H2304 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 25, 2013 rid of the sequester. We’re dealing with Lake City area. The abuser occasion- recognition that Congress, acting on a noncontroversial helium bill that ally would leave and take Elizabeth behalf of a grateful Nation, can bestow could pass in 10 minutes in this House. Smart with him, but he would tell her, upon an individual or group in recogni- America, Mr. Speaker, is angry, and I ‘‘If you ever scream and tell anybody, I tion of outstanding and enduring don’t blame them. I’m angry, too. will kill your family.’’ achievement. As our legislation states: America is disgusted with us. I don’t She believed that. A 14-year-old girl The highly decorated 65th Infantry Regi- blame them. I’m disgusted with us as obviously would believe that, so she ment is deserving of this award because of well. I don’t blame Mr. and Mrs. Amer- never cried out because she didn’t want its ‘‘pioneering military service, devotion to ica for saying that Congress is not anything bad to happen to her wonder- duty and many acts of valor in the face of di- versity.’’ doing its work. They’re right. We’re ful family. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad not. We were sent here to serve the and the brothers and the sisters every Between 1950 and 1953, the regiment American people and our country and day hoped—but no results in finding participated in some of the fiercest make it stronger, and we’re not doing her. battles of the Korean war; and its that. We’re failing to come together When she would go out with the evil- toughness, courage, and loyalty earned and reach compromise and consensus doer, forcibly, he would even put a wig the admiration of those who had pre- for positive action in our country. over her head and a veil. He would dis- viously harbored reservations about How sad, Mr. Speaker. How sad for guise her so that, if people in the Salt Puerto Rican soldiers based on stereo- our country. How sad for our people. Lake City area knew Elizabeth Smart, types. One individual whose misconceptions How sad for our families. There are they wouldn’t recognize her. were shattered was William Harris, good people on both sides of this aisle, Finally, after 9 months, Elizabeth who served as the regiment’s com- but we’re not coming together to do Smart was with the evildoer who sexu- mander during the early stages of the our duty for America. How sad. ally assaulted her—and with his wife— law. Harris recounts that he was reluc- and a police car stopped. The police of- f tant to take command of the unit be- ficer started questioning Elizabeth ELIZABETH SMART cause, like many U.S. military leaders, Smart. She didn’t say anything be- he assumed that Puerto Rican soldiers The SPEAKER pro tempore. The cause she remembered that the evil- were not as capable as other troops. Chair recognizes the gentleman from doer said he would kill her family. Un- Following the war, Harris recalled that Texas (Mr. POE) for 5 minutes. beknownst to Elizabeth, her sister had his skeptical attitude did not survive Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, sev- given the police a sketch of the person first contact with the enemy and that, eral years ago in Salt Lake City, Utah, who had kidnapped her. The police in fact, his experience ultimately led there was a happy family—a mom and took Elizabeth Smart to the police sta- him to regard the men of the 65th as a dad, six kids—happy as they could be. tion, and after a few minutes, in comes On the typical summer day of June 5, the best soldiers he had ever seen. her father. Another individual who came to hold 2002, the kids and the family had their She was rescued after 9 months—The prayers. Two of the girls went up to the 65th in high esteem was General criminals went to prison. Douglas MacArthur. In March 1951, their room. The older girl read to the Elizabeth Smart is now 27 years of younger girl. They went to sleep. after months of heavy engagements age, and she has used this awful trag- with the enemy in which the 65th And then the nightmare began. edy of being kidnapped and sexually as- In the middle of the night, the older played a critical role, General Mac- saulted as a child in order to help other Arthur wrote the following: girl, who was a 14-year-old child, was sexual assault victims in this country. awakened. The man who woke her up The Puerto Ricans forming the ranks on She started the Elizabeth Smart Foun- the gallant 65th Infantry on the battlefields had a knife to her throat. The younger dation. A couple of weeks ago, she was girl woke up, too, but was in fear and of Korea by valor, determination and a reso- in Houston. She spoke very forcefully lute will to victory give daily testament to shock and terror and could not phys- to a group of women—several hun- their invincible loyalty to the United States. ically even move. So the kidnapper dred—about being abused. They are writing a brilliant record of took the 14-year-old girl, climbed out So, this Victims’ Rights Week, Mr. achievement in battle, and I’m proud, in- the window with her, and at Speaker, I want to honor Elizabeth deed, to have them in this command. I wish knifepoint, they left in the middle of Smart and all of those other sexual as- that we might have many more like them. the night. Finally, the younger girl sault victims—especially children— By the time fighting came to a close was able to get some type of composure who have been assaulted by evil people in Korea in July 1953, soldiers in the and tell her parents what had hap- in this country, and let us remember to 65th had earned 10 Distinguished Serv- pened. support them totally in their recovery. ice Crosses, about 250 Silver Stars, over The police get involved, and they And that’s just the way it is. 600 Bronze Stars, and nearly 3,000 Pur- start looking for Elizabeth Smart, but ple Hearts. As a collective, the regi- they didn’t find her that night, and f ment won numerous awards, including they didn’t find her the next day be- b 1030 two Presidential Unit Citations, the cause Elizabeth Smart had been kid- Nation’s highest unit-level recognition AWARDING THE CONGRESSIONAL napped by an individual who took her for extraordinary heroism. The unit’s GOLD MEDAL TO THE 65TH IN- to a secluded place. The first thing he disproportionately high casualty rate FANTRY REGIMENT wanted to do, of course, was to abuse underscored the fact that it had been her—and he did. He sexually assaulted The SPEAKER pro tempore. The serving on the front lines, face to face her, and he sexually assaulted her, and Chair recognizes the gentleman from with the enemy at the very tip of the he sexually assaulted her. He tied her Puerto Rico (Mr. PIERLUISI) for 5 min- spear. between two trees, Mr. Speaker, and utes. In a 2010 obituary that appeared in sexually assaulted her. He did every- Mr. PIERLUISI. Mr. Speaker, today The New York Times for 87-year-old thing he wanted to do to her for 9 Congressman BILL POSEY of Florida Modesto Cartagena, one of the most months. and I will introduce bipartisan legisla- decorated soldiers from the regiment, That 14-year-old girl was gone, kid- tion to award a Congressional Gold it was observed that in Korea: napped—parents scared to death and Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, a Puerto Rican soldiers surmounted not only worried about one of their six children. famed U.S. Army unit know as the the Communist enemy, but also prejudicial The police were looking, but they Borinqueneers composed almost en- attitudes. never found her, not for 9 months. tirely of soldiers from the U.S. terri- This same point was made with par- This evil person who kidnapped Eliz- tory of Puerto Rico that overcame dis- ticular eloquence in 2000 by Secretary abeth arranged a fake marriage to try crimination and earned praise and re- Louis Caldera during a ceremony hon- to marry her even though he was mar- spect for its comeback performance in oring the regiment when he said that ried to another individual lawfully. So the Korean war. the soldiers of the 65th were fighting to the wife, the abuser, and Elizabeth The Congressional Gold Medal is con- protect the people of South Korea, even Smart stayed in hiding in the Salt sidered the most distinguished form of as they struggled against the injustice VerDate Mar 15 2010 23:50 Apr 25, 2013 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K25AP7.006 H25APPT1 smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with HOUSE.