Mike Conaway: “Both our previous speakers have described the last days that Mac and Rex spent on this Earth. I had the privilege of…”

“Both our previous speakers have described the last days that Mac and Rex spent on this Earth. I had the privilege of going to high school with Rex. He was a year older than I. Rex and I played on the football team together. Rex was a really good baseball player. I did not have the privilege of knowing Mac. He went to our across- town rival. He was also a wonderful young man. Mr. Speaker, I want to specifically thank all of those men and women in Odessa, Texas, who, for years now, have attempted and worked really hard at maintaining the memory of Mac and Rex in our communities. They have done great work, and, without their support and efforts, I don't know if we would have gotten this done as well. Odessa, Texas, at that point in time, in the late sixties, was a town of about 80,000 or so folks. Medal of Honor recipients are really rare, and to have two of them come from one west Texas town is a high honor. Both these men embody the west Texas values of selflessness, courage, and devotion to one's country, and their gallant sacrifices serve as a somber reminder to all of us of the price that some have paid to secure our freedoms. Mr. Speaker, on Memorial Day every year we honor all of our servicemen and -women who have given that ultimate sacrifice on the altar of freedom, as we should. When I give speeches and talk to folks back home during that time frame, I ask people to make it personal.…”