Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023

Mr. Speaker, obviously, I thank Representative Foster for yielding me this time. I also thank Chairman McHenry for that very comprehensive and exact description of

this piece of legislation and his kind words.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise today, as well, to support the Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act. This legislation would award the Congressional Gold Medal to retired United States Naval Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr., who was the first aviator captured in the Vietnam war, but also the second longest-serving prisoner of war in the history of our Nation.

A native son of Salinas, California, in Monterey County, Everett Alvarez has made immense contributions to our country.

While growing up, he always wanted to be in the U.S. Navy. As a kid in an immigrant family, surrounded by other immigrant families in his neighborhood, he was instilled with that sense of service, that attitude that he should always give back to the country that gave he and his family so much opportunity.

He attended Santa Clara University where he earned a degree in electrical engineering and remains a lifetime member of the board of fellows.

While he was at SCU, Alvarez would stare at the naval jets flying over campus that were going in and out of the nearby Navy base at Moffett Airfield in Mountain View.

Right before he graduated in 1960, he took, and he passed the exams to join the Navy and train as a pilot. While in the Navy, Alvarez was assigned and trained to fly the A-4 Skyhawk fighter-bomber jets. In May 1964, Lieutenant JG Alvarez was assigned to the USS Constellation, which was off the coast of Vietnam, otherwise known as Yankee Station.

For the first few months, Alvarez carried out numerous missions over Laos, Cambodia, and parts of northern Vietnam; however, his first combat mission was the day after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which also turned out to be his last mission.

On August 5, 1964, during Operation Pierce Arrow, Lieutenant JG Alvarez was sent on a mission to target and take out torpedo boat bases in north Vietnam. However, right as he got to the coast of north Vietnam, his A-4 Skyhawk was hit by enemy fire. He immediately tried to gain altitude, but quickly realized he couldn't.

Everett worked hard to get his plane out to the ocean and made one final radio transmission to his wingmen just before he bailed out into Ha Long Bay in which he said: I will see you guys later.

Unbeknownst to all, Everett wouldn't see freedom for the next 8 years and 6 months, or the next 3,113 days.

Now, for the first part of his captivity, Everett was in solitary confinement for 13 months, mainly because the U.S. hadn't started the formal bombing campaign against the north Vietnamese, but, at that time, the north Vietnamese were unprepared for prisoners of war, so for his first 6 months in captivity, the enemy didn't know what to do with him. They kept him in a local jail, treating him like a local criminal.

As time went on, though, the enemy constantly interrogated him, demanding he tell them about U.S. intentions and operations. Everett refused and subsequently was put into a 7-by-7-foot cell.

As tough as that period was, Everett will tell you that his toughest time was from 1965 to 1969, 4 years, when he and other POWs were constantly pressured and used as propaganda, including being beaten and marched through the streets. His torture included a rifle butt to the left side of Alvarez's face that dislocated his jaw and still causes him difficulty today.

He suffered numerous other injuries at the hands of his captors, including ones that required surgeries later in his life to both his arms and his back. Much of Everett Alvarez's captivity was spent at the Hoa Lo Prison, otherwise known as the Hanoi Hilton, where conditions were absolutely horrific.

During those years, Everett was confined to a room that was about 10 feet by 12 feet and was given nothing but a straw mat and a bag filled with straw that was supposed to be a pillow.

They starved him so much that Everett's weight fell to just over 100 pounds, even though his normal weight was 170 pounds. Although, he was physically weak, Mr. Speaker, having endured starvation, isolation, and torture, Everett Alvarez remained strong.

He said that the POWs took care of one another by communicating with each other and tapping on prison walls. Everett personally and regularly inspired and encouraged his fellow POWs to return with honor by not cooperating with the enemy and staying loyal to the United States of America.

On January 12, 1973, we know that U.S.' involvement with the Vietnam war ended with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords and soon after, on February 12, Everett Alvarez was released from captivity.

Upon arrival at the U.S. airbase in the Philippines, he greeted the Navy Admiral awaiting him with: Lieutenant JG Alvarez reporting back, sir.

After his release and hospitalization, Alvarez resumed his naval service. He even graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, with a degree in operations research and systems analysis.

On June 30, 1980, Commander Alvarez retired from the Navy, completing a 20-year naval career. During his service, Commander Alvarez earned the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, and the Prisoner of War Medal.

After leaving the Navy, Alvarez continued to give back by serving his country. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a Deputy Director of the Peace Corps and Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration.

In an article with Stars and Stripes, Everett Alvarez was asked, despite the nightmare of being a POW for the second longest amount of time in our Nation's history, what allowed him to realize that he is the American Dream?

Mr. Speaker, his response was that I am nothing special. I am just one of the guys that had to do what we had to do, and that is how we did it. We just took one day at a time.

Mr. Speaker, he may think that he is nothing special, but what he did in captivity as the second longest-serving POW in our Nation's history and what he has done for our country is not just special; it is unfathomable, and it is absolutely amazing. His service to our Nation, his sacrifice as a POW, his strength, and his symbol as an American for Americans deserves the highest honor that Congress can bestow, a Congressional Gold Medal.

I am honored to be the author of this bill, and I am also proud that 300 Members of this Chamber cosponsored this legislation, demonstrating how deserving Commander Alvarez is of this recognition. I am also honored that Senator Padilla is the sponsor of this legislation in the Senate, and I look forward to working with him and his Senate colleagues in order to obtain the appropriate amount of support so that this bill passes out of the U.S. Senate and makes it to the President's desk for signature into law.

For now, I urge all of my congressional colleagues to support the Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act to honor Everett Alvarez, an American and an example of what we stand for as Americans.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1097) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr., in recognition of his service to the Nation.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1097, a bill that will award the Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr.

Madam Speaker, the Congressional Gold Medal is considered the highest civilian honor awarded in the United States. In the 248 years since the Continental Congress issued the first one to George Washington in 1776, only 184 have been awarded. That is fewer than one per year. Hence, the distinction of awarding such an honor should not be lost on this 118th Congress.

Madam Speaker, I cannot think of someone more deserving of such recognition than retired United States Navy Commander Alvarez, Jr.

As a boy growing up in Salinas, California, Alvarez marveled at the naval planes flying overhead in and out of Moffett Field in nearby Santa Clara County.

In 1960, at the age of 22, ignoring his parents' protests, he followed his boyhood dream of joining the Navy and was selected for pilot training.

On August 5, 1964, that dream turned into a nightmare when his A-4 Skyhawk was shot down near the Vietnam-China border during Operation Pierce Arrow. The then-lieutenant junior grade pilot was subsequently captured and imprisoned by the North Vietnamese forces.

Commander Alvarez spent the next 3,113 days, more than 8 years and 7 months, in some of the most horrific conditions imaginable. Despite being beaten and tortured for information about U.S. military operations, Commander Alvarez refused to comply, saying he wanted to be able to look in the mirror and not feel ashamed.

Even when his north Vietnamese captors no longer felt Alvarez held military intelligence value, they continued to brutalize him in attempts to extract propaganda messages. He did not cave.

When he was finally released on February 12, 1973, he held the undesirable distinction of being the second longest-held U.S. prisoner of war in our Nation's history. Commander Alvarez left prison knowing he owed nothing more to his country, but remarkably, he would go on to serve another 7 years in the United States Navy.

Today, at age 86, I believe that when Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr., looks in the mirror, he sees only honor in his reflection and that is what the American people see.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Panetta, for introducing this bill, along with the multitude of sponsors. It is a massive amount of work to get a legislative product like this, especially in a divided Congress and a divided time for America, but this is a source of unity and pride that Americans are willing to sacrifice for their American Dream and their ideals in this free Nation of ours. Because of the willingness of folks like Commander Alvarez, we do have this free Nation and we do have a sense of pride in being an American.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill. I urge my colleagues to do the same, but, again, I will close by thanking Mr. Panetta for his thoughtful approach in building bipartisan consensus, not just on this, but overall, in his policymaking skills.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 4 minutes to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I thank my Democratic colleagues for their work. We have two coin bills here on the floor today, and they speak to different parts of our United States history and the best among us. That gift that continues with us retelling important stories of our history is really important for us to know today.

I thank Mr. Panetta for the work that he put into bringing this Congressional Gold Medal Act before us and the story of Everett Alvarez, Jr.'s contribution to the United States and the example he gives us. For this to be done in his lifetime is a very special and rare honor, indeed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important resolution, and I thank my colleagues for the form of debate here and the storytelling. It is important for us to tell the stories of the best of American history, and, let's be honest, it is important to tell the whole story of American history. These stories of heroic acts are really important for us to know.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1097, the Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023, sponsored by Representative Jimmy Panetta.

H.R. 1097 bestows a Gold Medal of Honor to Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr., a retired United States Navy officer who maintained the military code of conduct, loyalty, and honor to the United States under torture, abuse, and interrogation for 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment. He is the second longest-held prisoner of war in the United States history.

Our Nation's fallen soldiers, our veterans, our active military servicemembers are those who demonstrate tremendous courage, resiliency, honor, and selflessness. Their contributions cannot be overstated and should never be neglected. I applaud my colleague, Representative Panetta, who is also a veteran of the war in Afghanistan for his efforts and advocacy on this important bill to ensure that Commander Alvarez, Jr., is recognized and praised for his unfaltering commitment and sacrifice to our country.

Representative Panetta has long worked to help active military members and our Nation's veterans. His deeply appreciated service to our Nation has resulted in significant strides and legislation to help ensure that we are treating our veterans with the respect and dignity that they deserve.

Today is just one example of his work making a real difference, and I am very pleased to support this bill to honor Commander Alvarez, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), our loquacious, thoughtful, and patriotic colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, my draft number was 321. Being born in 1955, I never was called to serve, and I always wondered what my service would be like had I been called. I am so humbled by this story of Everett Alvarez, Jr.

There are many lessons that we try to draw from the war in Vietnam, but one of the lessons that we did not get right was the duty that we have to respect the service to those who served under very difficult circumstances. That is part of the reason that I extend my support, again, for H.R. 1097, the Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023.

This legislation is necessary to ensure that Congress recognizes and honors the tremendous sacrifices that he made to protect our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank Representative Panetta for his work to bring this legislation to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Now, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1097 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.