[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 13, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



     Remembering Captain Thomas J. Hudner and Colonel Wesley L. Fox

  Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, a month ago, we lost another Medal of 
Honor recipient, CAPT Thomas J. Hudner, who died at the ripe old age of 
93. Not long after, we lost a second one, Col. Wesley L. Fox, who died 
at the distinguished age of 86. These are two different men who led two 
different lives, each equally deserving of praise and honor. Still, I 
can't help but wonder if there is a reason their deaths came so 
suddenly and close together. It is almost as if our Lord took them in 
one fell swoop so the greater loss would inspire greater gratitude for 
their sacrifice.
  What Captain Hudner of the U.S. Navy did to earn his medal is 
remarkable for the simple fact that he could have been court-martialed 
for doing it. It was December 1950 in Korea. Just days before, the 
Chinese People's Liberation Army had crossed the Yalu River and thrown 
back U.S. forces on the cusp of victory. Then-Lieutenant Hudner was a 
naval aviator flying one of six Navy Corsairs near the Chosin 
Reservoir, 5 miles behind enemy lines, when he saw his squadron mate, 
ENS Jesse L. Brown, get hit by enemy fire and crash-land on a snowy 
mountainside.
  What Lieutenant Hudner probably should have done is stick to the 
plan. What he did instead was an act of pure bravery. He intentionally 
crash-landed his plane not far from Ensign Brown's, tried to rescue him 
from the burning wreckage--all in subzero temperatures--but Ensign 
Brown was trapped. His knee was crushed between the fuselage and the 
control panel. When help arrived, their hatchet couldn't hack through 
the plane's metal, and no one could get close enough to amputate his 
leg. They had to leave him behind. Ensign Brown's last words were: 
``Tell Daisy I love her.''
  It might be appropriate to note here that Ensign Brown was Black and 
Lieutenant Hudner was White, but I mention it almost as an afterthought 
because to the two of them, that is just what it was--a postscript, an 
addendum, a mere detail. They were comrades in arms, wearing the red, 
white, and blue, not seeing the color of each other's skin. The only 
color that mattered to them, and that they shared in common, besides 
the color of our flag, was the navy blue of their uniform. Just 2 years 
after Harry Truman had integrated the Armed Forces, Lieutenant Hudner 
and Ensign Brown's friendship was a symbol of America's promise. He 
went on to have a successful career, but for giving us a moral example 
from that day, we should all be thankful.
  Colonel Fox, meanwhile, was a legend in the Marine Corps. He served 
for 43 years, leaving only when forced to by mandatory retirement at 
the age of 62. In that time, he held every enlisted rank except 
sergeant major and every officer rank except for general. He once 
admitted:

       My first four years as a Marine I didn't own one stitch of 
     civilian clothes--everything I did was in a Marine uniform. 
     I'd go home on leave, working in the hay fields or whatever, 
     I wore my Marine utilities. Go in town to see the movies, I 
     wore my Marine dress.

  That is just how proud Wesley Fox was to be a marine, and it was that 
deeply felt love for his fellow marines that drove him in his service. 
Like Lieutenant Hudner, he fought in Korea. In fact, he was wounded, 
and after he recovered, he was so eager to get back to the fight that 
he wrote to the commandant asking to be deployed once again.
  The battle that earned him his place in history was in the jungles of 
Vietnam. It was February 1969, deep in the A Shau Valley in Vietnam. 
Then-First Lieutenant Fox was fighting in the last major Marine 
offensive of the war--Operation Dewey Canyon. His unit was Alpha 
Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. It earned the nickname ``The 
Walking Dead'' for suffering so many casualties during the war. They 
came under heavy fire from a larger force. Yet the fearless Lieutenant 
Fox led a charge against the enemy. He was wounded but refused medical 
attention, instead concentrating on leading the attack, coordinating 
air support, and supervising the evacuation of the dead and injured.
  It was a stunning show of valor, and for it, he, too, would earn the 
Medal of Honor. His citation read, in part:

       His indomitable courage, inspiring initiative and 
     unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal 
     danger inspired his Marines to such aggressive action that 
     they overcame all enemy resistance and destroyed a large 
     bunker complex. Captain Fox's heroic actions reflect great 
     credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and uphold the 
     highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

  As I said, these were two different men and two different stories but 
the same courage and service to the same great country. They showed the 
same selflessness--one risking his life for his friend and the other 
risking his life for his marines. So I think it is fitting that we 
celebrate their lives together because they both showed us the utter 
selflessness of courage. They didn't fight and display such bravery 
because they hated our enemies but because they loved our country, and 
they loved their comrades in arms. It is a good lesson, I would say, 
for this time of year.
  So I want to honor the memory of CAPT Thomas J. Hudner and Col. 
Wesley L. Fox. They were true American patriots, and may they rest in 
peace.