[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 120 (Monday, July 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H5890-H5892]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        SERGEANT JOSEPH GEORGE KUSICK VA COMMUNITY LIVING CENTER

  Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2210) to designate the community living center of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs in Butler Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as 
the ``Sergeant Joseph George Kusick VA Community Living Center''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2210

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Sergeant Joseph George Kusick of Bruin, Pennsylvania, 
     was assigned to the command and control detachment of the 5th 
     Special Forces Group (Airborne) of the Army during the 
     Vietnam War.
       (2) On November 8, 1967, Kusick distinguished himself by 
     exceptionally valorous actions while serving as a radio 
     operator of a special forces reconnaissance team on a combat 
     mission deep in hostile territory.
       (3) During an enemy ambush, Kusick, though seriously 
     wounded, refused aid and radioed the forward air controller 
     to advise him of the critical situation.
       (4) While the team leader led a withdrawal to a landing 
     zone, Kusick maintained contact with the controller and 
     requested emergency extraction.
       (5) Realizing the importance of having a radio operator on 
     the ground to direct landings, Kusick refused evacuation by 
     the first helicopter.
       (6) After the second helicopter was shot down, and in the 
     midst of enemy fire, Kusick continued to maintain radio 
     contact and called for a hoist extraction of the men still 
     remaining on the ground.
       (7) The last helicopter, which Kusick boarded, was shot 
     down by intense Viet Cong fire and crashed in flames, 
     resulting in Kusick's death.
       (8) On December 22, 1967, Kusick was posthumously awarded 
     the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in action.
       (9) The citation to accompany the award of the Silver Star 
     Medal stated that ``Kusick's gallantry in action, at the cost 
     of his life, was in keeping with the highest traditions of 
     the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, 
     his unit, and the United States Army''.

     SEC. 2. SERGEANT JOSEPH GEORGE KUSICK VA COMMUNITY LIVING 
                   CENTER.

       (a) Designation.--The community living center of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs in Butler Township, Butler 
     County, Pennsylvania, shall after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act be known and designated as the ``Sergeant Joseph 
     George Kusick VA Community Living Center''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     community living center referred to in subsection (a) shall 
     be deemed to be a reference to the ``Sergeant Joseph George 
     Kusick VA Community Living Center''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Dunn) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2210, a bill to 
designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Community Living Center in 
Butler Township, Pennsylvania, as the Sergeant Joseph George Kusick VA 
Community Living Center.

[[Page H5891]]

  Sergeant Kusick, a native of Bruin, Pennsylvania, served in the 
United States Special Forces during the Vietnam war. During a combat 
mission, deep in hostile territory, on November 8, 1967, Sergeant 
Kusick was seriously wounded during an ambush by enemy forces.
  Wounded, yet refusing aid and initial evacuation, he remained in the 
midst of battle to help secure emergency extraction for his fellow 
soldiers. The helicopter that Sergeant Kusick finally boarded was shot 
down by Viet Cong fire and Sergeant Kusick's life was lost. He was just 
22 years old.
  Sergeant Kusick was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for `` . . . 
gallantry in action, at the cost of his life . . . in keeping with the 
highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit 
upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.''
  It is only fitting and appropriate that we honor Sergeant Kusick's 
service and sacrifice by naming the VA Butler Healthcare's Community 
Living Center after him.
  H.R. 2210 is sponsored by Congressman Mike Kelly, from Pennsylvania, 
and I am grateful to him for introducing it and allowing us to honor 
and forever remember this great American hero. This legislation 
satisfies all of the committee's naming criteria and, as such, is 
supported by the entire Pennsylvania congressional delegation, as well 
as by many veterans service organizations.
  Once again, I thank Congressman Kelly for sponsoring this 
legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting 
it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 2210, a bill to designate the 
Community Living Center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butler 
Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as the Sergeant Joseph George 
Kusick VA Community Living Center.
  Sergeant Joseph George Kusick was awarded the Silver Star for 
sacrificing his life in an effort to ensure that as many of his 
comrades as possible made it home from Vietnam. The resulting recovery 
effort was to be recorded by the squadron as one of the largest and 
most hazardous on record.
  As a radio operator, Sergeant Kusick served as the connection between 
the 5th Special Forces Group, who found themselves under enemy ambush, 
and the forward air controller charged with coordinating their 
evacuation.
  Although Sergeant Kusick was seriously injured during the ambush, he 
refused multiple offers to evacuate, ultimately refusing two 
helicopters, only to board a helicopter that was then shot down by 
intense Viet Cong fire.
  His bravery and sacrifice earned him a posthumously awarded Silver 
Star with the following citation: ``Kusick's gallantry in action, at 
the cost of his life, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the 
military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and 
the United States Army.''
  Mr. Speaker, I salute Sergeant Kusick for his selfless bravery, and I 
support the passage of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly).
  Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of H.R. 2210. This bill will designate the Department of 
Veterans Affairs Community Living Center in my hometown of Butler, 
Pennsylvania, as the Sergeant Joseph George Kusick VA Community Living 
Center.
  This is something you have heard already, but I want you to 
understand something, and if we can look for a minute outside of the 
people's House into thinking of who we actually are as a people. This 
is a young guy, 22 years old, at the very beginning of his life. At a 
time when most of us are looking forward to so many great things 
happening to us, he put himself in harm's way.
  Now, when you think of what Sergeant Kusick did, it is incredible 
that this young man, on a hillside in Vietnam under heavy Viet Cong 
fire, and being seriously wounded himself, when asked: Listen, 
Sergeant, get on the helicopter. We can get you out of there.
  He said: ``No, because if I leave, my comrades cannot be saved.'' 
What an incredible place to put yourself in, a 22-year-old who just a 
couple of years earlier was in Butler, Pennsylvania, enjoying all that 
life has to offer, and all of the potential of that life, and putting 
the welfare of others and the safety of others before himself. That is 
an incredible position to put yourself in.
  We have already talked about the medal that Sergeant Kusick was 
given, and what it meant to everybody. But there is just so much about 
Sergeant Kusick, and all of these veterans, and all of these folks who 
have put themselves in harm's way. The one thing that comes out all the 
time is, there is no place quite as unique as the United States of 
America; there is nothing quite as unique as our men and women in 
uniform; there is nothing quite as unique as people who are willing to 
put themselves second and put the lives and safety of others first.
  That is just not something people normally do. Sergeant Kusick did 
that on that hillside, seriously wounded, working on the radios. He 
knew that if he didn't stay, the other people wouldn't get extracted. 
He stayed there, under heavy enemy fire, and watched what was going on, 
watched the helicopters come in to extract his teammates.
  And I think of it all the time: Where do people like Sergeant Kusick 
come from? And do you know where they come from? They come from all of 
these small towns and cities across America. They don't think of 
themselves as being unique. They don't think of their sacrifice as 
being exceptional. They don't think of what they have done as being out 
of the ordinary because it is just who we are as Americans.
  As I think about these things, I am called to bring out something 
that I have read, and this is in a different war at a different time. 
It is a dedication stone at the Korean War Memorial, not too far from 
our Nation's steps. At the point of the triangle leading to the 
American flag is a dedication which reads: ``Our Nation honors her sons 
and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew 
and a people they never met.''
  A country they never knew, and a people they never met, and they put 
their life on the line to defend those lives. That is incredible. I 
would just suggest to people, you can go around this world and hunt for 
other people like this, and you will find them, but you will not find 
them in as great numbers as you find right here in the United States of 
America.
  I don't know if Sergeant Kusick was a Republican or a Democrat. I 
don't know how he voted. I knew where he grew up, because that is where 
I grew up. I knew who he was because he is from the same area I am 
from. The only difference in all of us may be the town we grew up and 
our last name, but the rest of it is all the same.
  The same blood that coursed through Sergeant Kusick's veins is the 
same blood that courses through all of our veins. And he was so 
willing, so willing to sacrifice his life for saving others. Well, this 
didn't happen by chance. I have got to tell you that what we are doing 
today to honor Sergeant Kusick was due to the work of The American 
Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 
and especially the tireless effort of the Third Congressional District 
Military-Veterans Advocacy group, and my friend, Sergeant Art 
Greathead, who tirelessly did the research on this.
  We ran through all of the things we have to run through, and for 
those folks who don't know, this is not an easy thing to do. This is 
hard work to get this done, to honor a hero. But that work was done by 
all of these folks in a way of saying ``thank you'' to one of America's 
fallen heros; ``thank you'' to one of American's heros who has been 
long forgotten in some circles, but not back home.
  We remember Sergeant Kusick. We honor Sergeant Kusick. We thank him 
for his sacrifice, and we point to a country that is forever grateful 
to our women and men in uniform for the great sacrifice that they make. 
But I want to go back to one other thing: 22 years old. Twenty-two, at 
a time when life is just starting, never again to be able to celebrate 
a birthday; never again to celebrate Christmas, or Thanksgiving; never 
again to celebrate a family reunion, but forever lost--but

[[Page H5892]]

lost for a good reason. He gave his life so that others may survive.
  The way they were able to identify Sergeant Kusick's remains--by the 
way, the helicopter he finally got in after everybody else would have 
been extracted was shot down, went down in flames. There were dog tags 
on two of the remains that were recovered. The other body that was 
recovered did not have dog tags on, but do you know what Sergeant 
Kusick had? He had his radio pack.
  To the very end, Sergeant Kusick was doing what he was required to do 
and what he wanted to do, and he not only gave up his life but gave up 
his entire future.
  I can't tell you how much I appreciate this, and I can't tell you how 
much this means to the people of Butler, Pennsylvania, but more than 
anything else, to Sergeant Kusick for the sacrifice of a life.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania. I am very thankful that the gentleman has brought 
Congress' attention to Sergeant Kusick's deed on behalf of our Nation. 
I was reflecting on his youth, 22 years old, and to think that so many 
younger, his age, step forward to defend our Nation and to give up 
their lives.
  I think it is well for all of us in this Chamber to reflect on that 
sacrifice as we struggle to reach across the aisle and to come to 
agreement to serve our country, to note the ultimate sacrifice that 
they put forward. I thank you very much for the effort you have taken 
to remember a great American hero.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman--our 
colleagues--for his kind comments, and also especially Representative 
Kelly for bringing forward this outstanding bill. I encourage all 
Members to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Dunn) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 2210.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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