Heidi Heitkamp

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, once again we find ourselves on a Thursday afternoon doing some final business before everybody returns home to meet with their constituents and do that work. I must say how much I appreciate your kind words and your attention when we have been talking about those North Dakotans who were killed in action in Vietnam. This week the Senate commemorated that 50-year anniversary, and I know there are so many Members who care deeply. I know the Presiding Officer is among those Members. So I thank the Presiding Officer for his attention and his appreciation for the sacrifices of the men who I talk about weekly. I rise today to speak about the men from North Dakota who died while serving in the Vietnam war. We are currently in a 13-year commemoration period honoring the veterans of the Vietnam war. I had the privilege to learn from families of North Dakotans who died in the war about their loved ones--who their loved ones were and who they hoped they would be. Before speaking today about some of the 198 North Dakotans who didn't return home from Vietnam, I publicly thank Dave Logosz for his service to our State and our Nation. Dave is a Vietnam veteran from Dickinson. Dave had plans to become a mechanical engineer and enroll at Dickinson State University in art and engineering. After his first quarter, he decided to enroll in NDSU instead, but he was drafted before classes in Fargo began. In 1969, he landed in Vietnam in the Army's 25th Infantry Division as a sniper. He says that his year in Vietnam was a long, tough one. He was injured more than once while serving there. After David returned, he suffered from post-traumatic stress, but he didn't admit it until several years ago. He says the VA counseling that he has received has made a huge difference for him. After his service in Vietnam, Dave worked for over two decades at the Dickinson plant until it closed, and then he worked for the North Dakota Department of Transportation. He says he is happily retired now. Dave belongs to every veterans service organization he knows of. A few years ago, he and his wife hopped on Dave's Harley and rode from coast to coast on a veterans memorial bike ride. They ended their trip at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, DC--among a total of over 68,000 motorcycles and 911,000 people who were there. There Dave saw for the first time the name of his fellow soldier, Carl Berger, also from North Dakota. Dave was with Carl when he was killed in Vietnam, and Dave carried Carl off the battlefield. Dave said that the experience of seeing Carl's name and visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall was emotional and heartwarming, and it gave him an idea. To give something back to his own community, Dave decided to build a veterans memorial honoring all servicemembers from Stark County. So 3 years ago, inspired by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, DC, he began with his idea for a memorial in Dickinson. He expects to have the memorial completed this summer. The city of Dickinson donated space for the memorial park, and the memorial will consist of concrete and Vermont granite, listing the names of every person from Stark County who has served in the military since the Civil War and will include space for future names. The entire memorial is 100 feet in diameter, includes 14 granite benches, and hundreds of bricks that individuals can personalize. Local artist Linda Little sculpted a 6-foot-5-inch bronze statue of a soldier saluting the panels of names. I really can't wait to see this memorial when it is completed and to thank Dave for his vision and hard work. Now I wish to talk about Carl Berger and 10 other North Dakotans who gave the ultimate sacrifice during their service to our country. Carl Berger, Jr. Carl Berger, Jr., a native of Mandan, was born August 23, 1948. He served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. Carl was 21 years old when he died on April 3, 1970. Carl was the youngest of 13 children who grew up on the family farm. His nieces and nephews remember him as their fun-loving uncle. Growing up, Carl attended high school at the Richardton Abbey and played the French horn. Carl's siblings remember having fun on their farm herding sheep and working together in the fields with the cattle and chickens. His sister Marian said that Carl was a genuine hard worker, and she is grateful that her children had an opportunity to know a man as wonderful as their Uncle Carl. Carl was killed in Vietnam less than 2 months after starting his tour of duty. The family cherishes the memories of that last Christmas they all spent together before Carl went to Vietnam. Carl's parents were devastated by his death, but they were also very proud of their son, who served their country. Carl's funeral was held during a blizzard, but despite that bad weather, the church was full. Laurence Zietlow Laurence Zietlow, a native of New Salem, was born August 30, 1928. He served as a sergeant major in the Army. Laurence was 39 years old when he died on October 3, 1967. Laurence's desire to join the Army was so strong that he enlisted before graduating from high school. During his graduation ceremony, his diploma was given to his mother, Sophie Zietlow. Prior to serving in Vietnam, Laurence also spent tours of duty in Japan, Germany, and Korea. Laurence's sister Leone said that a lot of Laurence's friends have told her how great a guy he was and that he would have given the shirt off his back. Laurence's sister Helen told her local newspaper that he didn't talk about many experiences from Vietnam, but he did describe buying gifts for Vietnamese children living in orphanages. Laurence was killed in Vietnam when a landmine exploded near him. He was recognized with several awards, including the Air Medal, the Military Merit Medal, the Gallantry Cross with Palm Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Bronze Star. In addition to his mother and siblings, Laurence was survived by his three children: Larry, Terry, and Kristi. Kenneth ``Kenny'' Johner Kenneth ``Kenny'' Johner enlisted while living in Noonan, and he was born on December 29, 1946. He served in the Marine Corps' 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division. Kenny died on March 21, 1967. He was only 20 years old. Kenny was the third of 15 children. He enlisted in the Marines right after graduating from Noonan High School. He and two of his brothers, Gene and Jerry, made North Dakota history as the first three brothers in the State to enlist in the Marines at the same time. Two other brothers, George and Brian, also joined the Marines later. Their mom Helen says the oldest three boys were so close that one wouldn't even go to prom if the others didn't. Regarding his service in Vietnam, Kenny told his mother many times, ``God has a different plan for me. I am on a special mission and I won't be here very long.'' In Vietnam, a few days before Kenny was scheduled to travel to Okinawa to meet his brother Gene for R&R, Kenny was wounded. About 3 weeks later, Kenny died from his wounds. In appreciation for the sacrifices he made, Kenny's family has named a nephew and a grand-nephew after him. Ronald ``Cookie'' McNeill Ronald ``Cookie'' McNeill was born March 29, 1949, and he was from Mott. He served in the Marine Corps' 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was 21 years old when he died on August 4, 1970. Ronald was one of four children and everyone called him Cookie. He got the nickname Cookie as a baby because his older brother Rick couldn't say Ron, so he named him Cookie and the name stuck. Rick said Ronald loved hunting and fishing, and Rick remembers the times the boys were playing hockey together on a nearby river and ended up with 11 stitches between the two of them. Ronald joined the Marine Corps shortly after graduating from high school. He died less than 3 months after starting his tour of duty in Vietnam. In addition to his siblings, Ronald left behind his wife Beverly and their son Barry. Douglas Klose Douglas Klose was from Jamestown, and he was born June 14, 1947. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. Douglas died on October 27, 1968. He was 21 years old. Douglas--or Doug, as he was known by many--grew up on a dairy farm. He had five siblings. According to his sister Barbara, when he was young, Douglas walked around the yard picking up ``treasures'' and stored them in his pockets. Douglas's uncle gave him the nickname ``Hunk of Junk'' because he always had junk in his pockets. Douglas's appreciation for his family farm extended into college. He attended NDSU and studied animal science. According to his adviser who always spoke highly of him, Douglas did very well in college. His two sisters, Barbara and Renee, remember how soft-spoken and helpful Douglas was. Renee, the youngest in the family, was Douglas's pet. He always looked out for her and he was a very loving brother. In his free time, Douglas liked to drive around in his father's 1962 Chevrolet Impala that had a high-performance engine. His brother Dean remembers that Doug and his brothers would race the car down the street, putting the other cars in Jamestown to shame. Dean remembers Douglas being so strong he could lift a John Deere 620 tractor with the loader attached to it. For fun, Douglas used his extraordinary strength to compete in gymnastics. Douglas had plans to start his own farm outside of Jamestown when he returned from Vietnam, but he was killed when a grenade exploded near him. Gregory Lunde Gregory Lunde was from Westhope. He was born December 8, 1946. He served in the Marine Corps' 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division. Gregory was 21 years old when he died on February 6, 1968. Gregory had one sister, Toni. She said she called him Greg and that he was always happy and clean and meticulous. She is thankful to him for caring for her after their mother died when Toni was 13. After high school, Greg attended business school in Minneapolis to prepare himself to return to Westhope and help his father run a meatpacking plant. Toni loved the care packages Gregory often sent her from Vietnam. He thought he was pretty funny when he mailed Toni a kimono and joked she would have to lose some weight to fit into it. Gregory was killed in Vietnam when he was shot while riding on a tank. Gerald ``Gerry'' Klein Gerald ``Gerry'' Klein was born April 29, 1946. He was from Raleigh, ND. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. Gerald died May 4, 1968, just days after he had turned 22 years old. He was the oldest of five children, and his family and friends always called him Gerry. He grew up on the family's farm. His siblings said that while growing up, Gerald spent free time either working on the farm or on the family car. While Gerald was home on leave, he became engaged to his girlfriend. After completing his service in Vietnam, he planned to live on the family farm with his future wife. His brother Bob said that Gerald was a strong, brave man who wanted to be happy. His family appreciates the letters he sent them while serving. The day he died, Gerald was injured but chose to continue fighting. Shortly after, he was shot and killed. He would have only had a very few weeks left of his service in Vietnam. I want to thank the Bismarck High School 11th graders and Gerald's family who have shared with us these facts about Gerald's life. Florian Kuss Florian Kuss was from Strasburg, and he was born December 28, 1946. Florian served in the Army's 196th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Florian died January 5, 1968, just days after he turned 21 years old. There were seven children in his family. Florian's two brothers, Victor and Frank, also served their country in the military. Florian grew up working on his family's farm, where they raised dairy cows, chickens, pigs, wheat, oats, corn, and alfalfa. Florian's plan after completing his service was to return to the family farm and continue his farming career. His brother Art said the family appreciates the time Florian spent taking care of their sick father before Florian was drafted. Their father died less than a year after Florian was shot and killed in Vietnam. Florian's sister Betty said Florian's death caused a hole in the family that will never be filled. They think about Florian all the time. Florian was awarded the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Bronze Star for Valor in recognition of his service and sacrifice. Darel Leetun Darel Leetun was from Hettinger, and he was born December 24, 1932. He served as a pilot in the Air Force. Darel was 33 years old when the plane he was flying was shot down on September 17, 1966. Growing up, Darel enjoyed sports, 4-H, and spending summers at his aunt's farm near Fessenden. He was the oldest of four children, and his siblings appreciate how he cared for and supported them and their mother after their father died when they were all young. Darel's family said he got along with people well and had great leadership skills. His sisters Janelle and Carol said Darel never put himself first. Right after graduating from NDSU, Darel spent time teaching about agriculture in India. He then joined the Air Force and was stationed in England, Japan, and Vietnam. In Vietnam, Darel completed nearly 100 flying missions before his plane was hit by ground fire and crashed. The Air Force presented Darel with many awards, including the Air Force Cross, in recognition for his extraordinary heroism that day. His Air Force Cross citation read, in part: Captain Leetun led a mission of F-105 Thunderchiefs against a heavily defended high priority target near Hanoi. Undaunted by intense and accurate flak, deadly surface-to-air missiles, and hostile MiGs, Captain Leetun led his flight through this fierce environment to the crucial target. On the bomb run, Captain Leetun's Thunderchief was hit by hostile fire, becoming a flaming torch and nearly uncontrollable; however, Captain Leetun remained in formation and delivered his high-explosive ordnance directly on target. After bomb release, Captain Leetun's plane went out of control and was seen to crash approximately 10 miles from the target area. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Captain Leetun reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. Over 39 years later, in 2005, Darel's remains were identified, and he was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Darel's widow Janet, son Keith, and daughter Kerri have been honored to hear from airmen who flew with Darel who told the family that Darel was one of the best pilots they ever flew with. Darel's son Keith was just 6 years old when his father died. But through providence, Keith has been connected to his father. He is especially grateful for the day in 1992, at a Virginia golf course, when he met his father's wingman from the final mission. That wingman's name is Mike Lanning. When Mike learned that Keith was Darel's son, Mike said: Your dad was the heart and soul of the squadron. He was my mentor and best friend. Mike and Darel's siblings have all told Keith that Darel was always going to bat for people until the day he died. Darel was not scheduled to fly that day but did so because another man couldn't. Keith is currently writing a children's book highlighting how something as bad as his father's death could turn into something positive, such as learning about and telling inspiring stories of heroes. Ralph McCowan Ralph McCowan was from Trenton. He was born April 26, 1948. He served in the Army's 41st Artillery Group. Ralph died April 3, 1968, a few weeks before he would have turned 20. There were nine children in his family, and his father, brothers, sisters, uncles, and nephews also served our country in the military. Ralph's brother, Gene, said service to our country was deeply rooted in their family. Ralph told his family he wanted to be a warrior and do his part. He was an unassuming man who had a love for horses and a love for people. Gene said Ralph had a short life but a good one. Ralph served for 69 days in Vietnam before he was killed at his fire base camp. The family cherishes their memories of their last Christmas together in 1967. Valarian Lawrence Finley Valarian Lawrence Finley was born November 17, 1947. He was from Mandaree. He served in the Marine Corps' Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Valarian was 21 years old when he died in May of 1969. Valarian was the third youngest of 13 children born to Louise and Evan Finley. Valarian's family and his friends called him Gus. He had plans to run a cattle ranch after returning home from Vietnam. Valarian's siblings are grateful for Valarian's fellow marines reaching out to visit them about Valarian and his heroic death and how he saved their lives. Valarian was killed 1 week before his tour of duty was scheduled to end, on his brother Bobby's high school graduation day. Bobby also served in Vietnam. Bobby was drafted and served in Vietnam shortly after Valarian was killed. He is now suffering from cancer caused by exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. Valarian was included in the 1969 Life Magazine feature titled ``The Faces of the American Dead in Vietnam: One Week's Toll.'' That article listed 242 Americans killed in 1 week in connection with the conflict in Vietnam. Life Magazine published photos for almost all the men killed and wrote the following in that article: More than we must know how many, we must know who. The faces of one week's dead, unknown but to families and friends, are suddenly recognized by all in this gallery of young American eyes. My intentions for speaking about the North Dakotans killed in Vietnam are similar. We must know more than how many, we must know who. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Molly Johnson, an intern in my office, be granted floor privileges for the duration of today's session in the Senate.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I rise today to again speak about the North Dakotans who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country in the Vietnam war. Since March, I have had the honor of learning from families about the lives of their sons, brothers, husbands, fathers, and uncles who died during the Vietnam war. Before speaking about the 13 of the 198 North Dakota young men who didn't return home from Vietnam, I want to first talk about Dan Stenvold of Park River. Dan is a Vietnam veteran who survived the war. While a student at Sargent Central High School, Dan thought about joining the military. After graduation, he felt he should grow up before going to college, and he enlisted in the Army. He was sent to Vietnam and served three continuous tours of duty there. His records count that he was in Vietnam for 802 days. After returning home from Vietnam, Dan enrolled in college at North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton so he could fulfill his dream of playing college football. The combination of Dan's time in Vietnam and a football knee injury made Dan feel old, and he left college. He then had a 33-year career with Polar Communications in Park River. In 1999, the North Dakota Vietnam Veterans of America voted him as their State president, and he has served in that position for the last 16 years. For the last 6 years, he has served on the National Board of Vietnam Veterans of America. The national president asked him to run for another 2-year term, and I wish Dan well in that upcoming election. Dan also serves his community as a member of the DAV, AMVETS, VFW, and the American Legion, and he is currently in his third term as mayor of the city of Park River in North Dakota. Dan is proud of his three wonderful children and seven grandchildren. Agent Orange exposure education is one of his top priorities. He has seen his own family affected by the side effects of Agent Orange. Dan is grateful to the North Dakota State Legislature for once again approving funding for education and outreach related to Agent Orange exposure. I thank Dan for his continuing service to our country. And please, Dan, keep up your good work on behalf of the citizens of your community and Vietnam veterans all across this country. Richard ``Rich'' Boehm Richard ``Rich'' Boehm was born on June 23, 1951. He was from Mandan. He served in the Army's 198th Infantry Brigade. Rich died on March 26, 1971. He was 19 years old. Rich was one of six children. All three boys served our country in the military--Marvin and Clarence in the Army National Guard and Rich in the Army. Rich served in Vietnam with Myron Johnson from Mandaree, and they became very close friends. Rich was engaged, and Myron was going to be his best man. Keith Nolan's book ``Sappers in the Wire: The Life and Death of Firebase Mary Ann'' includes details of the day Rich and Myron died. Rich and Myron were in a foxhole together, ran for safety, and were both shot in the back and killed. Dennis Bollinger was assigned to escort Rich's body home, and his family knew Rich's family. Dennis continues to serve our State and my community of Mandan as the current city of Mandan chief of police. Rich's brother Marvin says he is grateful to Rich's squad leader who contacted him from Texas and shared memories and photos of Rich during his time in Vietnam. Larry Jacobson Larry Jacobson was from Norma. He was born on March 15, 1949. He served in the Army's 1st Aviation Brigade. Larry was 21 years old when he died August 26, 1970. He was the second of six children and grew up on his family's farm near Norma. He attended grade school in Norma and high school in Kenmare. His best friend in high school, Craig Livingston, remembers Larry as a shy person who never had an enemy. Larry's older brother remembers the week Larry was killed in Vietnam. The family had been in Fargo celebrating his sister's graduation from nursing school. They had planned to host a party at home, too, but when they arrived home, there were a sergeant and captain waiting for them to deliver the news of Larry's death. This year on Memorial Day weekend, a large memorial was dedicated at the Mouse River Park honoring Renville County veterans. The memorial includes Larry's photo, images of the soldier's cross, and a helicopter like the one Larry was riding in when it was shot down and he was killed. Carl Woods Carl Woods was from Bottineau. He was born June 8, 1933. He served as a Navy pilot. Carl was 32 years old when he died on September 28, 1965. His father Monte also served our country during World War I, and six of the eight boys in Carl's family served in the military. Carl was an honor student in high school and college in Bottineau, where he made the All-Conference Football team. He then chose to enlist in the Navy. He served our country as a Navy pilot for over 12 years, reaching the rank of lieutenant commander. While serving in the Vietnam war, Carl's plane was hit by an anti- aircraft missile. Instead of bailing out over North Vietnam, Carl maneuvered the plane 40 miles to the Tonkin Gulf, where he died after his parachute failed to open. The family is grateful to Carl's wingman for sharing with them the details of Carl's service and extraordinary flight skills the day he died. In addition to his brother, Carl left behind his wife Elaine and three children, Mark, Jennifer, and Kathryn. Carl is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This summer, the Bottineau AMVETS Post 25 is going to rename themselves the Carl J. Woods Memorial Post 25 in honor of Carl's service and his sacrifice. Joel Ellington Joel Ellington was from Rolette. He was born January 21, 1945. He served in the Navy. Joel was 22 years old when he died on June 26, 1967. Joel was the oldest of three boys. They were 3 years apart in age. At Rolette High School, Joel played in the band. Right after high school, Joel enlisted in the Navy. After serving 2 years, he returned home and worked in the local grocery store. Due to the Vietnam war draft, Joel reenlisted in hopes that his brothers, Dennis and Doyle, would not have to serve in Vietnam. Dennis said of Joel's reenlistment, ``I think he did that to try to protect me; he didn't think they'd take two brothers.'' David Haegele David Haegele was from Napoleon. He was born on September 28, 1948. He served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. David died February 28, 1969. He was 20 years old. He was the fifth of eight children and grew up on his family's dairy farm. His brother Tim also served our country in the Marines. David's family said that he was such a kind person and a hard worker. They remember his jokes and how much he enjoyed playing fun pranks on people. David's letters home to his family requested three things he and his fellow soldiers desired most: Kool-Aid, baked goods, and dry socks. His mother gave David's niece Veronica a box she filled with David's things, such as the letters he mailed home from Vietnam and his wallet. She said that Veronica would know what to do with them. About 3 months before David's mother passed away at age 95, Veronica finished David's scrapbook, and his mother thought it was perfect. Garry Klein Garry Klein was born November 22, 1947. He served in the Marine Corps' Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. Garry was 19 years old when he died on May 27, 1967. He was third from the youngest of nine children. His sister Arlene said that Garry was an easygoing kid who was lighthearted and never caused any trouble. She remembers the cartoons he liked to draw. Garry chose to enlist in the Marines to serve his country. When he went home during Christmastime on leave, he told Arlene and her children, ``I won't see you again, but you may see me.'' He died almost exactly 1 year after he graduated from high school. Randy Lee Hansen Randy Lee Hansen was born October 23, 1948. He was from South Dakota, but he was living in Williston when he enlisted. He served in the Army's 1st Signal Brigade as a field radio repairer. Randy died on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1969. He was only 20 years old. Randy's brothers, Jim and Mike, served our country in the Navy. His stepbrother, Arthur, also served in the Army. Randy's brother, Jim, remembers that Randy liked to fish. Jim believed Randy had some great stories from his time fishing, as many fishermen do. While his brothers, step-brothers, step-sister, and mother remained in South Dakota, Randy attended Williston High School, where his father was working in Williston as a bricklayer. In 1966, Randy enlisted in the Army before he graduated from high school. The product of a service-oriented family, Randy felt it was important that he serve his country. Fred Johnson Fred Johnson was born on November 3, 1939. He grew up in Watford City and Leeds. He served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. Fred was 27 years old when he died on January 20, 1967. Fred's wife's name was Jacqueline, and they had one son and three daughters. Their oldest child, Richard, said that Fred loved to hunt and fish. Fred's dad was a game warden and Fred would go to work with his dad sometimes. They would bring home injured animals and nurse them back to health. Among the most memorable animals were a white owl, a baby skunk that behaved like a pet cat, and a raccoon that he kept for 6 years. After high school, Fred joined the Army. He served for 7 years before he was killed in action in Vietnam on his second tour of duty. Fred's son, Richard, remembers going fishing with his dad often and fishing together the week before Fred left for Vietnam on his second tour of duty. Fred's brother, Robert, said he took Fred to the airport before he returned to Vietnam the last time. Fred was scared and didn't know if he would be back again. Fred died shortly thereafter when his vehicle hit a landmine. Lyle Johannes Lyle Johannes was born June 25, 1949, and spent his high school years in Kulm. He served in the Army as a radio operator. Lyle died January 29, 1970. He was 20 years old. Lyle was the oldest of four children. His youngest sister, Sally, said that Lyle was a happy person who didn't get rattled by anything. He loved a good joke and had lots of friends. Sally said, ``You'd never want to turn your back on him because you never knew what he might do!'' He was a daredevil who loved motorcycles, had a number of Hondas--and crashes--over the years. He spent a lot of time hanging over the engine of a car. He would buy old cars and fix them up. He also worked on the cars of elderly women who lived in town. After high school, he attended a technical college in Denver for mechanics. Lyle was glad to be in the Army serving in Vietnam. He kind of ``adopted'' a young Vietnamese boy. The boy really liked blue jeans and a turtleneck sweater, so Lyle asked his mom to send them for him. She said she sent them as well as other things, but for packing material she put popcorn in Lyle's packages. When the packages arrived, the soldiers would eat the stale popcorn because they were so happy to have something from home. Lyle was accidentally killed by friendly fire. Since his death, the family occasionally finds items someone leaves on Lyle's grave. Lyle had shipped cashmere sweaters home for the family as Christmas presents in late 1969. The package arrived after his funeral in January of 1970. Eric Nadeau Eric Nadeau was born November 12, 1948. He was from Grand Forks and was a member of the Turtle Mountain band of Chippewa. He served in the Army's 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles. Eric died May 26, 1969, just days before his tour of duty was scheduled to end. He was 20 years old. He was the eldest child of his family and had three sisters. Eric's sisters remember how much he loved hunting game in the Turtle Mountains before he enlisted in the Army, and they think that is part of the reason why he joined the Armed Forces. Everyone liked Eric. He had a circle of friends he grew up with, and if he was ever in town on break from the service, Eric and his best friend Dale were inseparable. Wherever Dale was, one could find Eric, and vice versa. His sister remembers a time when Eric came home and surprised their mother. She and her mother were playing bingo in the local church basement. When he walked into the room, everything stopped, and everyone stood up and sang the National Anthem. Eric's mother was shocked and thrilled. Eric died when his company was outnumbered and overrun. He jumped back in to save his crew members, and did save some, but was killed in the process. Eric's sister thinks of Eric not only as her brother but her hero. Fred Jansonius Fred Jansonius was born June 23, 1948. He was from Jamestown. He served in the Army's 9th Infantry Division. Fred died February 2, 1968. He was only 19 years old. He was the oldest of four children. His sister, Claire, said that Fred was a gentle soul and that his younger siblings looked up to him. In high school, Fred was a good student and enjoyed photography, golf, and tennis. After graduation, he attended Drake University and studied journalism. One of his Drake professors told Fred's class, ``To be a good journalist, you really need to see the world.'' Fred's draft number was high, but he was deferred for being in college. So he quit college and traveled to New York City to see part of the world while waiting to be drafted. Claire shared some of Fred's letters he wrote home to his family, which revealed a talent for writing and the wisdom of someone who had definitely seen his share of the world in his 19 years. Many of his letters included vivid descriptions of Fred's experiences in Vietnam, so you could imagine Fred sleeping in a cemetery, using a bag of grenades for a pillow or his fellow soldiers drinking Coca-Colas and using their imaginations to create their own entertainment. After Fred was killed in Vietnam, his casket arrived in Jamestown on the train. The same conductor who drove the train the day Fred left to go to basic training was driving the train that delivered Fred's body back to Jamestown. About a year ago, one of Fred's officers, Lee Moorman, was traveling the United States visiting the graves of the soldiers he knew in Vietnam. Lee told Fred's family that Fred liked to read and was well liked by everyone. Gregory Krueger Gregory Krueger was born March 1, 1949. He was from Garrison. He served in the Army's 173rd Airborne Division. Gregory died July 17, 1970. He was 21 years old. He was the oldest of three boys. His brother, Stephen, said that Gregory was hard-working, responsible, and well-liked by everyone who knew him. Stephen remembers that Gregory loved everything to do with the farm. He had fond memories of working with Gregory, hauling many bales of hay on Saturdays. Their brother, Fred, continues to farm that family farm today. Gregory had a special relationship with a nearby farmer who trusted him at a young age to run his farm equipment and to help on the farm. Gregory hoped to eventually take over the neighbor's farm after completing his service in Vietnam. The Heritage Park in Garrison is currently in the process of adding a stone memorial in memory of Gregory's service and his family's sacrifice. Richard Hovland Richard Hovland was from Williston, and he was born August 12, 1946. He served in the Army's 20th Engineer Brigade. Richard was 21 years old when he died on January 31, 1968. He was one of four children and his family and friends called him Ricky. Growing up, Richard was active in the Boy Scouts. He played baseball and sang in the choir. His sister, Deanne, remembers his beautiful voice and him singing country music in their living room with his friend, Charles Hanson. Deanne thought she and her brother were the coolest when he would drop her off at school in his Chevy Impala. She looked up to Richard very much. When he left for Vietnam, she was in junior high and was in awe about what he was going to do. Deanne said Richard was a fun-loving and family-oriented man who was especially kind and good with their brother, Duane, who had Down Syndrome. Richard always mentioned Duane in his letters he sent home from Vietnam. After completing his service in Vietnam, Richard had plans to go to college and become a farmer. Deanne has drawings that Richard made of the farmhouse he wanted to build on the land he was picking out in the Williston area. His parents Arlene and Oscar often said Richard wanted to farm and loved the land so much that he didn't realize his true calling was becoming an architect. These are just some of the stories of North Dakotans who sacrificed their lives on behalf of our country in Vietnam. I have to say that every time I do this, I wonder who would they be today. Would they be standing here instead of me? But I do know the men and women in uniform who serve our country continue to serve when they take off the uniform. I also know our country suffers a great loss any time we lose a young man or a young woman in service of our country. That loss must be remembered, it must be respected, and we can never forget. In this anniversary and commemoration of the Vietnam war, it is so important that we spend our time talking about the sacrifices our country and our servicemen gave in Vietnam and continue to give through the ravages of Agent Orange--the issue Dan worked so hard on. They continue to suffer the post-traumatic stress that was part of that service, and they continue to overrepresent in the homeless populations and populations of people who continue to be troubled from the experiences they suffered in Vietnam. So today we celebrate these lives and we think about who they might have been. We offer a very humble and grateful thank-you to all of the family members who have helped us with these memorials but who have experienced this loss in a way we will never understand. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, today, as I have for a number of weeks, I rise to speak about 11 North Dakotans who did not come home from the Vietnam war. Each of these men gave his life for our country. Before I begin speaking about the 198 North Dakotans who died during Vietnam, I wish to thank my great friend, Bill Anderson of Rutland, ND. Bill is a marine, and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. Bill grew up in Rutland, attended the University of North Dakota, and then started law school at the University of Colorado. It was the late 1960s, and young men with college degrees were being drafted. So Bill left law school, enlisted in the Marine Corps, and was trained to be an officer. In 1970, he arrived in Vietnam and became the commander of the 2nd Platoon of Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. Bill's own written words about the impact the Vietnam war had on him strike me. He didn't choose to write about his blindness caused by the malaria vaccine that he took or his lymphoma caused by Agent Orange exposure. Instead, Bill focused on his experience in Vietnam and on the greatness of the 18- and 20-year-old Marines with whom he served. Bill writes: I am proud, every day, of the Marines I served with in Vietnam. They did not shrink from danger. They did not flinch at combat. They did their duty with steadfast courage of United States Marines, and for that Americans can, and should, be proud and grateful. I am grateful for Bill's service to our country. I am also proud of his service to my State. After his time in the Marines, Bill ran his family-owned insurance business. And then, when he was 40 years old and had lost most of his vision, he returned to law school. Since the 1980s, Bill has served many communities in southeastern North Dakota as a private practice lawyer. In fact, I can tell you this, as a lawyer myself: Bill Anderson is one of the most brilliant lawyers I have ever worked with. And since 2004, Bill has been a Sargent County Commissioner. So thank you, Bill. I hope that you will have a great reunion later this month in Tennessee with the Marines of Company D. Mr. President, I now wish to take a few moments to talk about the lives of those Vietnam veterans who did not come home. Arlan Gable Arlan Gable was from Rolette. He was born February 3, 1938. He served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. Arlan was 29 years old when he died on June 10, 1967. He was the youngest of 10 children and grew up on his parents' farm outside of Rolette. Arlan's niece, Sandi, remembers all the animals on the farm, and in particular, she remembers chasing his mother's geese. Each of the five boys in the family served our country in the military. Right after graduating from high school, Arlan enlisted in the Army. He served in Korea and Germany, and he served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Arlan was killed while serving as the gunner on a tank when the tank hit a landmine. About 1 month before, Arlan had been home on leave. After his death, Arlan's mother's health deteriorated very rapidly. Mark Mangin Mark Mangin, a native of Verono, was born April 29, 1949. He served in the Marine Corps' 3rd Marine Amphibious Force. On October 1, 1969, Mark died. He was only 20 years old. He grew up on his parents' small farm and had one brother, Marvin. Marvin said that during high school Mark played basketball and loved fixing old cars. The brothers both worked for neighboring farmers. Before graduating, Mark enlisted to serve because he wanted to become a marine. He earned his GED while at basic training. Mark sent letters home from Vietnam asking Marvin to take care of their mom and dad, and he wrote that he was an expert marksman and liked what he was doing. He included pictures of himself holding young Vietnamese children. When he had less than 1 month left of his tour of duty in Vietnam, Mark was killed when someone near him tripped the wire of a boobytrap. His brother believes that with his mechanical abilities, he would have become a mechanic. Michael Meyhoff Michael Meyhoff was from Center and was born February 3, 1948. He served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. Michael died January 4, 1968. He was 19 years old. He grew up in a big family in a small house. Michael was the second of 11 children. Two of his brothers, Rick and Brent, also served in the Army. While growing up, Michael enjoyed helping his grandparents on their family farm near Center, ND. Michael's brother, Rick, says that Michael was a good athlete and was an explorer. He always had to see what was over the next hill. He especially loved fishing with his father and always looked forward to fishing trips as opportunities to explore and spend time with his family in the outdoors. Michael was very family- minded and was excellent at writing letters and responding to letters from his brothers, sisters, parents, and grandparents. When he died, Michael's community was deeply affected. Now, 47 years after his death, his family and community still think about him or talk about him daily. Michael's mother, Harriet, will turn 90 years old next month. She has told the family that when she dies, she wants to be buried with Michael's Purple Heart. Charles Piper, Jr. Charles Piper, Jr., was born November 21, 1937. He was from Durbin. He served in the Navy on the USS Robison as a master chief boiler technician. Charles was 34 years old when he died on August 30, 1972. Charles and his sister Marion worked on nearby farms after their father died when they were children. Marion says that Charles was a good listener and was always a good mentor to her son. When Charles was 17 years old and had just graduated from Casselton High School, he enlisted in the Navy. He didn't like water, but his cousins serving in the Navy inspired him to join. Charles made his Navy service a career. He had about a year left in the Navy before he planned to retire. His dream after retirement was to work for the game and fish department and to live with his wife Marie on their farm near Kalispell, MT. Thomas Welker Thomas Welker was born on February 23, 1938, and made his home in Minot with his wife Frances. He served in the Army 101st Airborne Division. His unit was called the Screaming Eagles. Thomas died on July 27, 1967. He was 29 years old. Before going to Vietnam, the Army stationed Thomas, Frances, and their sons, John, Thomas, Rodney, and Dean, in several places in the United States. Thomas' older stepson, Rodney, said that Thomas loved to hunt and fish. He worked two jobs to support his family, working as a bartender on the base in the evenings. In Vietnam, Thomas was killed when someone nearby stepped on a Bouncing Betty. The Army awarded him a Bronze Star Medal for his valor that day. Thomas is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Irvin Knippelberg Irvin Knippelberg was born in Turtle Lake on January 17, 1939. He served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division. He was 27 years old when he died on May 19, 1966. He was the youngest of five children. His two brothers served our country during the Korean war--Jack in the Army and Darold in the Navy. Growing up on his family's farm near Turtle Lake, Irvin was the big little brother. He was 6 feet 4 inches tall, but he was the kid brother. His brother Darold is Irvin's only living sibling. Darold said that when the brothers played together boxing, Irvin's arms were so long that he could hit his brothers four times before they could ever get close to him. Darold remembers Irvin as a good-natured, loveable guy who everyone liked. Darold says he knows that Irvin's faith helped him along in life. After high school, Irvin first enlisted in the Marine Corps. He later enlisted in the Army and spent time in Alaska and Japan before his tour of duty in Vietnam. He planned to make the Army his career. Irvin had only been in Vietnam about 1 month when he was shot and killed. Delbert Austin Olson Delbert Austin Olson was from Casselton, and he was born on January 4, 1926. He served as a commander in the Navy. Delbert was 42 years old when he went missing on January 11, 1968. Delbert was the youngest of four children who grew up on his family's farm. His brothers also served in the military--Charles in Korea and Harold in World War II. Delbert's family said that he loved flying and was committed to his Navy career. He was a phenomenal naval officer and pilot. Delbert was 6 feet 4 inches tall, and his son, David, is 6 feet 6 inches tall. Delbert's brother, Charles, told David that he looks just like his dad, ``Delly.'' In 1968, Delbert and eight other Navy crewmen went missing when their aircraft crashed into a mountain in Laos. In the 1990s, investigation crews were finally able to search for the remains from the crash. All nine crewmen were identified and, in 2003, they were buried together in Arlington National Cemetery. In addition to his siblings, Delbert is survived by his daughter Dana and his son David. Donald Soby Donald Soby was from Rugby. He was born on December 15, 1946. He served in the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Donald died on July 7, 1967. He was 20 years old. Donald was the youngest of three children. His brother William also served in Vietnam in the Air Force. Their sister Margaret said that Donald always lived for today. He was a good kid, but if he wanted to do something, he would go and do it that day because he may not get another chance. She remembers Donald's sense of humor and good-natured pranks. Donald and his best friend, Terry, shared many adventures together, including taking Margaret's young son with them to a nearby town to attract girls and running into the game warden, who sent them home after discovering the ducks they were supposed to be hunting looked a lot more like pheasants. Donald and his brother William both served in Vietnam at the same time. The brothers inquired about Donald's leaving Vietnam since they were both serving, but they were advised to wait until William's discharge. They were able to spend Christmas of 1966 together. That was the last time William saw Donald. In May, Donald was wounded, and he died in July as a result of those wounds. The family is extremely grateful to Wanda Nielson of Rugby for coordinating efforts for the military to fly Donald's mother to the Philippines to be with Donald at the time of his death. John Joyce John Joyce, a Minot native, was born on November 15, 1944. He served in the Marine Corps, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines. John died on April 17, 1969. He was 24 years old. John was one of four children and enjoyed playing sports in his free time. In addition to playing football, basketball, and track, John left a legacy of being an excellent baseball player. He played baseball for Minot State University and for Northern Arizona University. In 2001, he was inducted into the Minot Baseball Hall of Fame. After college John became a teacher and coach for a year in Montana. He then enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam. One of John's best friends, Jan Olson, who taught with John and also served in Vietnam, said this about John: ``Inch for inch, pound for pound, he was the toughest man I ever knew and he was also the nicest man.'' About 6 weeks after his death, John was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his heroic actions. His Bronze Star citation describes John putting himself in the line of fire while defending his platoon with a grenade launcher and then carrying a wounded companion to a covered position. Ronald Jensen is a Marine who served under John in Vietnam. Ronald's 2003 book, titled ``Tail End Charlie,'' describes John like this: He was a great guy, no questions about it. He helped everybody, always in the front, and he saved me. He was most liked by his men. He saved a lot of lives over there. William ``Bill'' Kristjanson William ``Bill'' Kristjanson was born October 13, 1943, and was from Inkster. He served in the Army's 1st Infantry Division. His unit's nickname was the Black Scarves. Bill died on February 26, 1970. He was 26 years old. He was the only child born to Sig and Frances Kristjanson. He attended elementary school in Conway and high school in Inkster. In 1967, Bill graduated from the University of North Dakota. He also attended the University of Michigan and the University of Oslo in Norway. Bill's pride and interest in his father's Icelandic heritage inspired him to tour Iceland after graduating from UND. In 1968, Bill was drafted into the Army. In Vietnam, he was involved in both ground and air combat. About 5 months after arriving in Vietnam, Bill was promoted from private first class to sergeant on the battlefield. On February 11, Bill was injured when the vehicle he was riding in overturned. About 2 weeks later, he died in a military hospital in Japan. The ten medals the Army awarded him, both before and after his death, demonstrate that Bill was a heroic soldier the Army valued greatly. Patrick McCabe Patrick McCabe was from Bismarck, and he was born on July 20, 1924. He served in the Army as a master sergeant. Patrick died May 6, 1968, at the age of 43. He came from a family dedicated to serving our country. Four of the six boys in his family served in the military, and all three of Patrick's sons followed in his footsteps and joined the military. Two of his sons served in Vietnam after Patrick's death--Mark as a medic in the Marines and Scott as an Air Force pilot. Patrick's third son, David, served in the Air Force for over 20 years. Patrick's daughter, Kathy, said that her dad was a good man who helped anyone who needed it. Her dad loved his country and felt like the Army was his family. Patrick served in World War II and two tours of duty in Vietnam. He volunteered to return to Vietnam and died during his second tour of duty. We tell these stories because we cannot ever forget that every life matters. I am always struck by imagining what these young men would have been had they been allowed to grow up, whom these young men could have been when they were grandfathers and whom they would have taken fishing or hunting or taught how to play football. But these lives were given in sacrifice to their country and in sacrifice so that all of us can live in freedom, and we must never forget, during this period of commemoration of the Vietnam war, those people who gave the ultimate sacrifice, those people who were killed in action in Vietnam. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Ryan Nagle, my State director, be granted floor privileges for the duration of today's session of the Senate.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. That is absolutely correct.

Ms. HEITKAMP. That is correct. The last number I was given, I say to my friend, the Senator from Washington, was almost $5.5 billion.

Ms. HEITKAMP. Unfortunately, too often we have symbolic votes that don't have real consequences in the real world. Our wonderful businesses that are outcompeting and outmanufacturing and outdeveloping and outresearching the rest of the world are now with their hands tied behind their backs and losing credits as we stand.

Ms. HEITKAMP. We have companies in Wahpeton, ND, where bankruptcy has been prevented because they have been able to find their way to the Ex- Im Bank and actually find their way to a credit relationship with their importers. We have a company in West Fargo that builds portable wheelchair ramps and they have saturated the market here and they are marketing these all over the country. They will tell us today and tell anyone who will listen that the only reason they are as successful as they are is because of the credit agency, the Export-Import Bank.

Ms. HEITKAMP. I will.

Ms. HEITKAMP. Absolutely. I think we have a vehicle, as we can say, for the Kirk-Heitkamp bill, which was, in fact, this amendment we just voted on. We have overwhelming support in the Senate. We will do anything we can to move this authorization forward because without it we are costing American jobs.

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I am very excited about the Kirk- Heitkamp amendment getting an overwhelming show of support. The reality is that if we do not vote on the Kirk-Heitkamp bill itself and pass it out of this Chamber, at the end of this month, the charter for the Ex- Im Bank will expire. This vote has nothing to do with the charter for the Ex-Im Bank. It does nothing to prevent the charter for the Ex-Im Bank from expiring. This is at a time when China and India are pumping billions of dollars into their export credit agency. This is at a time when we have $15 billion worth of credit waiting to move through the Ex-Im Bank so we create jobs here in our country--jobs for American workers--and we are stalling the Bank. When we had this discussion during the TPA debate, we wanted to have a vote that would guarantee we would have an opportunity to prevent the charter for the Ex-Im Bank from expiring. That is not this vote today. I am extraordinarily gratified by the show of support because what it really does tell us is if we bring up an Ex-Im Bank bill on its own--an extension bill on its own--we will be able to prevent something from happening that could have catastrophic economic results in this country. So I urge this body to find a path forward to prevent the Ex- Im Bank charter from expiring, to have a path forward to honor our commitments that were made during an earlier vote so we can have a vote and actually move this bill forward and not simply have a vote to show support but actually pass a bill.

Ms. HEITKAMP. Yes.

Ms. HEITKAMP. I think the other thing it does also is it is a signal to all of those companies we are competing with, whether it is China or India, that we are out of the business, and that opens a wide path for them to be in the business of exports. So this takes us out of the business of financing exports, which is going to have and will have catastrophic results. We don't have a path forward, and the charter of the Bank expires at the end of this month. Without a path forward, we are opening an opportunity for our competitors to take those exports and to take away our opportunity to have those jobs. So I am very gratified by the result of this vote because I think it signals support for Ex-Im Bank. When we get this kind of support from the U.S. Senate--almost veto-proof support--maybe we ought to move the bill. People will say there isn't an opportunity to do that; there is no path forward. Let me tell my colleagues that there is no one in the country who believes that is true. If there is a will, there is a way. We have to have a vote on the Export-Import Bank by the end of the month and get it over to the House so the House can support it and move this forward or we will be playing chicken with the exports of the United States of America.

Ms. HEITKAMP. Yes.

Ms. HEITKAMP. In fact, the case is nearly $16 billion worth of American business and American exports that create American jobs will languish in the pipeline at the Ex-Im Bank because we foolishly let a charter expire at a time when we are in competition for exports, a competition for commerce throughout the world. When we debated trade promotion--and a lot of us took some tough votes on TPA--we were promised a vote that would be mutually agreed upon here so we could advance the Ex-Im Bank by the end of June. We haven't gotten that vote because today all we did was show--I think rightfully so--that we have tremendous support in this body for the Ex- Im Bank and we shouldn't be held hostage to the narrow ideology of a few.

Ms. HEITKAMP. Yes.

Ms. HEITKAMP. I thank my friend from California. I would say that as much as relationships here matter, what matters more to me is Americans working. What matters more to me are the jobs that will be lost and the opportunities that will be lost, as these manufacturing facilities and as these great innovative manufacturers have worked so hard. Think about all the work that is behind almost $16 billion worth of credit, all the relationships. All of a sudden, they have to say to their customer: Guess what. I am not there. I would suggest that one of the most heart-wrenching stories I have heard about the loss already of a big deal came out of California--a 100-percent disabled vet who told us he has already lost $57 million and he is on a path to lose a $200 million deal out of the Philippines, and that means jobs, jobs, jobs. In California, jobs matter. In North Dakota, jobs matter. All across this country, jobs matter. If we can start putting the focus on jobs and the American worker first instead of ideology and politics, if we stop playing games, we can get things done here. What was interesting to me is people say: Well, there is no path forward. Really? I think that if we needed a bill passed, if, in fact, we were in a spot where in 2 weeks or 2-plus weeks we were going to lose the charter of the Ex-Im Bank--and we are in that spot. If you really care about the Ex-Im Bank, if you really care about American jobs, you would figure out a way to pass this bill out of the Senate for which we have 65 votes. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Sure.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, before I begin to talk about the 198 North Dakotans who died while serving our country in Vietnam, I want to first mention and publicly thank a great Vietnam veteran, Jim Schothorst of Grand Forks. He is a Vietnam veteran. He enlisted in the Army and served in Vietnam from December 1966 to March 1969 as a construction engineer with the 169th Engineer Battalion. He was raised in McVille. He now lives in Grand Forks. He received his degree from the University of North Dakota and was employed with the Grand Forks Health Department for 25 years. Jim has been extraordinarily helpful to the North Dakota congressional delegation whenever we have needed to gather input or hear from Grand Forks area veterans. Thank you, Jim, for your service to our country. I want to again extend my comments and talk about 14 men who did not make it home from Vietnam. Wesley Craig Brenno The first soldier whom I will talk about is Wesley Craig Brenno. Craig was from Larson. He was born February 18, 1945. He served in the Marine Corps Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. Craig died on March 28, 1967. He was 22 years old. He attended school in Columbus and was a star athlete. He was voted most valuable player, and he lettered in baseball, basketball, and football from eighth grade through his senior year of high school. In 1963, he began his college career at the University of North Dakota on a baseball scholarship and became an active member and officer of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. After finishing his junior year of college, Craig enlisted in the Marine Corps. The Acting Secretary of the Navy wrote the following in Craig's citation for the Silver Star Medal. He unhesitatingly assumed the hazardous point position and while fearlessly advancing at the front of his team, he was severely wounded by an enemy mine. Despite intense pain, he valiantly continued to direct his men, urging them forward to complete their mission. About a week after sustaining that injury, Craig died from his wounds. Nearly 600 people attended Craig's funeral. In addition to receiving many medals honoring his sacrifice and service, Craig was also inducted into the North Dakota American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame, and his fraternity named their library after him. His family cherishes an essay entitled ``My Philosophy of Life'' Craig wrote in the eighth grade, where he stated: I believe in a free country. People must have courage and be willing to fight for our freedom. Christopher Davis Christopher Davis was from Belcourt and was born June 1, 1942. He served in the Army's 17th Field Hospital as a medic. Chris was 24 years old when he died on March 18, 1967. He was one of seven children. Also, his nephew, Gerald, was raised by Chris's parents and the two were as close as brothers. Gerald remembers Chris's fun personality and the little jokes and tricks he played on people, like dressing up and impersonating others. Chris loved to sing and play the guitar, and once won second place in a contest singing Ricky Nelson's ``Poor Little Fool.'' While serving in Vietnam, Chris mailed his parents a letter describing seeing more blood in 1 day in the hospital in Vietnam than he had seen in his whole lifetime before that. After Chris died, Gerald served in the Army in Vietnam. Gerald went to visit the hospital where Chris worked but left almost as soon as he entered because of the awful cries and screams that he heard. Chris's family says that Chris's son Marcus has similar looks and mannerisms to Chris. Marcus was just a baby when Chris died. DeWayne Selby DeWayne Selby was from Bismarck. He was born July 6, 1948. He served in the Marine Corps' India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines. DeWayne died on May 26, 1968. He was 19 years old. DeWayne was one of four children. His brother, Richard, also served our country in the Navy. DeWayne's sister, Phyllis, and his wife, Evan, remember what a soft heart DeWayne had. When he was 15 years old, he moved in with his grandparents so he could help take care of his aging grandfather. After high school, DeWayne worked as a mechanic, often fixing cars for free for people who did not have any money. DeWayne taught Phyllis how to play football and baseball with the boys, but if they got too rough, DeWayne protected his little sister. DeWayne was shot and killed about a month into his tour of duty in Vietnam. Larry Warbis Larry Warbis was from Haynes. He was born October 15, 1948. He served in the Army's 9th Infantry Division. He died on October 6, 1968. He was 19 years old. Larry was one of five children and attended Haynes High School, where he played basketball. He then worked at the Haynes elevator, where his brother managed the elevator. Larry's sister, Vicki, says that she and Larry spent their free time together hunting, catching snakes, and shooting pheasants year-round. Their mother scolded them for shooting pheasants out of season but then cooked the birds for the family to eat anyway. Vicki remembers Larry as a kind, soft person. Their cousin, Sharon Campbell, remembers having fun babysitting Larry and what a nice young man he grew up to be. Larry was killed about 2 months into his tour of duty in Vietnam. Larry's body was returned to his family on his 20th birthday. Dennis ``Buddy'' Wosick Dennis ``Buddy'' Wosick was from Grand Forks and was born September 26, 1947. He served in the Army's 11th Infantry Brigade. Buddy died on June 9, 1969. He was 21 years old. Although Dennis was his name, he was known to all of his family and friends as Buddy. First, he was his dad's little buddy, and as he grew up, he became a buddy to all who knew him. He had dreams about becoming an astronaut, and he could fix anything, including HAM radios, TVs, and cars. To this day, Buddy's family still hears from people who knew him and people who have beautiful stories about his character, like when he gave up his lunch at school for another boy who had been bullied and whose sandwich was thrown on the ground. Buddy died saving the men in his barracks from an explosion that could have killed them if he had not bravely jumped into the ammunition truck to drive it from the targeted barracks as it was being attacked. His sister, Kathy, whom I had the privilege to meet last Sunday in Fargo, believes that Buddy knew he was giving his life by driving that truck away, but that was the kind of guy Buddy was. Ernest ``Ernie'' Bartolina, Jr. Ernest ``Ernie'' Bartolina, Jr., was a Bismarck native. He was born December 29, 1942. He served as a captain in the Marine Corps flying helicopters. Ernie was 26 years old when he died on February 7, 1969. He played the French horn in the band while attending Bismarck High School. He later attended Bismarck Junior College and the University of North Dakota where he received a degree in accounting. Ernie's sister, Jan, says that he liked to have fun and had a good sense of humor. He and his dad enjoyed hunting and fishing together as often as they could. Ernie was killed when the helicopter he was flying on an emergency medical evacuation mission was shot down and crashed. The only survivor of the crash spoke with Jan and explained that Ernie's calm and collected manner was the reason that survivor was able to live and that Ernie was highly respected by his fellow Marines. Paul Charnetzki Paul Charnetzki was from Valley City and was born May 25, 1936. He served in the Army's Military Assistance Command--Vietnam Advisers. Paul was 31 years old when he died on February 7, 1968. Paul left behind his wife and five sons. One son, also named Paul, said that his father loved this country and the Army. He was a professional soldier, and he respected and cared for his fellow soldiers. He spent as much time as he could with his sons, settling their fights and pretending to be tackled in their backyard football games. Paul was killed when the Vietnamese unit he was advising was ambushed. He was shot while assisting his unit members into the evacuation helicopter. Paul was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his gallantry in action, and his son Paul believes that he would have been proud of that award, but even more proud of what his friends told Paul's family; that he was the ultimate warrior. Joseph ``Bill'' Crary Joseph ``Bill'' Crary was from Fargo and was born April 18, 1945. He served in the Army's 196th Infantry Brigade. He was 25 years old when he died on May 27, 1970. Bill was one of seven children. There were three sets of twins in his family. Bill and his twin sister, Kathy, were the oldest twins in the family. Bill's brother, Mike, also served in Vietnam. The Crary family honors Mike as a hero for his service and selflessness as well. Mike told Bill that instead of being drafted, Bill should enlist and Mike would offer to sign up for a second tour of duty so Bill would not have to serve in Vietnam, but Bill did not agree. Bill had earned a degree from St. Louis University and was attending the University of North Dakota Law School when he was drafted. His siblings believe Bill was special and excelled at everything. They believe he could have held office at the highest level. Bill's cousin, Jim Crary, says Bill always saw the bright side of situations and was determined to do the best at whatever he was doing. Jim wrote a book about Bill titled ``War Doesn't Bother Butterflies (But It Killed Bill).'' Jim's book details Bill's life and death and includes letters Bill wrote to friends and family. In Vietnam, Bill became a medic and died 1 month after arriving in Vietnam. He was killed after running to provide first aid and evacuate a fellow soldier who had been shot. Bill was awarded the Silver Star for his heroism and his devotion to his duty. Roger Foreman Roger Foreman was from New Town and was born August 4, 1947. He served in the Army's 101st Airborne Division. Roger died on July 18, 1969. He was 21 years old. He was the oldest of three children. His father, Earl, was wounded while serving in the Army in World War II. Roger's brother, Dale, says that Roger was a caring person who loved his family and his country. Roger also loved his mom's home cooking. His mother is still alive today. She is 95 years old. In his free time, Roger enjoyed hunting, fishing, motorcycles, track, football, and basketball. A highlight of his high school experience was taking second place in the 1963 State Class B Basketball Tournament. After his death, Roger was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor and the Purple Heart. James Fowler James Fowler was from Bismarck and was born January 7, 1938. He was a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force's 523rd Tactical Fighter Squadron. James was 34 years old when he went missing on June 6, 1972. In Bismarck, he attended St. Mary's High School. His family says he always loved North Dakota. In 1960, James earned a degree in architecture from the University of Notre Dame, where there is today a scholarship named after him for his outstanding work called Outstanding ROTC. In 1972, James and CPT John Seuell were flying an F4D aircraft that was shot down over Vietnam. Their bodies have never been recovered. In addition to his mother Mildred and his sister Marcene, James left behind his wife Maralyn, daughter Jody, and son Stephen. In 1989, the sons of the two MIA pilots met by chance. Stephen and Captain John Seuell's son, also named John, met at a banquet, learned that they grew up near each other, and both began attending the Air Force Academy in Florida. Both boys had lifelong dreams to fly and become pilots like their fathers.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, before I begin what has turned into my weekly discussion about the sacrifices of 198 North Dakotans who lost their lives in Vietnam, I wish to briefly mention and associate myself with the remarks of my great friend and tremendous colleague, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, as she talks about oil exports. I will tell you this: There are very few issues we confront in the Senate where there is absolutely nothing on the negative equation. What do I mean by that? Changing this policy has hundreds of good ideas and good reasons, and there is absolutely no reason not to do it. As we continue to pursue fairness for the oil-and-gas-producing industry, allowing them to seek their market as we continue to pursue an opportunity for our consumers to experience lower oil and gas prices, as we kind of move forward with oil and gas policy, I think it is critically important that we understand and appreciate that in this arena, the effort is bipartisan, the effort is essential for energy security in our country, energy independence in our country, and energy security across the world. I applaud Senator Murkowski for taking on this issue. I believe that as she has said, this is the year it must get done. I look forward to our continuing efforts, our bipartisan efforts to move this along.

Ms. HEITKAMP

Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, this is a story and a movie we see all too frequently in this Chamber and in the Congress--manufactured crisis after manufactured crisis after manufactured crisis. Here we are a few short days away from actually seeing the charter of the Export-Import Bank expire. Think about that--a 70-year institution, a critical piece of trade infrastructure. We spent the better part of the last work period talking about trade promotion authority, and for very many of us this was a very difficult vote. It was a conflicting vote. At the end of the day, the one argument that sells the day is that 95 percent of all consumers in the world live outside the United States. If we are not participating in trade, if we are not working to make sure our exports are competitive, if we are not making a difference for American manufacturers, we are going to lose the competition for the customer. We are going to lose the opportunity to grow our manufacturing base. So the Export-Import Bank--not a lot of people know what it is, but the people who do and the businesses that do know this is a critical piece of trade infrastructure. The irony perhaps of this whole issue is there is no one--there is no group outside of conservative think tanks that does not agree the Export-Import Bank needs to be reauthorized. We have the U.S. Chamber of Commerce begging us in the Banking Committee to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. We have the National Association of Manufacturers that tells us overwhelmingly--the people who support that trade association, who are represented by that trade association, want reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. We know the unions that represent the workers who work in these industries have been asking us to do the right thing. So here we are, once again, at the eleventh hour. Last year, we agreed to a short-term extension, 6 months, believing we would not be in this spot today, believing we would not be at the last minute threatening the charter of the Export-Import Bank. So guess what. We have over $15 billion of credit in the pipeline. Think about 15 billion dollars' worth of manufacturing exports in this country. I want you to think not about the manufacturing exports, I want you to think about what that means, what that means for the American worker who works in those manufacturing facilities. They look at this and they say that you are all about the economy. You all run saying that we are all about jobs, we are all about improving the economy, creating opportunity by getting American manufacturing back on its feet. Yet we cannot do something that has been done for 70 years and frequently by unanimous consent in this body. So where is the opposition? The opposition is nothing more than ideology. The opposition comes from conservative think tanks that score this, that scare Members and say that if you agree to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, that will be a black mark on your record. You will not be with us. You know what. It is time we were with the American workers. It is time we were with the small businesses. It is time we dispel the myth of this institution, the Export-Import Bank, and start talking about this as a job-creating entity. I have a chart here. It is a theme that Senator Kirk and I are sounding. Senator Kirk and I have the bipartisan bill that we would like to see advanced in this body to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. We have tried very hard to balance the concerns people have for reform with a reauthorization that gives some level of certainty to American manufacturing, to the institutions that finance them. Make no mistake, it is not that this is public money. Simply what we are saying is, if a bank gives a loan to an American manufacturer, if a smalltown bank gives a loan to an American manufacturer, we will help guarantee that loan. It is like an SBA--it is like an SBA for manufacturing exports. What is next? We are going to take on the SBA because they are doing too much good to help American businesses? So I want you to think about this: 164,000 American jobs. Those are direct American jobs, not the secondary jobs that we know come from this primary sector, development. When you look at economics, you think about those jobs that are secondary and those jobs that are primary sector. Every manufacturing job that deals with exports is a primary sector job. It is new wealth creation for our State. Economically, that is manna from Heaven because that new wealth comes here in the payments for exports. It circulates around our economy, allows our retail businesses to thrive, allows our restaurants and our secondary businesses, whether they are dry cleaners, whether they are people in the service industry, to support those primary sector jobs. So 164,000 primary jobs, exports of $27.5 billion--$27.5 billion-- those are all U.S. exports supported by the Ex-Im Bank. When we look at it, guess what. People say: Well, it must cost us something to do this. It must cost the American taxpayers something to fund the Export-Import Bank if we are seeing those kinds of results. Guess what. Not only does it not cost us, it returned $7 billion to the Treasury. Think about that. What is wrong with this? What is bad about this? Where is this failing the taxpayers of this country? Where is this failing the American worker? The simple answer is it is not. What is failing the American worker is this institution, the United States Congress, because we are failing to hand the tools to those businesses that can, in fact, create jobs, create economic wealth, and move our country forward. People will say: Oh, my goodness. It is all of those big companies. It is GE, it is Boeing, and that is really whom we are talking for. Well, I want to kind of look behind the curtain of that a little bit, not just talk about small businesses in my State that are going to benefit and the agricultural producers that benefit from this institution. Think about the literally thousands of small businesses that support Boeing, the thousands of small businesses that support the folks at GE. Think about the businesses that actually are the contractors with these large institutions that make parts, that make the sandwiches that feed the employees. This is primary sector growth. We know that adds to the benefit of the entire economy. So let's talk a little bit about why someone from North Dakota cares about the Export-Import Bank. If you look at more than 58,000 small businesses around the country depending on the Export-Import Bank to finance the export deals, they will all lose if we do nothing. There is $15.9 billion, as I said, in the pipeline. The Export-Import Bank has supported $139 billion in sales in North Dakota alone, since 2007, and $102 million in exports from our State. Think about that--the little State of North Dakota, how significant this institution is. I want to tell the story of a small business. We heard just heart- wrenching stories, one from California, an entrepreneur who gave his all in Vietnam, 100-percent disabled. He has a small business, had a dream, living the American dream, serving his country. Guess what. He lost. Because of the uncertainty here, he lost a $57 million contract putting over 100 people out of work. Right now, he is challenged because he has a $200 million contract on the line waiting for reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. Because--guess what--the people he is selling to are not going to wait to find out if he has financing. They are going to turn to the next manufacturer. Do you know who that next manufacturer is? That next manufacturer is China. Do you think our competitors across the world, whether it is India or China, who are not looking at reforming their export credit organization--guess what they are doing. They are pumping billions of dollars more. They are taking advantage of this. They are taking advantage of this opportunity. This is a sign in the Beijing airport: ``The Export Import Bank of China. Want to be the best in a better world?'' They are not hiding this. They are not saying that is inappropriate. They are bragging about it. They are bragging where they think those businessmen are coming in and taking a look at where that financing opportunity is. You might say: Well, the private sector can do it. That is not true. That is absolutely not true. We have had representation from almost every financial organization in this town saying we need the Export-Import Bank to support our customers who need to have that credit for their exports. So I want to close talking about a great business in Wahpeton, ND, a town I grew up very close to. WCCO Belting in Wahpeton, ND, is a great example. It is a 60-year-old, family-owned rubber supply company, which started out as a shoe repair business and diversified into repairing parts for farm trucks and then into new seats for tractors, canvass belting, and wooden slats. Today, the company provides rubber products used in farm equipment, such as belts for harvesting grain or producing round bailers or tube conveyers to move seeds and grain. Those are supplied to major farm equipment companies around the world. You know what. The simple fact is--and they will tell you if they were standing right here--that company could not have done it without the Export-Import Bank 12 years ago, which allowed WCCO Belting to pursue export opportunities it had been ignoring. The Bank has supported more than $830,000 in exports from WCCO since 2007. The Export-Import Bank helps make sure small businesses get paid in a timely fashion for what they sell. Not getting paid in a timely manner from foreign entities very quickly can put a small business out of work. The company now has 200 employees who generate more than 60 percent of their annual sales from revenues from customers who are located outside of the United States, all possible because of the Export-Import Bank. Without the Bank, they would be unable to compete in this global marketplace. This is one of those stories in Washington, DC, that makes the rest of the world believe Washington does not get it, that the United States Congress does not get it. Because they do not live in their world, they live in the real world, where you have to finance what you have, where those challenges get harder and harder every day, and where you are competing in a market where people do this. There are 70 export credit agencies in the world, all competing for the same business, all helping their homegrown businesses compete for the same business we are competing for. Unilateral disarmament. So it was not for any other purpose than the passion we have for this institution that Senator Cantwell and I started talking about this during the TPA discussion, started saying: We need a path forward so the charter of the Bank does not expire, so that we actually reauthorize the Bank before the end of this month. I would like to tell you that the prospects are great, that the overwhelming economic logic of the Export-Import Bank has overcome all of the ideological discussions. I would love to tell you that. I would love to tell you we are absolutely doing something in a timely fashion, we are doing something that makes common sense. Guess what. We are not. We are going to see the charter expire unless we, every day, come here and beg for a vote, unless we see movement in the House of Representatives, so that the charter does not expire. I am saying: Do not leave the small businesses of this country, the hope of this country behind. Let's reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, let's do it sooner rather than later, and let's actually respond to the concerns of the American manufacturing population. I yield the floor.