Remarks by the President on the Minimum Wage

Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

3:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Valencia!  (Applause.)  Well, thank you so much.  It is great to be back in Orlando.  (Applause.)   I’m glad some of you came to work while a lot of folks are pretending to work and watching -- (laughter) -- the tournament. I know there must be some Gators fans around here.  (Applause.)  They are an outstanding team.  I put out my Men’s bracket -- I've got them going to the Final Four. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  They’re going to win!

THE PRESIDENT:  And they could win the whole thing -- in which case, I won't win the billion dollars.  (Laughter.)  You can only pick one winner.  There are 63 colleges mad at me.  (Laughter.)  I understand there are some neighbors up the road in Gainesville who are not happy with me.  (Laughter.)  There will be even more tomorrow when I release my Women’s bracket -- because you can't please everybody. 

But we’ve got some terrific elected officials here.  I just want to, in particular, thank the Mayor of Orlando, Buddy Dyer, who’s been a great friend.  Give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank the president of Valencia College, Sandy -- (applause) -- where’s Sandy?  Sandy Shugart -- there he is.  We've got the president of the West Campus who I just had an amazing conversation with -- Falecia Williams.  Where’s Falecia?  Right there.  (Applause.)  I want to thank everybody here at Valencia for having me. 

A few years ago, I announced a new competition called the Aspen Prize to recognize exceptional community colleges, and, lo and behold -- (laughter) -- your school, Valencia -- (applause) -- was the very first school in the entire country to win this prize.  (Applause.)  So between the students’ hard work, the outstanding faculty, the administrators who are making sure everybody has what they need to succeed, Valencia graduates are leaving here ready for a career; ready to continue their education; ready to pursue their dreams, wherever they may lead.

And so this college represents what’s best in America -- the idea that here in this country, if you work hard, you can get ahead.  And restoring that opportunity for every American, that's been our driving focus as a country.  That’s driven everything I’ve done since I came into office. 

And today, we’re at a moment when, after the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, after just some devastating losses that people had -- their homes, or their retirement accounts, or their jobs -- now we've see businesses creating 8.7 million new jobs over the past four years.  American manufacturers are adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s.  In American energy, we’re producing more oil here at home than we buy from other countries for the first time in two decades.  We're generating more renewable energy.  The housing market is rebounding, including here in Florida.  Our high school graduation rate is the highest on record.  (Applause.)  Absolutely.  More young people are earning college degrees than ever before.  (Applause.)

So even as we are digging ourselves out of the economic hole that we were in back in 2008, we've also worked to lay a new foundation for America’s future growth.  Here’s the problem, though -- there are a bunch of good things happening, the economy is starting to grow, but some of the trends that have really battered middle-class families and people who are working hard to get into the middle class for decades -- those have not yet gotten better.  Folks at the top are doing better than ever, but over the past four years, average wages have barely budged.  So you’ve got too many Americans who are working harder than ever just to keep up.  

And it’s our job to reverse these trends.  We've got to build an economy that works for everybody, not just for a few.  We’ve got to restore opportunity for all people -- the basic idea that no matter where you started, no matter what you look like, if you work hard you can get ahead.  America has got to be a place where if you’re responsible and you apply yourself you can make it.

So what we focused on is an opportunity agenda that has four parts.  Part one is more good jobs that pay good wages, whether it’s in manufacturing, in energy, in innovation and technology, in the service industries.  And one of the things we’ve done in Orlando is focus on growing tourism.  Buddy knows this.  Two years ago, I came here to announce an executive order to track more foreign tourists to the United States and last year spending by foreign tourists was up almost 10 percent.  That is a huge boost to Florida.  We’ve got to keep on taking those kinds of steps.

Part two of our opportunity agenda -- we’ve got to train more Americans with the skills that they need to fill the jobs that are actually out there not just today but also tomorrow. 

Part three you know something about -- we’ve got to make sure every young person has access to a world-class education, from high-quality preschool for every four-year-old to an affordable college education for all you striving young people. 

And part four is making sure that our economy rewards the hard work of every American with wages that you can live on, savings you can retire on, health care that’s there when you need it. 

And in pursuit of this opportunity agenda, I’m going to work with Congress wherever I can.  But Congress doesn’t always -- (laughter) -- move the way we’d like, and so we’re calling this a Year of Action.  Wherever I see a chance to go ahead and expand opportunity for more Americans, I’m going to take it.  I’m not going to wait for Congress.  We’ve just got to go ahead and get it done.  (Applause.)

I’ll give you a couple of examples.  In the past few weeks I’ve used my executive authority to require federal contractors to pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour to make sure that folks, if they’re working full-time, aren’t living in poverty.  I’ve signed another executive order to make sure that they’re actually paid the overtime that they’ve earned, because everybody who works hard deserves that chance to get ahead.  And if you work more, you should get paid a little more.

As part of making sure our economy rewards the hard work of every American, I’m also coming here today to make sure that our economy rewards the hard work of women.  (Applause.)  Now, I just want to be clear -- I just want to be clear.  I’ve got nothing against you men.  (Laughter.)  We’re working hard to make sure that you’re doing the right thing, too, and that you’re getting opportunity as well.  But I’ve got a personal stake in seeing women get ahead. 

First of all, women make up 80 percent of my household -- (laughter) -- if you count my mother-in-law.  And I always count my mother-in-law.  (Laughter.)  But I also personally know the challenges that women face in our economy, and there are some particular challenges that women face.  I grew up the son of a single mom who struggled to put herself through school and make ends meet, and raise my sister and me the right way.  And she couldn’t have done it if it weren’t for my grandparents.  And the most important breadwinner in my family was my grandmother, who worked her way up from being a secretary to being a vice president of a bank -- never got a college degree -- but then hit a glass ceiling at that local bank where she worked.  So she’d train men to eventually be her boss, even though she knew a lot more than they did.

When Michelle and I had our girls, we gave everything we had to try to balance raising a family and chasing careers.  But I’ll be honest with you, it was harder for her than it was for me.  Because when she was with the girls, she’d feel guilty about, am I doing everything I need to be doing on the job; when she was at work, she’d feel bad about, are the girls missing me -- and I know Barack is messing up somehow.  (Laughter.)  So she’s calling to check.

And so today, obviously we’re lucky and Michelle and I usually get to have dinner with the girls every night and they’re doing great.  And the highlight of every day for me is sitting with them at the dinner table.  And I want to make sure my daughters are getting the same chances as men.  I don’t want them paid less for doing the same job as some guy is doing.  When they have children, I want to make sure that they’re not having to quit their jobs, or in some other fashion be hampered because we don’t have the kinds of policies in this country that support them.

My point is -- and I’m saying now to the men -- we’ve all got a stake in this.  Women make up about half of our workforce. Over half of Valencia students, 56 percent, are women.  In fact, for more than two decades, women have earned over half of the higher education degrees awarded in this country.  So that means soon, for the first time, America’s highly educated workforce will be made up of more women than men. 

But the thing is our economy hasn’t caught up to that reality yet.  So we’ve got too many women who work hard to support themselves and their families, including the 20 percent of women enrolled in college who are trying to raise kids while earning a degree, and they’re facing unfair choices or outdated workplace policies that are holding them back.  That has to change -- because it holds all of us back.

When women make less than men, that hurts their families, including their partners, their husbands, their kids.  They’ve got less to get by on.  It hurts businesses because now their customers have less to spend.  When a job doesn’t offer adequate family leave to care for a new baby or an ailing parent that burdens men and children.  When any of our citizens can’t fulfill their potential for any reason that doesn’t have to do with their talent or their character or their work ethic, well, that’s holding us back.  We do better when everybody participates, when everybody’s talents are put to use, everybody has a fair shot. 

And I had a wonderful conversation before I came out here with Carolyn and we had a group of other women, including Dr. Williams, and you should just have heard these stories.  I mean, I don’t know if Dr. Williams has shared her story, but her mom was blind and raised her, a single mom.  And she had to go to school and get a job, and when her child was born prematurely, her blind mother comes down to provide child care because that’s the only way she could manage it. 

You had another woman describing what it’s like when you’ve got twins, preemie babies, and she’s having to quit her job because there’s no child care available, and how she needed WIC and other programs to support her even though she had a loving husband who was helping out.

So this is a family agenda.  But it starts with making sure that every woman is getting a fair shot.  It’s time for a woman’s economic agenda that grows our economy for everybody.  Now, that begins with making sure women receive equal pay for equal work.  This is a really simple principle.  This should not be confusing. (Laughter and applause.)  It’s not that complicated. 

Today, more women are their family’s main breadwinner than ever before.  But on average, women are still earning just 77 cents on every dollar that a man does.  Women with college degrees may earn hundreds of thousands of dollars less over the course of her career than a man at the same educational level.  And that’s wrong.  This isn’t 1958, it’s 2014.  That’s why the first bill I signed into law was called the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- (applause) -- and it made sure that it was easier for women to sue if they weren’t being paid the same as men. 

And in the coming weeks, Congress will have a chance to go even further by voting yes or no on what’s called the Paycheck Fairness Act.  Right now, a majority of the senators support that bill but so far Republicans have blocked it.  We’ve got to get them to change their minds and join us in this century -- (laughter) -- because a woman deserves equal pay for equal work. It’s pretty straightforward.  (Applause.)

And Congress should not stop there.  A woman deserves workplace policies that protect her right to have a baby without losing her job.  It's pretty clear that if men were having babies -- (laughter) -- we’d have different policies.  I mean, we know that, that’s for certain.  A woman deserves to take a day off to care for a sick child or a parent without running into hardship. (Applause.)

So Congress needs to act so that Americans join every other advanced nation on Earth by offering paid leave to folks who work hard every day.  It’s time to do away with some of these workplace policies that belong in a “Mad Men” episode.  (Laughter.)  We’ve got to make sure that every woman has the opportunities that she deserves -- because when women succeed, America succeeds.  I truly believe that.  (Applause.) 

On the ride over here we were talking about some of the best practices of companies that are highly successful.  It turns out that if you give families -- you give your workers some flexibility so that if they’ve got a sick child or a sick parent they can have a little time off, those employees are more productive, the companies do better, you have less turnover.  So it’s good business practice.  It’s the right thing to do.

At a time when women hold the majority of low-wage jobs, Congress is going to get a chance to vote yes or no on whether millions of women who work hard all day deserve a raise.  There’s a bill before Congress that would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.  That would lift wages for nearly 28 million Americans across the country.  And, again, it would be good for business.  Because what happens is more customers have more money to spend.  It will grow the economy for everybody.  It’s time for Congress to join the rest of the country.  It’s time for -- we’re calling it the $10.10 campaign.  Give America a raise.  And that, in particular, will help the disproportionate number of women who are in lower wage jobs.

And on each of these issues, members of Congress will have to choose between helping women and families get ahead or holding them back.  Part of our challenge is fewer than 20 seats in Congress are held by women.  I think we’re all clear that Congress would get more done if you kind of evened that out a little bit.  (Applause.)  I’m pretty confident about that.

But in the meantime, we’re going to keep making the case as to why these policies are the right ones for working families and for businesses.  So over the next few months, my administration is going to host a series of roundtable discussions like the one I had in different parts of the country just to hear stories about issues like workplace flexibility and opening up new leadership opportunities for women.  And it’s all going to lead up to the first-ever White House summit on Working Families that we’re going to be holding this summer.  And maybe some of you will participate, because we want to hear your stories.  (Applause.)

Let me close by mentioning one last policy that’s benefitting millions of women right now, and that is the Affordable Care Act.  (Applause.)  I know there’s a lot of politics around it.  I know there are a lot of TV ads around that don’t always accurately reflect what’s going on.  But right now, despite the fact that the website was really bad for the first month -- (laughter) -- it’s now fixed -- more than 5 million Americans have signed up for plans at healthcare.gov.  More than 5 million.  (Applause.)  More than 3 million young people have gained coverage because this law lets you stay on your parents’ plan until you turn 26.  So I’ll bet there are some young people right now who have health insurance in this auditorium because of the law.  (Applause.) 

And thanks to this law, no American -- zero -- can ever again be denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition.  (Applause.)  Not to mention no woman can ever again be charged more for just being a woman.  (Applause.) 

Now, this is something that people don’t realize.  Before we passed Obamacare, it was routine for insurance companies to charge women significantly more than men for health insurance.  It’s just like the drycleaners.  (Laughter.)  You send in a blouse, I send in a shirt -- they charge you twice as much.  (Laughter.)  But the same thing was happening in health insurance.  And so we’ve banned that policy for everybody, not just folks who were getting health insurance on the exchange.  But if you were getting health insurance on the job, they can’t discriminate against women in that same fashion.  Not to mention tens of millions of women have gained access to free preventive care like mammograms and contraceptive care.  The point is no woman should have to put off the potentially lifesaving care she needs just because money is tight.

And in the roundtable I just had there were at least three or four folks in that roundtable, the majority of the women I just talked to had an instance in their lives where either because of a sick child or a premature baby or an ailing parent, they would be bankrupt had they not had health insurance.  Broke. So when you hear folks talking about Obamacare and I’m not using it because I’ve got health insurance or I’m healthy, well, yes, you don’t need health insurance until you need health insurance. (Laughter.)  It seems like a drag until you actually confront what life does to all of us at some point.  Some unexpected thing happens and you want to make sure that you’ve got that support.

Now, none of that has stopped Republicans in Congress from spending the last few years not focused on legislation to create jobs, or raise wages, or help more young people afford college.  They’ve taken 50 votes to try to repeal or undermine this law -- 50.  You know what they say -- the 50th time is the charm.  (Laughter.)  Fifty times.  And it’s not just to try to improve the law or here’s a particular problem.  No, we just want to scrap it so that millions of people who now have health insurance, we want them to go back to not having health insurance. 

Well, that’s not going to happen.  They can keep wasting their time repealing -- trying to repeal the ACA; we’re going to keep working to make this law work better because every person and every woman deserves to control her own health care choices  -- not her boss, not her insurer, surely not Congress. 

So there’s an important deadline coming up, by the way.  This is now the last call for 2014.  If you’ve been thinking about buying one of the new plans on healthcare.gov -- and a large proportion of people, the majority, in fact, may be able to buy health insurance for as little as $100 or less a month -- less than your cable or your cell phone bill.  I saw everybody had a cell phone.  (Laughter.)  But the deadline to get covered this year is March 31st, which is just 11 days away.  So if you are uninsured, check out your new choices at healthcare.gov.  Many of you will be able to get covered for $100 a month or less. If you’re already covered, then help get a friend covered, because that’s part of what America is about -- taking responsibility for working to achieve our own dreams; also coming together to help our fellow citizens pursue and secure their own dreams as well.

There are just such amazing stories of the women that I talked with before I came out here.  Every one of them, at some point, had made a major sacrifice on behalf of their families.  One woman had a severely autistic son; took 12 years off to raise her three kids, including this son, before now going back to school and being able to teach once again.  Just like my mom. Just like my grandma.  I didn’t fully appreciate at the time the sacrifice they were making.  I was talking about how I used to complain to my mom when she was going to school and working, why are we eating the same thing every night?  (Laughter.)  Because she was doing so much, and then coming home and still taking the time to make sure that I had a decent meal. 

That’s what built this country -- those kinds of sacrifices. And we’ve got to make sure that we as a country are helping people who are so courageous and so brave and working so hard -- all those moms and grandmas and young women like Carolyn who are trying to start their own businesses. 

We’ve come a long way together over these past five years, but we’ve got to do more to restore opportunity for everybody. Whether you’re a man or a woman; whether you are black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, with or without a disability, all of us have something to offer.  All of us have a place in this American story.  And as long as I have the privilege of being President, I’m going to keep working to make sure every single one of us have a chance to succeed.  (Applause.)  Or as you say here at Valencia, “We Say You Can.” 

Thank you, everybody.  God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

END
3:26 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at Screening of "Cesar Chavez: An American Hero"

South Court Auditorium

2:38 P.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Welcome to the White House.  We are here to celebrate the life of an American hero.  Cesar Chavez was a man who devoted this brief time that we have on Earth to making sure that this country lived up to some of its lofty ideals, the words of our founding, the idea that all of us are created equal -- a man who organized others to widen the circle of opportunity not just for the people he knew, but for future generations. 
 
And some of those future generations are here today.  Cesar’s son, Paul, is here.  (Applause.)  There he is.  I was looking for him.  Some of his children -- some of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren are here.  I did not have the honor of knowing Mr. Chavez, but I’d imagine that he’d be pretty proud to know that his granddaughter works in the White House.  (Applause.)  And not only does she know how to deliver an outstanding introduction -- (laughter) -- but she also does just an extraordinary job carrying on his work organizing people, but now all across the country, to engage on issues that are of importance to all Americans.  And Julie just does an extraordinary job.  We’re so proud of her.  So, thank you, Julie, for the great introduction.  (Applause.) 
 
A couple of other acknowledgements -- I want to acknowledge an outstanding Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.  (Applause.)  The great Dolores Huerta, our dear friend who co-founded the United Farm Workers along with Cesar.  (Applause.)  Rosario told me she was playing Dolores, and I thought I can see that -- there’s the same fire.  I did have to say Rosario is a little taller.  Just a little bit.  (Laughter.) 
I want to thank the UFW’s current president, Arturo Rodriguez, a great friend of ours.  Thank you. (Applause.)  And I want to thank Diego Luna and the entire cast of “Cesar Chavez.”  (Applause.)  I told him I loved “Y Tu Mamá, También.”  But we can’t screen that at the White House.  (Laughter.)  It’s a great movie, but this is a little more family-friendly here.  (Laughter.)   

This movie, this film tells the story of a man guided by an enormous faith -- faith in a righteous cause and a loving God, and the dignity of every human being.  And it reminds us how throughout our history that faith has been tested, and that it falls to ordinary Americans, ordinary people, to fight and restore that faith. 
 
Cesar himself said that he spent his first 20 years working as an organizer without a single major victory.  But he never gave up.  He kept on going, and the world is a better place because he did.  And that’s one of the great lessons of his life. You don’t give up the fight no matter how long it takes.  No matter how long the odds, you keep going, fueled by a simple creed -- sí, se puede. 
 
Sometimes people ask me -- in fact, while we were backstage, somebody said, oh, you look pretty good.  You look better than I expected.  (Laughter.)  The implication being that there might be reason for me not to look good.  (Laughter.)  But part of what sustains me and part of what I’ve said in the past -- and some of you who have been in meetings with me when we’ve experienced setbacks or frustrations on particular issues -- I’ve tried to remind people change is hard.  It doesn’t happen easily.  It doesn’t happen smoothly or painlessly.  It happens because you put your shoulder behind the wheel and you keep on pushing.  And then, sometimes it’s going to roll back a little bit on you.  And then, you got to dig in and you’ve got to push some more. 
 
And Cesar Chavez understood that.  You have to push and you create this space.  And sometimes you won’t even see all the victories that are achieved, but you’ve invested that time and that effort, and you’ve inspired others.  And, eventually, things change, and you pass the baton and future generations then continue this process.
 
So we’ve got a lot of causes that are worth fighting for.  We’ve got to keep fighting to make sure that every American has access to quality, affordable health care.  We were very persistent about getting that website fixed.  It’s fixed now.  (Laughter and applause.)  And we’ve got more than 5 million people signed up.  But we’ve got two more weeks to sign them up. (Applause.)  So cuidadodesalud.gov -- (laughter) -- get on the website, spread the word.
 
We’ve got to keep fighting to make sure that our economy rewards the hard work of every American with a fair and living wage and equal pay for equal work.  We’ve got to keep working to fix our broken immigration system.  This is an example of where this is hard, but we’ve made progress and we are going to get this done.  This is going to happen.  It’s not a matter of if, just a matter of when.  And I want it to happen now, so we are going to keep on pushing.  (Applause.) 
 
Mr. Chavez once said, “When you have people together who believe in something very strongly -- whether it’s religion or politics or unions -- things happen.”  And today, we’ve got labor leaders and CEOs and faith leaders and law enforcement, and they’ve come together and they’ve said it’s time to fix this broken immigration system.  We’ve got Democrats and Republicans who have now passed in the Senate a comprehensive bill.  And if we stay united, things will happen, things will get done. 
 
None of us can claim to know exactly what Cesar would have said about this fight, or any other.  But I do think he would want us to remember that the debates we have are less about policy than they are about people.  They’re about the lives of men and women, the young and not so young, who want nothing more than the chance to work hard, support their families, provide a future for their kids and their grandkids, earn their place in our American story.  That’s what this is all about.  They’re about our highest hopes and aspirations for this country that we love -- and the country that we leave for future generations.
 
As this film reminds us, that was the cause of Cesar Chavez’s life, and I hope this afternoon it’s going to inspire all of us in the causes that we have to fight as well. 
 
I cannot stay for the screening.  I’ve been promised by our director that I’m -- or producer or somebody is going to get me the CD.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  DVD.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Whatever.  (Laughter.)  I’m a little technologically challenged.  (Laughter.)  The DVD.  (Laughter.)  The point is I’m going to watch it this weekend.  (Applause.)  Michelle and the girls are on their way to China.  It’s very lonely at home, so nothing better than to see an inspiring film. And I’m really looking forward to seeing a chronicled life of one of my heroes and one of the people who inspired me to get into the work that I’ve gotten into.  So thank you for sharing it with us.  (Applause.)  God bless.  (Applause.) 
 
END  
2:47 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President at Presentation Ceremony for the Medal of Honor

East Room

3:33 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody.  Please be seated.  Well, welcome to the White House. 

The presentation of our nation’s highest military decoration -- the Medal of Honor -- is always a special occasion.  But today, it is truly historic.  This is the single largest group of servicemembers to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the Second World War.  And with several of these soldiers recognized for their valor during that war, this ceremony is 70 years in the making.  As one family member has said, this is long overdue.

Many of these families -- and I had a chance to meet all of them who are present here today -- they’ve known these stories of heroism for decades.  Still, they were pretty surprised when we called them to break the news about the Medal of Honor.  Some of them thought it was a prank.  (Laughter.)  Some of them thought it was a scam.  A few of them thought it might be some trick to get their credit card number.  (Laughter.)  When I called Melvin Morris -- who we’ll recognize in a moment for his actions in Vietnam -- his first reaction was, “Oh, my God, what have I done?”  (Laughter.)  When I told him it was all good -- the Medal of Honor -- I could hear through the phone, he almost passed out.  (Laughter.)  

You see, for their gallantry under fire each of these soldiers was long ago recognized with the Army’s second-highest award -- the Distinguished Service Cross.  But ask their fellow veterans, ask their families, and they’ll tell you that their extraordinary deeds merited the highest recognition.  And today, we have the chance to set the record straight.

This ceremony reminds us of one of the enduring qualities that makes America great -- that makes us exceptional.  No nation is perfect, but here in America we confront our imperfections and face a sometimes painful past -- including the truth that some of these soldiers fought, and died, for a country that did not always see them as equal.  So with each generation we keep on striving to live up to our ideals of freedom and equality, and to recognize the dignity and patriotism of every person, no matter who they are, what they look like, or how they pray. 

And that’s why, more than a decade ago, Congress mandated a review to make sure that the heroism of our veterans wasn’t overlooked because of prejudice or discrimination.  Our military reviewed thousands of war records.  They teamed up with veterans groups and museums to get this right.  It was painstaking work, made even harder because sometimes our servicemembers felt as if they needed to change their last names to fit in.  That tells a story about our past.  But, ultimately, after years of review, these two dozen soldiers -- among them Hispanic, African American and Jewish veterans -- were identified as having earned the Medal of Honor.  This is the length to which America will go to make sure everyone who serves under our proud flag receives the thanks that they deserve.         

So this is going to be a long ceremony.  We’re going to read all 24 citations, because every one is a story of bravery that deserves to be told.  But first, I want to take just a few minutes to describe the Americans behind these actions, the men these families know -- the brilliant lives behind the smiling faces in those old photographs, and how they reflected all the beauty and diversity of the country that they served.

They were Americans by birth and Americans by choice -- immigrants, including one who was not yet even a citizen.  They grew up in big city neighborhoods like Brooklyn, rural communities like Hooper, Nebraska, small towns in Puerto Rico.  They loved to fish and play baseball.  They were sons who made their parents proud, and brothers who their siblings looked up to.  They were so young -- many in their early 20s.  And when their country went to war, they answered the call.  They put on the uniform, and hugged their families goodbye -- some of them hugged the wives and children that they’d never see again.

They fought in the rocky hills of Italy, the blood-stained beaches of France, in the freezing mountains of Korea, the humid jungles of Vietnam.  Their courage almost defies imagination.  When you read the records of these individuals, it's unimaginable, the valor that they displayed.  Running into bullets.  Charging machine gun nests and climbing aboard tanks and taking them out.  Covering their comrades so they could make it to safety.  Holding back enemies, wave after wave, even when the combat was hand-to-hand.  Manning their posts -- some to their very last breaths -- so that their comrades might live. 

Of the 24 American soldiers we honor today, 10 never came home.  One of them -- Corporal Joe Baldonado, from the Korean War -- is still missing, reminding us that, as a nation, we have a scared obligation to keep working to give the families of our missing servicemembers from all wars a full accounting of their loved ones.

Through their grief, the families of our fallen summoned the strength to carry on:  wives whose hearts ached for their husbands; sons and daughters who grew up without their dad; nieces and nephews and grandchildren.  These families join us here today.  And they know, more than most, that because others laid down their lives for us, we’ve been able to live our lives in freedom, pursue our dreams.  So there’s a legacy here born of sacrifice. 

That includes a soldier’s nephew -- a kid from New York, who grew up to become one of the great rock stars of all time and who honors his uncle here today.  It includes soldiers who came home and took different paths -- some continued to serve in uniform, some beginning new careers, some getting married and raising their kids, serving their communities, taking care of their fellow vets. 

These veterans lived out their lives in the country that they helped to defend, and doing what they loved --like William Leonard, who at age 71 passed away in his backyard, sitting in his chair, listening to his beloved Yankees play on the radio.

And that’s where this story might have ended.  But Mitchel Libman -- a friend of one of these soldiers and an Army vet himself -- set out on a mission.  He and his wife Marilyn spent years writing letters and working with Congress and our military to get this done.  And so we thank all those who worked so hard for so long to bring us to this moment, especially Marilyn and Mitchel -- now 83 years old -- who I’d ask to stand so that we can all say thank you.  (Applause.)     

Finally, of these 24 soldiers, three remain with us and have joined us here today -- men who remind us that sometimes the heroes we seek are right in front of us, literally living right next door.

Most days, you can find Jose Rodela in his San Antonio home -- a 76-year-old retiree who enjoys watching baseball on TV, and working on his 1975 Chevy pickup, and mowing the grass for his neighbors.  Jose is such a humble guy that he did not even mention the ceremony to his neighbors -- who I think would be pretty shocked to turn on the news tonight -- (laughter) -- and see that the guy who cuts their lawn is getting the Medal of Honor.  (Laughter.)  Today, we remember how 32--year-old Sergeant First Class Rodela fought through his wounds in Vietnam and rallied his men during 18 hours of constant combat.

Most days, you can find Melvin Morris at home in Port St. John, Florida -- 72 years old, a retired salesman and a great-grandfather.  You’ll find him working on his boat, going fishing, reading the Bible, spending time with his beautiful wife Mary -- married 53 years this month.  You're going to have to give me some tips.  (Laughter.)  We're not that far along yet.  Today, we remember how 27-year-old Staff Sergeant Morris  -- one of our nation’s very first Green Berets -- one of our very first Green Berets -- think about that.  I mean, that's legendary -- how Staff Sergeant Morris recovered a fallen comrade in Vietnam, took out several enemy bunkers, and kept going even after he was shot three times.

And on most days, you can find Santiago Erevia at home in San Antonio -- he’s a 68-year-old retired postal worker.  He’s fixing up his house, typically, tending to the garden, going on walks with his wife, or doing some push-ups to stay in shape.  (Laughter.)  Today, we remember how 23-year-old Specialist Four Erevia, under a hail of bullets in Vietnam, gave first aid to his wounded comrades and single-handedly destroyed four enemy bunkers. 

These are extraordinary Americans.  They are exemplary soldiers.  And so I want to begin by welcoming Santiago Erevia to the stage for the reading of the citation.

MILITARY AIDE:  Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia.  United States Army.  Specialist Four Santiago J. Erevia distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a radio telephone operator in Company C, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) during search and clear mission near Tam Ky, Republic of Vietnam on May 21, 1969.  After breaching an insurgent perimeter, Specialist Four Erevia was designated by his platoon leader to render first aid to several casualties, and the rest of the platoon moved forward.   As he was doing so, he came under intense hostile fire from four bunkers to his left front.  Although he could have taken cover with the rest of the element, he chose a retaliatory course of action.  With heavy enemy fire directed at him, he moved in full view of the hostile gunners as he proceeded to crawl from one wounded man to another, gathering ammunition.  Armed with two M-16 rifles and several hand grenades, he charged toward the enemy positions behind the suppressive fire of the two rifles.  Under very intense fire, he continued to advance on the insurgents until he was near the first bunker.  Disregarding the enemy fire, he pulled the pin from a hand grenade and advanced on the bunker, leveling suppressive fire until he could drop the grenade into the bunker, mortally wounding the insurgent and destroying the fortification.  Without hesitation, he employed identical tactics as he proceeded to eliminate the next two enemy positions.  With the destruction of the third bunker, Specialist Four Erevia had exhausted his supply of hand grenades.  Still under intense fire from the fourth position, he courageously charged forward behind the fire emitted by his M-16 rifles.  Arriving at the very edge of the bunker, he silenced the occupant within the fortification at point blank range.  Through his heroic actions the lives of the wounded were saved and the members of the Company Command Post were relieved from a very precarious situation.  His exemplary performance in the face of overwhelming danger was an inspiration to his entire company and contributed immeasurably to the success of the mission.  Specialist Four Erevia’s conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroism, and intrepidity at the risk of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.) 

MILITARY AIDE:  Sergeant First Class Melvin Morris.  United States Army.  Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commander of a Strike Force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Chi Lang, Republic of Vietnam on September 17, 1969. On that afternoon, Staff Sergeant Morris’s affiliated companies encountered an extensive enemy mine field and were subsequently engaged by a hostile force.  Staff Sergeant Morris learned by radio that a fellow team commander had been killed near an enemy bunker and he immediately reorganized his men into an effective assault posture before advancing forward and splitting off with two men to recover the team commander’s body.  Observing the maneuver, the hostile force concentrated its fire on Staff Sergeant Morris’s three-man element and successfully wounded both men accompanying him.  After assisting the two wounded men back to his forces’ lines, Staff Sergeant Morris charged forward into withering enemy fire with only his men’s suppressive fire as cover.  While enemy machine gun emplacements continuously directed strafing fusillades against him, Staff Sergeant Morris destroyed the positions with hand grenades and continued his assault, ultimately eliminating four bunkers.  Upon reaching the bunker nearest the fallen team commander, Staff Sergeant Morris repulsed the enemy, retrieved his comrade and began the arduous trek back to friendly lines.  He was wounded three times as he struggled forward, but ultimately succeeded in returning his fallen comrade to a friendly position.  Staff Sergeant Morris’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.   

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Master Sergeant First Class Jose Rodela.  United States Army.   Sergeant First Class Jose Rodela distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the company commander, Detachment B-36, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces during combat operations against an armed enemy in Phuoc Long Province, Republic of Vietnam on September 1, 1969.  That afternoon, Sergeant First Class Rodela’s battalion came under an intense barrage of mortar, rocket, and machine gun fire.  Ignoring the withering enemy fire, Sergeant First Class Rodela immediately began placing his men into defensive positions to prevent the enemy from overrunning the entire battalion.  Repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire, Sergeant First Class Rodela moved from position to position, providing suppressing fire and assisting wounded, and was himself wounded in the back and head by a B-40 rocket while recovering a wounded comrade.  Alone, Sergeant First Class Rodela assaulted and knocked out the B-40 rocket position before successfully returning to the battalion’s perimeter.  Sergeant First Class Rodela’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)    

THE PRESIDENT:  Before Jose returns to his seat, I just want to ask Santiago and Melvin to return to the stage, please. This is a remarkable moment.  And as they come up, I’ll like to recall -- as they take their positions I'd like to recall the words of a poet:

“Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’

We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” 

Santiago Erevia, Melvin Morris, Jose Rodela -- in the thick of the fight, all those years ago, for your comrades and your country, you refused to yield.  And on behalf of a grateful nation, we all want to thank you for inspiring us -- then and now -- with your strength, your will, and your heroic hearts.

Please give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

Gentlemen, thank you.  Please take your seats.  We'll proceed with the rest of the ceremony.

MILITARY AIDE:  Lenora Alvarado accepting on behalf of her father, Specialist Four Leonard L. Alvarado. 

Specialist Four Leonard L. Alvarado distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with Company D, 2d Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) during combat operations against an armed enemy in Phuoc Long Province, Republic of Vietnam on August 12, 1969.  On that day, as Specialist Four Alvarado and a small reaction force moved through dense jungle en route to a beleaguered friendly platoon, Specialist Four Alvarado detected enemy movement and opened fire.  Despite his quick reaction, Specialist Four Alvarado and his comrades were soon pinned down by the hostile force that blocked the path to the trapped platoon.  Specialist Four Alvarado quickly moved forward through the hostile machinegun fire in order to engage the enemy troops.  Suddenly, an enemy grenade exploded nearby, wounding and momentarily stunning him. Retaliating immediately, he killed the grenadier just as another enemy barrage wounded him again.  Specialist Four Alvarado crawled forward through the fusillade to pull several comrades back within the hastily-formed perimeter.  Realizing his element needed to break away from the hostile force, Specialist Four Alvarado began maneuvering forward alone.  Though repeatedly thrown to the ground by exploding satchel charges, he continued advancing and firing, silencing several emplacements, including one enemy machinegun position.  From his dangerous forward position, he persistently laid suppressive fire on the hostile forces, and after the enemy troops had broken contact, his comrades discovered that he had succumbed to his wounds.  Specialist Four Alvarado’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Richard Conde accepting on behalf of his father, Sergeant First Class Felix M. Conde-Falcon.

Staff Sergeant Felix M. Conde-Falcon distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an acting Platoon Leader in Company D, 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment, 3d Brigade, 82d Airborne Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Ap Tan Hoa, Republic of Vietnam on April 4, 1969.  While entering a heavily wooded section on the route of advance, Staff Sergeant Conde-Falcon and his company encountered an extensive enemy bunker complex, later identified as a battalion command post.  Following tactical artillery and air strikes on the heavily-secured enemy position, Staff Sergeant Conde-Falcon’s platoon was selected to assault and clear the bunker fortifications.  Moving out ahead of his platoon, Staff Sergeant Conde-Falcon charged the first bunker, heaving grenades as he went.  As the hostile fire increased, he crawled to the blind side of an entrenchment position, jumped to the roof, and tossed a grenade into the bunker aperture.  Without hesitating, he proceeded to two additional bunkers, both of which he destroyed in the same manner as the first.  Rejoining his platoon, Staff Sergeant Conde-Falcon advanced about one hundred meters through the trees before coming under intense hostile fire.  Selecting three men to accompany him, he maneuvered toward the enemy’s flank position.  Carrying a machinegun, he single-handedly assaulted the nearest fortification, killing the enemy inside before running out of ammunition.  After returning to the three men with his empty weapon and taking up an M-16 rifle, he concentrated on the next bunker.  Within ten meters of his goal, Staff Sergeant Conde-Falcon was shot by an unseen assailant and soon died of his wounds.  Staff Sergeant Conde-Falcon’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE: Shyrell Jean Copas accepting on behalf of her father, Specialist Four Ardie R. Copas.

Specialist Four Ardie R. Copas distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Machinegunner in Company C, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 5th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy near Ph Romeas Hek, Cambodia on May 12, 1970.  That morning, Specialist Four Copas’s company was suddenly attacked by a large hostile force firing recoilless rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic weapons.  As Specialist Four Copas began returning fire, his armored car was struck by an enemy recoilless round, knocking him to the ground and injuring four American Soldiers beside the vehicle.  Ignoring his own wounds, Specialist Four Copas quickly remounted the burning vehicle and commenced firing his machinegun at the belligerents.  Braving the hostile fire directed at him and the possible detonation of the mortar rounds inside the track, Specialist Four Copas maintained a heavy volume of suppressive fire on the foe while the wounded Americans were safely evacuated.  Undaunted, Specialist Four Copas continued to place devastating volleys of fire upon the adversary until he was mortally wounded when another enemy round hit his vehicle.  Specialist Four Copas’s daring action resulted in the safe evacuation of his comrades.  Specialist Four Copas’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Tina Duran-Ruvalcaba accepting on behalf of her father, Specialist Four Jesus S. Duran.

Specialist Four Jesus S. Duran distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an acting M-60 machinegunner in Company E, 2d Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) during combat operations against an armed enemy in the Republic of Vietnam on April 10, 1969.  That afternoon, the reconnaissance platoon was moving into an elaborate enemy bunker complex when the lead elements began taking concentrated ambush fire from every side.  The command post was in imminent danger of being overrun.  With an M-60 machinegun blazing from his hip, Specialist Four Duran rushed forward and assumed a defensive position near the command post.  As hostile forces stormed forward, Specialist Four Duran stood tall in a cloud of dust raised by the impacting rounds and bursting grenades directed towards him and thwarted the enemy with devastating streams of machinegun fire.  Learning that two seriously wounded troopers lay helplessly pinned down under harassing fire, Specialist Four Duran assaulted the suppressive enemy positions, firing deadly bursts on the run.  Mounting a log, he fired directly into the enemy’s foxholes, eliminating four and cutting down several others as they fled.  Specialist Four Duran then continued to pour effective fire on the disorganized and fleeing enemy.  Specialist Four Duran’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Command Sergeant Major Michael Grinston accepting on behalf of Sergeant Candelario Garcia.

Sergeant Candelario Garcia distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an acting Team Leader for Company B, 1st Battalion, 2d Infantry, 1st Brigade,1st Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Lai Khe, Republic of Vietnam on December 8, 1968.  On that day, while conducting reconnaissance, Sergeant Garcia and his platoon discovered communication wire and other signs of an enemy base camp leading into a densely vegetated area.  As the men advanced, they came under intense fire.  Several men were hit and trapped in the open.  Ignoring a hail of hostile bullets, Sergeant Garcia crawled to within ten meters of a machinegun bunker, leaped to his feet and ran directly at the fortification, firing his rifle as he charged.  Sergeant Garcia jammed two hand grenades into the gun port and then placed the muzzle of his weapon inside, killing all four occupants.  Continuing to expose himself to intense enemy fire, Sergeant Garcia raced fifteen meters to another bunker and killed its three defenders with hand grenades and rifle fire.  After again braving the enemies’ barrage in order to rescue two casualties, he joined his company in an assault which overran the remaining enemy positions.  Sergeant Garcia’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Charles Baldonado accepting on behalf of his brother, Corporal Joe R. Baldonado 

Corporal Joe R. Baldonado distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an acting machinegunner in 3d Squad, 2d Platoon, Company B, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kangdong, Korea on November 25, 1950.  On that morning, the enemy launched a strong attack in an effort to seize the hill occupied by Corporal Baldonado and his company.  The platoon had expended most of its ammunition in repelling the enemy attack and the platoon leader decided to commit his 3d Squad, with its supply of ammunition, in the defensive action.  Since there was no time to dig in because of the proximity of the enemy, who had advanced to within twenty-five yards of the platoon position, Corporal Baldonado emplaced his weapon in an exposed position and delivered a withering stream of fire on the advancing enemy, causing them to fall back in disorder.  The enemy then concentrated all their fire on Corporal Baldonado’s gun and attempted to knock it out by rushing the position in small groups and hurling hand grenades.  Several times, grenades exploded extremely close to Corporal Baldonado but failed to interrupt his continuous firing.  The hostile troops made repeated attempts to storm his position and were driven back each time with appalling casualties.  The enemy finally withdrew after making a final assault on Corporal Baldonado’s position during which a grenade landed near his gun, killing him instantly.  Corporal Baldonado’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Tyronne Espinoza accepting on behalf of his father, Corporal Victor H. Espinoza.

Corporal Victor H. Espinoza distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Acting Rifleman in Company A, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Chorwon, Korea on August 1, 1952.  On that day, Corporal Espinoza and his unit were responsible for securing and holding a vital enemy hill.  As the friendly unit neared its objective, it was subjected to a devastating volume of enemy fire, slowing its progress.  Corporal Espinoza, unhesitatingly and being fully aware of the hazards involved, left his place of comparative safety and made a deliberate one man assault on the enemy with his rifle and grenades, destroying a machinegun and killing its crew.  Corporal Espinoza continued across the fire-swept terrain to an exposed vantage point where he attacked an enemy mortar position and two bunkers with grenades and rifle fire, knocking out the enemy mortar position and destroying both bunkers and killing their occupants.  Upon reaching the crest, and after running out of rifle ammunition, he called for more grenades.  A comrade who was behind him threw some Chinese grenades to him.  Immediately upon catching them, he pulled the pins and hurled them into the occupied trenches, killing and wounding more of the enemy with their own weapons.  Continuing on through a tunnel, Corporal Espinoza made a daring charge, inflicting at least seven more casualties upon the enemy who were fast retreating into the tunnel.  Corporal Espinoza was quickly in pursuit, but the hostile fire from the opening prevented him from overtaking the retreating enemy.  As a result, Corporal Espinoza destroyed the tunnel with TNT, called for more grenades from his company, and hurled them at the enemy troops until they were out of reach.  Corporal Espinoza’s incredible display of valor secured the vital strong point and took a heavy toll on the enemy, resulting in at least fourteen dead and eleven wounded.  Corporal Espinoza’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Pete Corrall accepting on behalf of his uncle, Sergeant Eduardo C. Gomez.

Sergeant Eduardo C. Gomez distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company I, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Tabu-dong, Korea on September 3, 1950.  That afternoon, while conducting combat patrol, Sergeant Gomez’ company was ruthlessly attacked by a hostile force which moved within seventy-five yards of the command post before it was immobilized by rocket fire.  However, an enemy tank and multiple enemy machineguns continued to rake the company perimeter with devastating fire.  Realizing the tank posed a serious threat to the entire perimeter, Sergeant Gomez voluntarily crawled thirty yards across an open rice field vulnerable to enemy observation and fire, boarded the tank, pried open one of the hatches on the turret and dropped an activated grenade into the hull, killing the crew.  Wounded in the left side while returning to his position, Sergeant Gomez refused evacuation.  Observing that the tripod of a .30 caliber machinegun was rendered inoperable by enemy fire, he cradled the weapon in his arms, returned to the forward defensive positions, and swept the assaulting force with withering fire.  Although his weapon overheated and burned his hands and his painful wound still bled, Sergeant Gomez maintained his stand and, upon orders to withdraw in the face of overwhelming enemy superiority, remained to provide protective fire.  Sergeant Gomez continued to pour accurate fire into the enemy ranks, exacting a heavy toll in casualties and retarding their advance.  Sergeant Gomez would not consent to leave his post for medical attention until the company established new defensive positions.  Sergeant Gomez’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE: Laurie Wegner accepting on behalf of her uncle, Private First Class Leonard M. Kravitz.    

Private First Class Leonard M. Kravitz distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an assistant machinegunner with Company M, 5th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Yangpyong, Korea on March 6 and 7, 1951.  After friendly elements had repulsed two probing attacks, the enemy launched a fanatical banzai charge with heavy supporting fire and, despite staggering losses, pressed the assault with ruthless determination.  When the machinegunner was wounded in the initial phase of the action, Private First Class Kravitz immediately seized the weapon and poured devastating fire into the ranks of the onrushing assailants.  The enemy effected and exploited a breach on the left flank, rendering the friendly positions untenable.  Upon order to withdraw, Private First Class Kravitz voluntarily remained to provide protective fire for the retiring elements.  Detecting enemy troops moving toward friendly positions, Private First Class Kravitz swept the hostile soldiers with deadly, accurate fire, killing the entire group.  His destructive retaliation caused the enemy to concentrate vicious fire on his position and enabled the friendly elements to withdraw.  Later, after friendly troops had returned, Private First Class Kravitz was found dead behind the gun he had so heroically manned, surrounded by numerous enemy dead.  Private First Class Kravitz’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Iris Negron accepting on behalf of her father, Sergeant Juan E. Negron.    

Sergeant Juan E. Negron distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a member of Company L, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kalma-Eri, Korea on April 28, 1951.  That afternoon, Sergeant Negron took up the most vulnerable position on his company’s exposed right flank after an enemy force had overrun a section of the line.  When notified that elements of his company were withdrawing, Sergeant Negron refused to leave his exposed position, instead delivering withering fire at hostile troops who had broken through a road block.  When the hostile troops approached his position, Sergeant Negron accurately hurled hand grenades at short range, halting their attack.  Sergeant Negron held the position throughout the night while friendly forces organized and launched a counterattack.  The next morning, after the enemy had been repulsed, friendly forces relieved Sergeant Negron and found the bodies of fifteen enemy soldiers surrounding his position.  Sergeant Negron’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Michael David Pena accepting on behalf of his father, Master Sergeant Mike C. Pena.

Master Sergeant Mike C. Pena distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a member of Company F, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Waegwan, Korea, on September 4, 1950.  That evening, under cover of darkness and a dreary mist, an enemy battalion moved to within a few yards of Master Sergeant Pena’s platoon.  Recognizing the enemy’s approach, Master Sergeant Pena and his men opened fire, but the enemy’s sudden emergence and accurate, point blank fire forced the friendly troops to withdraw.  Master Sergeant Pena rapidly reorganized his men and led them in a counterattack which succeeded in regaining the positions they had just lost.  He and his men quickly established a defensive perimeter and laid down devastating fire, but enemy troops continued to hurl themselves at the defenses in overwhelming numbers.  Realizing that their scarce supply of ammunition would soon make their positions untenable, Master Sergeant Pena ordered his men to fall back and manned a machinegun to cover their withdrawal.  He singlehandedly held back the enemy until the early hours of the following morning when his position was overrun and he was killed.  Master Sergeant Pena’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Sergeant Ashley Randall accepting on behalf of her grandfather, Private Demensio Rivera.    

Private Demensio Rivera distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an automatic rifleman with 2d Platoon, Company G, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Changyong-ni, Korea on May 23, 1951.  Early that morning, a large hostile force emerged from a dense fog and viciously attacked Private Rivera and his comrades.  Private Rivera immediately responded by firing with deadly accuracy until his weapon jammed.  Without hesitating, he threw his rifle down and began to engage the enemy with his pistol and grenades.  At one point, Private Rivera fearlessly crawled from his emplacement to engage an infiltrating enemy soldier in fierce hand-to-hand combat.  With only the sound of footsteps and obscure shadows to guide his aim, Private Rivera held his position against tremendous odds, inflicting numerous casualties on the enemy until he found himself without ammunition of any kind except one grenade.  Displaying a peerless fighting spirit and an utterly selfless devotion to duty, Private Rivera pulled the pin from his last grenade and calmly waited for the enemy to reach his position.  As enemy troops leaped inside his bunker, Private Rivera activated the grenade with the full knowledge that it meant his almost certain death.  When the debris from the explosion had cleared, friendly forces recovered a severely wounded Private Rivera and discovered the bodies of four dead or dying enemy soldiers surrounding him.  Private Rivera’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Joe Rodriguez accepting on behalf of his uncle, Private Miguel A. Vera.    

Private Miguel A. Vera distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an automatic rifleman with Company F, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division in Chorwon, Korea, on September 21, 1952.  That morning, despite suffering from wounds inflicted in a previous battle, Private Vera voluntarily left the aid station to join his comrades in an attack against well-fortified enemy positions on a hill of great importance.  When the assaulting elements had moved within twenty yards of the enemy positions, they were suddenly trapped by a heavy volume of mortar, artillery and small-arms fire.  The company prepared to make a limited withdrawal, but Private Vera volunteered to remain behind to provide covering fire.  As his companions moved to safety, Private Vera remained steadfast in his position, directing accurate fire against the hostile positions despite the intense volume of fire which the enemy was concentrating upon him.  Later in the morning, when the friendly force returned, they discovered Private Vera in the same position, facing the enemy.  Private Vera’s noble intrepidity and self-sacrifice saved many of his comrades’ lives.  Private Vera’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Nancy Weinstein accepting on behalf of her husband, Sergeant Jack Weinstein.      

Sergeant Jack Weinstein distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while leading 1st Platoon, Company G, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division in Kumsong, Korea on October 19, 1951.  That afternoon, thirty enemy troops counterattacked Sergeant Weinstein’s platoon.  Most of the platoon’s members had been wounded in the previous action and withdrew under the heavy fire. Sergeant Weinstein, however, remained in his position and continued to fight off the onrushing enemy, killing at least six with his M-1 rifle before running out of ammunition.  Although under extremely heavy enemy fire, Sergeant Weinstein refused to withdraw and continued fighting by throwing enemy hand grenades found lying near his position.  He again halted the enemy’s progress and inflicted numerous casualties.  Alone and unaided, he held the ground which his platoon had fought tenaciously to take and held out against overwhelming odds until another platoon was able to relieve him and drive back the enemy.  Sergeant Weinstein’s leg had been broken by an enemy grenade and old wounds suffered in previous battles had reopened, but he refused to withdraw and successfully bought time for his wounded comrades to reach friendly lines.  Sergeant Weinstein’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Dominga Perez accepting on behalf of her father, Private Pedro Cano.    

Private Pedro Cano distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company C, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Schevenhutte, Germany on December 2 and 3, 1944.  On the afternoon of the 2nd, American infantrymen launched an attack against German emplacements but were repulsed by enemy machinegun fire.  Armed with a rocket launcher, Private Cano crawled through a densely mined area under heavy enemy fire and successfully reached a point within ten yards of the nearest emplacement.  He quickly fired a rocket into the position, killing the two gunners and five supporting riflemen.   Without hesitating, he fired into a second position, killing two more gunners, and proceeded to assault the position with hand grenades, killing several others and dispersing the rest.  Then, when an adjacent company encountered heavy fire, Private Cano crossed his company front, crept to within fifteen yards of the nearest enemy emplacement and killed the two machinegunners with a rocket.  With another round he killed two more gunners and destroyed a second gun.  On the following day, his company renewed the attack and again encountered heavy machinegun fire.  Private Cano, armed with his rocket launcher, again moved across fire-swept terrain and destroyed three enemy machineguns in succession, killing the six gunners.  Private Cano’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Miriam Adams accepting on behalf of her uncle, Private Joe Gandara.

Private Joe Gandara distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company D, 2d Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Amfreville, France on June 9, 1944.  On that day, Private Gandara’s detachment came under devastating enemy fire from a strong German force, pinning the men to the ground for a period of four hours.  Private Gandara voluntarily advanced alone toward the enemy position.  Firing his machinegun from his hip as he moved forward, he destroyed three hostile machineguns before he was fatally wounded.  Private Gandara’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Alfonzo Lara accepting on behalf of his brother, Private First Class Salvador J. Lara.       

Private First Class Salvador J. Lara distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the Squad Leader of a rifle squad with 2d Platoon, Company L, 180th Infantry, 45th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Aprilia, Italy on May 27 and 28, 1944.  On the afternoon of the 27th, Private First Class Lara aggressively led his rifle squad in neutralizing multiple enemy strongpoints and in inflicting large numbers of casualties on the enemy.  Having taken his initial objective, Private First Class Lara noticed that the unit to his right was meeting stiff resistance from a large, well-entrenched enemy force in a deep ditch.  Private First Class Lara quickly gathered three men and attacked a wide section of the enemy position, killing four, forcing fifteen others to surrender and causing two enemy mortar crews to abandon their weapons.  His fearless and efficient performance enabled both his own unit and the unit to his right to continue to their objective.  The next morning, as his company resumed the attack, Private First Class Lara sustained a severe leg wound, but did not stop to receive first aid.  His company suffered heavy casualties as a result of withering machinegun fire coming from an enemy strongpoint on the right flank.  After requesting permission to destroy the enemy machineguns armed only with a Browning Automatic Rifle, Private First Class Lara crawled alone toward the nearest machinegun.  Despite his painful wound and the extreme danger of the task, he rose and fearlessly charged the nest, killing the crew members.  Another machinegun opened fire on him, but he quickly neutralized this weapon with accurate fire from his Browning, killing three more of the enemy.  His aggressive attack forced two other machinegun crews to flee their weapons.  After rejoining his company, Private First Class Lara continued his exemplary performance until he captured his objective.  Private First Class Lara’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Patricia Kennedy accepting on behalf of her father, Private First Class William F. Leonard. 

Private First Class William F. Leonard distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Squad Leader in Company C, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy near St. Die, France on November 7, 1944.  Private First Class Leonard’s platoon was reduced to eight men as a result of blistering artillery, mortar, machinegun, and rifle fire.  Private First Class Leonard led the survivors in an assault over a hill covered by trees and shrubs which the enemy continuously swept with automatic weapons fire.  Ignoring bullets which pierced his pack, Private First Class Leonard killed two snipers at ranges of fifty and seventy-five yards and engaged and destroyed a machinegun nest with grenades, killing its two-man crew.  Though momentarily stunned by an exploding bazooka shell, Private First Class Leonard relentlessly advanced, ultimately knocking out a second machinegun nest and capturing the roadblock objective.  Private First Class Leonard’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Alice Mendoza accepting on behalf of her husband, Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza.   

Staff Sergeant Manuel V. Mendoza distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Platoon Sergeant with Company B, 350th Infantry, 88th Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy on Mt. Battaglia, Italy on October 4, 1944.  That afternoon, the enemy launched a violent counterattack preceded by a heavy mortar barrage.  Staff Sergeant Mendoza, already wounded in the arm and leg, grabbed a Thompson sub-machinegun and ran to the crest of the hill where he saw approximately 200 enemy troops charging up the slopes employing flame-throwers, machine pistols, rifles, and hand grenades.  Staff Sergeant Mendoza immediately began to engage the enemy, firing five clips and killing ten enemy soldiers.  After exhausting his ammunition, he picked up a carbine and emptied its magazine at the enemy.  By this time, an enemy soldier with a flame-thrower had almost reached the crest, but was quickly eliminated as Staff Sergeant Mendoza drew his pistol and fired.  Seeing that the enemy force continued to advance, Staff Sergeant Mendoza jumped into a machinegun emplacement that had just been abandoned and opened fire.  Unable to engage the entire enemy force from his location, he picked up the machinegun and moved forward, firing from his hip and spraying a withering hail of bullets into the oncoming enemy, causing them to break into confusion.  He then set the machinegun on the ground and continued to fire until the gun jammed.  Without hesitating, Staff Sergeant Mendoza began throwing hand grenades at the enemy, causing them to flee.  After the enemy had withdrawn, he advanced down the forward slope of the hill, retrieved numerous enemy weapons scattered about the area, captured a wounded enemy soldier, and returned to consolidate friendly positions with all available men.  Staff Sergeant Mendoza’s gallant stand resulted in thirty German soldiers killed and the successful defense of the hill.  Staff Sergeant Mendoza’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Robert Nietzel accepting on behalf of his first cousin, Sergeant Alfred B. Nietzel. 

Sergeant Alfred B. Nietzel distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a section leader for Company H, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division during combat operations against an armed enemy in Heistern, Germany on November 18, 1944.  That afternoon, Sergeant Nietzel fought tenaciously to repel a vicious enemy attack against his unit.  Sergeant Nietzel employed accurate, intense fire from his machinegun and successfully slowed the hostile advance.  However, the overwhelming enemy force continued to press forward.  Realizing he desperately needed reinforcements, Sergeant Nietzel ordered the three remaining members of his squad to return to the company command post and secure aid.  He immediately turned his attention to covering their movement with his fire.  After expending all his machinegun ammunition, Sergeant Nietzel began firing his rifle into the attacking ranks until he was killed by the explosion of an enemy grenade.  Sergeant Nietzel’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE:  Dr. Terry Schwab accepting on behalf of his father, First Lieutenant Donald K. Schwab. 

First Lieutenant Donald K. Schwab distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the Commander of Company E, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy near Lure, France on September 17, 1944.  That afternoon, as First Lieutenant Schwab led his company across four hundred yards of exposed ground, an intense, grazing burst of machinegun and machine-pistol fire sprung forth without warning from a fringe of woods directly in front of the American force.  First Lieutenant Schwab quickly extricated his men from the attempted ambush and led them back to a defiladed position.  Soon after, he was ordered to overwhelm the enemy line.  He rapidly organized his men into a skirmish line and, with indomitable courage, again led them forward into the lethal enemy fire.  When halted a second time, First Lieutenant Schwab moved from man to man to supervise collection of the wounded and organize his company’s withdrawal.  From defilade, he rallied his decimated force for a third charge on the hostile strong point and successfully worked his way to within fifty yards of the Germans before ordering his men to hit the dirt.  While automatic weapons fire blazed around him, he rushed forward alone, firing his carbine at the German foxholes, aiming for the vital enemy machine-pistol nest which had sparked the German resistance and caused heavy casualties among his men.  Silhouetted through the mist and rain by enemy flares, he charged to the German emplacement, ripped the half-cover off the hostile firing pit, struck the German gunner on the head with his carbine butt and dragged the German back through a hail of fire to friendly lines. First Lieutenant Schwab’s action so disorganized hostile infantry resistance that the enemy forces withdrew, abandoning their formidable defensive line.  First Lieutenant Schwab’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

(The medal is presented.)  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Ladies and gentlemen, it is very rare where we have the opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary courage and patriotism of such a remarkable collection of men.  We are so grateful to them.  We are so grateful to their families.  It makes us proud and it makes us inspired.  And so, before we conclude the program, I would ask all those who have witnessed this extraordinary day to please rise and give these latest recipients of the Medal of Honor your warmest applause.  (Applause.)

Chaplain, would you give us the benediction?

(A prayer is offered.)

Thank you so much, everybody.  This concludes our program. But please have an opportunity to enjoy the White House.  We are so grateful that all of you had a chance to come.  God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END
4:54 P.M. EDT

Remarks to the Press by Vice President Joe Biden with President Bronislaw Komorowski of Poland

Presidential Palace
Warsaw, Poland
3:47 P.M. (Local)

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Mr. President, thank you very much.  Let me begin where you ended.  Russia has increased their budget. But I want to remind you, you have an ally whose budget is larger than the next 10 nations in the world combined.  So while others may not have stood up to their responsibilities, the United States has more than stood up to its responsibilities.  We have a budget larger than the next 10 nations in the world combined, so don't worry about where we are.  Number one.

Number two, Mr. President, my mother used to have a saying  -- she’d say, you're defined by your courage and you are redeemed by your loyalty.  Well, I doubt there’s another nation on Earth that would better fit that description than Poland.  The Polish coat of arms, the Solidarity flag hanging here over us, the Polish constitution in this room -- it strikes me that I don't think there’s a country in the world that knows better than Poland both the bitter cost of aggression and the sweetness of liberty. 

Today, Mr. President, the people of Ukraine are reaching for that very same right and freedoms that the Poles cherish.  They want a government that serves its people and they want the right to free expression, the chance to choose Ukraine’s path and affiliations as a united nation without fear of coercion.  That's their goal, what you’ve accomplished.

They understand that the verdict of history is absolutely clear:  Societies like Poland that embrace these values -- openness, freedom, the respect for the rule of law -- they are the countries that own and will own the future.  Those that bet instead on aggression and fear-mongering are bound to fail.  And so we look to our Polish friends who made the journey of freedom within our lifetime to exercise leadership in helping Ukraine follow in your footsteps. 

Today, Mr. President, we spoke about a situation that's unfolding in Ukraine.  We agreed on the need for the United States, Poland and our European friends to stand together in supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, rejecting Russia’s absolutely illegitimate claims and steps to annex Crimea, and imposing costs on Russia and Mr. Putin for Russian aggression while making it clear there is a better path if they choose to take it, and helping the Ukrainian people and their government as they chart a new future.

As we proceed, Mr. President, I want to make it unmistakingly clear to you and to all our allies in the region that our commitment to mutual self-defense under Article 5 of NATO remains ironclad.  It is not in question.  It is ironclad.

Fifteen years ago, I was honored, as the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, to lead the fight for Poland’s admission into NATO -- in other words, to put that very commitment, that very commitment of Article 5, put that in place for Poland.  Have no doubt, the United States will honor its commitments.  We always do. 

And today, Mr. President, you and I spoke about the steps that have been taken in recent days to bolster our security presence in Europe, including deployment of 12 American F-16 fighter jets and hundreds of American servicemen to Poland.  We've also discussed new opportunities for training and exercises that we'll pursue through NATO here in Poland.  As I said earlier today, our missile defense plans continue on schedule, including our firm commitment to place an operational missile defense site here in Poland by 2018.

And for its part, Poland has launched an impressive effort to modernize its military.  It stands as an excellent example for all in NATO.  The United States looks forward to being a strong partner in your effort to modernize, Mr. President, of course.  Our partnership and our discussions extended far beyond militaries.  We also spoke extensively about our work together in the advance of trade and energy security. 

Mr. President, President Obama and I want the Polish people to know that there is a deep, deep commitment to Poland that lives in the hearts of a vast majority of Americans.  And I'm sure any Pole who has ever visited America -- the United States has felt it.  It's real.  It's deep. 

And if you’ll excuse, as we used to say when I was in the United States Senate, Mr. President, a point of personal privilege -- there‘s a Polish cavalryman’s sword presented to me by your predecessor, by your government, that hangs proudly in my family home.  It's a small token of the value many Americans place on our countries’ friendship, and a value I place on your country’s friendship and yours.

May God bless Poland, and may God protect our troops.  We are together.

END   
3:53 P.M. (Local)