Johnson kicks off inaugural Congressional Veteran Commendation
Area residents asked to nominate local veterans, community servants
Washington,
Apr 18, 2011 -
Today U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) formally launched the inaugural Congressional Veteran Commendation (CVC) program for the Third District of Texas during A Celebration of Freedom at Canyon Creek Baptist Church in Richardson.
The Congressional Veteran Commendation, in conjunction with the Veterans History Project sponsored by the Library of Congress, is a nominations-based program designed to formally recognize the wartime sacrifices and peacetime community involvement of residents of the Third Congressional District and to preserve their stories for future generations of Americans. Anyone interested in nominating a deserving veteran for this honor should visit Johnson’s website, www.samjohnson.house.gov, to download a nomination form found under “Issues,” then “Veterans.”
To be eligible, veterans must currently reside in the Third Congressional District. Nominees must have served as active duty military personnel or been reservists called to active duty. They also must be retired or honorably discharged from a branch of the United States Armed Forces.
Anyone may serve as a nominator and may nominate as many veterans as desired. Complete nomination packets should be mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered to Johnson’s local office no later than Friday, September 16, 2011. Please see the nomination form or call (972) 470-0892 for additional details.
Johnson publicly will recognize CVC recipients during a special ceremony in November. In addition, an in-depth interview of each honoree may be conducted and forwarded to the Veterans History Project to be added to the Library of Congress collection should the veteran choose to participate. For more information regarding this project, visit http://www.loc.gov/vets/.
Today’s special, patriotic event coincided with the 45th anniversary of Johnson’s shoot down that began almost 2,500 days of captivity in Vietnam. To mark the fateful date, Johnson shared his moving P.O.W. story with the crowd. A Celebration of Freedom also featured appearances by two fellow Air Force veterans, former Dallas Cowboys football star Chad Hennings and the City of Parker’s Mayor Joe Cordina. Attendees participated in a patriotic sing-along led by the Canyon Creek choir and orchestra and saluted veterans in the crowd during a rendition of The Armed Forces Medley prior to learning about the new Congressional Veteran Commendation program.
Congressman Sam Johnson served in the United States Air Force for 29 years as a highly decorated fighter pilot. On April 16, 1966, enemy fire shot down his F-4 Phantom in North Vietnam. He was then held as a P.O.W. for nearly seven years, over half that time in solitary confinement.
In 2009 the prestigious Congressional Medal of Honor Society bestowed Johnson their highest civilian accolade, the National Patriot Award, for his tireless work on behalf of the troops, veterans, and freedom.
Johnson chronicles his P.O.W. experience in solitary confinement in his autobiography, Captive Warriors. The book details the stories of the self-named “Alcatraz Gang,” including great American patriots such as Jim Stockdale and Jeremiah Denton, who blinked the letters of the word “torture” in Morse Code to alert Americans of their terrible treatment. To view that, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgelmcOdS38. To learn more about the war heroes Johnson detailed in “Room 7” who emerged captivity alive, go to http://www.nampows.org/room_7.html.
Johnson serves as a Regent for the world famous Smithsonian Institution, where he represents the Board of Regents on the Advisory Board of the National Air and Space Museum. In 2011, he accepted the “Freedom of Flight” award at the Living Legends of Aviation Awards, dubbed the Oscars of aviation, from renowned air show pilot Bob Hoover.
A decorated combat veteran and war hero, Sam was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, and three Outstanding Unit Awards.
As a federal legislator, Johnson works tirelessly on behalf of U.S. military personnel and veterans. Johnson represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.
