Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, during one of my recent weekly talk radio townhalls, I spoke to a family member of a veteran who served aboard the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans during the Vietnam war. The Vietnam veteran, Richard Grant, from Fargo, advocates for servicemembers who died during the Vietnam war but are not presently recognized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial here in Washington. The USS Frank E. Evans provided naval gunfire off the coast of Vietnam, including during the Tet Offensive. While conducting friendly maneuvers outside of the official combat zone, it collided with a friendly Australian aircraft carrier, killing 74 crewmembers. I introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to engrave the names of the 74 crewmembers who died on that day on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Their sacrifice and that of their families is worthy not only of our mention, but of the high honor of being memorialized forever on the wall. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to lead this amendment and urge my colleagues to support it. I look forward to the day when the wall is engraved with the 74 names of the heroes of the USS Frank E. Evans. ____________________”