Recognizing Contributions of United States Marine Corps on 60th Anniversary of Battle of Iwo Jima
RECOGNIZING CONTRIBUTIONS OF UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS ON 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF BATTLE OF IWO JIMA -- (House of Representatives - March 09, 2005)
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Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
Madam Speaker, I also stand in support of House Resolution 119. My father served as a pilot of a landing craft during the Battle of Iwo Jima, and it is an honor and a pleasure to recognize the sacrifice and contributions of the United States Marine Corps and other services on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
I had the honor of meeting a humble hero of the Battle of Iwo Jima sometime ago back in my district when we dedicated the Medal of Honor Memorial at the Riverside National Cemetery. His name is Bob Bush, and he received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service as a medical corpsman with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, on May 2, 1945. His citation reads like a scene from a John Wayne movie, but it is all true:
``Fearlessly braving the fury of artillery, mortar, and machine-gun fire from strongly entrenched hostile positions, Bush constantly and unhesitatingly moved from one casualty to another to attend the wounded falling under the enemy's murderous barrages. As the attack passed over a ridge top, Bush was advancing to administer blood plasma to a Marine officer lying wounded on the skyline when the Japanese launched a savage counterattack. In this perilously exposed position, he resolutely maintained the flow of life-giving plasma. With the bottle held high in one hand, Bush drew his pistol with the other and fired into the enemy's ranks until his ammunition was expended. Quickly seizing his discarded carbine, he trained his fire on the Japanese charging pointblank over the hill, accounting for six of the enemy despite his own serious wounds and the loss of one eye suffered during his desperate battle in defense of the helpless man. With the hostile force finally routed, he calmly disregarded his own critical condition to complete his mission, valiantly refusing medical treatment for himself until his officer patient had been evacuated, and collapsing only after attempting to walk back to the battle aid station.''
Madam Speaker, his humility is typical of those who braved the sands of Iwo Jima, and I proudly support this resolution offered by my good friend from California.
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