[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 25 (Thursday, February 11, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF ADMIRAL ROBERT SHUMAKER ON THE 51ST ANNIVERSARY OF 
                HIS IMPRISONMENT DURING THE VIETNAM WAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Dold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, today, February 11, a day that for at least 
me, and I know many other families around our country, is a very dark 
day.
  February 11, 1965, flying off of the USS Coral Sea, a young 
lieutenant commander, Robert Harper Shumaker, was prepared to do a 
bombing run over North Vietnam.
  Taking antiaircraft fire, he was shot down over North Vietnam. He 
ejected from his F-8 Crusader 35 feet above the ground, broke his back 
upon impact, and was immediately captured.
  Over the next 8 years, 8 years and a day, he spent time in the Hoa Lo 
Prison, a prison that we now know as the Hanoi Hilton, one that he was 
able to name the Hanoi Hilton.
  He was considered to be the great communicator because, while he was 
in captivity, he and a few others devised a tap code system, a tap code 
system with five rows and five columns that enabled American POWs to 
communicate with one another to be able to let them know that they were 
thinking of each other, to be able to make sure that they were 
exercising the most important muscle in captivity, that is, their 
brains.
  Over the course of those 8 years, Lieutenant Commander Shumaker was 
considered to be one of the top greatest threats to camp security.
  He and 10 other POWs, commonly known as the Alcatraz 11, were taken 
out of the Hoa Lo Prison, brought over to a prison now known as 
Alcatraz, and put in solitary confinement.
  These 11 heroes included James Stockdale; George Coker; Jeremiah 
Denton, who was a Senator from the great State of Alabama; Harry 
Jenkins; George McKnight; James Mulligan; Howard Rutledge; Ron Storz; 
Nels Tanner; and, Mr. Speaker, our colleague Sam Johnson of Texas, who 
was elected to this body in 1991 and has served with distinction ever 
since.

                              {time}  1030

  Many of the stories that we look back on came from these heroes about 
the efforts they made to resist their captors. They were tortured day 
in and day out for information. Yet, day in and day out, they battled 
back.
  For me, it is very important that we never forget. Fifty-one years 
after February 11, 1965, I am honored to be able to rise in this body 
to remember Robert Harper Shumaker for his valiant efforts and heroism. 
He is near and dear to my heart, Mr. Speaker. He is my uncle. When my 
wife and I had our first child, we decided we would name her after him, 
in the hopes that she would have a little bit of the courage, a little 
bit of the intelligence, and the stick-to-itiveness that Admiral 
Shumaker has.
  The good news, Mr. Speaker, is that February 12, 1973, 591 POWs 
started their return home. Bob Shumaker, the Alcatraz 11, and many 
others were on that C-141 that flew out of Hanoi. I am proud to say 
that they returned home with honor, which was absolutely critical not 
only for them, but for all of the POWs. It is imperative that we in the 
United States Congress never forget their sacrifice and heroism.
  For me, from now, until as long as I am able to serve in this body, 
on February 11, I will rise and recognize the heroism of our POWs and 
say: You will never be forgotten. We will always remember the sacrifice 
and the heroism that you all have given to our Nation.

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