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Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 / Jan. 16 its agencies or instrumentalities, officers, em- NOTE: An original was not available for ployees, or any other person, or to require any verification of the content of this memorandum, procedures to determine whether a person is which was not received for publication in the Fed- a refugee. eral Register. You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on Funding for Trade and Development Agency Activities With Respect to China January 13, 2001 Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) Development Agency with respect to the Peo- I hereby transmit a report including my rea- ple’s Republic of China. sons for determining, pursuant to the authority Sincerely, vested in me by section 902 of the Foreign WILLIAM J. CLINTON Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 (Public Law 101–246), that it is in NOTE: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis the national interest of the United States to Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, terminate the suspension on the obligation of and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate. This funds for any new activities of the Trade and letter was released by the Office of the Press Sec- retary on January 16. Remarks on Presenting the Medal of Honor January 16, 2001 The President. Good morning, and please be So when the Medal of Honor was instituted seated. I would like to first thank Chaplain Gen- during the Civil War, it was agreed it would eral Hicks for his invocation and welcome the be given only for gallantry, at the risk of one’s distinguished delegation from the Pentagon who life above and beyond the call of duty. That’s are here—Secretary Cohen, General Shelton, an extraordinarily high standard, one that pre- Deputy Secretary de Leon. I thank the Mem- cious few ever meet. The Medal of Honor is bers of Congress who are here: Senator Dorgan, our highest military decoration, and we are here Senator Durbin, Representatives Buyer, King, today to honor two American heroes who met Skelton, Weller, and Whitfield; former Rep- that mark. resentatives Lazio and McHale; members of the The first is Andrew Jackson Smith, United Smith and Roosevelt families. States Army. Then Corporal Smith served as In 1782 George Washington created the a part of the 55th Massachusetts Voluntary In- Badge of Military Merit. It was the first medal fantry, a black regiment that fought in the Civil awarded by our Nation’s Armed Forces. But War. In late 1864, they were part of a Union soon it fell into oblivion, and for decades no effort to cut off the Savannah-Charleston rail- new medals were established. It was thought road link and keep Confederate forces from that a medal was too much like a European interfering with Sherman’s march to the sea. aristocratic title, while to fight for one’s country On November 30th, the 55th was one of sev- in America was simply doing your democratic eral units that tried to take a 25-foot rise called duty. Honey Hill, close to Boyd’s Landing in South 2921 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:36 Dec 05, 2002 Jkt 188968 PO 00000 Frm 00757 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\188968.014 pfrm12 PsN: 188968 Jan. 16 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 Carolina. The Confederate troops had an ele- tucky, where he was a leader in the community vated position, the advantage of surprise, and until his death in 1932. He was first nominated fortified entrenchments. So, as the 5,000 Union for the Medal of Honor—listen to this—in 1916. troops advanced through the 300 yards of But the Army claimed, erroneously, that there swamp to get to the road leading up Honey were no official records to prove his story and Hill, they found themselves walking into a his extraordinary acts of courage. It’s taken slaughter. America 137 years to honor his heroism. The commanding officer, Colonel Alfred We are immensely honored to have with us Hartwell, wrote, ‘‘The leading brigade had been today eight of his family members, including driven back when I was ordered in with mine. Andrew Bowman, here to receive the Medal I was hit first in the hand, just before making of Honor on behalf of his grandfather, and Mrs. a charge. Then my horse was killed under me, Caruth Smith Washington, Andrew Jackson and I was hit afterward several times. One of Smith’s daughter, and a very young 93. my aides was killed, and another was blown I want to say to all the members of the Smith from his horse. During the furious fight the family, sometimes it takes this country a while, color bearer was shot and killed, and it was but we nearly always get it right in the end. Corporal Andrew Jackson Smith who would re- I am proud that we finally got the facts and trieve and save both the State and Federal that, for you and your brave forebear, we’re flags.’’ finally making things right. Now, to understand what Corporal Smith did Major, please read the citation. that day you have to know that in the Civil [At this point, Maj. William Mullen III, USMC, War the color bearer was kept in front of ad- Marine Corps Aide to the President, read the vancing troops and was a known, conspicuous citation, and the President presented the medal.] target for the other side. The enemy fought hard for your colors, and units that lost them The President. The second Medal of Honor suffered serious loss of morale. Having them I award today is for the bravery of Lieutenant held high gave a unit the courage to carry on. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt on July 1, 1898. Eighty Medals of Honor have been awarded That was the day he led his volunteer troops, to soldiers who saved their unit’s colors during the Rough Riders, in taking San Juan Hill, the Civil War. which changed the course of the battle and the Local legend says that the sandy soil of Honey Spanish-American War. Hill was literally soaked in Union blood on No- We are greatly honored to be joined today vember 30, 1864, that, ‘‘one could walk on the by members of the Roosevelt family, including dead for over a mile without touching the road.’’ Tweed Roosevelt, here to accept the Medal of In one 5-minute span, the 55th alone is said Honor on behalf of his great-grandfather. to have lost over 100 men. But they never lost This is the 37th Medal of Honor I have pre- their colors, because Corporal Smith carried sented, but the first I presented in the recipi- them through the battle, exposing himself as ent’s old office—[laughter]—in front of a por- the lead target. trait of him in full battle gear. It is a tradition Like so many African-Americans who served in the Roosevelt Room that when a Democrat in the Civil War, the soldiers of the 55th were is in the White House, a portrait of Franklin only reluctantly accepted by their own Union Roosevelt hangs above the mantle, and when army. Their units were segregated. They were a Republican is here, Teddy Roosevelt occupies paid less than white soldiers. They were com- the hallowed spot. I chose to break with the manded by white officers who mostly wanted tradition these last 8 years because I figured to use them as garrison and labor battalions. if we could have even half the luck and skill So their first battle was the fight just to see leading America into the 21st century that Theo- battle. But given the opportunity, they fought dore Roosevelt did in leading America into the with intensity that only high purpose and convic- 20th century, our Nation would do just fine. tion can sustain. And they did it knowing they TR was a larger-than-life figure who gave our risked almost certain death or enslavement if Nation a larger-than-life vision of our place in captured by Confederate forces. the world. Part of that vision was formed on After the war, Andrew Jackson Smith lived San Juan Hill. His Rough Riders were made out the rest of his days near Grand Rivers, Ken- up of all kinds of Americans from all walks 2922 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 12:36 Dec 05, 2002 Jkt 188968 PO 00000 Frm 00758 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\188968.014 pfrm12 PsN: 188968 Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 / Jan. 16 of life. They were considered unpolished and growing and so was his family. He had five undisciplined, but they were true citizen sol- kids and no place to work over there. His chil- diers. By taking San Juan Hill, eventually they dren were rambunctious like him. They even forced the enemy fleet into the Battle of let goats and other animals run through the Santiago Bay, where it was routed. This led to White House during regular time. And so they the Spanish surrender and opened the era of built the West Wing in 1902, believe it or not, America as a global power. as a temporary structure, but no one ever had Twenty-two people won the Medal of Honor the courage to go back to Congress again and for actions that day. Two high-ranking military ask for money to do it right. So it’s held up officers who had won the Medal of Honor in pretty well for the last 99 years.

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