Yesterday, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, honored fallen servicemembers on the House Floor ahead of Memorial Day.
Below are his remarks:
Below are his remarks as delivered on the House Floor:
Next Monday is Memorial Day.
And for me, personally, I want to thank all the members of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the Chairman and others.
You’ve seen today the work we’ve done in a bipartisan way to help our nation’s heroes.
And as I’ve said, for me, personally, as a veteran this is a very difficult day for me because it is a day that we mourn the loss of veterans who served on active-duty and that paid the ultimate price.
I want to just mention a few names of people.
First Sergeant Thomas E. Thayer, a tremendous man that I knew as a young boy growing up.
He was my Scoutmaster.
He was killed in the 101st Airborne.
He was killed in Vietnam, winning the Silver Star in 1965.
Johnny Parham - Johnny was also an Eagle Scout, as I am.
Johnny and I ran on the two mile relay team together in high school and, I have to say, we were pretty good.
Johnny died in 1969 in Vietnam and was unable to have the wonderful life that I’ve had.
[He was] unable to raise a family, have children and grandchildren, because of service to our nation.
Bob Perry, a young man that I went to elementary school with all the way through high school, and I found out at my high school reunion many years later that Bob also died in Vietnam.
We just heard today [about] Chief Petty Officer Bill Mulder, a highly decorated Navy Seal that protected this nation.
He has given up his life because of the invisible wounds of war.
I just want to thank all of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
