Date: 2013-10-29
Speaker: RODNEY DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: 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 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 hasnt 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 Nations 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 Nations 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 didnt 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 Oreskos 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 Swensons 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 Swensons 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 enemys 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.