Steve Stockman: “When I got here 18 years ago, when I first got here I was wet under the ears, and I started looking at different…”

“When I got here 18 years ago, when I first got here I was wet under the ears, and I started looking at different people's voting patterns. And I didn't know, you know, which way to go or whatever. All I know is Sam in private is the way he is publicly. And privately, Sam, you're a hardcore American patriot. And I started to learn a lot from you. But reading your history and what you did, I just can't imagine being in that confinement for that period of time. It seems like it would be beyond what anybody could take. Yet, time and time again, you stood up, and there was only 11 of you that resisted the torture and resisted the torture of the Vietnamese, which broke every Geneva Convention protocol. And Sam, in this area in which you've served our Nation, I understand--I think it was five rows across and five rows down. So A A would be tap, tap, B would be tap, tap, tap--in other words, they would do the alphabet five five that way, and they would tap out at night. And that's all the communication they had. And serving with Sam, and watching Sam go through his service and his commitment to the American people, I don't know if we actually read all of his medals, but he has two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star with Combat Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, three Air Force Outstanding Units, and he was also awarded the Prisoner of War Medal.…”