[ room noise ] [ room noise ] so the House Rules Committee taking a break here. When members return, this meeting will continue live on our companion network cspan 2. On the house floor votes are currently under way. Members are voting on two bills including one that aims to prevent suicides among veterans. The measure requires an annual thirdparty review of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention programs at the png and veteran affairs department. Thats live now on cspan. And in the senate today there was a procedural vote on a bill authorizing construction of the Keystone Xl Oil pipeline. The vote was 6332. Which was enough to limit debate and advance the bill for a vote on final passage at a later time. As always, you can watch the senate live on cspan 2. Here are a few of the comments weve recently received on the 114th congress. The thing that really needs to happen is going back to what the incomeing majority said, is they need to get back to regular order. If they go back and pass the 13 bills that it take to fund the government, then everybody can see who voted on what, who put what amendment up, and then send it to the president and let him pass it or veto it. I 40e7hope its a more mature, responsible congress that we will see emerging in the next two years. I think emblematic of this situation, of an irresponsible congress, we can see that reflected in this john boehner challenge today. Its time for both parties to put aside the bitter partisan battles and get on to the tas thak theyre constitutionally required to do and that is to govern, to legislate. And i think what the American People said in november, of both parties, is its time to see that finally start to happen. I think i dont know, if 114th congress, what can we expect of them . With citizens united. Its like all the politicians are bought and sold really. I mean, who are they representing, us or what . The first thing on the agenda is the keystone pipeline. Frankly the American People are prepared to get passed the polished language, the false promises. We need you to understand, sir that you work for us. We have seen nothing but foreclosures, people in the street, and frankly were tired frt silly games being played, and we dont believe anything were hearing any longer to create jobs. That is so worn out. And continue to let us know what you think about the programs youre watching. Call us at 2026263400. Email us at comments cspan. Org. Or send us a tweet tweet cspan comments. Join you the cspan conversation. Like us on facebook. Follow us on twitter. With live coverage of the u. S. House on cspan and the senate op cspan 2, here on cspan 3 we complement that coverage by showing you the most relevant congressional hearings and Public Affairs events. And then on weekends cspan 3 is the home to American History tv with programs that tell our nations story, including six unique series. The civil wars 150th anniversary, visiting battlefields and key events. American artifacts. Touring museums and Historic Sites to discover what artifacts reveal about americas past. History bookshelf with the best known American History writers. The presidency looking at the policies and legacies of our nations commanders in chief. Lectures in history with top College Professors delving into americas past. And our new series, real america, featuring archival government and educational films from the 1930s to the 70s. Cspan 3. Created by the cable tv industry and funded by your local cable and satellite provider. Watch us on hd like us on facebook and follow us on twitter. Military veterans gathered in november at the u. S. Navy memorial in washington, d. C. For a conference honoring their service. Among the speakers were medal of honor recipients from the vietnam war. The two veterans talk about their inspirations for joining the military and how the medal changed the perceptions of those around them. From their subordinates to their superiors. This is about 40 minutes. [ applause ] good morning, everyone. Can you hear me . All right. The medal of honor is the United States of americas highest military honor. And it is awarded for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. The medal is award by the president of the United States in the name of the u. S. Congress. The medal of honor was created in 1861 and several years later on march 25th, 1863, the first medal of honor was presented to u. S. Army private jacob parrot. Since then only 3,470 medals of honor have been awarded to americas soldiers, sailors, airmen marines and coast guardsmen. 3,470 represents a very, very small fraction of the tens of millions of men and women who served america in uniform. And as of today there are only 79 living recipients of the medal of honor, and im pleased to be here with two of these Great American heroes. F our first panelist served in the United States marine corps for 27 years and received the medal of honor for valor during the vietnam war. He retired from the marine corps in 1989 and served as Deputy Assistant secretary of the navy for reserve affairs from july 2001 until january 2009. He also served as acting assistant secretary of the navy from january through from january through april 2009. Please welcome medal of honor recipient recipient, u. S. Marine colonel h. C. Barney barnum. [ applause ] our second panelist served in the United States army for 26 years. He was one of americas first soldiers to don the green beret authorized by president kennedy to be worn by the special forces. He served two tours of duty in vietnam and also served in the Dominican Republic and panama. On september 17th, 1969 his heroic actions in vietnam earned him americas highest military award. After more than 45lbx years he finally received the recognition he deserved and was decorated with the medal of honor by president obama in march of this year. Please welcome medal of honor recipient u. S. Army Sergeant First Class melvin morris. [ applause ] ive prepared a few questions for our panelists but ill certainly give all of you plenty of time later on for your questions as well. And well have a good discussion with our panelists. But before we get started i encourage all of you to visit the medal of Honor Society website at www. Cmohs. Org, where you can learn about all medal of honor resip sxwrents read their citations as well. And if youre ever down in charleston, i encourage you to visit the medal of Honor Society museum aboard the usscmz yorktown down in patriots point south carolina. So colonel barnum, id like to start with you sir. Are you ready . Okay. What talk about some of your role models early in your life when you were growing up in connecticut. Well i think my role models first of all were mom and dad. We came from a small town in connecticut, and we didnt have much but we had everything. Dad worked three and four jobs and mom was a homemaker. Then i think probably scouting made a big difference in my life, and i think much of what i learned in scouting carried on to my career as a marine and the leadership aspects and first aid and living in the field and i guess my coach that played sports. And thats when i learned its not about you, its about the team. Because thats what it takes to get through life. And of course my minister and in the nonmilitary various leaders in the marine corps. You were president of your freshman and senior classes at cheshire high school. Yes. Tell bus the day military recruiters came to your school, why you became a marine. On career day in high school they had all the juniors and seniors in the auditorium and they had all the recruiters come in. And the Army Recruiter got up and gave his spiel, and there was a lot of whistles and calls and cat calls and the air force got up and the navy got up and the students were really giving him the old raspberry. Well, this old marine got up and he says i want to tell you theres no one in this room that i want in my marine corps, youre undisciplined, im disappointed with you. Then he began to chew out the faculty in the back of the room for letting the guys get out of hand. Picked up his gear and walked off the stage. Well, at the end of the at the end of the auditorium i was one of 13 guys who went up and stood at his table and he put his table back together and we talked. And i signed up in 1958 and joined the United States marine corps. Very good. Good story. He knew what had to be done had a mission, was proud of who he represented wasnt going to take any shenanigans. And i says you know what . I think id like to be like that guy. [ applause ] sergeant morris, you were raised in oakmagee, correct . Oklahoma. Tell us about your early life and your early role models when you were growing up there. Okay. Excuse me. My role model was an uncle of mine. And he was a paratrooper in the triple nickel which was the segregated Airborne Unit at that time. But i was so impressed. Again, just looking at him in uniform. And as hes jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. That was my inspiration to become a paratrooper. But my conditions were about the same as his. I owe it all to my family and my father. Because we were economically depressed. And my early days i learned to hunt and fish. Still do. But you know i learned my skills. I was also a boy scout. And explorer scout. I took those values i learned with me into the military. I joined the National Guard in 1959 1959. Didnt see a recruiter, but i had gotten my draft card and i didnt have to worry about that because we had already made our mind up to go into the National Guard because at that time it was completely integrated and they were recruiting minorities. So i joined the National Guard and did my basic and my e. I. T. , and i fell in love with the military. So upon completing my advanced individual training which was infantry, i decided i want to go regular army, and i asked them could i go regular army. And they said of course. But well take a strike for me. And i said no problem. Which they had to do anyhow. So i joined the regular army and volunteered to go airborne. Then after graduating from Airborne School i volunteered for the green beret. At that time it was called special forces. And the only thing i heard was sneaky pete. And i heard about what they do, and i said ive done a lot of this. I spend all my time in the woods hunting. You know. And i didnt think they were going to pick me up. And they did. And i went to the green beret, and i was 19 years old, and i was private first class. 54 and 117 pounds. Barely with an open parachute when i went to jump school. But i managed to stay there from 61 until 1982. And i was there when jfk authorized the green beret october 1961. I still have that same beret today. My passion is being a green beret. And i will not get rid of it. And people say, well, you need to get rid of that beret. Never, never, never. No. Thats with me for life. [ applause ] why dont you talk to us about the green berets and how your role as a green beret may have been different from the marine corps the army the other military forces in the army at the time. You know ive been asked that. Really we all operate as brothers, as a brotherhood. And you know, how youre disciplined and what kind of moral character do you have. You know the marines have a specific mission. The green berets have their specific mission. So does the navy and air force. But were all brothers. And its not competition between the service when it comes to combat. Its the thing of working together and getting the job done. Of course theyll send marines in to do things that nobody else will do and which we laugh about, though. The marine corps is really designed to take on the tough stuff. And yeah, in the green beret our mission was to train advise, assist and direct. And a lot of people always looked at us as combat soldiers. No, thats not it. Were teachers and advisers. Thats our primary mission. And were fighting until the regular infantry the armor or whoever, marine corps, but you know, the same thing thats gone on over in iraq right now, we have a special force there, the green berets. And they are advising and they are training. And theyre directing. And theyre assisting. And that was our primary colonel barnum, you were honored for an action, you were in vietnam only about ten days, is that correct . And you served a second tour of duty. Why did you go back a second time . I was in vietnam ten days. I was with the unit four days when i was in that ambush. And ended up with a medal of honor. It really pissed me off, you know. But anyway no. And i came home. And i became an aide to the assistant commandant of the marine corps. And he says, barnum, if you can last a year with me as an aide, you can go anyplace in the world for orders. The year was up. 13 months was up. I went to the general, said general, time for my orders. He said thats right. Where do you want to go . I said vietnam. You cant go to vietnam. You got the medal of honor first time. Medal of honor recipients dont go back. But general, you told me if i lasted a year with you i could go any place i wanted. And i said you know, theres a war going on, im a professional marine, thats where i should be. So general walton did what generals do. And i went back, i became the battery commander of the same battery i was a forward observer in the first time. [ applause ] it was only earlier this year that you were decorated with the medal of honor. What was your reaction when you got the news . I didnt believe it. And i never really worried about it, never thought about it. I received the nations second highest decoration. So you know, i thought it was going to go. And i just continued to march. I didnt worry about anything else. And when i got a call from g1 colonel davis over here in the png, and he said well government officials want to speak to you tomorrow, youd be standing by the phone. And the first thing that comes to mind was i said ive done something wrong, you know. And i got a little nervous about it. The next day the phone ring and the colonel got on the phone. He said a government oofficial will speak to you now. And my minds flying. So it was president obama got on the phone. He said this is president obama. And i almost dropped to the floor. And he said i want to apologize to you for not receiving the medal of honor 44 years ago. You should have received it then. Short conversation. That was it. And i still couldnt believe it. I told my wife, i said im going to call this colonel back. And i called himgli back the next day, and i asked him, was this a prank . He said, look, if the president tells you this is official this is official. Dont you ever call back up here no more. [ laughter ] that was it. Yeah. Lets talk about military leadership for both of you gentlemen. Thinking back over the many years. Who are the military leaders that you most admire and why . Why dont you difference a few examples . The military leaders in history that you most admire. I had so many its hard for me to distinguish. But one that i most admire because he was a hardass, and that was general william p. Yarborough. The reason i admire him, but i had a bad experience with him. He was our commanding general. And you know im an e4, and i have to do extra duties on the weekend. And i was thumbing home. I always walked home ten miles. Didnt have a car. Couldnt afford one. And he caught me thumbing. And he offered me five bucks to take a cab. And i refused his money and i refused a ride. And i got back to duty monday morning and he called me up to headquarters and said dont you ever refuse anything from a general. You go out and get the fivegallon buckets of whitewash and a brush and you start painting all these buildings. Thats who i most admired because he meant what he meant, dont thumb. You know, there are so many because in our glorious corps were small. But i worked for people like general lou walton who had two navy crosses on peleliu, was my Division Commander who recommended me for the medal of honor, and was the assistant commandant of the marine corps who i was an aide for and sent me back to vietnam. I think of general ray davis, medal of honor recipient. My second tour was my Division Commander. I never served with chesty puller, but i was in his presence a couple of times and i sat in awe of that man and all hes accomplished. And i think id like to add to this, you all are wearing the uniform of our great country. Youre not on active duty yet. Some of you will be active duty. Some of you will be congressmen, senators, and if you are i hope youll get something done. Some of you will be doctors, lawyers, schoolteachers, firemen, policemen. Ceos of multibilliondollar companies. And some of you will have the opportunity to wear that cloth of our nation and serve in a defense capacity. And because youre College Graduates youll be officers and you will be charged with leadership. And the young whippersnappers who you will get to lead will be looking up to you. Youre on parade 24 hours a day seven days a week. So if youre going to be in the military, know yourself be good at what youre doing and lead by example. And then you will be looked at someday. When that question is asked, one of your troopers someday is going to say colonel so and so, general so and so admiral so and so. And one of you admirals or generals are sitting right here. So remember that. Thats what this is all about. And thats what melvin and i are here today. We want to jumpstart you. Start thinking down range. Not yesterday. You cant change yesterday. You can affect them all. You are building that Strong Foundation upon which youre going to build the walls of life. Thats what were here to do today. Thank you. [ applause ] one final question, and then ill open it up to the audience. Colonel barnum, we talked earlier. Yesterday marked the tenyear anniversary of the fallujah in iraq. Yeah. We were talking about vietnam, and we had some korean war and Vietnam Veterans here. You jus