[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 23065]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 23065]]

                  NAVY ENSIGN DAN JOHNSON, A TRUE HERO

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include therein 
extraneous material.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Madam Speaker, some say that America lacks true 
heroes, and I disagree. Last Friday, I had the privilege to see a young 
man, a constituent of mine, Navy Ensign Dan Johnson receive the Navy/
Marine Corps medal for heroism.
  On August 23, Ensign Johnson, a safety officer aboard the USS Blue 
Ridge, was working on a deck as the ship prepared to leave Pusan 
Harbor. During the course of that operation, a young sailor who was 
handling a towline attached to a Korean tug became entangled and was 
being dragged to what would have been certain death.
  Thinking quickly, Ensign Johnson jumped on the sailor and tried to 
free him, but he too became entangled in the line as it became tighter. 
In a final desperate attempt, Ensign Johnson was able to free himself 
and the sailor in the nick of time, but, in the course of doing so, 
lost both legs at mid-calf. The sailor lost a foot.
  In a time when there are too few heroes, Dan has proved that true 
heroes still do exist. His selfless acts will leave no doubt about his 
love and dedication to his service, his shipmates and his country. Dan 
embodies the highest standards of professionalism, courage and self-
giving. The Navy should be very proud of this young man, as I and his 
family are. It is my hope that his actions will serve as a reminder of 
the sacrifices we call upon our young people to make while protecting 
our freedom and as an inspiration to everyone who now serves.
  Madam Speaker, I include Dan's citation for the Record.

                       The Secretary of the Navy


                               washington

       The President of the United States takes pleasure in 
     presenting the Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Ensign Daniel 
     H. Johnson, United States Naval Reserve for service as set 
     forth in the following Citation:
       For heroism while serving as Safety Officer on board USS 
     BLUE RIDGE (LCC 19) at Pusan, Korea on 23 August 1999.
       While serving as the Station Safety Officer during a 
     mooring evolution, Ensign Johnson took immediate action to 
     save the life of and minimize injuries to a line handler 
     whose leg was entangled in a tugboat's messenger line. 
     Recognizing the imminent danger to the service member, Ensign 
     Johnson ran to the member and attempted to control the line. 
     The violent, jerking motion of the line entrapped both 
     members and ultimately severed the lower limbs of Ensign 
     Johnson.
       By his courageous and prompt actions in the face of great 
     personal risk, Ensign Johnson reflected great credit upon 
     himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United 
     States Naval Service.
       For the President,
                                                   Richard Danzig,
                                            Secretary of the Navy.

                             SPECIAL ORDERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 6, 1999, and under a previous order of the House, the 
following Members will be recognized for 5 minutes each.

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