Tom Latham: “I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Loebsack from Iowa, for joining me in this resolution and his lead cosponsorship on…”

“I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Loebsack from Iowa, for joining me in this resolution and his lead cosponsorship on this. The Medal of Honor, like the gentleman just referred to, has quite a history with Iowa in that back on December 9, 1861, Iowa Senator James W. Grimes first introduced the concept of a medal of honor to promote the efficiency of the Navy at that time. And later on, there was another bill to also recognize people in the Army for their outstanding service and heroic actions. I was very pleased back in 2002 to introduce a bill; I don't know how many people were aware at the time, but there was never a Medal of Honor flag. We had in Jefferson, Iowa, a memorial for Captain Darrell Lindsey, who was a Medal of Honor winner from World War II; and a man named Bill Kendall, an Army veteran from Jefferson, felt that it was inappropriate that we didn't have a flag there. So I introduced legislation. Bill Kendall from Jefferson, Iowa, actually designed what is the Medal of Honor flag today, and I am still so appreciative of what he did. And now at the ceremony down at the White House when the Medal of Honor was given to this next great Iowan to see that flag there, it made me feel very, very proud of the contributions that so many people, Iowans, people all across this country have made and sacrificed for a country for the kind of honor they deserve.”