January 15, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 8 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H548-H549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE OF PFC GARFIELD M. LANGHORN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Zeldin) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the service and 
sacrifice of hometown hero and Medal of Honor recipient PFC Garfield M. 
Langhorn from Riverhead, New York, who, 50 years ago today, saved the 
lives of his platoon members, at just 20 years old, by throwing himself 
on a live grenade in Pleiku province in Vietnam on January 15, 1969.
  PFC Langhorn served as a radio operator with Troop C, 7th Squadron, 
17th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade, when his unit attempted to 
rescue the crew of a downed American helicopter. Finding no surviving 
crew, PFC Langhorn and his unit were returning the fallen aviators when 
they came under heavy fire from North Vietnamese forces.
  Under the cover of darkness, the North Vietnamese began to advance, 
throwing a hand grenade in front of PFC Langhorn, who threw himself on 
the grenade. The grenade was just a few feet from a few of his injured 
comrades.

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  It was in that moment, PFC Langhorn was so selfless, he chose a 
courageous act that President Lincoln once referred to as ``the last 
full measure of devotion.'' It was an act for his brothers, his fellow 
soldiers, and his country. In that moment, he ``unhesitatingly threw 
himself on the grenade, scooped it beneath his body and absorbed the 
blast,'' according to the Medal of Honor Citation and the firsthand 
accounts of his fellow soldiers he saved.
  For his extraordinary act of bravery, PFC Langhorn received a series 
of awards, including the highest, most prestigious personal military 
declaration, the Medal of Honor. Most recently, the Riverhead Post 
Office was named in his honor. There is no doubt PFC Langhorn has 
earned these commendations, but they mean little if we forget to look 
beyond the declarations and forever remember and honor the actions of 
the 20-year-old man who earned them.
  In saving his fellow soldiers, PFC Langhorn's life was extinguished 
too soon, but as President Lincoln continued, ``we here highly resolve 
that these dead shall not have died in vain.''
  Today, we must challenge ourselves as Americans to pick up that 
torch, to embody the bravery, selflessness, and commitment to our great 
country. There is no memorial, no medal, and no post office that can 
bring back PFC Langhorn, but he can live eternally in all of us, in our 
actions and in our hearts.

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