[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 185 (Friday, December 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1844]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRUE AMERICAN HERO PASSES

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. ALAN S. LOWENTHAL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 18, 2015

  Mr. LOWENTHAL. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply saddened by the passing of 
Tibor (Ted) Rubin. Our community and our nation have lost a true hero.
  Ted was born in Hungary in 1929. He survived 14 months in a Nazi 
concentration camp during WWII, before his liberation, and eventual 
migration to America.
  Inspired by the American soldiers who rescued him, he enlisted in the 
U.S. Army, eventually being deployed as a member of the 1st Cavalry 
Division during the Korean War. During his service, he faced anti-
Semitic discrimination from his sergeant who sent Ted on the most 
dangerous assignments in South Korea's Pusan Perimeter, where he fought 
valiantly in several notable engagements.
  He was eventually captured by the North Koreans on one of these 
missions. During his captivity he continued to inspire others, 
providing moral support and improvised medical techniques to care for 
his fellow soldiers.
  For his gallantry in close contact with the enemy and his unyielding 
courage and bravery while a prisoner of war Ted was awarded the 
Congressional Medal of Honor in 2005.
  Last August, I was proud to join Ted at a ceremony in Garden Grove to 
celebrate the first United States Postal Service stamp honoring the 
extraordinary courage of the 145 Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine 
service members who received the Medal of Honor for action during the 
Korean War.
  I was also proud to see the City of Garden Grove name a library after 
Ted earlier this year: the Garden Grove Tibor Rubin Library.
  Talking about his decision to immigrate, Ted once said that America 
is, ``. . . the best country in the world and I am part of it now. I do 
not have to worry about the Gestapo knocking on my door tonight. I have 
shalom--peace--people die for it.''
  A long-time resident of Garden Grove, Ted was an inspiration to our 
community in so many ways. We should all honor his perseverance, 
dedication, and determination to make the world a better place.

                          ____________________