Andre Carson: “I want to thank our esteemed whip, Mr. Hoyer, and the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Skelton, for…”

“I want to thank our esteemed whip, Mr. Hoyer, and the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Skelton, for organizing this time to reflect on those who have sacrificed so much for this country. Those members of our military who are still prisoners of war or are missing in action have made the ultimate sacrifice without the opportunity to return home. We can only hope that those young men and women who have been taken captive in the current conflict will be treated humanely and returned home to us soon. Mr. Speaker, there is one former POW I would like to single out, current Lt. Gov. Joe Kernan. He entered the United States Navy in 1969 and served as a naval flight officer aboard the USS Kitty Hawk. In May of 1972, Lt. Joe Kernan was shot down by the enemy while on a reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. He was held as a prisoner of war for nearly 11 months. Joe Kernan was repatriated in 1973 as part of the last convoy of prisoners of war exchanged that ended the war, and continued on active duty with the Navy until December of 1974. For his service, Kernan received numerous awards, including the Navy Commendation Medal, two Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Flying Cross.”