Thomas Daschle: “Mr. President, last week, when Joe DiMaggio died, I heard many people say it is a shame how few heroes there are left…”

“Mr. President, last week, when Joe DiMaggio died, I heard many people say it is a shame how few heroes there are left among us. To anyone who believes that, I say: Meet my friend, Bob Kerrey. To me and to many others, he is a genuine American hero. As others have noted, on a moonless black night, 30 years ago this past Sunday, Lieutenant Kerrey, then a 25-year-old Navy SEAL commander, led his squad in a surprise attack on North Vietnamese Army guerillas on the island of Hon Tre. During the fierce firefight that broke out, an enemy grenade exploded on the ground beside him. The blast shattered his right leg below the knee, badly wounded his right hand, and pierced much of his body with shrapnel. Despite his massive injuries, Lieutenant Kerrey continued to direct his squad until the last man was safely evacuated. Days later, doctors were forced to amputate his injured leg just below the knee. Lieutenant Kerrey had been in Vietnam only 3 months. For his sacrifice, he was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the highest award our nation bestows for bravery, the Congressional Medal of Honor.”