On the recordJune 16, 2010
I want to thank the other side of the aisle. I have never seen anything move so fast, and I am so deeply grateful that this happened. Some of you don't know, but the Korean Government invited John Conyers, Sam Johnson, Howard Coble and me to go to Korea on June 24 and 25, but the legislative calendar prevented this from happening. But because of their enthusiastic support, as well as mine, next week the Speaker and the minority leader have agreed not to forget those people who served our country; and, indeed, served the international freedom community. I want to thank also from my office Emile Milne and Hannah Kim for working with all of the committees that had jurisdiction to expedite the fact that this will be done before June 25. I was a 20-year-old kid in the barracks in Fort Lewis, Washington, when a sergeant screamed that the North Koreans had invading South Korea and the Second Infantry Division was slated to go to defend them. I was so anxious to leave Fort Lewis, I said: Hurrah. Where the heck is Korea? I had no idea that a police action involved putting yourself in harm's way.
