[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16650-16651]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER W5 JOHN CURRIE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Coffman) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the 236th 
birthday of the United States Marine Corps, I would like to take the 
opportunity to honor a marine whom I served with during the first Gulf 
War.
  Chief Warrant Officer W5 John Currie, United States Marine Corps 
Reserve (Retired), served our Nation with distinction from his first 
enlistment in 1966 until his retirement in 1999. I met Chief Warrant 
Officer Currie late in the fall of 1990 when I volunteered to serve 
with a light armored infantry company that was mobilized for the first 
gulf war.
  From the start, I was deeply impressed by his leadership, the respect 
his subordinate marines had for him, and by his tactical skill and the 
courage he demonstrated on the battlefield.
  His citation for the Navy Commendation Medal reads: ``Late in the 
afternoon of 21 February 1991, Chief Warrant Officer W3 Currie 
decisively led his platoon through enemy indirect fires to occupy a key 
defensive position opposite significant portions of an Iraqi infantry 
brigade. Over the next 2 days and nights of combat, his clear 
reasoning, calm issuance of orders, and effective employment of 
supporting arms against enemy forces motivated his platoon and the 
entire company in their efforts to hold the center of the battalion's 
defenses. Early on the morning of 24 February 1991, he led his platoon 
to a new position on the division's extreme left flank and initiated a 
series of aggressive actions against enemy positions which inflicted 
numerous casualties. Chief Warrant Officer W3 Currie's coolness, poise, 
and decisive actions inspired and steadied all who observed him, as he 
successfully gained and maintained control over a very fluid and 
chaotic situation caused by the surrender of more than 800 Iraqi 
soldiers.''

[[Page 16651]]

  I will never forget Chief Warrant Officer W5 John Currie and all he 
did not only to lead his men so effectively against the enemy, but in 
setting such a high standard for all of the officers in the command, to 
include myself.
  Chief Warrant Officer John Currie is a credit to the United States 
Marine Corps, and it's an honor to reflect on his service to our Nation 
and to the Marine Corps as we approach the 236th birthday of the Corps.

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