[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 164 (Wednesday, October 3, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING LIEUTENANT COMMANDER JAMES J. CONNELL

  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, along with Senator Chris Coons and 
Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, I would like to take 
this opportunity to reflect on the life of LCDR James J. Connell, of 
Wilmington, DE. J.J. passed away on January 14, 1971, at the age of 32, 
at the hands of Vietnamese guards during the Vietnam war after being 
held as a POW. In life and death, J.J. epitomized the best of the 
country's selfless citizens who put their lives on the line during the 
Vietnam war. His service exemplifies the unwavering courage, devotion 
to duty, and honor that he had and reminds us all of how good we can 
be.
  J.J. Connell was born on May 6, 1939, in Wilmington, DE, attending 
Salesianum High School until 1957. Following this, he graduated from 
the U.S. Naval Academy on June 7, 1961, after having spent some time in 
Congress as a page. By 1962, he was designated as a naval aviator. 
After additional training, he was assigned as a flight instructor at 
NAAS Whiting Field, FL. He then served with Attack Squadron 55 aboard 
the USS Ticonderoga, then at NAS Lemoore, CA, until deploying on the 
USS Ranger on December 1964. After 7 months of combat, he was shot down 
over North Vietnam on July 15, 1966. Though he only sustained minor 
injuries, rescue efforts were impossible in the high-threat area he 
landed in, and consequently, he was captured.
  J.J. was captured by the North Vietnamese at a time when U.S. 
prisoners were declared as criminals and subjected to brutal conditions 
such as isolation, beatings, starvation, and other means of torture. 
Despite the heinous means of brutal force the Vietnamese used, J.J. 
refused to fold under pressure, demonstrating courage and determination 
beyond his years. He was in captivity for 1,645 days before his death, 
with his remains returning to the United States on March 6, 1974. He 
left behind two children who would never know their father and a wife 
who had previously waited years hoping that J.J. would return home 
alive.
  Though it seems that time may have forgotten J.J. Connell, it is 
imperative that we remember the hard work and dedication he put into 
protecting our country and keeping it safe. Posthumously, he was 
awarded with the Navy Cross, the second highest award for valor after 
the Medal of Honor and the highest award of valor presented to any 
Delawarean during the Vietnam war. J.J. was a true hero, and is an 
inspiration to us all even today.
  Along with Senator Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt 
Rochester, I wish to commemorate J.J., to celebrate his life, and to 
offer his family our deepest sympathy on their tragic loss.

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