[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 187 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1087]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING RICHARD L. BUTTERFIELD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELISE M. STEFANIK

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 13, 2023

  Ms. STEFANIK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Richard L. 
Butterfield.
  Richard was born in Mansfield, Ohio on April 25, 1945. His family 
moved to New York in the following years, and he graduated from Averill 
Park High School in 1963. He enlisted in the United States Army the 
same year, attending the Officer Candidate School in Fort Benning, 
Georgia and graduated to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in 
March 1965. He was subsequently deployed to Vietnam as a Pathfinder 
Team Leader, 11th Pathfinders, 1st Cav. Division. His team directed 
helicopter resupply, medical evacuations, and rescue missions. When Lt. 
Butterfield was wounded in action, he refused to leave until all other 
wounded servicemembers were removed from the battlefield.
  Lt. Butterfield returned to duty on his second tour in 1968 as 
Captain and Commander of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 
101st Airborne, later serving as Team Commander with 5th Special Forces 
Group (Airborne) Green Berets. He was honorably discharged in 1970; for 
his valiant service, he received dozens of medals and commendations 
including the Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and several Federal 
Badges, Vietnamese Medals, and New York State Medals.
  Richard continued to serve in the New York Army National Guard as a 
Commander until 1995. Upon his retirement, he was breveted to the rank 
of Brigadier General and given the Long and Faithful Service Award (25 
Years). From 1970 to 2006, he was also a member of the New York State 
Police. He worked as a canine officer with his partner Frey, a firearms 
instructor, rifle sharpshooter, member of the underwater recovery team, 
delegate to the Police Benevolent Association, and as an undercover 
investigator with the Community Narcotics Enforcement Team and the 
Bureau of Criminal Investigation. After retiring from the State Police, 
he joined the Warren County Sheriff's Office as Marine Patrol on Lake 
George.
  When not on duty, Richard was a family man. He had three children--
Lori, Hayden, and Eric--and seven grandchildren, and he married his 
wife Cathy on July 27, 2020. As an active participant in his community, 
Richard remained a lifelong member of the Castleton Boat Club and the 
Nassau Sportsman's Club, served as a board member for the Lebanon 
Valley Speedway, and rode with the Renegade Pigs Motorcycle Club.
  On behalf of New York's 21st Congressional District, I am honored to 
share the incredible story of Mr. Richard L. Butterfield, a patriot who 
dedicated his life to serving his country and his local community.

                          ____________________