[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 63 (Tuesday, May 7, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  FORT WOLTERS MEDAL OF HONOR MEMORIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. K. MICHAEL CONAWAY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 7, 2013

  Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Fort 
Wolters Gate Committee, the service members at Fort Wolters, and the 
community of Mineral Wells, Texas on the dedication of the Ft Wolters 
Medal of Honor Memorial. On March 23, 2013, they came together to help 
honor some our nation's greatest men and ensure the legacy of their 
service will never be forgotten.
   The Medal of Honor Memorial lies at the heart of the quiet Fort 
Wolters Historical Park near the main entrance of Fort Wolters. This 
memorial is composed of stone columns with the fourteen names of the 
Medal of Honor recipients who trained at Wolters inscribed upon them. 
These inscriptions tell the stories of men who found themselves in 
defining moments and responded exceptionally. The following names are 
those who passed through Wolters as part of their journey to those 
moments:
  1st LT Charles L. Thomas; Birmingham, AL.; 1st Lt Eli L. Whitely; 
Georgetown, TX; 2nd Lt Audie L. Murphy; Kingston, TX; 1st Lt Jack L. 
Knight; Garner, TX; SSG Edward A. Carter, Jr.; Los Angeles, CA; 1st Lt 
Vernon Baker; Cheyenne, WY; 1st Lt James M. Sprayberry; LaGrange, GA; 
CWO Michael J. Novosel; Etna, PA; MAJ Patrick H. (Pat) Brady; Philip, 
SD; CWO Frederick E. Ferguson; Pilot Point, TX; CPT Jon E. Swanson; 
Boulder, CO; MAJ William E. Adams; Casper, WY; CPT Ed (Too Tall) 
Freeman; Neely, MS; SSG Joe R. Hooper; Louisville, KY.
   These fourteen men came from different eras, regions, and 
backgrounds, but are all connected through a common story. Their 
stories of duty, honor, sacrifice, and love represent an important part 
of the American story.
   The love of their country and their families brought them to Mineral 
Wells, but the love for their brothers in arms drove their momentous 
actions. When these men met their defining moments they acted with 
valor and courage and have been recognized with the nation's highest 
military award: the Medal of Honor.
   We are blessed to live in a country with individuals like the ones 
honored here. Their actions embody our nation's greatest ideals. They 
proceeded without hesitation to put their country's needs, and more 
importantly, the lives of the men around them, before their own. We 
remember them for their meritorious acts of courage and heroism, even 
though they knew it could cost them their lives.
   The memorial in Fort Wolters Historical Park will serve to inspire 
and teach future generations of duty, honor, and sacrifice. It will 
serve the families that loved these men as a place to remember their 
stories and celebrate their lives and achievements.
   Again, I would like to thank the volunteers and people of Mineral 
Wells who worked tirelessly to build this memorial and our veterans and 
service members whom we owe a debt that can never be repaid.

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