[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16411-16417]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO OUR MILITARY VETERANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Collins of Georgia). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 3, 2013, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Wenstrup) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority 
leader.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Speaker, tonight we are here 2 weeks before 
Veterans Day to take some time to pay tribute to so many of our 
outstanding veterans and for the great things that they have done. 
Arthur Ashe, a world-class tennis player, a hero to many, was once 
asked about heroism. He said:

       True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is 
     not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the 
     urge to serve others at whatever cost.

  This describes our veterans so well--serving others at whatever cost.
  Tonight, we give credit where credit is due. In honor of Veterans 
Day, we willingly say thank you, thank you to the 1 percent. Only 1 
percent of Americans have worn the uniform. Over that time, they have 
produced exceptional results on behalf of freedom time and time again.
  Army Chaplain Father Tim Vakoc was hit by an IED in Mosul, Iraq, in 
May of 2004. He suffered severe head wounds from the explosion and from 
shrapnel. He came home, but over time he succumbed to these wounds. The 
troops often asked Father Vakoc, Why did you go out so often with us 
when you could have stayed back on the base where it was safer? But, 
no, you came out with us into the fight, into the combat. He was quoted 
as saying:

       The safest place for me to be is in the center of God's 
     will; and if that is in the line of fire, then that is where 
     I will be.

  As I served as a surgeon in Iraq, it was part of my job to talk to 
troops whose comrade just was being taken back to the operating room, 
to talk to them before and after surgery when they were wounded. There 
are things you never forget from that.
  I will never forget going into a room full of marines to tell them 
about the condition of their buddy before we operated, and sitting in 
that room hunched over was a marine praying his rosary. I will never 
forget how I felt when I went back an hour later to have to tell them 
that he didn't make it. They fight for their country, but they die for 
each other.
  Tonight, we are honored to have several Members here, Members that 
very served, to tell their stories, to tell their stories about a hero 
that they have served with, to let America know about these great 
people, and to pay respect to our veterans.
  At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas, Lieutenant 
Colonel Tim Griffin, who is a colonel in the United States Army Reserve 
JAG Corps. He served in Iraq in 2006. He had been assigned to the 
Southeast Medical Area Readiness Support Group as a command judge 
advocate. When he went to Iraq, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne 
Division.
  Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas. I thank the gentleman, and I thank the 
gentleman for his service.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to talk first here about a fellow Screaming 
Eagle, a fellow member of the 101st Airborne Division, who was wounded 
in action, Sergeant Carl Moore, III, from Bigelow, Arkansas, in the 
Second Congressional District, my district.
  Sergeant Moore in early June of this year was wounded while on patrol 
in Afghanistan. A bullet struck him under his arm, puncturing one of 
his lungs and grazing his spine.
  I pray for Carl's speedy recovery so he can get back to enjoying the 
things that he loves. My thoughts go out to his parents, Carl and 
Teresa of Conway, Arkansas, also in my district, and his wife, Heather, 
and their 4-year-old daughter, Addison.

                              {time}  1930

  This is just one example of the type of service that we should all be 
thankful for, and tonight I want to thank Sergeant Carl Moore for his 
service and for his sacrifice, and for his family's sacrifice.
  When I think about all the vets who have impacted my life personally, 
it is a list that is too long to read, and they have impacted me in so 
many ways.
  I often think of my grandfather who served in World War I in France 
in 1918. I never met my grandfather on my mother's side. He died in 
1966, just 2

[[Page 16412]]

years before I was born, but he was in the Army. He processed through 
Camp Pike in Little Rock, Arkansas, where I did a lot of Reserve duty. 
I often thought of him when I was there. I went to basic at Fort Lee in 
Virginia, and come to find out, that is where he went. He went to Fort 
Lee before he went to France in 1918, and I thank him for his service.
  I also want to mention one of our famous vets in closing, one of our 
most famous vets from the Second Congressional District of Arkansas, 
and that is Nick Bacon. We recently were able to name a post office 
after Nick Bacon. He is a Medal of Honor winner. He passed away 
recently. He was born in Caraway, Arkansas, in 1945. He enlisted in 
1963 at age 17. The story goes that he was too young to enlist, so he 
just sort of fudged a little bit on the age. He was stationed in 
Germany for awhile, did a tour in Vietnam. He was wounded three times 
during his first tour in Vietnam when the helicopter he rode in 
collided with another, and all were killed but Bacon and one other. So 
he volunteered for a second tour in Vietnam because that wasn't enough. 
I want to read this little paragraph that talks about what happened 
that led to him being awarded the Medal of Honor.
  On August 16, 1968, while leading a squad in Bravo Company's 1st 
Platoon, in an operation, Bacon and his unit came under fire from an 
enemy position. He personally destroyed the position with hand 
grenades, but the platoon leader was wounded on open ground. Bacon 
assumed command, led the platoon in destroying still more enemy 
emplacements. The 3rd Platoon lost its leader, and Bacon took command 
of that platoon as well and led both platoons against the remaining 
enemy positions. During the evacuation of the wounded, Bacon climbed 
the side of a nearby tank to gain vantage point and direct fire into 
enemy positions, despite being exposed to enemy fire himself. He was 
personally credited with killing at least four enemy soldiers and 
destroying an antitank gun. For his actions in this battle, Bacon 
received the Medal of Honor, formally presented to him by President 
Richard Nixon during a 1969 White House ceremony.
  He earned multiple awards within the military for various 
accomplishments. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he was awarded the 
Distinguished Service Cross, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with 
two Valor devices, and two Purple Hearts.
  Then he went back to Arkansas and years later served as the director 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and was reappointed by Governor 
Mike Huckabee in that position, and he served until February 2005.
  We lost Nick in 2010, but he is a shining example of the type of 
selfless service that veterans often give, demonstrate for their 
country, and I just want to say thank you to Nick Bacon and the many 
veterans that he represents, the thousands of veterans from Arkansas 
that he represents.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio for putting this 
together. A lot of times we come down here and debate a lot of policy 
issues, but I think it is the right thing to do, to take this time 
tonight to honor our veterans.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas.
  At this time, I would like to recognized the gentleman from Indiana 
(Mr. Young). Mr. Young is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He was 
a rifle platoon commander as well as an intelligence officer, serving a 
decade in the military as a Marine Corps captain.
  Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his 
leadership in these early stages of his first tour in Congress. I know 
he is proud of his military background, and I know he is proud of our 
Nation's veterans. I am proud of my own service, and I am proud of our 
veterans as well, the veterans of Indiana's Ninth Congressional 
District, those veterans I served with.
  And I would like to just highlight today one veteran who inspires me 
as I reflect upon his life, one veteran that I had the opportunity to 
get to know when I was at the United States Naval Academy. He is a 
fellow marine. And Veterans Day, you will recall, is a day of 
celebration. November 11 is a time we celebrate not only those living, 
but also those who have worn the uniform and died in the course of 
service.
  So today, I would like to talk about my classmate, the class of 1995 
at Annapolis, Doug Zembiec. Maybe some of you have heard of Doug. He is 
a man of quite a reputation. He was a two-time NCAA All-American 
wrestler at the Naval Academy. He was a leader. He had an amazing 
presence. Even among his fellow athletes who spent a lot of their hours 
preparing for the next match, the next game, he stood out. He worked 
especially hard, always went above and beyond. Because of his tireless 
work ethic, because of his infectious personality and a certain X 
factor about him, Doug just earned all sorts of friends. And he earned 
the respect of people in an atmosphere at a service academy where 
leaders and aspiring leaders are competing for the respect of their 
peers, and that really says something.
  On May 31, 1995, Doug and I were commissioned as second lieutenants 
in the U.S. Marine Corps, at which point our careers took separate 
paths. After initial training at The Basic School in Quantico, Doug 
joined a Force Reconnaissance platoon. It was among the toughest of the 
United States Marines. We like to think we are all tough, but we can 
certainly agree that Force Recon marines have earned the respect of 
their fellow marines and fellow Americans.
  He was among the first to enter Kosova in 1999 with his first unit, 
and 5 years later, he found himself in command of Echo Company, 2nd 
Battalion, 1st Marines. During Operation Vigilant Resolve in 2004, Doug 
led his rifle company of 168 marines and sailors in the first ground 
assault into Fallujah. His remarkable leadership earned him a number of 
decorations. These things weren't important to Doug, but it is 
important that our country recognize our fearless leaders like him. We 
awarded him a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts for the 
wounds he suffered in the course of the Battle of Fallujah. His men 
were so impressed by the bravery and the principled leadership that 
Doug exhibited that they named him the ``Lion of Fallujah.'' The Lion 
of Fallujah would serve four combat tours in Iraq.
  In his final tour, on May 11, 2007, Doug was killed by small arms 
fire. He was always thinking of others first. Doug warned the Iraqi 
forces that he helped train to get down, but Doug himself did not make 
it.
  A mutual friend of ours and fellow Naval Academy classmate, Eric 
Kapitulik, who was very close to Doug, he delivered a moving eulogy at 
Doug's funeral at the Naval Academy chapel. He read some words that 
were written by Doug himself in the closing of that eulogy, entitled, 
``Principles My Father Taught Me,'' and here they are:

       Be a man of principle. Fight for what you believe in. Keep 
     your word. Live with integrity. Be brave. Believe in 
     something bigger than yourself. Serve your country. Teach. 
     Mentor. Give something back to society. Lead from the front. 
     Conquer your fears. Be a good friend. Be humble and be self-
     confident. Appreciate your friends and family. Be a leader 
     and not a follower. Be valorous on the field of battle. And 
     take responsibility for your actions. Never forget those that 
     were killed, and never let rest those that killed them.

  That is Doug Zembiec. May God continue to bless Doug Zembiec and his 
wife and beautiful child he left behind. May God continue to bless our 
Nation's veterans, and may God continue to bless this great Nation, the 
greatest Nation on Earth, America.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. I thank the gentleman from Indiana, and thank you for 
sharing that story of heroism. So often we don't get to hear about our 
heroes today. They go unnoticed.
  What you just spoke on reminds me of a gentleman named Mike Spann. 
Very few people know who Mike Spann is. Mike Spann was a marine, and he 
joined the CIA. After 9/11, 2001, he was the first American killed in 
Afghanistan. What is even more impressive about Mike Spann is what he 
wrote on his CIA application. He said:

       I believe in the meaning of honesty and integrity. I am an 
     action person who feels personally responsible for making 
     changes in

[[Page 16413]]

     this world that are within my power, because if I don't, no 
     one else will.

  These are the type of people that we are here to honor tonight.
  Next, it is my privilege to yield to the gentleman from Utah, Chris 
Stewart, an Air Force pilot for 14 years, flying both rescue 
helicopters and B-1 bombers. He holds three world speed records, 
including the world's record for the fastest nonstop flight around the 
world.
  Mr. STEWART. Thank you, Mr. Wenstrup, for organizing this Special 
Order honoring our country's heroes. It is a privilege for me to be 
with you tonight.
  As you mentioned, I come from a family with deep roots in the 
military. I was a pilot for 14 years, and my father was a pilot in 
World War II. Four of my five brothers have served in the military. I 
have to tell you, my time flying in the military was, in many ways, the 
happiest years of my life. I remember I would be up flying, and I would 
think I can't believe that they pay me to do this. I would do this for 
free if I could.
  In addition to my family members, three of my congressional staff are 
veterans. I know firsthand some of the sacrifices that come with 
service--the time away from family, the personal discomforts, the 
danger, being put in harm's way--for many of our soldiers, all to 
protect our Nation and to protect the freedoms of others.
  There have been great sacrifices in the past. Some of those we have 
heard about tonight. I suspect that we will probably hear about some 
others.
  I would like to mention one man from my hometown of Farmington, Utah. 
I think he is a great example of sacrifice and courage. His name is 
Lieutenant Colonel Jay Hess. He spent 5\1/2\ years as a prisoner of war 
at the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam war. During this time, you can 
imagine what he endured--starvation, beatings, isolation, and 
deprivations, which it is very difficult--probably impossible--for us 
to appreciate. After 2\1/2\ years, he was finally given a letter from 
his family. As he read this letter, he found himself smiling, and after 
awhile it hurt, because those smile muscles had not been exercised in 
2\1/2\ years and he had lost that ability to smile. It was a joyous day 
when he was returned to his family, his wife and five children.

                              {time}  1945

  Despite all of this hardship, he looks back on his life and his 
experience with great humility and appreciation. He said, ``How could I 
be so lucky? So fortunate? It is a good life.'' This man was a true 
American hero.
  Heroism continues today. This fall I had the opportunity to honor 
four Army soldiers. Two of them, Sergeant Daryl Williams and Sergeant 
John Russell, were jogging here on the National Mall one morning when 
they heard a collision. They looked over and saw that a civilian had 
been hit by a bus. They didn't hesitate. They knew immediately what to 
do. They ran over, and using their shirts, they provided a tourniquet 
and they saved this man's life. That may seem like a small thing, but 
it is a great example, once again, of the caliber of men and women that 
we find serving in our United States military. As Veterans Day 
approaches, I find myself humbled to share this background and 
experience with such people. I have always said that the military is 
the greatest incubator for leadership that there is anywhere in the 
world, and we see that demonstrated again and again.
  Let me end with this. The United States of America is a special 
place. I recognize that most nations feel that way. Every one is proud 
of the land from which they come. I think God intended that they should 
feel that way. That is a good thing. Even though that is true, there is 
something special about this place. There is something truly unique 
about the United States, and there is no better example of that than 
the young men and young women that serve in our United States military. 
We don't fight to conquer people; we fight to keep a people free. We 
don't fight to capture a land; we fight to set a land free. The only 
thing we have ever asked is, as Colin Powell once said, the only land 
we have ever demanded is a tiny piece of pasture in which we could bury 
our soldier dead.
  If you have ever been to a military cemetery--and they are spread all 
over the world, from France to England to the Netherlands to Panama to 
the Philippines to Japan--if you have walked among those stone-cold 
graves, then you know that this is sacred land.
  A poet once wrote about these soldiers:

       Here dead we lie, because we did not choose to live And 
     shame that land from which we had sprung Life, to be sure, is 
     nothing much to lose But young men think it is And we were 
     all young

  I, like millions of other Americans, will always be grateful for 
their sacrifice. I honor them, and once again I am grateful to be among 
them.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. I thank the gentleman from Utah for his profound words 
and for sharing such a nice tribute.
  Next, I yield to the gentleman from Nevada, Dr. Joe Heck. Dr. Heck is 
a colonel in the United States Army Reserve and commands the Medical 
Readiness Support Group. He was recently selected for general, and he 
continues to serve. Over time he has served us in Operation Joint 
Endeavor, Operation Noble Eagle, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  I yield to the gentleman from Nevada.
  Mr. HECK of Nevada. I would like to thank my brother in uniform, the 
gentleman from Ohio, for organizing this very important Special Order 
to pay tribute to some very special people, America's veterans, 
America's heroes.
  I want to tell a story that I think epitomizes the very sacrifice and 
dedication that our men and women in uniform have to this Nation. The 
date was February 21, 2008. The place was Al Asad, Anbar Province, 
Iraq. I was assigned as the chief of emergency services and aeromedical 
evacuation at a combat support hospital. A combat support hospital is 
similar to any inner city emergency department, with periods of hustle 
and bustle, kind of routine stuff, punctuated by moments of controlled 
chaos and sheer terror.
  Such was that day on February 21. We were taking care of routine 
cases in the emergency services section when the radio crackled and we 
received a call from an incoming helicopter saying that they were 
bringing in a young Marine who had been shot in the chest. Of course we 
quickly focused on the task that would soon be at hand. As the chief, I 
was making assignments, making sure all our equipment was ready. We 
were ready to receive this casualty and make sure that we could return 
him home.
  A couple of minutes later, the radio crackles again, and it is the 
helicopter calling in to tell us that the casualty was now unresponsive 
and that they have lost his pulse. A quiet fell over the resuscitation 
area. Everybody was singularly focused on what we were going to do for 
this young Marine when he arrived. The helicopter lands, we offload 
him, get him into the resuscitation suite, and we start doing what 
medical folks do, ripping off clothing, starting IVs, doing an 
assessment. It winds up that he received a single gunshot wound to the 
chest, just mere millimeters to the side of his trauma plate protecting 
his center of mass.
  His eyes stared up at me lifeless as I was at the head of the bed. He 
was unresponsive. We quickly tried everything that we could to bring 
this young man back. We worked for over a half an hour doing things 
that in a civilian emergency department would be considered heroic, but 
we were going to do everything we possibly could. Alas, we were not 
successful. That young man was Lance Corporal Drew Weaver of St. 
Charles, Missouri, and he was 20 years old. He sacrificed and gave his 
last full measure of devotion to this country.
  What happened next was even additionally awe-inspiring. My charge 
nurse, Lieutenant Colonel--now retired--Maria Tackett came into the 
room with a bucket of sudsy water and gingerly, carefully started to 
wash down Lance Corporal Weaver, wiping the dirt from his brow and his 
face, wiping off the now dried blood from his body. Just like a caring 
mother, she took care of this young 20-year-old Marine.

[[Page 16414]]

  Just when I thought I couldn't see any other acts of compassion 
greater than that, two of my medics, young enlisted folks, came in with 
an American flag. I have no idea where they got it from. They might 
have taken it off the flagpole in front of the hospital. They carefully 
draped the flag over Lance Corporal Weaver, and then they both took up 
a position of parade rest at the foot of the bed. While we were waiting 
for Mortuary Affairs to come and retrieve Lance Corporal Weaver, they 
stood there and they stood there and they stood there.
  I went in and said, ``Guys, you need a break? Take a break. Sit 
down.'' Their response to me was, ``Sir, never leave a fallen 
comrade.'' There they stood until Mortuary Affairs came to retrieve 
that young Marine.
  Such is the story of those who sacrifice and of those who are 
dedicated to those who wear the uniform. I remember their names and I 
remember their faces to this day. I remember that day and the actions 
that those heroic men and women took, from Lance Corporal Weaver to the 
helicopter pilot to the medics in the back of that helicopter to my 
team and everything we tried to do. That is why we gather here tonight 
to pay tribute to these very special men and women.
  May God bless our veterans, their families, their survivors, and may 
he continue to bless the greatest Nation on his Earth, the United 
States of America.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. Thank you very much, Dr. Heck, Colonel Heck. Thank you 
for sharing that story. As a surgeon who served in Iraq, that was very 
moving to me and very familiar.
  I think about how my experience in war has changed the national 
anthem for me. When I hear the ``rockets red glare and bombs bursting 
in air,'' I think of those that we didn't save. When I think of ``home 
of the brave, land of the free,'' I think of those that have saved us 
time and time again throughout our history.
  At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Bentivolio). He is retired as a sergeant first class in the Army 
National Guard. He had service in Iraq in 2007 and served in Vietnam as 
an infantry rifleman from '70 to '71.
  I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.
  Mr. BENTIVOLIO. I thank the gentleman from Ohio and brother in arms 
for the opportunity to speak today.
  Mr. Speaker, my grandfather served in World War I, and my father and 
uncle served in the 1940s. The gentleman who lived in the house across 
the street from where I grew up was a former sailor in World War II. 
His aircraft carrier was hit by a kamikaze.
  Down the street a few houses, was someone who fought in the Korean 
war. His daughter, Cookie, gave me my first kiss. Near him lived 
another veteran who served on a destroyer in the Navy, and there were 
two men across the street from him who served together in General 
Patton's 3rd Army as part of the force that relieved the 101st Airborne 
at Bastogne. I can still see their faces. Their examples of service 
played a crucial role in why I served in the armed services.
  Our next door neighbor was Charles Parker, Sr. As a Marine in World 
War II, he received the Purple Heart on Iwo Jima. His son, Charles, 
Jr., was my best friend. When I think of Chuck, I still smile. He was 
the guy who stood up for the little guy. I remember one time when this 
big bully picked on this little kid and a fight started. Chuck rushed 
into action and broke up the fight. He defended the weak. Doing the 
right thing matters.
  Charles Parker's name is inscribed on the Vietnam Wall memorial, 
panel 40 west, line 25. He died in service to his country on October 
23, 1968. Doing the right thing matters.
  I think my understanding of service can be best summed up in the 
message of the movie ``Saving Private Ryan.'' Perhaps you have seen it. 
If you haven't, let me tell you what it is about. The movie begins with 
an elderly man walking through the cemetery off the beach at Normandy. 
His family is quietly following behind him. The scene then shifts to a 
landing craft heading for the beaches of Normandy on D-day. Tom Hanks 
plays the part of Captain Miller, 2nd Rangers. As the landing craft 
hits the beach, the soldiers quickly experience the horrors of battle.
  Many of his comrades are killed and wounded in the scenes that 
follow. But after securing the beachhead, Captain Miller receives new 
orders. His new mission is to locate and bring home Private Ryan, 
played by Matt Damon, who is in the 101st Airborne. Ryan's three 
brothers were recently killed within weeks of each other, and the Army 
thinks that no family should lose four sons to war. With a small 
contingent of soldiers under his command, Captain Miller sets off to 
locate Ryan.
  Over the course of a few days, Miller's group takes several losses. 
Eventually, they find him in a small village in France, but alas, he 
decides to stay and fight alongside his brothers in arms as they defend 
the small bridge in the village. During the battle, most of Miller's 
soldiers are killed. Only two remain. Captain Miller receives a mortal 
wound and sits gasping, his back against a motorcycle. He looks up at 
young Private Ryan and says with his last breaths, ``Earn this. Earn 
this.''
  The scene changes to a close-up of Matt Damon. His face changes from 
young Ryan to the older man we met at the beginning of the movie. He is 
overlooking a gravestone that reads, ``Captain Miller, 2nd Rangers.'' 
Old Ryan falls to his knees in front of the gravestone and says, ``Not 
a day goes by that I don't remember what you all did for me. I tried to 
live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope 
that, at least in your eyes, I have earned what all of you have done 
for me.''
  Let me tell you something. Not a day goes by that I don't remember 
what the fathers of my childhood friends and playmates did for us to 
protect the American Dream, and my good friend Charles Parker. No 
matter where your family hails from, no matter what your background is, 
as citizens of this great Nation, we must never let it be said that we 
have forgotten what our forefathers did for us.
  To my fellow veterans of the 182nd Field Artillery of the Michigan 
Army National Guard, and to all the veterans past and present, thank 
you for your service. May God always bless America, and may we continue 
to be the home of the free because of the brave.

                              {time}  2000

  Mr. WENSTRUP. I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bentivolio) 
for his words.
  I would like to take a moment to tell you about James McNaughton, 
Staff Sergeant James McNaughton, Army Reservist, an MP, New York City 
policeman.
  We served on the same base in Iraq; and one day he and some other 
sergeants were being tasked with a mission that was going to be 
dangerous, and one of them had to go. James McNaughton volunteered over 
the other two. He did that because the other two had children.
  On that mission, Staff Sergeant James McNaughton was killed by a 
sniper; and today there are two families that have their father because 
of James McNaughton. This is the type of selfless service that we see 
from our troops day in and day out.
  I had the opportunity to tell that story on TV one time, national 
cable TV. A couple of days later I got a call from James McNaughton's 
father who said they were so shocked to hear their son's name and so 
honored that he was remembered in that way.
  We need to honor and remember all of our veterans, especially those 
that have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of us.
  At this time, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from Illinois, 
Mr. Rodney Davis. Mr. Davis is not a veteran, but he is a supporter of 
veterans, and he will be speaking on behalf of one of his staff 
members. Outside of his office he has a sign that says, I hire 
veterans.
  I yield to you, Mr. Davis.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Thank you to my colleague from the 
great State of Ohio.
  I am humbled to be here as a nonveteran, somebody who has not served

[[Page 16415]]

our country in our military, but is so proud of those of you who have. 
And I am just honored to be able to be a part of this Special Order 
that you have arranged.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an opportunity that many in this country will 
take for granted as they are watching this tonight, and not know that 
it is because of the sacrifices of those like my colleague Brad 
Wenstrup, who have served their country so well, that give us the 
freedoms today to stand on this floor and debate the issues that will 
impact this country for generations to come.
  I would like to stand here as somebody who hasn't served to thank all 
of my colleagues who have come to this floor to honor those who have, 
who have served with them, those who have served our country and have 
had the opportunity to come home and, as we have heard tonight, those 
who have served our country and paid the ultimate sacrifice.
  So I would like to personally thank my colleague, Tim Griffin from 
Arkansas, for his service, not only as a member of our military, but as 
a Member of this Congress.
  I would like to thank my colleague, Todd Young from Indiana, for his 
service in the military, and also for his service in this body.
  I would like to thank my colleague, Joe Heck, Dr. Joe Heck, for his 
service for our Nation, not only in our Nation's military, but also in 
this body.
  I would like to thank Chris Stewart, my good friend and colleague 
from Utah, for his service for this country and our military and, 
again, for his service today as a Member of Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank one who has yet to rise, Mr. Doug 
Collins, for his service to our country as a member of our military, 
protecting our freedoms, and also for his service to the citizens of 
Georgia.
  And, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you for your service in our 
Nation's military and for the service that you provide today for the 
great citizens in the great State of Michigan.
  Thank you on behalf of those of us who have not had the opportunity 
to serve. I want to say thank you for giving us this great Nation that 
we now have the opportunity to serve in this body.
  Mr. Speaker, I, again, am humbled to rise today to talk about our 
veterans and the sacrifices they have made to ensure the freedom of 
every single American, and I want to specifically mention a couple of 
folks.
  One is a good friend of mine who served our country in Vietnam, who 
came back injured and served my State, my great State of Illinois as a 
Member of the Illinois General Assembly.
  He still serves the citizens of Illinois today as somebody who is a 
pharmacist, works in the private sector; but my friend, Representative 
Ron Stephens from Greenville, Illinois, now spends his time, his spare 
time, raising money to help our wounded warriors. He walked miles upon 
miles over the last 2 years to raise thousands of dollars to help those 
who made it back home but paid a price.
  Representative Ron Stephens, thank you for your service in Vietnam, 
thank you for your service to the great State of Illinois, and thank 
you, sir, my good friend, for serving this country for our heroes who 
walk the streets with us today.
  And one of those heroes, as my colleague from Ohio mentioned, is 
someone who is not only a good friend of mine, but he works for me in 
my office in Champaign, Illinois. His name is Garrett Anderson.
  Garrett was on patrol in Iraq, ran over an IED. Garrett sacrificed 
his right arm. He sacrificed time away from his family, and he 
sacrificed the road to recovery for the freedoms that we enjoy and take 
for granted every day.
  Garrett now works with the veterans who are trying to access the 
benefits that they were promised; and Garrett was out here with me a 
few weeks ago as we stood here and did an unprecedented, bipartisan 
Special Order that honored all 79 living Congressional Medal of Honor 
recipients.
  We stood here with my colleague, Tulsi Gabbard, who has also served 
her country and continues to serve her country today in this body. We 
stood there side by side, making sure that we honored every single 
recipient.
  These are our heroes, and I was humbled to see men and women from 
both parties come here to honor those who have served our country and 
showed acts of heroism.
  But since that time, Mr. Speaker, we had someone else awarded, given 
the Congressional Medal of Honor, and I would like to stand here today 
because he didn't have the opportunity to have his story told until 
now.
  I would like to honor today the heroic efforts of the newest Medal of 
Honor recipient, Captain William D. Swenson of the United States Army. 
Captain Swenson would have made the 80th living Medal of Honor 
recipient. However, Sergeant Nicholas Oresko passed away on October 4, 
leaving the number of Medal of Honor recipients at 79 still.
  My thoughts and prayers are with Sergeant Oresko's family and 
friends.
  Captain Swenson, though, was awarded the Medal of Honor for extreme 
bravery at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty in 
the Kunar province in Afghanistan on September 8, 2009.
  Captain Swenson's combat team was ambushed as it moved into the 
village of Ganjgal for a meeting with village elders. The enemy began 
unleashing a barrage of fire onto the team. Captain Swenson immediately 
returned fire and directed his Afghan border police, while 
simultaneously calling in suppressive fire.
  Surrounded on three sides by enemy forces, Captain Swenson 
coordinated air assets and medical evacuation helicopter support to 
allow for the evacuation of the wounded.
  He ignored enemy radio transmissions demanding surrender and 
maneuvered uncovered to render medical aid to a wounded fellow soldier 
and moved him for air evacuation. With complete disregard for his own 
safety, Captain Swenson unhesitatingly led a team in an unarmored 
vehicle, exposing himself to enemy fire to recover the wounded.
  Captain Swenson's team returned to the battlefield amidst enemy fire 
again to recover three fallen marines and one fallen Navy corpsman. His 
exceptional leadership and gallantry during 6 hours, 6 hours of 
continuous fighting, rallied his teammates and effectively disrupted 
the enemy's assault.
  It is for his unwavering courage and heroism that I am proud to honor 
the actions today of Captain William D. Swenson.
  And I would be remiss, Mr. Speaker, if I did not mention the role 
that one of our other colleagues and veterans and heroes who have 
served this great country in the military and who serve this country 
now in this body, my colleague, Duncan Hunter, who played a role in 
making sure that Captain Swenson was awarded this great honor as the 
now 79th living recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
  Thank you, Mr. Wenstrup, for what you have done for veterans tonight 
and what you continue to do every single day that you are here. May God 
bless you. May God bless all those who you have honored this evening, 
and may God continue to bless the United States of America.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for that fine 
tribute.
  I would like to share a story about Major John Pryor, John Pryor, MD, 
trauma surgeon from Philadelphia. He joined the Army Reserve in 2004; 
but on September 11, 2001, seeing that his Nation was under attack, he 
got in his car and he drove to Ground Zero, hitchhiked all the way in 
after he drove as far as he could. And after that, he took care of 
people.
  After that, he started thinking that there is more that he could do 
for his country. He joined the Army Reserve. We served together in 
Iraq, became good friends; and after returning, we did a trauma 
conference together in Cincinnati.
  John returned to Iraq in 2008; and on Christmas Day, after attending 
mass, he walked out and he was hit by a mortar and killed.

[[Page 16416]]

  John was the type of person that did all for others. He left behind, 
unfortunately, a wife and three children.
  Above his desk he had a quote by Albert Schweitzer that said:

       Seek always to do something good, somewhere. Every man has 
     to seek in his own way to realize his true worth. You must 
     give some time to your fellow man. Even if it is a little 
     thing, do something for those who need help, something for 
     which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For 
     remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your 
     brothers are here too.

  It is now my privilege to yield to the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. 
Doug Collins. He serves as the Air Force Reserve Chaplain with the 94th 
Airlift Wing.
  Doug has ministered to members of our military as a chaplain in the 
Air Force Reserve since 2002. He served a combat tour, stationed at 
Balad Air Force Base in Iraq in 2008.
  I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).
  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Thank you, I appreciate that.
  Mr. Speaker, it is just an honor to be here tonight, for in 2 weeks, 
Americans across this great Nation will pause to remember, to honor, 
and to commemorate the men and women who have served the cause of 
liberty while wearing the uniform.
  Veterans Day origins come from the battlefields of Europe when, on 
the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the guns of World War 
I fell silent.
  Of all of our Nation's holidays, Veterans Day holds a special meaning 
for me and my family. This day affords a unique opportunity to reflect 
and to remember people I have served alongside in the uniform and out.
  It also reminds me tonight of not only those that I served in uniform 
with, but I continue to serve with who are actually members of my 
staff. I serve with two, one who is with me tonight in the gallery, 
retired Master Sergeant Bill Kokley, and also Vernon Robinson, Major, 
United States Army, who serves in my D.C. office as well.
  It is just a reminder of the continuity of those who serve and the 
areas in which they serve as we go forward each and every day in our 
daily walk.
  As a chaplain serving at Balad Air Base in Iraq, I was privileged to 
know and to comfort those who bore the wounds of battle. I watched in 
awe at the absolute determination and phenomenal dedication of doctors, 
nurses and medical technicians as they fought back against death itself 
to save the lives of our military warriors.
  And because of their skills, more than 98 percent of those arriving 
at Balad alive left Balad alive. That is an amazing statistic and a 
compliment to you, Congressman, and others like you, and seeing the 
others at night on the flight line, both Army and Air Force, Marine, 
Navy, and even Coast Guard, in the middle of the desert.
  I also think of the young airman I met one night while he was on 
guard duty. He didn't come to the gate when I first drove up, and I sat 
there for a second in the truck, and then he didn't come out. And he 
finally came out and he came rumbling out of the back. He said, oh, 
Chap, I'm sorry I didn't see you sitting there. I didn't see you. I 
apologize.
  I looked at him and I said, okay if it is just me, but if the colonel 
had come along, it might have been a different issue. What were you 
doing? I was going to try and help him.
  And I was ready for some excuse, that he was tired or whatever, and 
he got out a little piece of paper and he had written down. And I said, 
what are you doing?
  He said, well, I was figuring up my salary, because now I have got a 
little bit of money, and last year wasn't real good at home. Mom and 
Dad, Mom was sick and Dad got laid off, and he said, we didn't have a 
lot of Christmas.

                              {time}  2015

  He said, ``But this year, I am making big money.'' He is an A1C. 
``Big money.'' He said, ``I want to make sure that I will be able to 
send stuff home so my brother and my sister can have Christmas.'' That 
is what I met that night.
  When I came home, I carried with me a reminder, because one day, I 
picked up the Stars and Stripes--you know, in a war zone, you pick up 
anything to read, and I would pick up the Stars and Stripes, pick up 
everything. One of those papers I happened to just be reading while I 
was eating, and I opened it up, and in the Stars and Stripes, they 
carry pictures of those who did not make it. They died in combat. I 
remember opening that page up, and I looked, and along the bottom, 
there were eight pictures. I remember distinctly four of them because I 
stood beside their bed and held their hand in Balad. I carry that 
picture and that flag.
  As Congressman Wenstrup has said, the National Anthem is no longer--
if it ever was--just a song. It is a spirit that lives.
  The Ninth District of Georgia has a great legacy of citizens who have 
proudly served in our Armed Forces. This spring, we lost one of our 
greatest, Colonel Benjamin Purcell, United States Army. Colonel Purcell 
was the highest-ranking Army officer held as a prison of war.
  Colonel Purcell was commissioned a lieutenant through the Army 
Reserve Officers Training program at North Georgia College, my alma 
mater. He was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was subsequently 
sent to Europe. In August 1967, a year after I was born, he was 
stationed in Vietnam.
  Colonel Purcell became a POW after his helicopter was shot down in 
Quang Tri City, Vietnam, in 1968. Most of his time as a POW was spent 
in solitary confinement. He was unable to be with other prisoners until 
shortly before he was released. On March 27, 1973, Colonel Purcell was 
freed, as the U.S. was finally pulling out of Vietnam.
  During his military career, Purcell was awarded the Silver Star, the 
Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart, along with the 
Parachutist and Combat Infantryman badges. Colonel Purcell was laid to 
rest with full military honors.
  Colonel Purcell's courageous story is just one of the many we 
remember on Veterans Day. He will always have the thanks and admiration 
of many Georgians.
  On this Veterans Day, I will think about a young Marine from my 
hometown of Gainesville. In 2011, Corporal Sean Adams was on patrol in 
Afghanistan when he stepped on an improvised explosive device. The IED 
left him without legs, his left thumb, and his right pinky finger. He 
told me that when he went to Afghanistan, ``I fought for myself, my 
family, my country, and the Corps, and now I'm fighting for my life.''
  Sean is being medically retired from his beloved Marine Corps and is 
even now searching for the opportunity to continue to serve his 
community. He is now fitted with prosthetic legs. His stated goal is to 
run the Marine Corps Marathon next year. Having seen this young man's 
courage and strength, I am certain he will make it.
  Later this week, I have the privilege of attending a retirement 
ceremony at Dobbins Air Force Reserve Base for Colonel Timothy E. 
Tarchick, who has honorably served our Nation for his entire adult 
life. I am humbled to call him a mentor and, most importantly, my 
friend.
  These are just a few of the veterans who have touched my life. I 
often think back on the men and women of our Armed Forces with whom I 
have had the pleasure of serving our Nation, and I think of the 
conversations, the laughter, and also the tears that we have shared. It 
is often the very short or one-time interactions with a comrade in arms 
that leave the most indelible memories.
  On my desk, if you were to come to my office, if you can find it on 
the fifth floor of Cannon, you will see on my desk a little bracelet 
that was made for me by a young lady in Balad who was struggling every 
day. I would go by and see her, and I would take her stuff, and I would 
give her encouragement or I would give her a coke or give her a candy. 
One night, I came by, and she said, ``Chap, you are always giving me 
something. I want to give you something,'' and she gave me this 
parachute bracelet which sits on my desk right now.

[[Page 16417]]

  So I don't care what goes on on the floor of this House in the big 
sense because all I have to do is remember that bracelet on my desk and 
remember why we are here and what that flag means.
  This Veterans Day, let us commit ourselves to express our gratitude 
to America's veterans by remembering their service and sacrifice and, 
of course, thanking each of the veterans in our own lives in our own 
way.
  Before I yield back, I want it to be known the one who put this 
together, the gentleman who has become a valued part of my life in the 
time that we have served together.
  Lieutenant Colonel Brad Wenstrup has served in the United States Army 
Reserve since 1998. In 2005 and 2006, he served a tour in Iraq as a 
combat surgeon and was awarded the Bronze Star and the Combat Action 
Badge for his service. During his time in Congress, Brad is fulfilling 
his Reserve duties by treating patients at Walter Reed National 
Military Medical Center in Bethesda.
  I commit to you, Mr. Speaker, he is serving every day on a place 
called Capitol Hill with the gifts that he has been entrusted to by his 
Creator. He is also a soon-to-be dad who will pass along this legacy of 
service to his child.
  With that, I yield back to you, sir.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. I thank the gentleman from Georgia, my dear friend, 
Chaplain Doug Collins, for those kind words.
  We are honored to serve here with so many that have served--not all 
of them are here tonight--on both sides of the aisle.
  I think of my colleague from Illinois, Tammy Duckworth, who suffered 
severe injuries in Iraq, has bilateral leg prosthesis. She had the 
courage to serve again and to continue to serve not only in the Guard 
but here as a Congresswoman from Illinois. It is an honor to serve with 
her here on Capitol Hill.
  Teddy Roosevelt said it so well when he said, ``It is not the critic 
who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or 
where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs 
to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust 
and sweat and blood.''
  Our veterans serve. They fight in wars, wars they didn't start, and 
those who serve in war are probably the greatest lovers of peace, the 
ones who appreciate it the most.
  Our great American veterans, they may be best described in this way: 
they are what others care not to be. They go where others fear to go, 
and they do what others fail to do, and they ask nothing from those 
that gave nothing.
  I want to thank everyone for being here tonight to honor those that 
felt that they should give of themselves for something greater than 
themselves.
  You know, when I was a child, and we would go to bed at night, we 
would kiss my parents good night, and my father would come in one more 
time, and he would take his thumb, and he would make the sign of the 
cross on our forehead.
  When you tuck your children in at night, when you go to bed and you 
close your eyes and you feel safe and secure and unafraid, remember 
why.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________