Greg Walden: “I would like to recognize the life of an American hero who I was honored to call my friend, Bob Maxwell of Bend, Oregon…”

“I would like to recognize the life of an American hero who I was honored to call my friend, Bob Maxwell of Bend, Oregon, who passed away last weekend at the age of 98. Bob Maxwell represented the best of what Oregon and America had to offer. Bob was the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient in our country, and his gallantry was well known. On the night of September 7, 1944, in France, Bob Maxwell threw his unprotected body on top of a German hand grenade to protect the lives of his comrades in World War II. This unhesitating selflessness earned Bob Maxwell America's highest military honor. It earned him his second Silver Star, a second Purple Heart, and a Bronze Star. For those who had the pleasure of knowing Bob, as I did, they know that his bravery and heroism were only matched by his kindness, his warmth, his sense of humor, and his humility. Bob once said of his Medal of Honor: ``I am not wearing the medal for any personal deeds. I am wearing it because it represents all the casualties we had in the war. It represents those who were killed defending their country and the ideals that they believed in.'' Like his fellow soldiers, Bob's service will forever be cherished in the country that he sacrificed so much to protect. Bob's legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone he interacted with, and especially in his community in central Oregon, where Bob Maxwell was a pillar.…”