[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 8, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E19]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                 HONORING MR. CLIFTON JAMES COWARD, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. WALTER B. JONES

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 8, 2019

  Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, the Vietnam War is widely regarded as one 
of the most brutal conflicts our young service members have faced to 
this day. With such brutal conditions abroad and dwindling support 
within the United States, the Vietnam War left an indelible mark on our 
nation, and most importantly, on the people who served. One man to 
experience these effects was Mr. Clifton James Coward, Jr., of 
Washington, North Carolina. I rise today to honor him.
  Known as C.J. to his friends, Clifton was a happy and outgoing person 
when he was younger. Unfortunately, by the time he returned home 
following his tour in Vietnam, his world was flipped upside down.
  C.J. served in the military from 1967 to 1970, completing one tour in 
Vietnam. As a Specialist 4th Class in the U.S. Army, he was a part of a 
New Equipment Training (NET) team and was the operator/gunny attached 
to a Sheridan M551 tank. One of the hardships the group faced while 
fighting was that they traveled so quickly throughout the country. 
Letters that their loved ones sent often wouldn't arrive until after 
they had moved on to a new location.
  Unfortunately, by the time his tour was over and C.J. was discharged, 
he had developed anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. This 
greatly exacerbated other health problems, which arose later in his 
life. Having married Lola Woolard after returning to the states, C.J. 
dealt with emphysema and episodes of anxiety that led to his wife 
driving him around into the early hours of the morning to help calm him 
down. Even throughout the hardships, the couple was happily married for 
48 years. The two of them have lived in my district for 45 of those 48 
years. C.J. was a proud father to Lynn and Kylie Coward Carter and a 
grandfather to Lucas and Lily Carter. After his service, he continued 
supporting his family by preparing bread trays, that way he could avoid 
the stress of your typical 9 to 5 job and he was able to work at his 
own pace.
  The effects of Vietnam are still felt by many, just like Clifton. 
Despite never returning to the same happy, outgoing young man he once 
was, he always tried to keep a smile on his face and was a dear friend 
who will be missed by many. May God continue to uplift his family.

                          ____________________