[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 28505]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 TRIBUTE TO U.S. ARMY COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR RONALD W. BEDFORD, A REAL 
                             AMERICAN HERO

  (Mr. EVERETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Green) that this Republican Congress has added about $38 
billion more than the President of the United States has requested for 
defense, but I would like to speak on something else.
  Mr. Speaker, our society has cheapened the name of heroes today by 
elevating millionaire movie, music and sports stars while ignoring 
those Americans who perform unselfish acts of courage and sacrifice.
  I wish to pay tribute to an American whose character and actions are 
truly unselfish acts of courage and sacrifice. On September 2, the 54th 
anniversary of VJ-Day, U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Ronald W. 
Bedford began a 1,500-mile journey from Mobile, Alabama, to Washington, 
D.C.
  His walk, which takes him through six States and the District of 
Columbia, is remarkable because it is entirely on foot. But CSM Bedford 
is not walking this enormous distance to set any record. Instead, he is 
striding the 71-day route to bring attention to and raise funding for 
the construction of a national memorial to honor America's greatest 
generation of heroes, those who fought in World War II.
  Bedford, an ex-airborne infantryman now stationed at Fort Rucker, 
Alabama in my congressional district, came up with the idea of the walk 
after learning that there was no national memorial for the 16 million 
Americans who served and sacrificed to liberate the world from Nazi and 
Japanese occupation in World War II. His efforts to help raise money 
for the on-going World War II Memorial fund have gained the support of 
the Non-Commissioned Officers Association, and the praise of former 
Senator Bob Dole, who chairs the World War II Memorial Committee.
  CSM Bedford's journey of 2,792,000 steps will take him through 144 
cities and 15 military installations before he arrives at Arlington 
National Cemetery on November 11. From there, he will cross Memorial 
Bridge, pass by the Lincoln Memorial, and then proceed to the spot on 
the national mall where the World War II Memorial will be built next 
year.
  I salute the Sargent Major for his personal sacrifice and welcome him 
to Washington, D.C.

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