[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 18, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALFRED RASCON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN P. SARBANES

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 18, 2013

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate 
Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Rascon for over 40 years of dedicated service 
to the people of this country. Over those years, Lt. Col. Rascon has 
displayed unparalleled heroism, courage, and dedication to his duties 
which will serve as an inspiration to servicemen and the American 
people for years to come. We pay tribute to Lt. Col. Rascon's service 
as we celebrate him and the other Medal of Honor recipients that are 
part of today's special order.
   Lt. Col. Rascon was born in Chihuahua, Mexico in 1942. His family 
soon emigrated to Oxnard, California, where the lieutenant colonel 
graduated from high school and fulfilled his childhood dream of joining 
the United States Army. After completing specialist medical and 
airborne training, Lt. Col. Rascon was eventually deployed to Vietnam.
   As a medic, Lt. Col. Rascon assisted countless injured soldiers on 
the battlefield, but one event in particular exemplifies the remarkable 
courage he displayed that made him the quintessential Medal of Honor 
recipient. On March 16, 1966, Lt. Col. Rascon's platoon came under 
intense fire from an enemy force near the Long Khanh Province. Lt. Col. 
Rascon crawled under heavy machine gun fire and avoided grenade 
explosions in order to treat his fellow soldiers, shielding their 
bodies with his own and suffering grievous injuries from the shrapnel 
and gunfire that filled the air. After the fighting ceased, he ignored 
his own wounds, and instead treated the wounded and directed their 
evacuation.
   Lt. Col. Rascon's selfless acts of heroism are remarkable, yet what 
makes them even more extraordinary is that he only became a United 
States citizen after he left Vietnam. Lt. Col. Rascon displayed such 
unparalleled patriotism for our country even before he could officially 
call it his own.
   Lt. Col. Rascon now lives in Maryland's third congressional district 
and we are proud to call him one of our own. He has continued to serve 
his country proudly. He returned to Vietnam, then served as a military 
liaison to Panama and finally completed his service in the Army Medical 
Service Corps in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Lt. Col Rascon's heroism 
and dedication to the United States are an inspiration and are 
extraordinary reminders of the sacrifices our servicemen and women make 
for our country every day. I extend him my deepest gratitude for his 
years of service, and congratulate him once again for his well-deserved 
Medal of Honor.

                          ____________________