[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8190]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  REPRESENTATIVE KIND FLOOR AMENDMENT 78 (RULES AMENDMENT 145) TO THE 
             NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT (H.R. 4310)

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                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 1, 2012

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the amendment to 
waive the time limitation for awarding Lt. Alonzo Cushing the Medal of 
Honor.
  A Wisconsin native, Lt. Cushing, on the third day of the Battle of 
Gettysburg, commanded 110 men and six cannons positioned on Cemetery 
Ridge, where they received the full force of Pickett's Charge. Despite 
the death of all of his officers and receiving multiple gunshot wounds, 
Lt. Cushing refused to withdraw from battle and was killed by 
Confederate fire. In February 2010, Secretary of the Army John McHugh 
recommended the approval of the nation's highest honor for Lt. Cushing.
  Lt. Cushing's actions in the Battle of Gettysburg were so inspiring 
that a book detailing his life, Cushing of Gettysburg, was written in 
1998.
  I would like to give special thanks to Margaret Zerwekh and the city 
of Delafield for their tireless advocacy to ensure Lt. Cushing receives 
the honor he deserves. I encourage my colleagues to support this 
amendment and honor a true American hero.

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