•HRES 604 IH 
worthy to be remembered, in that they demonstrate the 
immeasurable value of placing the interests and goals of 
the Nation above all other interests in a manner which 
brings credibility and honor to the institution of Con-
gress; 
Whereas Sam Johnson and John Lewis have dedicated their 
lives to the betterment of our Nation both prior to and 
during their service in the United States Congress; 
Whereas Sam Johnson served in the Air Force for 29 years, 
flying in combat missions in both the Korean and Viet-
nam Wars; 
Whereas Johnson is one of the few Members of Congress to 
have flown combat missions; 
Whereas, on April 16, 1966, Johnson’s plane was shot down 
over Vietnam during his 25th combat mission, suffering 
a broken arm and back, and a dislocated shoulder; 
Whereas Johnson endured nearly seven years of repeated tor-
ture while a POW in Hanoi, Vietnam, including 42 
months in solitary confinement in a 3x9 foot dirt cell 
with a light constantly on; 
Whereas he spent 72 days in leg stocks, 21⁄2 years in leg 
irons, and experienced severe starvation; 
Whereas Johnson was part of a group of 11 prisoners known 
as the Alcatraz Gang (Hanoi Hilton), who represented 
prisoners separated from other captives for their resist-
ance to their captors; 
Whereas he never gave in to his captors demands for infor-
mation; 
Whereas Johnson was released from captivity during Oper-
ation Homecoming in 1973; 
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•HRES 604 IH 
Whereas upon return, Johnson was awarded two Silver Stars, 
two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, 
one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air 
Medals, and three Outstanding Unit Awards; 
Whereas Johnson was awarded the National Patriot Award 
from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in 2009, 
the society’s highest civilian award; 
Whereas Johnson began a homebuilding company after retir-
ing from the Air Force in 1979; 
Whereas Johnson was elected to the Texas State House of 
Representatives where he served for seven years; 
Whereas Johnson wrote an autobiography titled Captive War-
riors: A Vietnam P.O.W.’s Story in 1992; 
Whereas Johnson was elected into the U.S. House of Rep-
resentatives in 1991, representing the 3rd District of 
Texas; 
Whereas Johnson’s strength of character and devotion to oth-
ers has made him an effective and admired Member of 
the United States House of Representatives; 
Whereas John Lewis is known as one of the most courageous 
individuals of the Civil Rights Movement; 
Whereas Lewis participated in the 1961 Freedom Rides, sit-
ting in seats reserved for Whites in bus terminals along 
the South; 
Whereas Lewis was imprisoned for 40 days in the Mississippi 
State Penitentiary for participating in Freedom Rides in 
the State; 
Whereas Lewis was beaten nearly unconscious at the Grey-
hound bus station in Montgomery, Alabama, for his par-
ticipation in the Freedom Rides; 
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•HRES 604 IH 
Whereas in 1963, at age 23, Lewis was named Chairman of 
the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), 
responsible for raising student activism in the commu-
nity; 
Whereas Lewis was a designer and youngest keynote speaker 
at the historic March on Washington in August of 1963; 
Whereas, along with Hosea Williams, Lewis led 600 pro-
testers along the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala-
bama, to Montgomery, Alabama, as a demonstration for 
their right to vote; 
Whereas during the March, the protesters, including Lewis, 
were beaten by Alabama State Police, an event would be 
the catalyst to the passage of the Voter Rights Act in 
1965; 
Whereas Lewis became the director of the Voter Education 
Project, which would help nearly four million minorities 
become voters; 
Whereas in 1977, President Carter appointed Lewis to direct 
the more than 250,000 volunteers of ACTION, the Fed-
eral volunteer agency; 
Whereas Lewis is the recipient of the highest civilian honor 
granted by President Barack Obama, the Medal of Free-
dom, the Lincoln Medal from the historic Ford’s Theatre, 
the Golden Plate Award given by the Academy of Excel-
lence, the Preservation Hero award given by the National 
Trust for Historic Preservation, the Capital Award of the 
National Council of La Raza, the Martin Luther King, 
Jr. Non-Violent Peace Prize, the President’s Medal of 
Georgetown University, the NAACP Spingarn Medal, the 
National Education Association Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Memorial Award, and the only John F. Kennedy ‘‘Profile 
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in Courage Award’’ for Lifetime Achievement ever grant-
ed by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation; 
Whereas Lewis was elected to Congress in 1987, representing 
the 5th District of Georgia; 
Whereas Lewis’ courage and leadership has made him one of 
the strongest and most revered Members of the United 
States House of Representatives; and 
Whereas once in every biennial Congress, Members of the 
House should gather to reflect on the lifelong service and 
dedication these men so willingly give to their country: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives com-
memorates Representative Sam Johnson and Representa-
tive John Lewis for their patriotic service and sacrifice 
to the country they love and for becoming the first ever 
recipients of the Congressional Patriot Award. 
Æ 
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