Leonard L. Boswell: “I too rise to salute the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson). I had a couple of tours in Vietnam, and I can say very…”

“I too rise to salute the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson). I had a couple of tours in Vietnam, and I can say very openly that one of the things I did not want to happen to me is what happened to him. I did not want to burn in one of those helicopters, and I did not want to be a prisoner, and I thought about it many, many days. I was privileged that an associate of mine that I went through flight school with, name was Johnson, he and I had the mission to go after James Roe in the Delta. Remember Roe? And 5 years that he had been subjected to the conditions of a prisoner and the Delta and so on, and we alternated days. We had other missions to run, so we alternated days; and I cannot tell my colleagues our thrill the day that we got him. We almost shot him, but we got him, and I wish I could share some of the things he had to say. Anyway, I am very appreciative that we take the time. I occasionally will go down to The Wall and recognize some names there, and I have to thank my good fellow upstairs that mine's not there too, and I am sure the gentleman from Texas thought that more than a few times.”