[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




MEDAL OF HONOR AWARDED TO FIRST LIEUTENANT GARLIN M. CONNER OF CLINTON 
                            COUNTY, KENTUCKY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JAMES COMER

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 26, 2018

  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, today is a momentous occasion for the family 
of a beloved Clinton County, Kentucky native and American hero, First 
Lieutenant Garlin Murl Conner.
  First Lieutenant Conner enlisted in the Army on March 1, 1941 and was 
assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry 
Division. He served on the front lines of ten campaigns, was injured 
seven times, and received a battlefield commission. While recovering 
from a serious hip wound at a field hospital in France, First 
Lieutenant Conner voluntarily left the hospital to rejoin his unit as 
Germany launched the brutal Operation Northwind to challenge the 
advancing Allied forces in the final months of World War II.
  On January 24, 1945, First Lieutenant Conner ran ahead of the 
defending force--in the face of intense enemy fire--to attain a better 
position to call in artillery strikes on six hundred advancing enemy 
soldiers during a three-hour onslaught. At times, he even called in 
artillery on his own position. His bravery that day not only 
distinguished him as an intrepid, selfless patriot, but also saved the 
lives of his unit.
  In acknowledgment of First Lieutenant Conner's exceptional valor, 
President Donald J. Trump presented a posthumous Medal of Honor, our 
nation's highest military distinction, to his wife, Pauline Conner, in 
a ceremony at the White House today.
  The Medal of Honor commemorates the extraordinary sacrifice and 
bravery of American heroes like First Lieutenant Conner. Today, I join 
this Clinton County native's family and friends in celebrating his 
legacy and honoring his noble service to our nation.

                          ____________________