[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 19 (Tuesday, February 2, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           WORLD WAR I DOUGHBOY TEXAN CORPORAL SAMUEL SAMPLER

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the brutal trench hand-to-hand 
combat of World War I claimed more American lives than Vietnam and 
Korea combined. The war to end all wars between European monarchies was 
at a standstill until the United States entered the war.
  Texas boys like Corporal Samuel Sampler stood up and fought over 
there across the sea to successfully break the deadlocked war.
  On October 18, 1918, in France, this young Army corporal became the 
third Texan in World War I to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
  When his company suffered severe, devastating casualties during an 
advance, Sampler took action. Grenades in hand, he left the line and 
rushed in through enemy machinegun fire until he engaged the enemy 
directly.
  His grenades hit the target, killing two and silencing all the 
machineguns. Twenty-eight other Germans surrendered, allowing the 
American doughboys to resume their advance.
  The 100-year anniversary of the great war is upon us. We remember 
Texans like Sampler and all Americans who proudly served our country in 
lands far away 100 years ago and won the ultimate victory in World War 
I.
  And that is just the way it is.

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