To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina, as the "Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center".

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for four bills that are before the House. H.R. 366, H.R. 2546, H.R. 2602, and S. 229 honor four Medal of Honor recipients who through their diligence and self-sacrifice protected the freedoms we hold dear today. As we move toward the Fourth of July recess, it is fitting that we pay tribute to these four men, two of whom were Native Americans.

H.R. 366 would pay honor to Ernest Childers by naming the VA Outpatient Clinic in Tulsa, OK, the ``Ernest Childers Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic.'' A Creek Indian from Oklahoma, Ernest Childers enlisted in the Oklahoma National Guard in 1937 to earn extra money while attending the Chilocco Indian School in north-central Oklahoma. He was deployed to Africa to fight in World War II, and retired from the Army in 1965 as a Lieutenant Colonel. During action in 1943 in Oliveto, Italy, Childers ordered covering fire and advanced up a hill, single-handedly killing two snipers, silencing two machine gun nests and capturing an enemy mortar observer. His courageous action helped American troops win the battle and save the lives of American soldiers. Ernest Childers was also awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his actions.

H.R. 2546 would honor the sacrifice of a Cherokee Indian from North Carolina, Private First Class Charles George, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country in Korea. This legislation would name the VA Medical Center in Asheville, NC, as the ``Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.'' Private First Class George displayed gallantry and outstanding courage above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy, when enemy forces launched a grenade into his company and after calling out a warning to his comrades, he pushed one soldier out of danger, and with full knowledge of the consequences, unhesitatingly threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the explosion. It is more than fitting that we name this VA facility in his honor.

H.R. 2602 would pay tribute to Oscar G. Johnson by naming the VA Medical Facility in Iron Mountain, MI, the ``Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility.'' Another of our World War II heroes, U.S. Army Sergeant Oscar Johnson led his company to protect the left flank of an offensive to break the German's Gothic Line. Under heavy fire, most of his company were either killed or wounded. Yet Sergeant Johnson held the line, and continued to single- handedly hold the line from September 16-18, 1944. On September 17, 1944, 25 German soldiers surrendered to him. He was sent two additional men to reinforce his position, but they were both injured and were removed to their rear. He remained on watch through the night, and when finally relieved of his post on September 18, 1944, 20 dead Germans were found in front of his position. By his heroic stand and utter disregard for personal safety, Sergeant Johnson was in a large measure responsible for defeating the enemy's attempts to turn the exposed left flank.

The final bill under consideration is S. 229, which would honor Raymond G. ``Jerry'' Murphy by naming the VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM, the ``Raymond G. Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.'' Serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in Korea, Second Lieutenant Murphy had positioned his unit above the Imjin River facing the Chinese Communist troops. On February 3, 1953, American forces attacked the Chinese Communists who were dug into high ground. As the battle went on, sensing the operation was not being executed as planned, Lieutenant Murphy led his reserve platoon up the hill to find all the officers and noncoms of the two assault platoons dead or wounded and confusion among the troops. In the midst of machine gunfire, he ordered his men to find their comrades and evacuate the area. Jerry Murphy made several trips in the midst of heavy gunfire to rescue casualties. At one point, Jerry Murphy was helping lift a stretcher when he was hit in the back by fragments of an enemy grenade. He refused medical attention and continued to lead his men to rescue their wounded comrades, holding off the Chinese Communist troops with an automatic rifle until all the Marines were safe. Wounded a second time, Second Lieutenant Murphy continued to refuse treatment and provided cover for his troops, until all Marines were safe and accounted for. The House companion bill for S. 229 is H.R. 474, introduced by Congresswoman Heather Wilson.

The four men we pay tribute today served their country with honor, valor, and courage. The three Medal of Honor recipients who survived to return to the United States continued to serve their country in the military and in public service. After his retirement from the military in 1965, Ernest Childers continued his public service as a leader among the Creek Nation, and spoke out against racism. Oscar Johnson continued to serve his country as the foreman of a National Guard vehicle maintenance shop in Lansing, MI, and served for 30 years with the National Guard. Raymond Murphy dedicated 20 years of his life helping veterans in New Mexico, serving as the Director of the Veterans Services Division of the Albuquerque, NM, VA Regional Office from 1974- 1997. After his retirement from the VA, he continued to volunteer at the VA hospital in Albuquerque. As a final tribute to the veterans he cared for, upon his death this past April, Raymond Murphy requested to be buried in his VA Volunteer smock.

It is right and fitting that we pay tribute to these Medal of Honor recipients, who through their service to a grateful Nation, continue to provide inspiration, pride and encouragement for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 2546, which would rename the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina, the Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

This legislation was introduced by my colleague from North Carolina, Representative Heath Shuler, and I appreciate his efforts to bring this bill to the floor for consideration so that we can pay tribute to yet another Medal of Honor recipient.

This legislation honors a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice for his comrades in arms and for his country. As a grateful Nation, it is fitting and right to offer tribute to him by giving his name to a facility that expresses our Nation's promise to those who served us in military uniform.

Private First Class Charles George was a native of Cherokee, North Carolina, and a member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. He served his country bravely in the U.S. Army and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on the night of November 30, 1952.

On that night in Korea, Private First Class George was a member of a raiding party committed to engage the enemy and capture a prisoner for interrogation. During the execution of its mission, the group was subjected to intense enemy fire and suffered several casualties. PFC George fought valiantly and, upon reaching the crest of the hill, leapt into the trenches and closed with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. When friendly troops were ordered to pull back upon completion of the mission, he and two comrades provided cover for the withdrawal of troops. While they were leaving the trenches, a grenade was hurled into their midst. PFC George shouted a warning to his comrades, pushed one soldier out of the way, and threw himself on the grenade. Even though severely injured and certainly in agony, PFC George remained quiet so that his comrades' position would not be disclosed. His companions evacuated him to the first aid station, where he shortly succumbed to his wounds.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I will submit the text of Private First Class George's Medal of Honor citation for the Record.

*George, Charles

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army,

Company C, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division.

Place and date: Near Songnae-dong, Korea, 30 November 1952.

Entered service at: Whittier, N.C. Born: 23 August 1932,

Cherokee, N.C. G.O. NO.: 19, 18 March 1954. Citation: PFC

George, a member of Company C, distinguished himself by

conspicuous gallantry and outstanding courage above and

beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy on the

night of 30 November 1952. He was a member of a raiding party

committed to engage the enemy and capture a prisoner for

interrogation. Forging up the rugged slope of the key terrain

feature, the group was subjected to intense mortar and

machine gun fire and suffered several casualties. Throughout

the advance, he fought valiantly and, upon reaching the crest

of the hill, leaped into the trenches and closed with the

enemy in hand-to-hand combat. When friendly troops were

ordered to move back upon completion of the assignment, he

and 2 comrades remained to cover the withdrawal. While in the

process of leaving the trenches a hostile soldier hurled a

grenade into their midst. PFC George shouted a warning to 1

comrade, pushed the other soldier out of danger, and, with

full knowledge of the consequences, unhesitatingly threw

himself upon the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the

explosion. Although seriously wounded in this display of

valor, he refrained from any outcry which would divulge the

position of his companions. The 2 soldiers evacuated him to

the forward aid station and shortly thereafter he succumbed

to his wound. PFC George's indomitable courage, consummate

devotion to duty, and willing self-sacrifice reflect the

highest credit upon himself and uphold the finest traditions

of the military service.

Mr. Speaker, Private First Class Charles George's incomparable heroism exemplifies the courage, self-sacrifice, and patriotism that are woven throughout the fabric of our Armed Forces. His consuming regard for his comrades exemplifies the very strong bond of those who served in the military feel for one another. PFC George made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and it befits that signal act that we name the Asheville North Carolina VA Medical Center in his honor.

I urge my colleagues to support this excellent legislation, introduced by Mr. Shuler, so that we can name the facility in honor of a very, very brave man who helped our country and certainly the country of South Korea during the Korean War.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this is an important resolution, H. Res. 744, obviously, recognizing the contributions of Native American veterans is important, and asking the President to issue a proclamation urging the people of the United States to also observe a day of honor for Native American veterans. My colleague from California has talked about this. It's interesting; we recognize the contributions of Native American veterans to our society and, of course, by so doing, we are recognizing their achievements, their singular achievements, if I might add. I compliment the resolution that was introduced by my good friend, the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson), and the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth Sandlin) for their support and also their prescience for bringing this bill forward.

We have Veterans Day less than a week away, my colleagues. I think it's important this body recognize one often overlooked group of veterans. These veterans have made numerous contributions to the United States military, not just recently in World War II, but as far back as the War of 1812. Currently, there are 195,000 Native American veterans who live in the United States. According to the U.S. Army Center of Military History Web site, there have been 24 Native American Medal of Honor recipients since the Civil War. Let me just repeat that. There have been, according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History Web site, there have been 24 Native American Medal of Honor recipients.

During World War II, we know about the Navajo Code Talkers, whose ranks

in the Pacific Theater exceeded 400 during World War II, and in all six Marine divisions from 1942 to 1945. They were credited with saving thousands of lives and actually hastening the end of the war itself. At the time of the war, World War II, fewer than 30 non-Native speakers understood the Navajo's unwritten language. The size and simple complexity of the language made the code extremely difficult to comprehend, much less decipher. In fact, it was not until 1968 that the United States Government declassified the code. The Japanese never were able to decode this code. So that is a compliment to their accomplishments with the Navajo Code Talkers. In fact, there has been a movie made on it.

In Congress, we have begun to recognize the extraordinary achievement from veterans such as these. This past June, the House passed H.R. 366. This was introduced by Congressman John Sullivan of Oklahoma, naming the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the Ernest Childers Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic. This man was a Native American from the Creek nation, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during World War II.

In addition, the House passed H.R. 2546, which names the Asheville VA Medical Center after another brave Native American, PFC Charles George. He also was honored with the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions in the Korean War. H.R. 2546 was passed last week by the Senate and now is awaiting the President's signature.

So, Mr. Speaker, it is because of the gallant actions of our Native American veterans like those of Lieutenant Colonel Childers and PFC George, as well as the bravery and fortitude of the Navajo Code Talkers who served with the Marines, that I and other Members are proud to sponsor this resolution. We urge its passage. It actually recognizes the many contributions throughout the history of our Nation of our Native American veterans in protecting the freedoms that we enjoy in this country today. So I encourage all Americans, take time to recognize the sacrifice and achievement of these veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 744) recognizing the contributions of Native American veterans and calling upon the President to issue a proclamation urging the people of the United States to observe a day in honor of Native American veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution to recognize our Native American veterans who have served and continue to serve this Nation with honor and with pride. I represent a county in California, San Diego, that has one of the largest numbers of Native American tribes in our Nation, and I have heard many of their stories. We know that Native Americans have participated with distinction in U.S. military actions for more than 200 years. Their courage, determination, and fighting spirit are well documented throughout our history.

It is well recognized, also, that Native Americans have the highest record of service per capita when compared to other ethnic groups. Presently, there are almost 200,000 Native American military veterans alive today. At least 18,000 of the 22,000 Native Americans currently in uniform have been deployed at least once to Iraq or Afghanistan as of July of this year.

Native Americans who volunteer for military service aspire to uphold their proud cultural tradition. This warrior tradition is a willingness to engage the enemy in battle. This characteristic has been clearly demonstrated by the courageous deeds of our Native Americans in combat. Five Native Americans have been among those soldiers who distinguished themselves by receiving the military's highest award, the Medal of Honor. This medal is given for military heroism ``above and beyond the call of duty.'' These warriors exhibited extraordinary bravery in the face of the enemy and, in two cases, made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

This House, led by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, had the enormous privilege of naming two Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in honor of these heroes just last June. Charles George was a member of the Cherokee tribe from North Carolina and private first class in Korea when he was killed on November 30 of 1952. During battle, George threw himself upon a grenade and smothered it with his body. In doing so, he sacrificed his own life, but saved the lives of his comrades.

Ernest Childers was a member of the Creek Tribe from Oklahoma and a First Lieutenant with the 45th Infantry Division. He received a Medal of Honor for heroic action in 1943 when, up against machine gun fire, he and eight men charged the enemy. Although suffering a broken foot in this assault, Childers ordered covering fire and advanced up the hill, single-handedly killing the snipers, silencing two machine gun nests, and capturing an enemy mortar observer.

The warrior tradition is exemplified by strength, honor, pride, devotion and wisdom. These qualities are a perfect fit with our Nation's proud military traditions.

I urge the people of our Nation, I urge the Members of this Congress, to make sure we have a day honoring our proud and brave Native American veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2546) to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina, as the ``Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center''.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In its history, the Medal of Honor has been awarded only 3,463 times. 3,458 of those were awarded for separate acts of heroism. I'm here today to tell you about one such act and the extraordinary individual who performed it. I am truly in awe of his courage and selflessness.

His name was Charles George. He was a Private First Class in the United States Army. PFC George distinguished himself by going above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy on the night of November 30, 1952.

He was a member of a raiding party committed to engage the enemy and capture a prisoner for interrogation. Subject to intense mortar and machine gun fire, and suffering several casualties throughout the advance, he fought

valiantly, and upon reaching the crest of the hill, leaped into the trenches and engaged with the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.

When friendly troops were ordered to move back upon completion of the assignment, he and two comrades remained to cover the withdrawal. While in the process of leaving the trenches, a hostile soldier hurled a grenade into their midst.

PFC George shouted a warning to one comrade, pushed the other soldier out of danger, and with full knowledge of the consequences, unhesitatingly threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing the full blast of the explosion. Although seriously wounded in this display of valor, he refrained from any outcry which would divulge the position of his companions.

The two soldiers evacuated him to the forward aid station and shortly thereafter he succumbed to his wounds.

This brave young man epitomized courage and self sacrifice. To show our deep appreciation, and so that we never forget, H.R. 2546 would name the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina, as the Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague in urging all of my colleagues to unanimously support H.R. 2546.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.