Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, today I am proud to introduce legislation to name the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Spokane, WA, after two Medal of Honor recipients, Private First Class Joe E. Mann and Platoon Sergeant Bruce A. Grandstaff. My colleague Senator Cantwell is joining me to introduce this bill in the Senate. This proposal has received widespread support from the Washington state chapters of several key national veterans service organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Vietnam Veterans of America.

I would like to share something about these two heroes. Private Mann was born in Reardan, Washington, and served in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. While attempting to seize the bridge across the Wilhelmina Canal, his platoon was isolated, surrounded, and outnumbered by enemy forces. Despite heavy enemy fire, he bravely advanced to within rocket-launching range of the enemy as the lead scout. Private Mann was wounded four separate times while destroying an enemy artillery position near Best, Holland. Despite his wounds, he volunteered to stay on sentry duty that night with both his arms bandaged to his body. The following day when the final assault came, an enemy grenade was thrown in his vicinity. Unable to throw it to safety due to his wounds and bandages, Private Mann threw himself on the grenade, sacrificing his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers.

Sergeant Grandstaff was born in Spokane, Washington, and served in the 4th Infantry Division. While leading a reconnaissance mission near the Cambodian border, Sergeant Grandstaff's platoon was ambushed by heavy automatic weapons and small arms fire from three directions. He ran through enemy fire to rescue his wounded men, but was only able to save one. Twice he crawled outside the safety of his unit's position to mark their location with smoke grenades for aerial fire support, and twice he was wounded. His second marker successfully notified the helicopter gunships of his location, but drew even more enemy fire. Seeing the enemy assault about to overrun his position, Sergeant Grandstaff inspired his remaining men to continue the fight against enemy forces. He called in an artillery barrage on himself to thwart the enemy forces, and continued to fight until he was finally and mortally wounded by an enemy rocket. Although every man in his unit was a casualty, survivors testified that his spirit and courage inspired the unit to inflict heavy casualties on the assaulting enemy even though the odds were stacked against them.

I am especially proud to introduce this bill. Its purpose is to honor not just one American hero, but two native sons of Washington who gave their lives fighting on behalf of our nation. Also, both of these men now rest in peace approximately 10 minutes away from the Spokane VA Medical Center, which serves veterans of all generations, from World War II to Vietnam to our newest generation of American heroes.

Above all else, this bill is intended to honor both Private Mann and Sergeant Grandstaff for their ``conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.'' By renaming the Spokane VA Medical Center as the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, we will honor the service and ultimate sacrifice provided by these two local heroes. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and thank them for their continued support of our dedicated men and women in uniform.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record,

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