[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12292]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF JOHN CLEMENT BUDD

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TED BUDD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2017

  Mr. BUDD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a former aviator, war 
hero, and Huey helicopter pilot in Vietnam, John Clement Budd. He was 
my Uncle Jack. I remember his stories of the war--they were 
captivating. Growing up, I remember me and my brother putting on his 
old helmet and pretending we were flying. Later we didn't have to 
pretend. My oldest brother and I became civilian pilots, and my middle 
brother flew for the Army and the Air Force. The Budd family are 
fliers, Mr. Speaker, and my uncle was part of starting that proud 
tradition.
  In 1965, he flew over the infamous Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam, known 
as the ``Valley of Death,'' where he medevaced soldiers wounded by 
enemy fire. He pulled an A-6 Avenger pilot out of the line of fire at 
Ia Drang, after three other helicopters had been shot down in the 
attempt. He used to say that it was the only time he had ever been 
kissed by a colonel.
  Jack was also an exceptional mind and tactician--the tactical 
doctrine he and his fellows developed in the skies over Vietnam was 
used in the Armed Forces until the 2003 invasion of Iraq. So Jack also 
left a lasting imprint on the way we fight wars.
  Mr. Speaker, many Americans were not even born when the Berlin Wall 
came down, and Eastern Europe was freed from the cold grip of 
international Communism. Even more were not alive to witness the 
crucible that Vietnam was for our country. I am unbelievably proud that 
my uncle was there, on the front lines of that struggle.
  His courage there is among the millions of stories of service and 
sacrifice in the tapestry of our victory over an evil ideology. His 
sacrifice, and his legacy to our country will not be forgotten. I know 
his five children and nineteen grandchildren are as proud of him as I 
am.

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