E1578 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks September 20, 2012 

meet with constituents in the Champaign-Urbana area concerning financial matters of local 

Government and I missed suspension votes 

on H.R. 5044, the Andrew P. Carpenter Tax 

Act, which amends the Internal Revenue Code 

to exclude from gross income any amount attributable to the discharge of student loan indebtedness of a veteran who died as a result 

of a service-connected disability, Also I missed 

votes on H.R. 5912, which would Amend the 

Internal Revenue Code to prohibit public funds 

for political party conventions. 

Had I been present, I would have voted 

‘‘aye’’ on the above stated bills. 

f 

‘‘TAIWAN’S NATIONAL DAY’’ 

HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. 

Speaker, in celebration of Taiwan’s National 

Day on October 10th, fondly referred to as 

Double Ten Day. Since its formation, Taiwan 

has rapidly industrialized and now boasts the 

19th largest economy in the world. 

Taiwan remains important to the United 

States in its advocacy of fair democratic values across the world and its success in sustaining a dynamic multi-party system revealing 

its commitment to protecting political rights 

and freedoms. In troubled times such as 

these, it is also gratifying to know that there 

are countries that continue to put forth efforts 

that provide constructive solutions for highly 

divisive issues. 

Instead of exacerbating tensions with China, 

Taiwan has pursued positive relations with 

China by promoting economic trade. Taiwan 

has continued to maintain its own independent 

and democratic form of government, vibrant 

culture, and booming commerce. 

Once again, I would like to share in Taiwan’s celebration on their National Day. 

f 

ROY BENAVIDEZ 

HON. TED POE OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, America is 

about people. Who we are and what we are 

is because of the people who have come to 

America. We have always been and will always be a nation of immigrants. They are individuals who have lived and died and influenced the rest of us because of their tenacious spirit and determination. 

Roy Benavidez was one of those Americans. He was born in South Texas in a small 

town called Cuero, August 5, 1935. He was 

the son of a sharecropper. He was an orphan 

and he had mixed blood of Yaqui Indian and 

Hispanic. He lost his family at a young age 

and dropped out of school in the 7th grade. 

He didn’t see the need for an education at that 

time. He was a migrant farm worker. He 

worked all over Texas and as far as Colorado 

in the sugar beet fields and the cotton fields. 

In 1955 decided to join the United States 

Army, and he joined in Houston, Texas. He 

was in love with his hometown sweetheart, 

Lala Coy. While he was away in Germany on 

active duty, he asked a local priest, his grandfather and his uncle if they would go to Lala’s 

father and ask permission for Roy to marry 

her and he agreed. While he was in the Army, 

however, he was in a lot of trouble, even 

though he was a member of the Military Police. 

So he finally joined the Special Forces training at Fort Bragg where he reached the rank 

of staff sergeant and went to Vietnam as a 

Green Beret. But on May 2, 1962, his life 

changed forever. It is a story that is almost unbelievable. 

On the morning of May 2, 1968, a 12-man 

Special Forces team was inserted in Cambodia to observe a large-scale North Vietnamese troop movement, and they were discovered by the enemy. Most of the team 

members were close friends of Roy 

Benavidez, who was the forward operating officer in Loc Ninh, Vietnam. Three helicopters 

were sent to rescue this 12-man team, but 

they were unable to land because of the 

heavy enemy concentration. When a second 

attempt was made to reach the stranded 

team, Benavidez jumped onboard one of the 

helicopters, armed only with a Bowie knife. As 

the helicopters reached the landing zone, 

Benavidez realized the team members were 

likely too severely wounded to move to the 

helicopters. So he ran by himself through 

heavy small arms fire to the wounded soldiers. 

He was wounded in the leg, the face, and the 

head in the process. He reorganized the team 

and signaled the helicopters to land. But despite his injuries, Benavidez was able to carry 

off half of the wounded men to the helicopters. 

He then collected the classified documents 

held by the now dead team leader. As he 

completed this task, he was wounded by an 

exploding grenade in the back and shot in the 

stomach. At that moment, the waiting helicopter’s pilot was also mortally wounded, and 

that helicopter crashed. He ran to collect the 

stunned crash survivors and form a perimeter. 

He directed air support, ordered another extraction attempt and was wounded again when 

shot in the thigh. At this point he was losing 

so much blood from his face wounds that his 

vision became blocked. 

Finally, another helicopter landed and as 

Benavidez carried a wounded friend to it, he 

was clubbed in the head with a rifle butt by an 

enemy soldier. That soldier bayonetted 

Benavidez twice. 

Mr. Speaker, Benavidez was wounded in 

that one battle 37 times; Seven gunshot 

wounds, he had mortar shrapnel in his back, 

and two bayonet wounds. He was taken for 

dead and left for dead and zipped up in a 

body bag, but right before they zipped the bag 

up, he spit in the doctor’s face, letting the doctor know he was yet alive. 

He later recovered. He received the Distinguished Service Cross and then many years 

later Ronald Reagan presented him with the 

Congressional Medal of Honor. President 

Reagan stated that if this were a movie, no 

one would believe it because of the heroic 

deed of Roy Benavidez. 

Mr. Speaker, after he retired from the military, Roy Benavidez went around America 

talking about the importance of an education, 

since he only went to the seventh grade. He 

talked to young gang members, he talked to 

youth, telling them to stay in school and get 

an education. He was a remarkable individual. 

A Navy ship has been named after him, 

several elementary schools in Texas have 

been named after Roy Benavidez, and even a 

toy company has issued a Roy Benavidez GI 

Joe action figure. 

As we prepare to celebrate and honor Hispanic Heritage Month, one of those great Hispanic Americans was Roy Benavidez, a Texas 

hero, an American hero, a war hero that loved 

America and, as he said, got to live the American Dream the way that he wanted. 

And that’s just the way it is. 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE ALDEN 

FARMERS MARKET 

HON. BRIAN HIGGINS OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

honor of the Alden Farmers Market, a staple 

in Western New York since 2003 that brings 

community together over fresh, locally grown 

produce every Saturday morning in the summer. 

Open from late May until early October, the 

farmers market sponsored by the Alden 

Chamber of commerce, located in Alden Village Plaza allows friends, family and neighbors to enjoy a plentiful variety of fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants, chickens, beef, 

baked goods, honey, maple syrup, candy, 

spices, soaps and jellies while learning techniques of how they were made straight from 

the merchants and producers themselves. 

This rare level of personal service and 

knowledge, combined with the variety of fresh 

local products is unique to Western New York 

and surrounding farms and has become a 

practice that all western New Yorkers take 

pride in. 

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday October 6 the 

Alden Farmers Market will mark the end of its 

10th season. Small closing ceremonies will include musical artist Sara Elizabeth Genco, a 

costume and pet parade, and a second raffle 

drawing. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me 

and all Western New Yorkers in thanking the 

Alden Chamber of commerce and all local 

merchants and farmers who participated in 

this great Saturday morning tradition. 

f 

HONORING THE FOUR UNITED 

STATES PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO 

DIED IN LIBYA 

SPEECH OF

HON. LAURA RICHARDSON OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in 

support of H. Res. 786, which honors the four 

exceptional public servants who gave their 

lives in service to the United States and condemns the attacks on United States’ diplomatic facilities in Libya, Egypt, and Yemen. 

I would like to extend my condolences and 

sympathy in this time of great loss to the families of these four heroes. 

Mr. Speaker, John Christopher Stevens, the 

United States Ambassador to Libya; Sean 

Smith, Foreign Service Information Management Officer; and Tyrone S. Woods and Glen 


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