[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2013] i would be delighted to yield to our speaker if you would like to continue this. I just want to say this. Please use the microphone. There was no question in my mind that the arguments and metements i said change to on complaint of the members. I dont believe they were notified. I believe that they truly did not get the mail in their office. I am inviting you to hear a dialogue on my protection of american policy and Foreign Affairs should be. To 1970s to go back 1972. Gentleman baldwin, a who i have the greatest respect for, chairman of our intelligence committee. You are going to ask about their policy and the vietnam war. Did you speak to your wife lately . I want you to come in and answer the questions of the philosophy you had then. You talk about angola. Ou dont talk about angola how during the Eisenhower Administration we were the very people who later on were opposed to change. You didnt say anything about things of that nature. My opinion is this. You deliberately stood before an empty house and challenged these people and you challenge their americanism and it is the lowest thing i have ever seen in my 32 years in congress. [applause] all. T me say, first of i move we take the speakers words down. [applause] from househlights floor coverage on our facebook page. Cspan, created by americas Cable Companies 35 years ago. Brought to you as a public service. Coming up on cspan, president obama awards the medal of honor to 24 medal of honor veterans. Looks at theurnal republican partys efforts to attract younger and minority voters. The campaign and fundraising operations for a Hillary Clinton president ial run. The report on transparency and the obama administration. The privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board holds a hearing this morning looking at the ford Intelligence Surveillance act that gives the Government Authority to conduct surveillance overseas. You can see this live starting at 9 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan 2. Over on cspan 3, the Brookings Institution looks at the future of nato with secretary general. Live coverage at 2 30 p. M. Eastern. The Health Care Program is going to continue and is not going to go anywhere. If we do not deal with the issue of innovation, all of those findings that occur at the , as long as wel do not understand disease and how to treat or cure them, there is no point in talking about the solution of health care problems. Coverage isance what is going to provide health insurance. When it comes to drugs, when it comes to premiums, when it comes to subsidies, where are the subsidies going to come from . From taxpayers money. People are not going to get dollars out of trees. People have to pay for that. There is a limit. Is the science of limitations. If we do not deal with that, with a better system of working on invention, understanding how we can take care of our own health, then there is no point in just having health insurance. Is going to happen is what happens in colombia right now, what happens in panama. Everybody has access to health care, but what happens in people are covered, but when it comes to medications and access to drugs, governments are having problems affording them. The future of health care a. Day night on cspans q president obama honored 24 Army Veterans tuesday with the medal of honor. The recipients were found to have been wrongly denied the award because of prejudice. They were recognized for their valor during major combat operations in world war ii, korean war and vietnam war. This ceremony from the east room was attended by the three living recipients and those Family Members being honored posthumously. This is an hour and 20 minutes. Let us pray. All knowing god, we are sometimes not the people we like ourselves to think that we are. We have at times failed to be a people whose actions measure up to our words. We have been called to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We are humbled by the love demonstrated by these men, the valor, 24 whom we honor today. From world war ii to korea and vietnam, you will hear stories would haven into a heroic hole remind us that though we may be different in many ways, we are alike. We are american soldiers. We celebrate a legacy which inspires our service, grant unto us the decency of purpose, steadfast the resolve and strength of will which these men possessed, courage, with humility that we may follow their path. Grant us eternal god, that we may never forget that the highest preeshes is not to utter a word but to become a model of what we advocate and we pray and ask in your holy name, amen. Good afternoon, everybody. Please be seated. Welcome to the white house. The presentation of our nations highest military decoration, the medal of honor is always a special occasion. But today, it is truly historic. This is the Single Largest Group of Service Members to be awarded the medal of honor since the second world war. And with several of these soldiers recognized for their valor during that war, this ceremony is 70 years in the making. As one Family Member has said, this is long overdue. Many of these families and i had a chance to meet all of them who are present here today, they have known these stories of heroism for decades. Still, they were pretty surprised when we called them to break the news about the medal of honor. Some of them thought it was a prank. \[laughter] some of them thought it was a scam. A few of them thought it might be some trick to get their credit card number. \[laughter] when i called Melvin Morris, who well recognize in a moment for his actions in vietnam, his first reaction was, oh my god, what have i done . [laughter] when i told him it was all good, the medal of honor, i could hear through the phone, he almost passed out. \[laughter] you see, for their gallantry under fire, each of these soldiers was longer recognized with the armys second highest award, the distinguished service cross. But ask their fellow veterans, ask their families and theyll tell you that their extraordinary deeds merited the highest recognition. And today we had the chance to set the record straight. This ceremony reminds us of one of the enduring qualities that makes america great, that makes us exceptional. No nation is perfect, but here in america, we confront our imperfections and face sometimes a painful past, including the truth that some of these soldiers fought and died for a country that did not always see them as equal. So in each generation we keep striving to live up to our ideals of freedom and equality and recognize the dignity and patriotism of every person, no matter who they are, what they look like or how they pray. And thats why more than a decade ago, congressman dated a review to make sure that the heroism of our veterans wasnt overlooked because of prejudice or discrimination. Our military reviewed thousands of war records. They teamed up with veterans groups and museums to get this right. It was painstaking work made even harder because sometimes our Service Members felt they needed to change their last names to fit in. That tells the story about our past. But ultimately after years of review, these two dozen soldiers, among them hispanic, African American and jewish veterans were identified as having earned the medal of honor. This is the length to which america will go to make sure that everyone who serves under our proud flag receives the thanks that they deserve. This is going to be a long ceremony and we are going to read all 24 citations, because every one is a story of bravery that deserves to be told. But first i want to take a few minutes to describe the americans behind these actions. The men these families know, the brilliant lives behind the Smiling Faces in those old photographs and how they reflected all the beauty and diversity of the country that they served. They were americans by birth and americans by choice. Immigrants, include one who was not yet even a citizen. They grew up in brooklyn, Rural Communities like hooper, nebraska, small towns like puerto rico. They loved to fish and play baseball, they were sons who made their parents proud and brothers who their siblings looked up to. They were so young. Many in their early 20s. And when their country went to war, they answered the call. They put on the uniform and hugged their families goodbye. Some of them hugged the wives and children that they would never see again. They fought in the rocky hills of italy, the bloodstained beaches of france and freezing mountains of korea and human humid jungles of vietnam. Their courage almost defies imagination. When you read the records of these individuals, its unimaginable the valor that they displayed. Running into bullets, charging machine gun nests and climbing aboard tanks and covering their comrades so they could make it to safety, holding back enemies wave after wave even when the combat was handtohand. Manning their posts, some to their very last breath so their comrades might live of the. Of the 24 american soldiers we honor today, 10 never came home. One of them, corporal Joe Baldonado from the korean war is still missing, reminding us that we have a obligation to give the families from our missing Family Members, a full accounting of their loved ones. Through their grief, the families of our fallen summon the strength to carry on. Wives whose hearts ache for their husbands, sons and daughters who grew up without their dad, nieces and nephews and grandchildren and these families join us today. And they know more than most that because others laid down their lives for us, we have been able to live our lives in freedom, pursue our dreams. So theres a legacy here, borne of sacrifice. And that includes a soldiers nephew, a kid from new york who gue up to become one of the great rock stars of all time and honors his uncle here today. It includes soldiers who came home and took different paths, some continue to serve in uniform, some beginning new careers, some getting married and raising their kids, serving their communities, taking care of their fellow vets. These veterans lived out their lives in the country that they helped to defend in doing what they loved, like William Leonard who at age 71 passed away in his back yard sitting in his chair listening to his beloved yankees play out on the radio. And thats where this story might have ended, but a friend of one of these soldiers and army vet himself set out on a mission. These soldiers and army vet himself set out on a mission. He and his wife spent years writing letters and working with congress and our military to get this done. We thank for all of those who worked so hard to bring us to this moment especially marlin and mitchell who are now 83 years old and i ask them to stand so we can say thank you. [applause] finally, of these 24 soldiers, three remain with us and have joined us here today, men who remind us that sometimes the heroes we seek are right in front of us, literally living right next door. Most days you can find jose row dello in his san antonio home, 76yearold retiree who enjoys baseball on tv and working on his 1975 chevy pickup and mowing the grass. Joe is such a humble guy that he did not even mention the ceremony to his neighbors, who i think would be pretty shocked to turn on the news tonight [laughter] and see that the guy who cuts their lawn is getting the medal of honor. [laughter] today we remember how 32yearold Sergeant First Class rodela fought through his wounds in vietnam and rallied his men during 18 hours of constant combat. Most days you can find Melvin Morris at home in port st. John, florida. 72 years old. A retired salesman and a greatgrandfather. You will find him working on his boat, going fishing, reading the bible, spending time with his beautiful wife mary, married 53 years this month. You are going to have to give me some tips. We arent that far along yet. [laughter] today we remember how 27yearold Staff Sergeant morris, one of our nations very irst green beer a berets ink about that, thats legendary, how Staff Sergeant morris recovered a fallen comrade in vietnam and took out several enemy bunkers and kept going after being shot three times. And on most days you can find santiago erevia at home in san antonio. He is a 68yearold retired postal worker. He is fixing up his house, tending to the garden, going on walks with his wife or doing some pushups to stay in shape. [laughter] today, we remember how 23yearold specialist 4 erevia, under a hail of bullets in vietnam, gave first aid to his wounded comrades and single hand he hadly destroyed four enemy bunkers. These are extraordinary americans. They are exemplary soldiers. Nd so i want to begin by welcoming santiago areef yeah to the stage for the read erevia for the reading of the citation. Santiago areceivey, United States army, the president of the United States of america authorized by act of Congress March 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of congress the medal of honor to specialist 4 santiago j. Erevia, United States army for gallantry at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Santiago j. Erevia distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a adio telephone operator in irst battalion air mobile, 101 Airborne Division near tamky republic of vietnam on may 21, 1969. Specialist 4 erevia rendered first aid to several casualties and the rest of the plaptoon moved forward. He came under intense hostile fire from four bunkers. Although he could have taken cover with the rest of the element, he chose a course of action. With heaven my fire directed at him, he moved in full view of the hostile gunners as he proceeded to crawl from one wounded man to the other gathering ammunition. Armed with two m16 rifles, he charged toward the enemy positions behind the suppressive fire of the two rifles. Under intense fire as he continued to advance, he was near the first bumpinger. Disregarding the enemy fire, he pulled the pin from a hand grenade and advanced on the bunk er, wounding the insurgent. Without hesitation, he employed identical tactics as he eliminated the next two enemies. Specialist 4 erevia exhausted his supply. Still under intense fire, he courageously charged forward. Arisk at the very edge of the bumpinger, he silenced the occupant in the for the fix at point blank range. Through his actions, the lives of the wounded were saved and the members of the Company Command post were relieved. His performance in the face of overwhelming danger was an inspiration to his entire company and contributed to the success of the mission. Specialist 4 erevias gallantry and extraordinary heroism at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty where in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflected upon his unit and he United States army. [applause] Sergeant First Class melvin orris. Sergeant first class Melvin Morris, distinguished himself by acts of gallantry above and beyond the call of duty while serving as commander of a strike force drawn from company d, fifth special forces Group Airborne during combat operations against an armed nemy in the city of chi lang republicic of vietnam. Staff morris affiliated company were engaged by a Hostile Force. He learned by radio that a fellow Team Commander had been killed near an enemy bunker and reorganized his men into an effective assault posture before advancing forward and splitting off with two men to recover the Team Commanders body. Observing the maneuver, the Hostile Force concentrated its fire on his threeman element and wounded both men accompanying him. After assisting the two wounded back, Staff Sergeant morris charged forward with only his men suppressive fire as cover. While enemy gun placements were against him, Staff Sergeant morris destroyed the positions with hand grenades and continued his assault eliminating four bunkers. Upon reaching the bumpinger nearest the fallen Team Commander, he repulsed the enemy and began the trek back to friendly lines. He was wounded three times as he struggled forward but succeeded in returning his fallen comrade to a fall safe position. They are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his you noit and the United States army. His unit and the United States army. [applause] master Sergeant First Class jose rodela. Aster Sergeant Jose rodela served as a Company Commander b36, company a, fifth special forces group, First Special forces against an armed on september 1, 1969. Hat afternoon, Master Sergeant rodelas battalion were under gun fire. Ignoring the enemy fire, Master Sergeant rodela began placing his men into defensive positions to prevent the enemy overrunning the entire battalion exposing himself to enemy fire, he moved from position to position providing suppressing fire and assisting wounded and was wounded in the back and head while recovering a wounded comrade. Alone, Master Sergeant rodela assaulted and knocked out the b40 rocket positions before returning to the battalions perimeter. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States army. [applause] before jose returns to his seat, i just want to ask santiago and melvin to return to the stage, please. This is a remarkable moment. And as they come up, i would take their positions, i would like to recall the words of a poet, though much is taken, much abides and tho we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are. One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and faith, but strong in will to strive to seek, to find and not to yield. Antiago erevia, Melvin Morris, jose rodela, in the thick of the fight, all those years ago, for your comrades and your country, you refused to yield. And on behalf of a grateful nation, we all want to thank you for inspiring us, then and now, with your strength, your will and your heroic hearts. Lease give them a big round of applause. [applause] gentlemen, thank you. Please take your seats. Well proceed with the rest of he ceremony. L. Pecialist 4, leonard alvarado. Specialist 4 leonard alva radioedo distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifle man with company d, second against , 12th cavalry an armed enemy in vietnam on on that day, our auto and a small Reaction Force move through dense jungle en route to a beleaguered the tune. A beleaguered platoon. Quick reaction, he and his comrades were pinned down by the Hostile Force that blocked the path through the trapped platoon. He moved forward through the hostile machine gun fire in order to engage the enemy troops. Suddenly, a grenade exploded nearby stunning him. Retaliating immediately, he killed the enemy just as another enemy barage wounded him. He crawled forward to pull several comrades back. Realizing his element needed to break away from the Hostile Force, he began maneuvering forward alone. Thrown to the ground repeatedly, he kept advancing and firing, silencing several, including one enemy machine gun position. From his position he laid suppressive fire on the Hostile Forces and after the enemy troops had broken contact, his comrades discovered he died. For his extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life above and the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of service and reflects upon himself, his unit and the United States army. [applause] class felix mrst. Uest felix m condefalcon he distinguished himself while acting as an acting platoon letter in company d, first italian, 501st infantry regiment, third brigade, 82nd Airborne Division during combat republic ofn the vietnam on april 4, 1969. While and filling a heavily wooded section, firstclass condefalcon and his company encountered a bunker complex later identified as a battalion command post. Following artillery and airstrikes on the enemy position, Sergeant First Class condefalcons platoon was selected to assault and clear the bunker fortifications. Leon ahead of his platoon, Sergeant First Class. Ondefalcon charged as the hostile fire increased, he crawled to the blind cried of the entrenchment position, jump to the roof, and tossed a grenade into the bunker aperture. He proceeded to two additional bunkers, both of which he destroyed. Platoon, hes advanced about 100 meters through the trees become before becoming under intense fire. He moved towards the flanking position. He singlehandedly assaulted the nearest fortification, killing the enemy inside before running out of ammunition. After returning to the three men with his empty up in and taking up an m16 rifle, he concentrated on the next bunker. With than 10 meters of his goal, Sergeant First Class condefalcon was shot by an unseen sailing and assailant and soon died of his wound. His selflessness and heroism at the cost of his own life are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] four ardie r. Copas. Specialist for ardie r. Copas distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner in company c, first the tiein mechanize, first infantry regiment, 23rd infantry regiment during combat operations in cambodia on may 12, 1970. That morning, the company was attacked by a large, Hostile Force firing rocket propelled grenades and rocket automatic weapons. As specialist four copas returned fire, his car was struck, knocking him to the ground and injuring four american soldiers by the vehicle. Ignoring his wounds, specialist four copas remounted the burning vehicle and commenced firing his machine gun at the belligerents. Breaking the hostile fire and a possible detonation of the mortar rounds inside the track, he maintained a heavy volume of suppressive fire on the faux while the wounded americans were safely evacuated. Undaunted, specialist four copas continued to place devastating volleys of fire upon the adversary until he was mortally wounded when another enemy round his vehicle. Copas daringr action resulted in the safe evacuation of his comrades. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest additions of military service and in foot rate credit upon himself, his unit, and United States army inflict great credit upon himself, his unit, and United States army. [applause] accepting on behalf of her father, specialist four jesus s. Duran. Specialist four jesus s. Duran distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty all serving as an acting m16 machine gun or in company e, second battalion, fifth cavalry, First Cavalry Division air mobile ring combat operations against armed enemy in the republic of vietnam on april 10, 1969. Platoon wasssance moved into a bunker complex when the lead elements begin taking concentrated fire. The command post was in danger of being overrun. With an m16 machine gun blazing from his have his hip, you rushed forward and assumed a defensive position near the command post. Specialist four do ran up specialist four dduran stood tall. Learning that two seriously wounded troopers were helplessly pinned down under fire, specialist four duran assaulted the enemy position on the run. He fired rectally into the enemys foxhole, illuminating for and cutting down several others as they fled. Specialist four duran then again to poor effect fire on the fleeing enemy. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect hist credit upon himself, unit, and the United States army. [applause] accepting on behalf of of sergeant Candelario Garcia. Sergeant Candelario Garcia distinguished it self by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an acting team leader for company b, first battalion, second infantry, first brigade, first Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed of vietname republic on december 8, 1968. Conducting reconnaissance, Sergeant Garcia and his platoon discovered communication wire and other signs of an Enemy Base Camp leading into a densely vegetated area. They came upon intense fire. Several men were hit and trapped in the open. Ignoring the bullets, Sergeant Garcia crawled to within 10 meters of a machine gun bunker, let to his feet, and ran directly at the fortification, firing his rifle as he charged. Sergeant garcias jammed grenades into the import and placed the muzzle of his looking inside, killing the occupants. Continuing to expose himself to fire, Sergeant Garcia raced 15 meters to another bunker and killed his three defenders with hand grenades and rifle fires. After braving the enemy roche to rescue two casualties, he joined an assault which overran the array the remaining enemy positions. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest additions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] accepting on behalf of his are old and upward baldonado. He served as an acting machine gunner in the hundred 83rd Airborne Regiment in korea on november 25, 1950. On that morning, the enemy. Aunched a strong attack most ofoon had extended its ammunition and the platoon leader decided to commit his third squad in a defensive action. Since there was no time to dig in because of the proximity of the enemy who advanced within. 5 yards, the court 25 yards, the corporal provided a withering stream of fire on the enemy. The enemy than concentrated all their fire on his gun and attempted to knock it out by rushing the position in small groups and hurling hand grenades. Explodedimes, grenades extremely close to the corporal but failed to interrupt his continuous firing. I hostile troops made repeated attempts to storm him and with your with casualties. A grenade landed near his gun, killing him instantly. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and United States army. [applause] accepting on behalf of his father, Corporal Victor h. Espinoza. Corporal victor h. Espinoza, distinguish himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an active rifleman in company a, 23rd infantry regiment, Second Infantry Division during combat against an armed enemy in korea on august 1, 1952. On that day, Corporal Espinoza and his units were responsible for securing and holding a vital enemy hill. As a friendly unit neared its objective, it was subjected to a devastating volume of enemy fire. , being fullynoza aware of the hazards, left his place of comparative safety and made deliberate oneman assault on the enemy with his rifle and grenades, destroying a machine gun and killing the crew. Toporal espinoza continued cross the terrain to an exposed Vantage Point where he attacked a mortar position and two bunkers with grenades and rifle fire, knocking out the enemy mortar position and destroying old bunkers and killing their occupants. Upon reaching the crest and running out of rifle ammunition, he called for more grenades. Himmrade who was behind threw some chinese grenades to him. Immediately upon catching them, he pulled the pins and rolled them into the occupied trenches, killing and wounding more of the enemy with their weapons. Continuing on, he made a daring charge inflicting at least seven more casualties upon the enemy who were fast retreating into the tunnel. Corporal espinoza was in pursuit that hostile fire from the opening prevented him from overtaking the retreating enemy. As a result, Corporal Espinoza destroy the tunnel with tnt, called for more grenades, and hold them at the enemy troops until they were out of reach. Corporal espinozas incredible this way of valor secure the point and took a heavy toll on the enemy, resulting in at least 14 dead and 11 wounded. Corporal espinozas extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest tradition of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and United States army. [applause] accepting on behalf of his uncle, sergeant eduardo c. Gomez. Oc gomezed ward distinguish himself above and beyond the call of duty while i, eighthth Company Cavalry regiment, First Cavalry Division during combat against onarmed enemy in korea september 3, 1950. While conducting combat controls, Sergeant Gomezs company was ruthlessly attacked by a Hostile Force which moved within 75 yards of the command post before was immobilized. Tank and multiple enemy machine guns continue to rake become funny perimeter rank the company perimeter. Voluntarilyez crawled 30 yards across an open field, folder bull to enemy fire, boarded the tank, pride open one of the hatches on the turk and drop in activity grenade into the hole, killing the crew. Wounded in the left side while returning, Sergeant Gomez refused evacuation. Of aving at the tripod machine gun was rendered inoperable amah he cradled the weapon in his arm, return to the defensive positions, and swept the assaulting force. Although his weapon overheated hands, Sergeant Gomez maintained his stand and upon orders to withdraw in the face of overwhelming enemy superiority, remain too provides protective fire it up he exacted protective fire. He would not consent to leave his post for medical attention until the company establish new defensive position. Selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are keeping with the highest duty of the united of the armed services. [applause] accepting on behalf of her uncle, private first class leonard m. Kravitz. Private first class lemon leonard m. Kravitz the stingers himself by acts above and beyond the cal of duty well serving as an assistant machine gun with company m, 24th Infantry Division, during combat 6erations in korea on march and seventh, 1951. After friendly elements had repulsed probing attacks, the enemy launched a fanatical onsite charge with supporting fire and despite staggering losses wrest the assault with ruthless determination. When the machine gunner was wounded in the initial phase of the action, private first class kravitz sees the weapon and poured devastating fire into the race of the oncoming assails. They exploited a breach on the left flank, leaving the position untenable. Upon orders to withdraw, he voluntarily remained to provide protective fire for the elements are treated. Private first class kravitz swept the hostile soldiers with fire, killing the entire group. His district of retaliation caused the enemy to concentrate fire on his position and enabled friendly elements to withdraw. Later, after friendly troops had returned, arrived firstclass kravitz was found dead behind the gun he had so heroically manned, surrounded by numerous enemy dead. Andextraordinary heroism selflessness at the cost of his own life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] excepting on behalf of her father, Sergeant Juan e. Negron. Sergeant juan e. Negron distribution self i ask of gallantry and intrepidity above in beyond the call of duty the 65th infantry regiment, third Infantry Division during operations against an armed enemy in korea on april 28, 1951. Sergeant negron took up the most vulnerable position on an exposed right flank after an enemy had overrun the line. When notified that elements of his company were withdrawing, the sergeant refused to leave his position, instead delivering fire at possible truths hostile troops. When they approach, he accurately hurled hand grenades and short grenades at short range. He held through the night. From the forces relieved him and found the bodies of 15 enemy soldiers surrounding his position. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] Michael David ayn you, accepting on behalf of his father, Master Sergeant mike c pena. Penar Sergeant Mike c. Distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty of serving as a member of Company Division inalry korea on september 4, 1950. Under cover of darkness am a an enemy battalion moved to within a few yards of Master Sergeant penas platoon. He and his men opened fire, but the enemys sudden emergence and accurate fire forced the troops to withdraw. Pena reorganized his men and lead them in a counterattack which succeeded in regaining the position they had just lost. He and his men quickly established a defensive perimeter and lay down fire. Hurl troops continue to themselves at the defenses in overwhelming numbers. Realizing there scarce supply of ammunition would soon make your positions untenable, he ordered his men to fall back and man a machine gun to cover their withdrawal. He singlehandedly held back the enemy until the early hours of the following morning when his position was overrun and he was killed. Master sergeant penas extraordinary hair was a man selflessness at the cost of his own life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] , Sergeant Ashley randall accepting on behalf of her grandfather, private demand seo rivera. Dimensio whiletinguished himself serving as an automatic rifleman in the seventh infantry management infantry regiment income fund in combat 1950 one. On may 23, a large Hostile Force a merge from a dense font and attacked private rivera and his comrades. Responded bya firing until his weapon jam. He threw his rifle down and began to engage the enemy with pistol and grenades. At one point, the private fearlessly called crawled through in a placement to engage a soldier in hand to hand combat. With only the sound of footsteps to guide his aim, private rivera held his position against the odds, inflicting casualties on the enemy until he found himself without ammunition of any kind except for one grenade. Displaying a peerless fighting spirit, private rivera pulled the pin from his last grenade and calmly waited for the enemy to reach his position. Lead inside troops the bunker, private rivera activated the grenade with the full knowledge that it meant his almost certain death. When the debris from the explosion had cleared, Friendly Forces recovered a severely wounded private rivera and discover the bodies of four dead or dying soldiers surrounding him. Andextraordinary heroism selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest tradition of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] joe rodriguez, accepting on behalf of his uncle, private miguel a. Vera. Private miguel a. Vera distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty all serving as an automatic rifleman with company f, 30th infantry regiment, Second Infantry Division, inquiry on september 21, 1952. Despite suffering from wounds inflicted in a previous battle, the private voluntary left the aid station to join his comrades in attack against a well fortified enemy positions on a hill of great importance. When the assaulting elements had moved within 20 yards of the enemy position, they were suddenly trapped by a heavy volume of mortar, artillery, and small arms fire. The Company Prepared to make a limited withdrawal but private vera volunteered to remain behind provide covering fire. As his company moved to safety, the private remained steadfast in his position, directing accurate fire against the hostile positions to spite the volume of fire which the enemy was concentrating upon him. Theyd her in the morning when the Friendly Force research, they discovered private bear in the same position. His selfsacrifice saved many lives. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest tradition in the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] accepting onstein, behalf of her husband, Sergeant Jack weinstein. Weinsteinack distinguish himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while reading first platoon, company g, 23rd infantry regiment, in korea on october 19, 1951. 30 enemy troops counterattack sergeant weinsteins platoon. Most of the platoon members had been wounded and withdrew under the heavy fire. Remained innstein his position and continued to fight off the onrushing enemy, killing at least six with his rifle before running out of ammunition. Under heavy fire, sergeant weinstein refused to withdraw and continued fighting by throwing enemy hand grenades found lying near his position. He halted the enemy process and inflicted casualties. Alone and unaided, he held the ground which is platoon had fought to take and held out against overwhelming odds until another platoon was able to relieve him and drive back the enemy. Sergeant weinsteins lake had been broken by an enemy grenade and old wounds and reopen. He refused to withdraw and successfully bought time for his comrades to reach friendly lines. Sergeant weinsteins extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect rate credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] excepting on behalf of her. Ather, private pedro cano distinguishedcano himself above and beyond the call of duty while serving with company c, eighth infantry regiment, for Infantry Division during combat operations during an enemy in germany on december 2 and third, 1944. On the afternoon of the second, americans launched an attack against german emplacements but were repulsed by machine gun fire. Armed with a rocket launcher, private cano crawled through a mighty area under fire and successfully reached a point within 10 yards of the nearest emplacement. He quickly fired a rocket into the position, killing the two gunners and five supporting rifleman. Without hesitating, he fired into a second position, killing two more gunners and proceeded to assault the position with hand grenades, killing several others in dispersing the rest. When an adjacent company encountered heavy fire, private cano crossed his company front, crept within 15 yards of the nearest emplacement, and kill the two machine gunners with a rockette. With another round he killed two or gunners more gunners. On the following day, his company renewed the attack and again encountered machine gun fire it up he again machine gun fire. He again crossed the terrain and killed six gunners. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and United States army. [applause] miriam adams, excepting on behalf of her uncle, private joe gandara. He distinguished himself above and beyond the call of duty while serving with company d, second battalion, 507th parachute infantry regiment, 70 Airborne Division against an armed enemy in france on june 9, 1944. On that day, private gandara attachment came under fire from a strong german force, pinning the man to the ground for a. Of four hours. The private advanced alone to the enemy position. Firing from the hip as he moved forward, he destroyed three hostile machine guns before he was fatally wounded. His extraordinary heroism at the cost of his own life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and United States army. [applause] excepting on behalf of his brother, private first class salvador j. Lara. Private first class salvador j. Lara distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and in trinity with the second platoon, company l, 180 infantry, 45th Infantry Division during combat operations in italy on may 27 and 28, 1944. On the afternoon of the 27th, private first class lara let his inflicting large numbers of casualties on the enemy. Having taken his objective, private first class lara noticed the unit to his right was meeting stiff resistance from a well entrenched enemy force in a ditch. Gathered three men and attack a wide section of the enemy position, killing four and forcing 15 others to surrender and causing two mortar crews to abandon their weapons. Andofficial performance enable his unit and the unit to the right to continue to their objective. The next morning as his company resume the attack, try the first death lara sustained a severe leg wound but did not stop to receive first aid. Class larafirst sustained a severe leg wound but did not stop receive first aid. His Company Received severe casualties after been fired on upon by machine gun. After receiving permission to destroy the machine gun, he crawled alone towards the nearest machine gun. Despite his painful wound and the extreme danger, he rose and charge the nets, killing the crew members. Other machine gun opened fire on him but he quickly neutralize this weapon with accurate fire, killing three more of the enemy. His aggressive attack force to other machine gun crews to flee their weapons. After rejoining his company, he continued his Exemplary Performance until he captured his objective. Private first class laras extraordinary heroism and selflessness are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] exceptinga kennedy, on behalf of her father, private first class william f. Leonard. Private first class william f. Leonard distinguished himself by acts of gallantry above and beyond the call of duty all in the as a squad leader third Infantry Division against an armed enemy near france on november 7, 1944. Private first class leonards platoon was reduced to seven men as a rigged salt of enemy fire. Gas as a result of enemy fire reduced to seven men as a result of enemy fire. He led them in an assault as they were fired upon. Ignoring both which pierced his pack, e killed two snipers of 50 and 75 yards and engaged a machine gun nest with grenades killing its crew. By anarily stunned exploding shell, he relentlessly advanced ultimately knocking out a second machine gun nest and capturing their objective. Private first class leonards extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] alice mendoza, excepting on behalf of her husband, Staff Sergeant men wealthy mendoza v. Mendoza. He distinguished himself above in beyond the call of duty the 88th Infantry Division during combat operation against in italy onmy october 4, 1944. That afternoon, the enemy launched a violent counterattack proceeded by a mortar barrage. Already wounded in the arm, he grabbed a submachine gun and ran to the crest of the hill where he saw approximately 200 enemy troops charging up the slopes employing flamethrowers, rifles, and hand grenades. Staff Sergeant Mendoza began to engage the enemy, firing five clips and killing 10 enemy soldiers. Ammunition,ting his he picked up a car being an empty since a carbine and emptied his magazine. And enemy flamethrower at almost reached the crest but was eliminated when he drew his pistol and fire. Staff Sergeant Mendoza jumped into a machine gun and placement that had been abandoned and opened fire. Unable to engage the entire force from his location, he picked up the gun and move forward, firing from the hip and spring a hail of bullets into the oncoming enemy causing them to break into the confusion. He set the machine gun on the ground and continue to fire until the gun jammed. Without hesitating, he began to throw hand grenades at the enemy housing them to flee. After the enemy had withdrawn, he advanced down the forward slope of the foot of the hill, retrieved numerous weapons, captured a wounded soldier, and return to consolidate friendly positions with all available man. Staff Sergeant Mendozas gallant stand salted and 30 german soldiers killed and a successful defense of the hill. His extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect a ray credit upon himself, and the United States army. [applause] excepting on behalf of his first cousin, Sergeant Alfred b nietzel. He distinguished themselves himself while serving as a Section Leader for company h, 16th infantry regiment, first Infantry Division during combat operations in germany on november 18, 1944. That afternoon, sergeant nietzel fought to repel an enemy against his unit. The sergeant employed intense fire from his machine gun and successfully slowed the advance. The overwhelming enemy force continued to press forward. Realizing he desperately needed reinforcement, the sergeant ordered the three remaining embers of his squad to return to the Company Command post. He turned his attention to covering them with fire. After expending all of his ammunition, the sergeant began firing his rifle into the attacking ranks until he was killed by the explosion of anatomy grenade. Nietzels selflessness ifethe cost of his own l reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] dr. Terry schwab, excepting on behalf of his father, First Lieutenant donald k. Schwab. First lieutenant donald k. Schwab distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty all serving as the commander of company e, 15th infantry regiment, third Infantry Division against an armed enemy near france on september 17, 1944. As he let his company across 400 yards of exposed ground, and intense forthof fire sprung without warning from the woods in front of the american force. First lieutenant schwab extricated his men from the attempted ambush and lead them back to a deaf lady position. Desolated position. Led them forward into the lethal enemy fire. One halted a second time, First Lieutenant schwab moved from man to man to supervise collection of the wounded and organize his companys withdrawal. Ade, he rallied his force and successfully worked his way to within 50 yards of the german before ordering his men to hit the dirt. While weapon fire laced around him, he rushed forward alone, firing his carbine at the german foxholes, aiming for the machine gun pistol nests. Silhouetted through the mist and rain by enemy flares, he charged a german emplacement, ripped the cover off the firing pit, struck headerman gunner on the with his rifle but, and dragged him back to the line. His actions so disorganized the resistant that enemy forces withdrew, abandoning their orderable defensive line formidable defensive line. Hair above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States army. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, it is very rare where we have the opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary courage and patriotism of such a remarkable collection of men. We are so grateful to them. We are so grateful to their families. It makes us proud and it makes us inspired. Before we conclude the program, i would ask all those who have witnessed this extraordinary day to please rise and give these latest recipients of the medals of honor your warmest applause. [applause] will you give us the benediction . Let us pray. Almighty god, you have surrounded us with this great crowd of witnesses, encouraged by their good example, a verse appeared and completed a mission that is set before us. Of their unflinching courage and honor, dignity and devotion inspire our service, to strengthen our spirits, that we work for a true and lasting peace. This we ask in your holy name, amen. Thank you so much. This concludes our program but lees, please, enjoy the white house. We are so glad you could come. I bless you and god bless america. God bless you and god bless america. [applause] the Oversight Board holds a hearing this morning looking at the part of the foreign Intelligence Surveillance act you can see this event live starting at 9 a. M. Eastern on cspan 2. The Brookings Institution looks at the future of nato, where the with the secretary general. I would be delighted to yield to our distinguished speaker if he wishes to continue. There is no question in my mind that the arguments in the statements that i said on this complaint of me by the members. First, that they had not been notified. I do not believe they were notified. I believe they did not get the mail in their office. Number two, the sense of your letter here. I am inviting you to hear a dialogue on my perception of what american policy and Foreign Affairs should be. Go back you did not tell me you are going to go back to 1972 get clips. You were going to ask a question as to their policy and how they felt about the vietnam war and the question did you beat your wife lately. In and answercome the questions of the philosophy that you had then. You talk about angola. You do not talk about angola. How during the Eisenhower Administration we were the very people that later on innocent people were opposed to. You dont say anything about things of that nature. My personal opinion is this. Before an empty house and challenge these people and you challenge their americanism. It is the lowest thing that i have ever seen in my 32 years in congress. If i may reclaim my time. I move that we take the speakers words down. More highlights from 35 years of coverage. Live on cspan today, washington journal is next with the news of the day. The Heritage Foundation looks at the Federal Reserve on the hundred anniversary. Janet yellen holds her first news conference. The center for strategic and International Studies hosts a conversation on russia with former National Security advisers. In 45 minutes, Karlyn Bowman addressing younger voters. Mark halperin on the campaign and fundraising operation for a possible Hillary Clinton president ial run. Transparency and the obama administration. The guest will be sean moulton. You can join the conversation on facebook and twitter. Host General Motors ceo barraed borrow marry testifying on faulty ignition switches. Toyota will settle in order to over criminal probe disclosure over safety issues. Good morning. It was one year ago that the Republican National committee embarked on a priority to reach