[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 6, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5248-S5250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL CITATIONS
Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in
the Record speeches that I had previously given in Montana for four
Congressional Medal citations.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Congressional Medals Citation, Alen C. Storm, July 15, 2016, Kalispell,
MT
Today I wish to honor Alen C. Storm, a resident of
Kalispell, Montana, and decorated veteran of the Iraq war.
Alen, on behalf of myself, my fellow Montanans, and the
United States of America, I would like to extend our deepest
thanks for your service.
Alen was born on January 8, 1987, in Walla Walla,
Washington, to Robert Storm and Valadia (Val-ah-dee-ah) Hunt.
He grew up as the youngest of seven children in Hermiston,
Oregon, with three older brothers and three older sisters.
His father was a logger, truck driver, and Army vet, just
like Alen's grandfather before him.
Alen also looked up to his oldest brother, Michael, who was
about 20 years Alen's senior. Michael was the first of the
siblings to carry on the Storm's legacy of service. As a 25-
year army veteran, Michael served in Iraq, Afghanistan and
Desert Storm.
But the family's desire to protect and defend didn't end
there. Alen has yet another brother, Trenton, who actually
served in Iraq at the same time that Alen did, as well as a
sister, Kathy, who is a 22-year Navy veteran.
So this was the legacy Alen faced when he began weighing
his options after graduation. He had been a track star in
high school and was considering college, but his desire to
protect and serve proved strong. He eventually decided to
follow in his family's footsteps, enlisting in the Army just
four months out from graduation, on September 21, 2005.
So he packed his bags and headed straight to Fort Sill,
Oklahoma, for 18 weeks of basic training. He immediately
distinguished himself as a superior trainee, clocking one of
the fastest times the base had ever seen in the standard two-
mile run during PT.
As a result of his stellar performance, he was recommended
for airborne school at Fort Benning in Georgia. Here he would
train to be a paratrooper, jumping out of planes and into
enemy territory.
But as fate would have it, Alen ended up at Fort Carson,
Colorado, where he specialized in Field Artillery, a position
affectionately referred to by his comrades as ``the eyes of
death.'' This is because Field Artillery is one of the most
dangerous and technical duty stations around, deploying ahead
of ground forces to scope out enemy territory and relay their
locales.
Alen honed these skills for the next eight months--that is
until he found out he was being deployed to Iraq.
Alen set off from Fort Carson on October 13, 2006. He
eventually touched down in Southern Baghdad, where he would
be stationed for the next 14 months.
Alen spent the first two and half months of his deployment
working out of the base, helping monitor mortar fire from
headquarters. It wasn't until Christmas Day that his group
endured its first casualty. Alen was tapped to replace the
fallen soldier in the field, becoming the newest member of
Baker Company.
He was forced to learn quickly on the line, experiencing
his first firefight on day one in the field. He was shot at
and hunted down more times than he could count. But it was
one fateful day that earned him his Purple Heart.
[[Page S5249]]
It had been about seven months since Alen arrived in Iraq,
his squad was patrolling when their Humvee drove over an IED.
The vehicle, along with the soldiers inside it, was thrown 10
feet in the air and shrapnel was everywhere.
Alen's friend Tom, who was sitting directly behind him,
tragically didn't make it. Alen sustained significant
shrapnel-related wounds and a severe concussion. He spent the
next 48 hours in a coma back at the base, but amazingly, was
back in the field about a week later.
Finally, after 14 months on the front lines, Alen finally
arrived back in the states on December 23, 2007.
He spent the next eight months back in Colorado, training
to become a Biomedical Equipment Technician at Fort Carson.
He then moved down to Shepperd Air Force Base in Texas, where
he continued his training and helped whip new enlistees into
shape.
After three years, Alen was medically discharged, but
continued to work around the base. Two years ago, his
sister--the Navy veteran who lives in Missoula--convinced him
to move up to Kalispell, where he'd be closer to his son
Justice. Here he met the love of his life, Katie, who he
married just a few weeks ago today. They are expecting their
first daughter, Ember Marie, in early September.
I now have the profound honor of presenting Alen C. Storm
with the Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 2
Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Good
Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service
Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Global War on Terror
Service, and Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars.
Alen, these medals serve as a small token of our country's
appreciation for your incredible service and profound
sacrifice.
You are truly an American hero. Thank you so much for your
service.
____
Congressional Medals Citation, Ronald ``Ron'' Sims, 8/17/16, Billings,
MT
Today I wish to honor Ronald Sims, a lifelong Montanan--
born-and-raised--and a decorated veteran of Vietnam.
Ron, on behalf of myself, my fellow Montanans, and my
fellow Americans, I would like to extend our deepest
gratitude for your service to this nation.
Ron was born on July 8, 1950, in Lewistown, Montana. He
grew up just 50 miles east in the town of Winnett, where his
father Claude worked as a pumper in the oil patch and his
mother Helen was a hot-lunch cook.
In addition to Ron, there was his older sister, Lynne, and
his two younger brothers, Mike and Max.
After graduating from high school, Ron spent the summer of
1968 working with his father in the oil patch.
However, his plans quickly changed after receiving a letter
from the Army a few short months later.
In January of 1969, Ron began basic and advanced infantry
training at Fort Lewis, Washington. And on June 22, he set
off for Vietnam as a member of the 1st Infantry Division.
Ron quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a fully-fledged
sniper by September. Later that month, Ron and his comrades
were ambushed while waiting for a convoy to pass.
Ron engaged three enemy combatants and successfully subdued
them, but not before one mustered the strength to fire an M1
grenade launcher at Ron and his truck.
The grenade first hit the truck and then Ron's leg, earning
him a Purple Heart.
Ron also earned a Bronze Star with Valor after capturing an
enemy solider he found lying in wait near his unit's base.
Amazingly, the only long-term injuries Ron sustained during
all his time overseas occurred when a landmine detonated
under his tank, blowing him through the hatch and peppering
his face with shrapnel laced with Agent Orange.
After nine months of service in the 1st Infantry Division,
Ron reenlisted as a member of the 101st Airborne Division.
He initially worked on mechanics, learning to service and
fix Cobra assault helicopters.
But his superiors quickly recognized a need for his unique
combat abilities, and within a month Ron had become a
Permanent Sergeant of the Guard, in charge of twelve men
along the bunker line.
He continued in this position for another five months
before finally returning to the states on October 13, 1970.
Upon his return, Ron volunteered for Drill Instructor
training in Fodor, California.
He spent the next two and half years teaching new recruits
basic rifle and quick kill marksmanship.
Ron was honorably discharged from the army on December 12,
1972.
He eventually joined the Local 1334 Labors Union in
Missoula, and later, the Local 98 and 1686 Bricklayers Unions
in Billings, where he served as President for two years.
He also reconnected with his high school sweetheart,
Janette.
They raised a son, Robert, who now has two kids of his
own--Emily and Zachary--with his loving wife Tori.
I now have the profound honor of presenting Ron with his
own set of military honors. For his courage and acts of valor
in line of duty, Ronald Sims received the Marksman Badge &
Auto Rifle Bar & Grenade Bar, Expert Badge & Rifle Bar,
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with 1960 Device, Combat
Infantryman 1st Award, Vietnam Service Medal & Bronze Star
Attachment (quadruple), National Defense Service Medal, Army
Commendation Medal & Large Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Air
Medal, Purple Heart Medal, and Bronze Star Medal.
Ron, these medals serve as a small token of our country's
appreciation for your incredible service and profound
sacrifice.
You are a true American hero. Thank you so much for your
service.
____
Congressional Medals Citation, Gorvan Le Duc, 8/17/16, Billings, MT
Today I wish to honor Gorvan Le Duc, a longtime resident of
Laurel, Montana, and decorated veteran of World War II.
While Mr. Le Duc is no longer with us, his legacy lives on.
I am proud to present his medals here today to his son,
Gorvan, and his wife, Dorothy.
On behalf of myself, my fellow Montanans, and my fellow
Americans, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for
your husband and father's service to this nation.
Gorvan was born on November 25, 1920 in Ontario, Canada. He
lived in Port Severn with his mother Albertine and his father
William, who built boats.
As a result, Gorvan grew up with a love of sailing and a
deep admiration for the sea.
In fact, at age 16, Gorvan began sailing full time. He
spent the next three years sailing the Great Lakes, before
deciding to enlist in the Merchant Marines.
This was June of 1939--the beginning of World War II--and
Gorvan's ship was tasked with delivering food and supplies
from the states to U.S. troops in Britain.
Each trek across the Atlantic could take anywhere from 17-
23 days, and during the voyage Gorvan did everything from
navigating to cleaning the pipes.
Over the next four years Gorvan served this country
dutifully amidst death and strife, but he always kept his
sense of humor.
That came in handy on September 25, 1943, when Gorvan's
ship, the SS Maiden Creek, was torpedoed by an enemy
combatant.
The blast blew Gorvan almost 200 feet in the air, off the
deck, and into the Atlantic Ocean.
He sustained 77 fractures throughout his legs and feet, a
broken back and a severe concussion.
This left him floating helplessly on the open sea.
Eventually, a nearby British ship attempted a moving rescue,
but Gorvan was too injured to grab onto the buoy.
So after three failed attempts, a British sailor jumped
into the ocean, swam out to Gorvan and dragged him back in.
When the ship's medic informed him that he had just passed
out his last blanket and that the crew was fresh out of rum,
Gorvan looked up at the medic and said ``No blanket? No rum?
I guess I won't reup then.''
Gorvan was eventually transported to an army hospital back
in New York, where he settled down and started raising a
family.
But, in 1951, Gorvan went on a hunting trip to Laurel,
Montana. He called his wife then and there, and told her to
pack up the kids because he wasn't coming back to New York.
So the family moved out to Laurel, and that's where they
stayed.
Gorvan was a proud father of four.
His son, who is here with us today, was inspired to go into
the service like his father and is himself a veteran of
Vietnam.
Gorvan and his wife Dorothy were also married for almost 35
years before he passed away in February of last year.
He is remembered as a master of all trades--a legendary
shot, a prolific gardener, an expert Cribbage player and even
a pilot.
I now have the profound honor of presenting Gorvan and
Dorothy with his medals. For his bravery in line of duty,
Gorvan LeDuc received the Combat Bar with Bronze Service
Star, Victory Medal, Mariners Medal, Merchant Marine Emblem,
Honorable Service Button, and Mediterranean-Middle East War
Zone Medal.
These medals serve as a small token of our country's
appreciation for Gorvan's incredible service and profound
sacrifice.
He is a true hero and we are eternally grateful for his
service.
____
Congressional Medals Citation, Thomas Huff, 8/17/16, Billings, MT
Today I wish to honor Thomas Huff, a born-and-bred Montanan
and decorated veteran of World War II.
Tom, on behalf of myself, my fellow Montanans, and my
fellow Americans, I would like to extend our deepest
gratitude for your service to this nation.
Tom was born on July 20, 1922, in Moore, Montana, to George
and Bertha Huff.
He grew up in Moore with his three sisters--Geneva, June,
and Olive--and his brother, George. He was just a few months
shy of 21 when he was drafted in February of 1943.
And less than five months later, he was deployed to the
Pacific as a Combat Infantryman in the Army's 27th Division.
His tour lasted two years, four months, and three days, and
spanned three different islands.
The first of which was Eniwetok--of the Marshall Islands--
which his battalion succeeded in capturing in February of
1944.
The next was Saipan--of the North Mariana Islands--where
Tom fought amidst the rugged jungle landscape.
This combat zone was so intense that the soldiers dubbed it
``Purple Heart Ridge,'' but Tom fought his way through,
ultimately
[[Page S5250]]
helping the U.S. achieve an important strategic victory in
the Pacific.
Finally, in March of 1945, Tom arrived in Okinawa as a
hardened soldier and expert marksman.
Here, Tom aided in the capture of pivotal Japanese
territory, before contracting a mosquito-borne illness.
Tom was transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington, in September
of 1945, spending a total of seven months in the hospital.
Tom was honorably discharged from the Army on February 18,
1946.
He eventually settled in Lewistown, Montana, where he
joined the police force and spent the last seven years of his
22-year career as Chief of Police.
After retiring from the force at the age of 55, Tom went on
to become a jeweler--in both Lewistown and then Billings--for
the next 14 years.
He married his wife, Georgia, just a few years ago at the
age of 90. And he is the proud father of five children and a
multitude of grandchildren.
I now have the profound honor of presenting Tom with his
own set of military honors.
For his bravery in line of duty, Thomas Huff received the
Marksman Badge with Carbine Bar, Expert Badge with Rifle
Badge, Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII, Combat
Infantryman Badge 1st Award, World War II Victory Medal,
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Arrowhead, Good Conduct
Medal, and Bronze Star Medal.
Tom, these medals serve as a small token of our country's
appreciation for your incredible service and profound
sacrifice.
You are a true American hero. Thank you so much for your
service.
____________________