Heidi Alexander: “my late friend Alex Haley, the author of ``Roots,'' lived his life by these six words: ``Find the good and praise it.''…”

“my late friend Alex Haley, the author of ``Roots,'' lived his life by these six words: ``Find the good and praise it.'' Occasionally, I come to the floor and cite an example of a Tennessean or some circumstances in my State that fit those six words. A few weeks ago, I came here to talk about 91-year-old Tennessean Bill Hoffman, a resident of Memphis, who turned down a Purple Heart in 1944 when he was wounded in Germany because there were so many other people who were hurt worse than he was. His son thought, since his father is now 91, that maybe it is time that he does get it, and he contacted our office, and we got in touch with the Army. Lo and behold, he not only deserves the Purple Heart, he turns out to be one of the last three surviving rangers who scaled the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc on D-day, which was one of the most daring and courageous acts of World War II. President Reagan talked about it in his 40th anniversary speech, ``The Boys of Pointe du Hoc.'' Last week in Memphis, the Army presented Bill Hoffman not only with his Purple Heart but with the Bronze Star and a ``V'' for valor, and they gave him a special ranger cap to go along with it. That was a good day.…”