[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 105 (Tuesday, July 8, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4261-S4262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO SPECIALIST EARL WILSON

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, this past Wednesday, July 2, I was 
extremely pleased and honored to be a part of the awarding of the 
Purple Heart Medal with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster to a brave soldier 
Kentucky is proud to call one of its own. SPC Earl Wilson of Liberty, 
KY, received his Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster for wounds 
suffered while serving our country in Vietnam. I want to share the 
honor and majesty of this event with my colleagues and so therefore ask 
unanimous consent that the full text of my remarks at the ceremony to 
award SPC Earl Wilson his Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, as 
well as the text of the two proclamations for the Purple Hearts, be 
printed in the Record following my remarks.
  There being no objection, the remarks were ordered to be printed in 
the Record:

Senator McConnell's Remarks at Awarding of Purple Heart With Bronze Oak 
          Leaf Cluster to Specialist Earl Wilson, July 2, 2014

       Thank you for that kind introduction. It is my great honor 
     to be here for the presentation of the Purple Heart Medal 
     with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster to Army Specialist Earl Wilson 
     of Liberty, Kentucky, for wounds received in action while in 
     service to our country in Vietnam.
       It's a long-overdue honor that is finally upon us, thanks 
     to Earl's many family and friends who helped make this moment 
     possible. This event today is a testament to the unbreakable 
     bonds of family and friendship.
       Because this ceremony is a high honor and a prestigious 
     occasion, we have several dignitaries with us who I want to 
     recognize, including State Senator Jimmy Higdon and Casey 
     County Judge-Executive Ronald Wright. Casey County Sheriff 
     Jerry Coleman and the county circuit court clerk, Craig 
     Overstreet, are with us. And I'm pleased to welcome Casey 
     County Attorney Tom Weddle and Liberty Mayor Steve Sweeny.
       It's a pleasure to have Chris Smrt of the Kentucky chapter 
     of the Military Order of the Purple Heart here today to 
     welcome Specialist Wilson into their ranks, as well as VFW 
     Post 5704 Commander Claude Wyatt. Both organizations are 
     strong advocates for our veterans.
       I'd like to recognize Glen Phillips, a veteran who played 
     an important role in today's ceremony.
       Let me also say a special hello to my longtime friends, 
     Betty Lou and T.M. Weddle.
       It's also an honor to recognize Sergeant Jesse T. 
     Wethington, fellow resident of Liberty and fellow member of 
     the Military Order of the Purple Heart, here today. Jesse, 
     welcome.
       Finally, I'd like to welcome the members of Earl Wilson's 
     family who are from right here in Liberty and came to join us 
     today, including Earl's wife, Brenda, and family members 
     Crystal and John Davis; Melissa Wilson Durham; Addison and 
     Ian Davis; Tanner and Blake Durham; Jimmy Couch, Cierra 
     Couch, and Dave Brown.
       The original Purple Heart was established by General George 
     Washington himself, and as such the Purple Heart is the 
     oldest existing military award that is still given to 
     servicemembers.
       For a period in our country's history, however, the honor 
     fell into disuse. In 1932, to mark the bicentennial of 
     Washington's birth, it was General Douglas MacArthur who 
     spearheaded its revival.
       We remember MacArthur for many things, not least of which 
     are his words. To an audience at West Point Military Academy, 
     he once said:
       `` `Duty, Honor, Country'--those three hallowed words 
     reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, 
     what you will be. They are your rallying point to build 
     courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when 
     there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when 
     hope becomes forlorn.''
       As it turns out, these words have particular meaning for 
     the life and service of Specialist Earl Wilson. In the 
     jungles of Vietnam, he found courage where we could have not 
     blamed him for his courage failing, he found faith where 
     there was little cause for it, and he created hope when it 
     might have been lost.
       Earl's time of service ended nearly 40 years ago, but our 
     admiration of it has not. Earl was drafted into the U.S. Army 
     and inducted on November 17, 1969. After completing basic 
     training, he was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana, for infantry 
     school. Earl has said that in those days, if you went to Fort 
     Polk, you knew you were going to Vietnam, because Fort Polk 
     was the hottest, most miserable place there was. It was like 
     training for the intense heat.
       Sure enough, Earl was deployed to Vietnam and served there 
     for one year, from July 1970 to July 1971. Traversing the 
     mountains and jungles of Vietnam, in an entrenched battle 
     with the enemy, was hazardous duty. Earl spent as long as 40 
     days on patrol in the sweltering jungles, without hot food, 
     without showers, without any of the luxuries or amenities so 
     many of us take for granted here at home.
       Deployed with Company D, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry 
     Regiment, 23rd Infantry Division, Earl and his unit came 
     under attack one night in January 1971. As daylight broke on 
     the morning of January 7, Earl's unit went in pursuit of the 
     enemy. Following a blood trail, they were in hot pursuit when 
     they came upon a gate along their path.
       One of Earl's fellow soldiers tried to open the gate. It 
     was stuck, so he yanked on it, not knowing the gate was booby 
     trapped. A hand grenade went off, knocking Earl and several 
     other soldiers clean to the ground. Earl got pieces of 
     shrapnel lodged in his leg, and had to be flown out for 
     medical treatment.
       Earl may have been down, but he was not out. After 
     receiving care for his wound, he was back in action with the 
     1st Battalion, and was present on January 25 later that year 
     on patrol in Quang Ngai.
       As his unit proceeded on foot patrol, Earl was at the 
     point. Earl circled back to the rear to check on his fellow 
     soldier and best friend Specialist William Creech Jr. of 
     Paris, Illinois. Earl's entire company had trekked the same 
     path through the bushes, but as Specialist Creech entered the 
     bushes along the same path he stepped on a hidden landmine 
     and was killed.
       Shrapnel from the landmine struck Earl in his head and arm 
     and threw him backwards onto the ground. Earl suffered not 
     only the loss of his best friend but also a severe hearing 
     loss, which he still carries to this day. But Earl's injuries 
     could have been worse. The landmine was so powerful it tore 
     down trees that were up to five inches thick within the blast 
     radius. Earl is lucky to be alive today.
       Earl spent another six months in Vietnam before shipping 
     out on July 8, 1971. It's ironic that as he was handed a 
     four-inch thick stack of paperwork to process out of Vietnam, 
     Earl accidentally dropped one of the folders--and learned 
     from one document that he had received the Bronze Star Medal 
     for bravery. But Earl never received the Purple Heart he 
     earned with his blood and sacrifice--until now.
       It is thanks to the unbreakable bonds of family and 
     friendship that Earl is receiving his Purple Heart with 
     Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster today. Earl's daughter, Melissa 
     Wilson Durham, wrote me to ask for help getting her father 
     the medals he deserved. Thank you, Melissa, for honoring your 
     father's service.
       Earl was also helped by his friend and fellow soldier, and 
     friend to Kentucky soldiers everywhere, retired Staff 
     Sergeant Glen Phillips. It was Staff Sergeant Phillips who 
     helped gather the facts in order for Earl to receive his 
     Purple Heart today.
       Glen, who is also from Liberty, has helped look out for 
     many veterans in the area over the years. Thank you Glen, for 
     your service and for your efforts on behalf of Earl and so 
     many other fellow veterans.
       Earl, I know you accept this award with humility and grace, 
     and with reverence and respect for your fellow soldiers who 
     fought alongside you in the jungles of Vietnam, including the 
     many who did not make it home, such as Specialist William 
     Creech.
       We're grateful for your service, Earl, and we're grateful 
     to celebrate your sacrifice. It's never too late to honor the 
     brave.
       By the way, for those who do not know, the Bronze Oak Leaf 
     Cluster is to signify that

[[Page S4262]]

     Earl is actually eligible to receive two Purple Hearts, for 
     the incident on January 7 and then also on January 25.
       The presentation of this Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf 
     Cluster is just a small recognition of the wealth of respect 
     you deserve for your service to our country and your service 
     in protecting all of us.
       And to the values of duty, honor, country that you hold in 
     abundance, as General MacArthur prescribed--in a way that you 
     have demonstrated to all of us that it is possible to build 
     courage where there is none, to regain faith when it seems 
     lost, and to create hope when hope is what's most needed.
       Now, the solemn moment we're gathered here for today has 
     arrived. Specialist Earl Wilson, Brenda, and members of the 
     Wilson family--please join me for the reading of the 
     proclamation and the presentation of the Purple Heart Medal 
     with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster.

       Text of first Purple Heart Medal Proclamation:

     THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
     To All Who Shall See These Presents, Greeting:
     This is to Certify That the President of the United States of 
         America Has Awarded the PURPLE HEART
     Established by General George Washington
     At Newburgh, New York, August 7, 1782 to:
     Private First Class Denver E. Wilson
     United States Army
     For Wounds Received in Action
     On 7 January 1971 in the Republic of Vietnam
     Given Under my Hand in the City of Washington
     This 15th Day of May 2014

     David K. MacEwen
     THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
     Re-creation per General Orders 510, 13 January 1971
     Headquarters, 23d Infantry Division
     APO San Francisco 96374

     John M. McHugh
     SECRETARY OF THE ARMY

       Text of second Purple Heart Medal Proclamation:

     THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
     To All Who Shall See These Presents, Greeting:
     This is to Certify That the President of the United States of 
         America Has Awarded the PURPLE HEART
     Established by General George Washington
     At Newburgh, New York, August 7, 1782 to:
     Private First Class Denver E. Wilson
     United States Army
     For Wounds Received in Action
     On 25 January 1971 in the Republic of Vietnam
     Given Under my Hand in the City of Washington
     This 15th Day of May 2014

     David K. MacEwen
     THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
     Permanent Order 135-25, 15 May 2014
     United States Army Human Resources Command
     Fort Knox, Kentucky 40122-5408

     John M. McHugh
     SECRETARY OF THE ARMY

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