RECOGNIZING MEDAL OF HONOR DAY

RECOGNIZING MEDAL OF HONOR DAY

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 56 (Wednesday, March 25, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 25, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2707-H2708] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING MEDAL OF HONOR DAY (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Moore of Utah was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. ) Ms. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Knott). Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Utah? There was no objection. Ms. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues for joining me on this Special Order. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff). Honoring Steve Stamson Mr. KUSTOFF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of a really good friend, Steve Stamson, who was a devoted public servant and a veteran whose record left a lasting mark on Shelby County in west Tennessee. Steve passed away just a few weeks ago on March 11 surrounded by his family in Florida. Steve Stamson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and he lived a life grounded in faith and commitment to others. Steve served in the United States Marine Corps during Vietnam. He was a rifleman. Steve's time in uniform shaped his character in lasting ways and informed how he approached the rest of his life. I do want to note that during his military service, Steve received the Meritorious Mast, recognizing performance and leadership that went above and beyond. This distinction reflected the character and the standard that he held himself to each and every day. When he came home, Steve continued to serve his community. He worked for International Harvester before starting a long and distinguished career in Shelby County government. {time} 1550 He served in the Shelby County Court Clerk's Office. He served in the Juvenile Court Clerk's Office and in the General Sessions Court Clerk's Office. In 2002, the people of Shelby County elected him to be the juvenile court clerk, to which he was reelected in 2006, and he served until 2010. I think about Steve's time in public service, and if you had a dictionary, Mr. Speaker, and looked up the term ``public servant,'' there would be a photo of Steve Stamson right there in the dictionary. He went and did whatever he could for anybody, and it didn't matter who they were or what side of town they lived on. I will note that Steve's career in public service did not end after his time as juvenile court clerk. Following his retirement, if you will, Mr. Speaker, Steve was appointed as an election commissioner for Shelby County, and he served as chairman of the Shelby County Election Commission. On all sides of the aisle, Steve was widely respected for his dedication to election integrity and the responsibility that comes with the right to vote. [[Page H2708]] Steve also gave his time to civic and community organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America, the Scottish Rites, and the Al Chymia Shriners. He was active in his political life in the local and State Republican Party. I want to note that Steve took on roles that carried significant responsibility, and he always led with a steady hand. I think about Steve, that he made time for others and was always willing to step up when it was needed. This morning, I talked to our mutual friend, Joy Touliatos. Joy Touliatos succeeded Steve as the juvenile court clerk of Shelby County. She was a longtime friend of Steve and his wife, Debbie, who was also a longtime public servant in Shelby County. When I asked Joy her thoughts about Steve, I wrote them down word for word. She said: ``If you knew Steve, you knew his door was always open; his handshake was sincere; and his word actually meant something.'' Beyond his work, Steve was absolutely devoted to his family. I have a photo of Steve and his wife, Debbie. They shared 45 years of marriage, and Debbie was his equal partner and his best friend. Steve was a proud father to Chris and to Clay, and I know he was a proud grandfather to Keelie and to Hunter. Mr. Speaker, I do want to say that Roberta and I are deeply saddened by Steve's passing, but we are thinking about Debbie. We remember all the good times, how full of life and how much Steve gave to everybody he cared about and to the entire Memphis and Shelby County community. Steve's warmth and his generosity will be greatly missed. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for his remarks. I appreciate his friendship and working on all of our issues on the committee together. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Medal of Honor Day and the American heroes who have earned our highest military decoration. Over 40 million Americans have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since the Civil War, but fewer than 4,000 have been awarded the Medal of Honor. This award not only commemorates the bravery of those who earned it but also honors their humanity, patriotism, and sacrifice for the United States and her people. Although each Medal of Honor recipient earns their medal through different acts of heroism, they all have one thing in common: They never sought heroism, yet they embodied it through their risk, sacrifice, and actions to protect others. I would like to honor a few recipients from my home State of Utah. Petty Officer George Edward Wahlen was awarded the Medal of Honor on October 5, 1945. Despite being repeatedly wounded during the battle of Iwo Jima, Petty Officer Wahlen refused evacuation and continued risking his life to rescue and treat comrades under intense enemy fire. Private Jose Valdez was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1946. Private Valdez held his ground against overwhelming German forces, engaging enemies at close range and singlehandedly covering his patrol's retreat under intense fire, facing more than 200 enemy soldiers. Lieutenant Brian Miles Thacker, whom we are lucky to still have with us today, was awarded the Medal of Honor on October 15, 1973. During a fierce assault at a fire base in the Vietnam war, Lieutenant Thacker directed airstrikes and artillery from a dangerously exposed position for hours, organized the withdrawal, and remained behind alone to provide covering fire. Although wounded and unable to escape from the area himself, he successfully eluded the enemy forces for 8 days until friendly forces regained control of the fire base. I think President Harry S. Truman put it best: ``We do not go to war for gain or for territory; we go to war for principles, and we produce young men like these. . . . I would rather have that medal . . . than to be President of the United States.'' One of the first initiatives I worked on when I came to Congress 6 years ago was to authorize a National Medal of Honor Monument here in Washington, D.C. That bill passed Congress and was signed into law in December 2021. The next and final step is to pass the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act to authorize the monument's permanent place on The National Mall. This bill was one of the first bills that passed the House in the 119th Congress, and it passed by a vote of 414-0. I am grateful to my friend from Texas (Mr. Veasey) for working on both of these bills with me. It is time for the Senate to do their job and join the House in coming together in a bipartisan way to provide these heroes and these heroes' families with the monument on our National Mall that they have earned. Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Justice for his tireless work to move this bill through the Senate process, and I urge the Senate to come together on National Medal of Honor Day, pass the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act, and move it one step closer to the President's desk. Mr. Speaker, I thank America's Medal of Honor recipients for their patriotism and for setting an example, and I yield back the balance of my time. ____________________