[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3376-H3379]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       EVERETT ALVAREZ, JR. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT OF 2023

  Mr. McHENRY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1097) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett 
Alvarez, Jr., in recognition of his service to the Nation.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1097

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Everett Alvarez, Jr. 
     Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Commander (CDR) Everett Alvarez, Jr., served with 
     distinction in the Vietnam war and made historic sacrifices 
     for the United States as the first United States pilot to be 
     shot down and captured during the Vietnam war and the second-
     longest prisoner of war in United States history, surviving 
     over eight and half years in captivity.
       (2) CDR Alvarez was born in Salinas, California, in 1937, 
     and was the grandchild of Mexican immigrants.
       (3) CDR Alvarez attended Salinas Union High School and 
     Hartnell College and received a bachelor of science degree 
     from Santa Clara University.
       (4) In 1960, CDR Alvarez joined the United States Navy and 
     was commissioned as Ensign.
       (5) After receiving his commission, CDR Alvarez attended 
     flight training at the Naval Air Basic Training Command in 
     Pensacola, Florida.
       (6) In June 1961, CDR Alvarez was transferred to the Naval 
     Auxiliary Air Station in Kingsville, Texas, where he trained 
     until December 1961.
       (7) CDR Alvarez was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) 
     in April 1962.
       (8) In June 1962, CDR Alvarez joined Attack Squadron 144, 
     nicknamed the ``Roadrunners'', which was deployed to the Gulf 
     of Tonkin prior to the United States entrance in the Vietnam 
     war in August 1964.
       (9) On August 5, 1964, while flying Operation Pierce Arrow 
     from the USS Constellation near the Vietnam-China border, CDR 
     Alvarez's A-4 Skyhawk was shot down and he was captured by a 
     Vietnamese fishing vessel.
       (10) Upon capture, CDR Alvarez was taken to the Hoa Lo 
     Prison in Hanoi, known to many former prisoners as the 
     ``Hanoi Hilton''.
       (11) CDR Alvarez spent his first thirteen months, eight 
     days, and five hours in isolation.
       (12) While at Hoa Lo, CDR Alvarez was repeatedly beaten and 
     tortured and was fed inedible meals and suffered 
     malnourishment.
       (13) In September 1965, CDR Alvarez was moved to the 
     ``Briarpatch'', a prison camp west of Hanoi, with no 
     electricity or running water.
       (14) Despite torture and interrogation, CDR Alvarez 
     remained loyal to the United States and assisted other 
     American prisoners of war.
       (15) CDR Alvarez, with his own actions, encouraged and 
     inspired fellow prisoners of war to ``Return with Honor'', 
     which meant keeping their integrity in the face of torture 
     and not cooperating with or divulging information to the 
     enemy, so they could return home having remained loyal to the 
     United States.
       (16) At great risk, CDR Alvarez helped spread the means of 
     communication, including the tap code and the mute hand code, 
     to keep up spirits and stay organized.
       (17) On July 6, 1966, CDR Alvarez and 51 other American 
     prisoners of war were forced to march in the ``Hanoi Parade'' 
     where he was abused and attacked by mobs.
       (18) CDR Alvarez was released February 12, 1973, after 
     spending 3,113 days in captivity, or eight years and six 
     months.
       (19) Following his release and hospitalization, CDR Alvarez 
     resumed his Naval service, returning to Naval Air Station 
     Kingsville for refresher flight training.
       (20) CDR Alvarez attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate 
     School in Monterey, California, and received a master's 
     degree in Operations Research and Systems Analysis in 1976.

[[Page H3377]]

       (21) CDR Alvarez was inducted into the U.S. Naval 
     Postgraduate School's Alumni Hall of Fame on March 27, 2015.
       (22) CDR Alvarez served in Program Management at the Naval 
     Air Systems command in Washington, DC, from October 1976 
     until his retirement.
       (23) CDR Alvarez retired from the Navy on June 30, 1980, 
     completing a 20-year Naval career.
       (24) In 1983, CDR Alvarez earned his juris doctor from the 
     George Washington School of Law and has been admitted to the 
     District of Columbia bar.
       (25) In April 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed CDR 
     Alvarez as Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, where he 
     served until 1982.
       (26) In July 1982, President Reagan nominated CDR Alvarez 
     to be Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration, 
     now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs, serving 
     until 1986.
       (27) In February 1987, President Reagan appointed CDR 
     Alvarez to the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services 
     University of the Health Sciences, where he served for nearly 
     21 years.
       (28) For his service, CDR Alvarez was awarded the Silver 
     Star Medal, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying 
     Cross, two Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts, and the 
     Prisoner of War Medal.
       (29) On September 18, 2012, the United States Navy Memorial 
     awarded CDR Alvarez the ``Lone Sailor Award''.
       (30) The people of the United States honor the sacrifices 
     of CDR Alvarez and his service to our Nation.

     SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
     behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to 
     Everett Alvarez, Jr., in recognition of his service to the 
     Nation.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a 
     gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, 
     to be determined by the Secretary. The design shall bear an 
     image of, and inscription of the name of, Everett Alvarez, 
     Jr.

     SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
     the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient 
     to cover the costs of the medals, including labor, materials, 
     dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

     SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

       (a) National Medals.--Medals struck under this Act are 
     national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, 
     United States Code.
       (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of 
     title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this 
     Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to 
     be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 
     Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of 
     the medals struck under this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be 
     deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. McHenry) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Foster) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McHENRY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McHENRY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1097, a bill that will award 
the Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr.
  Madam Speaker, the Congressional Gold Medal is considered the highest 
civilian honor awarded in the United States. In the 248 years since the 
Continental Congress issued the first one to George Washington in 1776, 
only 184 have been awarded. That is fewer than one per year. Hence, the 
distinction of awarding such an honor should not be lost on this 118th 
Congress.
  Madam Speaker, I cannot think of someone more deserving of such 
recognition than retired United States Navy Commander Alvarez, Jr.
  As a boy growing up in Salinas, California, Alvarez marveled at the 
naval planes flying overhead in and out of Moffett Field in nearby 
Santa Clara County.
  In 1960, at the age of 22, ignoring his parents' protests, he 
followed his boyhood dream of joining the Navy and was selected for 
pilot training.
  On August 5, 1964, that dream turned into a nightmare when his A-4 
Skyhawk was shot down near the Vietnam-China border during Operation 
Pierce Arrow. The then-lieutenant junior grade pilot was subsequently 
captured and imprisoned by the North Vietnamese forces.
  Commander Alvarez spent the next 3,113 days, more than 8 years and 7 
months, in some of the most horrific conditions imaginable. Despite 
being beaten and tortured for information about U.S. military 
operations, Commander Alvarez refused to comply, saying he wanted to be 
able to look in the mirror and not feel ashamed.
  Even when his north Vietnamese captors no longer felt Alvarez held 
military intelligence value, they continued to brutalize him in 
attempts to extract propaganda messages. He did not cave.
  When he was finally released on February 12, 1973, he held the 
undesirable distinction of being the second longest-held U.S. prisoner 
of war in our Nation's history. Commander Alvarez left prison knowing 
he owed nothing more to his country, but remarkably, he would go on to 
serve another 7 years in the United States Navy.
  Today, at age 86, I believe that when Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr., 
looks in the mirror, he sees only honor in his reflection and that is 
what the American people see.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Panetta, for introducing this 
bill, along with the multitude of sponsors. It is a massive amount of 
work to get a legislative product like this, especially in a divided 
Congress and a divided time for America, but this is a source of unity 
and pride that Americans are willing to sacrifice for their American 
Dream and their ideals in this free Nation of ours. Because of the 
willingness of folks like Commander Alvarez, we do have this free 
Nation and we do have a sense of pride in being an American.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill. I urge my colleagues to do the 
same, but, again, I will close by thanking Mr. Panetta for his 
thoughtful approach in building bipartisan consensus, not just on this, 
but overall, in his policymaking skills.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1097, the Everett Alvarez, Jr. 
Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023, sponsored by Representative   
Jimmy Panetta.
  H.R. 1097 bestows a Gold Medal of Honor to Commander Everett Alvarez, 
Jr., a retired United States Navy officer who maintained the military 
code of conduct, loyalty, and honor to the United States under torture, 
abuse, and interrogation for 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment. He 
is the second longest-held prisoner of war in the United States 
history.
  Our Nation's fallen soldiers, our veterans, our active military 
servicemembers are those who demonstrate tremendous courage, 
resiliency, honor, and selflessness. Their contributions cannot be 
overstated and should never be neglected. I applaud my colleague, 
Representative Panetta, who is also a veteran of the war in Afghanistan 
for his efforts and advocacy on this important bill to ensure that 
Commander Alvarez, Jr., is recognized and praised for his unfaltering 
commitment and sacrifice to our country.
  Representative Panetta has long worked to help active military 
members and our Nation's veterans. His deeply appreciated service to 
our Nation has resulted in significant strides and legislation to help 
ensure that we are treating our veterans with the respect and dignity 
that they deserve.
  Today is just one example of his work making a real difference, and I 
am very pleased to support this bill to honor Commander Alvarez, Jr.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Panetta), our loquacious, thoughtful, and patriotic colleague.
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, obviously, I thank Representative Foster 
for yielding me this time. I also thank Chairman McHenry for that very 
comprehensive and exact description of

[[Page H3378]]

this piece of legislation and his kind words.
  Mr. Speaker, I do rise today, as well, to support the Everett 
Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act. This legislation would award 
the Congressional Gold Medal to retired United States Naval Commander 
Everett Alvarez, Jr., who was the first aviator captured in the Vietnam 
war, but also the second longest-serving prisoner of war in the history 
of our Nation.

  A native son of Salinas, California, in Monterey County, Everett 
Alvarez has made immense contributions to our country.
  While growing up, he always wanted to be in the U.S. Navy. As a kid 
in an immigrant family, surrounded by other immigrant families in his 
neighborhood, he was instilled with that sense of service, that 
attitude that he should always give back to the country that gave he 
and his family so much opportunity.
  He attended Santa Clara University where he earned a degree in 
electrical engineering and remains a lifetime member of the board of 
fellows.
  While he was at SCU, Alvarez would stare at the naval jets flying 
over campus that were going in and out of the nearby Navy base at 
Moffett Airfield in Mountain View.
  Right before he graduated in 1960, he took, and he passed the exams 
to join the Navy and train as a pilot. While in the Navy, Alvarez was 
assigned and trained to fly the A-4 Skyhawk fighter-bomber jets. In May 
1964, Lieutenant JG Alvarez was assigned to the USS Constellation, 
which was off the coast of Vietnam, otherwise known as Yankee Station.
  For the first few months, Alvarez carried out numerous missions over 
Laos, Cambodia, and parts of northern Vietnam; however, his first 
combat mission was the day after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which 
also turned out to be his last mission.
  On August 5, 1964, during Operation Pierce Arrow, Lieutenant JG 
Alvarez was sent on a mission to target and take out torpedo boat bases 
in north Vietnam. However, right as he got to the coast of north 
Vietnam, his A-4 Skyhawk was hit by enemy fire. He immediately tried to 
gain altitude, but quickly realized he couldn't.
  Everett worked hard to get his plane out to the ocean and made one 
final radio transmission to his wingmen just before he bailed out into 
Ha Long Bay in which he said: I will see you guys later.
  Unbeknownst to all, Everett wouldn't see freedom for the next 8 years 
and 6 months, or the next 3,113 days.
  Now, for the first part of his captivity, Everett was in solitary 
confinement for 13 months, mainly because the U.S. hadn't started the 
formal bombing campaign against the north Vietnamese, but, at that 
time, the north Vietnamese were unprepared for prisoners of war, so for 
his first 6 months in captivity, the enemy didn't know what to do with 
him. They kept him in a local jail, treating him like a local criminal.
  As time went on, though, the enemy constantly interrogated him, 
demanding he tell them about U.S. intentions and operations. Everett 
refused and subsequently was put into a 7-by-7-foot cell.
  As tough as that period was, Everett will tell you that his toughest 
time was from 1965 to 1969, 4 years, when he and other POWs were 
constantly pressured and used as propaganda, including being beaten and 
marched through the streets. His torture included a rifle butt to the 
left side of Alvarez's face that dislocated his jaw and still causes 
him difficulty today.
  He suffered numerous other injuries at the hands of his captors, 
including ones that required surgeries later in his life to both his 
arms and his back. Much of Everett Alvarez's captivity was spent at the 
Hoa Lo Prison, otherwise known as the Hanoi Hilton, where conditions 
were absolutely horrific.
  During those years, Everett was confined to a room that was about 10 
feet by 12 feet and was given nothing but a straw mat and a bag filled 
with straw that was supposed to be a pillow.
  They starved him so much that Everett's weight fell to just over 100 
pounds, even though his normal weight was 170 pounds. Although, he was 
physically weak, Mr. Speaker, having endured starvation, isolation, and 
torture, Everett Alvarez remained strong.
  He said that the POWs took care of one another by communicating with 
each other and tapping on prison walls. Everett personally and 
regularly inspired and encouraged his fellow POWs to return with honor 
by not cooperating with the enemy and staying loyal to the United 
States of America.
  On January 12, 1973, we know that U.S.' involvement with the Vietnam 
war ended with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords and soon after, 
on February 12, Everett Alvarez was released from captivity.
  Upon arrival at the U.S. airbase in the Philippines, he greeted the 
Navy Admiral awaiting him with: Lieutenant JG Alvarez reporting back, 
sir.
  After his release and hospitalization, Alvarez resumed his naval 
service. He even graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School in 
Monterey, California, with a degree in operations research and systems 
analysis.
  On June 30, 1980, Commander Alvarez retired from the Navy, completing 
a 20-year naval career. During his service, Commander Alvarez earned 
the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, 
two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, and the Prisoner of War Medal.
  After leaving the Navy, Alvarez continued to give back by serving his 
country. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a Deputy 
Director of the Peace Corps and Deputy Administrator of the Veterans 
Administration.
  In an article with Stars and Stripes, Everett Alvarez was asked, 
despite the nightmare of being a POW for the second longest amount of 
time in our Nation's history, what allowed him to realize that he is 
the American Dream?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Weber of Texas). The time of the 
gentleman has expired.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 4 minutes to the 
gentleman from California.
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, his response was that I am nothing special. 
I am just one of the guys that had to do what we had to do, and that is 
how we did it. We just took one day at a time.
  Mr. Speaker, he may think that he is nothing special, but what he did 
in captivity as the second longest-serving POW in our Nation's history 
and what he has done for our country is not just special; it is 
unfathomable, and it is absolutely amazing. His service to our Nation, 
his sacrifice as a POW, his strength, and his symbol as an American for 
Americans deserves the highest honor that Congress can bestow, a 
Congressional Gold Medal.
  I am honored to be the author of this bill, and I am also proud that 
300 Members of this Chamber cosponsored this legislation, demonstrating 
how deserving Commander Alvarez is of this recognition. I am also 
honored that Senator Padilla is the sponsor of this legislation in the 
Senate, and I look forward to working with him and his Senate 
colleagues in order to obtain the appropriate amount of support so that 
this bill passes out of the U.S. Senate and makes it to the President's 
desk for signature into law.
  For now, I urge all of my congressional colleagues to support the 
Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act to honor Everett 
Alvarez, an American and an example of what we stand for as Americans.

                              {time}  1645

  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield 
myself the balance of my time to close.
  Mr. Speaker, my draft number was 321. Being born in 1955, I never was 
called to serve, and I always wondered what my service would be like 
had I been called. I am so humbled by this story of Everett Alvarez, 
Jr.
  There are many lessons that we try to draw from the war in Vietnam, 
but one of the lessons that we did not get right was the duty that we 
have to respect the service to those who served under very difficult 
circumstances. That is part of the reason that I extend my support, 
again, for H.R. 1097, the Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal 
Act of 2023.
  This legislation is necessary to ensure that Congress recognizes and 
honors the tremendous sacrifices that he made to protect our Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I again thank Representative Panetta for his work to 
bring this legislation to the floor today.

[[Page H3379]]

  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  I thank my Democratic colleagues for their work. We have two coin 
bills here on the floor today, and they speak to different parts of our 
United States history and the best among us. That gift that continues 
with us retelling important stories of our history is really important 
for us to know today.
  I thank Mr. Panetta for the work that he put into bringing this 
Congressional Gold Medal Act before us and the story of Everett 
Alvarez, Jr.'s contribution to the United States and the example he 
gives us. For this to be done in his lifetime is a very special and 
rare honor, indeed.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important 
resolution, and I thank my colleagues for the form of debate here and 
the storytelling. It is important for us to tell the stories of the 
best of American history, and, let's be honest, it is important to tell 
the whole story of American history. These stories of heroic acts are 
really important for us to know.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McHenry) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1097.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________