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“IN TRIBUTE TO ALFRED RASCON” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1201-E1202 on June 26, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN TRIBUTE TO ALFRED RASCON
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HON. ELTON GALLEGLY
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, June 26, 2001
Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise for the second time in two years to pay tribute to Alfred Rascon, who was recently confirmed as the 10th director of the Selective Service System.
Alfred is a remarkable man. Born in Mexico, he moved to Oxnard, California, in my district, with his family when he was a small child. His family raised him there and instilled in him the values of honor, integrity, a love of his adopted land and a reverence for life and his fellow human beings.
At age 17, he left Oxnard and joined the Army. He trained to be a medic and a paratrooper. On March 16, 1966, in the jungles of Vietnam, Alfred was severely and repeatedly wounded as he crawled from comrade to comrade to render aid, to protect his comrades and to retrieve weapons and ammunition needed in the firefight they were in.
By the time Alfred was loaded into a helicopter, he was near death. A chaplain gave him last rites. He survived. Because of his efforts, so did his sergeant and at least one other in his platoon.
But the Medal of Honor Alfred was due was lost in red tape, until two years ago, when the record was corrected.
He returned to civilian life, became a naturalized citizen and rejoined the Army. After another tour of duty in Vietnam and achieving the rank of lieutenant, Alfred again became a civilian. But he continued to serve his country, with posts in the Department of Justice, where he served with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and INTERPOL. Prior to his appointment as director of the Selective Service System, he served for five years as its Inspector General.
He is married to the former Carol Lee Richardson. They have two children.
Mr. Speaker, Alfred Rascon is a humble man who achieved greatness by quietly and unselfishly doing what he believed was right. He is the right man to head up the Selective Service System. I know my colleagues will join me in congratulating Alfred on his selection and give him our full support in achieving the goals of his new position.
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