CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions Of
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E1578 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks September 20, 2012 meet with constituents in the Champaign-Ur- Lala Coy. While he was away in Germany on A Navy ship has been named after him, bana area concerning financial matters of local active duty, he asked a local priest, his grand- several elementary schools in Texas have Government and I missed suspension votes father and his uncle if they would go to Lala’s been named after Roy Benavidez, and even a on H.R. 5044, the Andrew P. Carpenter Tax father and ask permission for Roy to marry toy company has issued a Roy Benavidez GI Act, which amends the Internal Revenue Code her and he agreed. While he was in the Army, Joe action figure. to exclude from gross income any amount at- however, he was in a lot of trouble, even As we prepare to celebrate and honor His- tributable to the discharge of student loan in- though he was a member of the Military Po- panic Heritage Month, one of those great His- debtedness of a veteran who died as a result lice. panic Americans was Roy Benavidez, a Texas of a service-connected disability, Also I missed So he finally joined the Special Forces train- hero, an American hero, a war hero that loved votes on H.R. 5912, which would Amend the ing at Fort Bragg where he reached the rank America and, as he said, got to live the Amer- Internal Revenue Code to prohibit public funds of staff sergeant and went to Vietnam as a ican Dream the way that he wanted. for political party conventions. Green Beret. But on May 2, 1962, his life And that’s just the way it is. Had I been present, I would have voted changed forever. It is a story that is almost un- f ‘‘aye’’ on the above stated bills. believable. RECOGNIZING THE ALDEN f On the morning of May 2, 1968, a 12-man Special Forces team was inserted in Cam- FARMERS MARKET ‘‘TAIWAN’S NATIONAL DAY’’ bodia to observe a large-scale North Viet- namese troop movement, and they were dis- HON. BRIAN HIGGINS HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ covered by the enemy. Most of the team OF NEW YORK OF CALIFORNIA members were close friends of Roy IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Benavidez, who was the forward operating of- Thursday, September 20, 2012 ficer in Loc Ninh, Vietnam. Three helicopters Thursday, September 20, 2012 Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in were sent to rescue this 12-man team, but honor of the Alden Farmers Market, a staple Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. they were unable to land because of the in Western New York since 2003 that brings Speaker, in celebration of Taiwan’s National heavy enemy concentration. When a second community together over fresh, locally grown Day on October 10th, fondly referred to as attempt was made to reach the stranded produce every Saturday morning in the sum- Double Ten Day. Since its formation, Taiwan team, Benavidez jumped onboard one of the mer. has rapidly industrialized and now boasts the helicopters, armed only with a Bowie knife. As Open from late May until early October, the 19th largest economy in the world. the helicopters reached the landing zone, farmers market sponsored by the Alden Taiwan remains important to the United Benavidez realized the team members were Chamber of commerce, located in Alden Vil- States in its advocacy of fair democratic val- likely too severely wounded to move to the lage Plaza allows friends, family and neigh- ues across the world and its success in sus- helicopters. So he ran by himself through bors to enjoy a plentiful variety of fresh vege- taining a dynamic multi-party system revealing heavy small arms fire to the wounded soldiers. tables, fruits, flowers, plants, chickens, beef, its commitment to protecting political rights He was wounded in the leg, the face, and the baked goods, honey, maple syrup, candy, and freedoms. In troubled times such as head in the process. He reorganized the team spices, soaps and jellies while learning tech- these, it is also gratifying to know that there and signaled the helicopters to land. But de- niques of how they were made straight from are countries that continue to put forth efforts spite his injuries, Benavidez was able to carry the merchants and producers themselves. that provide constructive solutions for highly off half of the wounded men to the helicopters. This rare level of personal service and divisive issues. He then collected the classified documents knowledge, combined with the variety of fresh Instead of exacerbating tensions with China, held by the now dead team leader. As he local products is unique to Western New York Taiwan has pursued positive relations with completed this task, he was wounded by an and surrounding farms and has become a China by promoting economic trade. Taiwan exploding grenade in the back and shot in the practice that all western New Yorkers take has continued to maintain its own independent stomach. At that moment, the waiting heli- pride in. and democratic form of government, vibrant copter’s pilot was also mortally wounded, and Mr. Speaker, on Saturday October 6 the culture, and booming commerce. that helicopter crashed. He ran to collect the Alden Farmers Market will mark the end of its Once again, I would like to share in Tai- stunned crash survivors and form a perimeter. 10th season. Small closing ceremonies will in- wan’s celebration on their National Day. He directed air support, ordered another ex- clude musical artist Sara Elizabeth Genco, a f traction attempt and was wounded again when costume and pet parade, and a second raffle shot in the thigh. At this point he was losing ROY BENAVIDEZ drawing. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me so much blood from his face wounds that his and all Western New Yorkers in thanking the vision became blocked. Alden Chamber of commerce and all local HON. TED POE Finally, another helicopter landed and as merchants and farmers who participated in OF TEXAS Benavidez carried a wounded friend to it, he this great Saturday morning tradition. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES was clubbed in the head with a rifle butt by an f Thursday, September 20, 2012 enemy soldier. That soldier bayonetted Benavidez twice. HONORING THE FOUR UNITED Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, America is Mr. Speaker, Benavidez was wounded in STATES PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO about people. Who we are and what we are that one battle 37 times; Seven gunshot DIED IN LIBYA is because of the people who have come to wounds, he had mortar shrapnel in his back, America. We have always been and will al- and two bayonet wounds. He was taken for SPEECH OF ways be a nation of immigrants. They are indi- dead and left for dead and zipped up in a HON. LAURA RICHARDSON viduals who have lived and died and influ- body bag, but right before they zipped the bag OF CALIFORNIA enced the rest of us because of their tena- up, he spit in the doctor’s face, letting the doc- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES cious spirit and determination. tor know he was yet alive. Roy Benavidez was one of those Ameri- He later recovered. He received the Distin- Wednesday, September 19, 2012 cans. He was born in South Texas in a small guished Service Cross and then many years Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in town called Cuero, August 5, 1935. He was later Ronald Reagan presented him with the support of H. Res. 786, which honors the four the son of a sharecropper. He was an orphan Congressional Medal of Honor. President exceptional public servants who gave their and he had mixed blood of Yaqui Indian and Reagan stated that if this were a movie, no lives in service to the United States and con- Hispanic. He lost his family at a young age one would believe it because of the heroic demns the attacks on United States’ diplo- and dropped out of school in the 7th grade. deed of Roy Benavidez. matic facilities in Libya, Egypt, and Yemen. He didn’t see the need for an education at that Mr. Speaker, after he retired from the mili- I would like to extend my condolences and time. He was a migrant farm worker. He tary, Roy Benavidez went around America sympathy in this time of great loss to the fami- worked all over Texas and as far as Colorado talking about the importance of an education, lies of these four heroes. in the sugar beet fields and the cotton fields. since he only went to the seventh grade. He Mr. Speaker, John Christopher Stevens, the In 1955 decided to join the United States talked to young gang members, he talked to United States Ambassador to Libya; Sean Army, and he joined in Houston, Texas. He youth, telling them to stay in school and get Smith, Foreign Service Information Manage- was in love with his hometown sweetheart, an education. He was a remarkable individual. ment Officer; and Tyrone S. Woods and Glen VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:52 Sep 21, 2012 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A20SE8.010 E20SEPT1 smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with REMARKS September 20, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1579 A. Doherty, Security Officers, were among the State University, Hayward and an M.S.W. from This generation of Iraq and Afghanistan Vet- finest members of our diplomatic corps.