[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 25, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2707-H2708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING MEDAL OF HONOR DAY
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Moore
of Utah was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority
leader. )
Ms. MOORE of Utah. Mr. 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 topic of this Special
Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Knott). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Utah?
There was no objection.
Ms. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues for
joining me on this Special Order.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff).
Honoring Steve Stamson
Mr. KUSTOFF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of a really good friend,
Steve Stamson, who was a devoted public servant and a veteran whose
record left a lasting mark on Shelby County in west Tennessee.
Steve passed away just a few weeks ago on March 11 surrounded by his
family in Florida.
Steve Stamson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and he lived a life
grounded in faith and commitment to others.
Steve served in the United States Marine Corps during Vietnam. He was
a rifleman. Steve's time in uniform shaped his character in lasting
ways and informed how he approached the rest of his life.
I do want to note that during his military service, Steve received
the Meritorious Mast, recognizing performance and leadership that went
above and beyond. This distinction reflected the character and the
standard that he held himself to each and every day.
When he came home, Steve continued to serve his community. He worked
for International Harvester before starting a long and distinguished
career in Shelby County government.
{time} 1550
He served in the Shelby County Court Clerk's Office. He served in the
Juvenile Court Clerk's Office and in the General Sessions Court Clerk's
Office. In 2002, the people of Shelby County elected him to be the
juvenile court clerk, to which he was reelected in 2006, and he served
until 2010.
I think about Steve's time in public service, and if you had a
dictionary, Mr. Speaker, and looked up the term ``public servant,''
there would be a photo of Steve Stamson right there in the dictionary.
He went and did whatever he could for anybody, and it didn't matter who
they were or what side of town they lived on.
I will note that Steve's career in public service did not end after
his time as juvenile court clerk.
Following his retirement, if you will, Mr. Speaker, Steve was
appointed as an election commissioner for Shelby County, and he served
as chairman of the Shelby County Election Commission.
On all sides of the aisle, Steve was widely respected for his
dedication to election integrity and the responsibility that comes with
the right to vote.
[[Page H2708]]
Steve also gave his time to civic and community organizations,
including the Boy Scouts of America, the Scottish Rites, and the Al
Chymia Shriners. He was active in his political life in the local and
State Republican Party.
I want to note that Steve took on roles that carried significant
responsibility, and he always led with a steady hand. I think about
Steve, that he made time for others and was always willing to step up
when it was needed.
This morning, I talked to our mutual friend, Joy Touliatos. Joy
Touliatos succeeded Steve as the juvenile court clerk of Shelby County.
She was a longtime friend of Steve and his wife, Debbie, who was also a
longtime public servant in Shelby County. When I asked Joy her thoughts
about Steve, I wrote them down word for word. She said: ``If you knew
Steve, you knew his door was always open; his handshake was sincere;
and his word actually meant something.''
Beyond his work, Steve was absolutely devoted to his family. I have a
photo of Steve and his wife, Debbie. They shared 45 years of marriage,
and Debbie was his equal partner and his best friend. Steve was a proud
father to Chris and to Clay, and I know he was a proud grandfather to
Keelie and to Hunter.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to say that Roberta and I are deeply saddened
by Steve's passing, but we are thinking about Debbie. We remember all
the good times, how full of life and how much Steve gave to everybody
he cared about and to the entire Memphis and Shelby County community.
Steve's warmth and his generosity will be greatly missed.
Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee
for his remarks. I appreciate his friendship and working on all of our
issues on the committee together.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Medal of Honor Day
and the American heroes who have earned our highest military
decoration.
Over 40 million Americans have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since
the Civil War, but fewer than 4,000 have been awarded the Medal of
Honor. This award not only commemorates the bravery of those who earned
it but also honors their humanity, patriotism, and sacrifice for the
United States and her people.
Although each Medal of Honor recipient earns their medal through
different acts of heroism, they all have one thing in common: They
never sought heroism, yet they embodied it through their risk,
sacrifice, and actions to protect others.
I would like to honor a few recipients from my home State of Utah.
Petty Officer George Edward Wahlen was awarded the Medal of Honor on
October 5, 1945. Despite being repeatedly wounded during the battle of
Iwo Jima, Petty Officer Wahlen refused evacuation and continued risking
his life to rescue and treat comrades under intense enemy fire.
Private Jose Valdez was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1946. Private
Valdez held his ground against overwhelming German forces, engaging
enemies at close range and singlehandedly covering his patrol's retreat
under intense fire, facing more than 200 enemy soldiers.
Lieutenant Brian Miles Thacker, whom we are lucky to still have with
us today, was awarded the Medal of Honor on October 15, 1973. During a
fierce assault at a fire base in the Vietnam war, Lieutenant Thacker
directed airstrikes and artillery from a dangerously exposed position
for hours, organized the withdrawal, and remained behind alone to
provide covering fire. Although wounded and unable to escape from the
area himself, he successfully eluded the enemy forces for 8 days until
friendly forces regained control of the fire base.
I think President Harry S. Truman put it best: ``We do not go to war
for gain or for territory; we go to war for principles, and we produce
young men like these. . . . I would rather have that medal . . . than
to be President of the United States.''
One of the first initiatives I worked on when I came to Congress 6
years ago was to authorize a National Medal of Honor Monument here in
Washington, D.C. That bill passed Congress and was signed into law in
December 2021.
The next and final step is to pass the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams
National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act to authorize the
monument's permanent place on The National Mall. This bill was one of
the first bills that passed the House in the 119th Congress, and it
passed by a vote of 414-0.
I am grateful to my friend from Texas (Mr. Veasey) for working on
both of these bills with me.
It is time for the Senate to do their job and join the House in
coming together in a bipartisan way to provide these heroes and these
heroes' families with the monument on our National Mall that they have
earned.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Justice for his tireless work to move
this bill through the Senate process, and I urge the Senate to come
together on National Medal of Honor Day, pass the Hershel ``Woody''
Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act, and move it one
step closer to the President's desk.
Mr. Speaker, I thank America's Medal of Honor recipients for their
patriotism and for setting an example, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
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