did, I just can't imagine being 
in that confinement for that period of time. It seems like it would be 
beyond what anybody could take. Yet, time and time again, you stood up, 
and there was only 11 of you that resisted the torture and resisted the 
torture of the Vietnamese, which broke every Geneva Convention 
protocol.
  And Sam, in this area in which you've served our Nation, I 
understand--I think it was five rows across and five rows down. So A A 
would be tap, tap, B would be tap, tap, tap--in other words, they would 
do the alphabet five five that way, and they would tap out at night. 
And that's all the communication they had.
  And serving with Sam, and watching Sam go through his service and his 
commitment to the American people, I don't know if we actually read all 
of his medals, but he has two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the 
Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star with Combat Valor, two Purple 
Hearts, four Air Medals, three Air Force Outstanding Units, and he was 
also awarded the Prisoner of War Medal.
  That's just one individual having all those medals, and he's served 
our Nation and our country and continues to serve our Nation and our 
country.
  I'm honored to serve with Sam. And at this time, when he's lost his 
son, you're in our prayers. God bless you.
  And thank you for offering the opportunity to say a little bit on 
behalf of Sam.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman.
  I now yield to Mr. Bill Flores from Texas.
  Mr. FLORES. I thank the gentleman from Texas for organizing this very 
special evening.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest admiration and 
respect for Congressman Sam Johnson. Tonight, America has heard many 
accolades for and compliments dedicated to Sam Johnson, and I'm not 
going to repeat those in my comments.
  Rather, I want to say that our country needs more Sam Johnsons during 
these difficult times. We need more persons like Sam to bravely move 
and serve in our country's military today. We need more persons like 
Sam to serve as statesmen.
  We need more people like Sam who put principle ahead of politics or 
personal gain. We need more persons like Sam to be knightly gentlemen 
in an unstable society. We need more persons like Sam who are devoted 
husbands and loving fathers.

  Mr. Speaker, America needs more heroes like Sam Johnson. I pray that 
America continues to produce men and women of strength and perseverance 
and character like Sam Johnson.
  God bless Sam and his wife, Shirley, and his family, in particular. 
We remember their son, Bob Johnson, this evening.
  I'm honored and humbled, and I have to say deeply humbled, to serve 
with my good friend from Texas, Congressman Sam Johnson.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I thank the gentleman for his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, Sam Johnson is a remarkable individual. The nickname 
that the Vietnamese gave him of Diehard, he's still that way. He's 
hardcore. He is opinionated, and he can back up everything he says. But 
that's a good thing. He does represent the best that we have in this 
country.
  His military background: We have, in the House of Representatives, 
Members of Congress, both sides, that have served in our military, all 
branches, in the Reserves, the National Guard, they served in World War 
II, they served in Korea and Vietnam, like Sam Johnson. They've served 
in both Iraqi wars, the Afghanistan war, and they're still serving 
today.
  We have Members who have lost their limbs for this country while on 
active duty serving this country. And Sam Johnson is among that elite 
that have represented America, the flag, and our country when our 
country needed our military.

[[Page H615]]

  He's married, three kids--you now know that one of them died 
recently--and he has 10 grandkids.
  He served in the war, the second war, not the Korean War, but the 
second one, the Vietnamese War, came back home. Americans didn't treat 
our war veterans from Vietnam very well. They were treated real bad, in 
fact. Some of our American troops, when they came back home from 
serving in Vietnam, they wouldn't wear the uniform because Americans 
would ridicule them for what the country asked them to do.
  America has learned since Vietnam. We treat our warriors a lot better 
now. We treat them like they ought to be treated when they come back 
home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world.
  Our warriors from Vietnam didn't get the appropriate welcome back, as 
already mentioned. Tonight, we welcome back one of them. We welcome 
back Colonel Sam Johnson, United States Air Force, reporting for duty.
  After spending 7 years in a prisoner-of-war-camp, 4 years in solitary 
confinement, as I pointed out, 9 feet by 3 feet for 4 years, 24 hours a 
day, leg irons at night, taken out in the daytime and beat. Never 
broke. Diehard. Never gave in. He was never broken.
  Remarkable individuals, these Americans who serve and wear the 
uniform. It's a rare breed, but it's the American breed, and that's 
what makes us free, those people, those remarkable people who wear the 
uniform and serve, and serve overseas, and serve in prisoner-of-war 
camps, if necessary.
  So we thank Sam Johnson. We thank all who have served and are serving 
today for their service to our great country. But especially tonight, 
we welcome home Sam Johnson of the United States Air Force. And that's 
just the way it is.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 40th anniversary of 
``Operation Homecoming,'' which made possible the release of hundreds 
of American heroes held captive in North Vietnam.
  One of those courageous POWs is my friend and our distinguished 
colleague, Congressman Sam Johnson of Texas, who didn't see his family 
for seven years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. Forced to endure 
severe torture, solitary confinement, malnutrition, and attempts by 
their captors to force confessions for propaganda, Sam Johnson and 
countless other American POWs conducted themselves with uncommon 
courage and heroic strength of character.
  In Sam's book, ``Captive Warriors,'' he writes about a phrase found 
scribbled onto the walls of his cell: ``Freedom has a taste to those 
who fight and almost die that the protected will never know.'' Because 
of men like Sam, I know that my nine-year-old son and my ten-year-old 
daughter sleep in a freer and a safer America tonight.
  President Calvin Collidge once said, ``The nation which forgets its 
defenders will itself be forgotten.'' I, for one, am committed to 
ensuring this nation never forgets the sacrifice Congressman Sam 
Johnson and the countless American POWs who have endured such extreme 
hardship--and in many cases paid with their lives--to protect the 
freedom we cherish.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Texan and as an American, I am proud to salute 
patriot Sam Johnson.
  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Congressman 
Sam Johnson's 40th anniversary of freedom. On February 12, 1973, 
Congressman Johnson and 590 other American POWs were released from 
captivity in Vietnam. With 29 years in the United States Air Force, 
nearly seven of those spent imprisoned, and 22 years of service in 
Congress, Congressman Johnson has been selflessly dedicated to the 
betterment our nation for more than 50 years. As we celebrate his 40 
years of freedom today, we must also recognize that his half century of 
dedicated service has helped to preserve the freedom and prosperity of 
all Americans. It is a great privilege to represent Texas alongside 
such an inspiring patriot. I am proud to call Sam Johnson a true friend 
and a personal hero.

                          ____________________