[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16663]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO THOMAS ROCKROADS, JR.

  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I wish to honor Thomas Rockroads, Jr., a 
veteran of the Vietnam war. On behalf of all Montanans and all 
Americans, I would like to thank Mr. Rockroads for his service to our 
State and to our Nation. It is my privilege to share Thomas's story for 
the official Senate Record.
  Thomas Rockroads, Jr., was born on December 21, 1948, in Crow Agency, 
MT. His father worked in sawmills in both Kirby and Lame Deer and was a 
ranch hand and coal miner in Lame Deer. His mother worked for many 
years at the Northern Hotel before coming home to the Northern Cheyenne 
Reservation. He spent his childhood in Busby and attended Busby High 
School until joining the Army his junior year.
  In September of 1968, he volunteered for the Army Airborne Infantry, 
and by September of 1969, he found himself jumping out of helicopters 
and into the highlands of Vietnam. Thomas was a member of the 173rd 
Airborne Brigade, which was stationed in the hot, humid Tiger Mountains 
of Vietnam's Central Highlands. Their responsibilities included 
rescuing and evacuating ground forces, as well as setting up perimeters 
for operations. They were right in the thick of things, and, as Thomas 
once put it, ``If there was a hot spot where reinforcements were needed 
. . . we were there.'' On more than one occasion, this proved to be an 
important but harrowing position to be in. One night, when the brigade 
was charged with setting up a perimeter on a hillside, Thomas and his 
comrades felt particularly concerned. They knew the area was likely 
heavily booby-trapped, so they proceeded with extra caution. Their 
mission was to intercept the North Vietnamese forces headed in their 
direction, and after establishing a perimeter, they were allowed a few 
hours of rest before being put on high alert. A few hours later, while 
he was trying to get some sleep, Thomas suddenly heard a blast, and he 
was thrown nearly a dozen feet from his makeshift tent. Thomas quickly 
realized that someone had set off a booby trap, but before he could 
process much else, a medic began calling his name and he rushed over to 
help. Thomas worked with the medic to care for his fellow soldier, but 
shortly thereafter the man died in Thomas's arms.
  A few days later, Thomas and his brigade found themselves under siege 
again--this time, without cover, they came face to face with enemy 
soldiers. The North Vietnamese troops, equipped with an anti-aircraft 
gun and hiding inside an irrigation trench, began rapid firing on 
Thomas and his platoon. Knowing they needed air support, Thomas headed 
right toward the anti-aircraft gun--as long as it was operable, 
American helicopters couldn't access the area. However, his M16 was 
jammed, so under heavy fire, he had to dislodge the trapped bullets and 
replace them with a new magazine. He and a fellow solider finally 
located the enemy's weapon at the far end of a hedgerow and headed back 
into the firestorm with one aim--to disarm it. Before they could reach 
their target, an enemy solider intercepted them, lobbing a grenade 
directly at Thomas and his comrade. They both ran for cover, and 
thankfully the grenade failed to detonate, but mere seconds after that, 
another soldier charged them, firing wildly at Thomas and his platoon. 
The soldier was not more than 10 feet away from Thomas when he finally 
went down.
  Thomas returned to Busby, MT, a full 365 days after his deployment. 
He remarkably didn't sustain a single scratch. But like many of his 
fellow veterans, despite his lack of visible wounds, Thomas has 
struggled with the unseen wounds of war. Thirty-five years after coming 
back from Vietnam, he was formally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress 
disorder.
  Despite this often debilitating struggle, Thomas has spent the last 
30 years working for Western Energy's Rosebud Mine at Colstrip and 
raising two daughters and a son with his wife, Charlotte, of 38 years. 
He also has grandchildren. He credits his family with helping him heal. 
``It's all the support of my family that's got me where I'm at today,'' 
Thomas said. ``My wife is always supporting me. My daughters, my son 
and my grandchildren--I'm very, very fortunate.''
  However, Thomas is still haunted by his memories daily, and he 
doesn't want other soldiers to have to suffer the way he has had to. He 
believes, like I do, that our commitment to our veterans is a cost of 
war, and we must make it a priority to help, protect, and serve those 
who served. Too many of our Vietnam veterans never got the homecoming 
or the recognition they deserved. So today I am honored to have the 
opportunity to thank Thomas for his bravery both in battle and beyond. 
He is a Montanan born and bred, and his life has been a testament to 
the kind of commitment, courage, and compassion that our State can be 
proud of.
  It was my honor to recognize Thomas Rockroads, Jr. by presenting him 
with the Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam 
Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, Republic of Vietnam 
Campaign Ribbon with 1960 Device, Sharpshooter Badge with auto rifle 
bar with rifle bar, Marksman Badge with machine gun bar, and the 
Parachutist Badge Basic.
  Our State and our Nation thank you, Thomas, for your service and for 
a soldier's sacrifice.

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