[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H4588-H4589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE MEDAL OF HONOR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Taylor) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, ``For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity 
at

[[Page H4589]]

the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.'' These are the 
words that begin every Medal of Honor citation, our Nation's highest 
and most prestigious military decoration.
  They are uncommon but not as uncommon as the actions and sacrifice 
detailed in the narrative summaries of those awards.
  Of the estimated 50 million Americans who have worn a military 
uniform, 3,440 have received the Medal of Honor.
  The criteria for the award are profound, clear, and always deadly; 
indeed, almost all recipients sacrificing their lives to earn them.
  Their service is memorialized at military installations throughout 
the world. You can read of their bravery on walls, monuments, and 
headstones. Buildings, streets, ships, and forward-operating bases bear 
their names in an attempt to honor, to inspire, and to remember.
  If you wear a uniform, you walk in the dark shadows of heroes every 
day.

  Today, Mr. Speaker, there are 71 living recipients. Tomorrow, there 
will be 72.
  Mr. Speaker, in the early morning hours of March 4, 2002, a 
helicopter attempted a landing on a mountain peak high in the Arma 
Mountain range of southeastern Afghanistan.
  The mission was reconnaissance. But, Mr. Speaker, war has no regard 
for the plans of men. War is violent. War is chaotic. War is 
unforgiving. And as the helicopter touched down, it was engulfed in a 
hail of lead and rocket-propelled grenades.
  The helicopter escaped, but one man remained: Chief Petty Officer 
SEAL Neil Roberts. He was alone. He was isolated, and he was 
surrounded.
  In a letter to his family, Roberts would write, ``All the times spent 
in the company of my teammates were when I felt closest to the men I 
had the privilege to work with. I loved being a SEAL. If I die doing 
something for the teams, then I died doing what made me happy. Very few 
people have the luxury of that.''
  Mr. Speaker, men and women join the military for many reasons, but 
they do not join with a desire to die. There will always be moments of 
uncertainty and fear and hesitation, moments when fear turns the 
thoughts to your own safety, well-being, and survival.
  Every service issues a uniform. None of them issue courage. In those 
moments, where beliefs and resolve are tested, leadership illuminates 
the path.
  On March 4, 2002, Master Chief Special Warfare Operator SEAL Retired 
Britt Slabinski chose to lead. He led his men back into the fight, into 
overwhelming odds and superior enemy fire. There would be no element of 
surprise. There would be no tactical advantage, and despite the odds 
and despite the risk, he chose to lead.
  They assaulted trenches and bunkers and hardened machine gun nests. 
They took the fight to the enemy until it reached the brink of their 
own destruction. They did not run. They did not hide. They fought.
  Mr. Speaker, bravery is not motivated by fear, rage, hate, or the 
desire for awards or recognition. Bravery is motivated by love: love 
for an ideal, love for a country, and love for a teammate.
  Bravery is not a certainty; it is a choice.
  Master Chief Slabinski and his men chose to be brave. His actions, 
his personal courage, and his leadership are an example, not just to 
every sailor, soldier, marine, and airman, but to every American.
  His citation has earned its place among the other heroes who have 
received the Medal of Honor. Its ownership, its meaning, and its 
promise belong not just on the walls of every military installation but 
on the walls of every home in America.
  Master Chief Slabinski's actions serve as a beacon, as a reminder of 
who we can become, of what we can accomplish when we, instead of 
running away, rise up and challenge our darkest fears, our worst 
enemies, or overwhelming odds.
  Mr. Speaker, long live the brotherhood.

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