 Welcome to the Medal of Honor Induction Ceremony in honor of First Lieutenant Garland M. Connor, United States Army. Lieutenant Connor was presented our nation's highest and most prestigious award for valor by the President of the United States, the Medal of Honor. This afternoon, he will formally be inducted into the Pentagon's most sacred place, the Hall of Heroes. Our hosts for today's ceremony are the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Honorable Patrick M. Shanahan, the Secretary of the Army, the Honorable Mark T. Esper, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, General James C. McConville, and the Sergeant Major of the Army, Daniel A. Daly. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the arrival of the official party and remain standing for the singing of our national anthem by Master Sergeant Neil Iwakiu and the invocation delivered by Chaplain Paul Hurley. Let us pray, Almighty God, we begin today in thanks for this gift of time. Together we remember and honor your gift of courage that we recall in the life of Lieutenant Garland Connor. We ask that his selfless acts of love for his brothers in arms will nourish us, will inspire us, our Army, our nation, to act with courage and strength, to overcome all fear, all adversity, all obstacles we face, bless the family of Lieutenant Connor and all who loved him and supported him to become an American hero, protect all our American forces this day and their families in all days. Amen. Please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, General McConville. Well, good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Secretary Shanahan, Secretary Esper, Sergeant Major of the Army, and a special welcome to the Connor family. You honor us with your presence. Thank you for joining us today, the honor, the heroism of Lieutenant Garland Merle Connor. Yesterday, with the official award of the Medal of Honor, Merle joined a distinguished group of national heroes who displayed conspicuous gallantry above the call of duty under extraordinary circumstances. As we honor Merle today, we also want to thank Merle's wife, Pauline, their son, Paul, Richard Chilton, Walter Hattuck, Luther Connor, and the dozens of veterans, historians, politicians, and the thousands of schoolchildren who worked so hard over so many years to ensure that Merle's heroic actions were properly recognized. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to the cause. And although this recognition comes late, it would not have come without all of your efforts. And although this award is nearly 73 years overdue, it's never too late to do the right thing. They say they should never judge a book by its cover. And this is particularly true about Lieutenant Connor. Average in stature about 5'7", 120 pounds. And Pauline, I won't say how you described him in this audience. But Merle was a quiet and unassuming man. And though he wasn't huge in size, he was a giant when it came to courage and when it came to character. And like many of the heroes of his generation, he never talked about what he did. His quiet exterior masked a tough inner core. He was born in 1990 and raised in a great state of Kentucky. His formal education ended at the eighth grade in a one-room schoolhouse. But despite his lack of formal schooling, Merle knew the important things. He knew how to hunt. And as he grew up, he had a hunt for survival. He had a hunt for his family. He was disciplined. He was resilient and he was resourceful. He served with the Civilian Conservation Corps until March 1941. And then he entered the Army at Fort Lewis, Washington. He completed basic training. He was assigned to K Company, Third Battalion, Seventh Infantry Regiment, the Third Infantry Division. And with basic training complete, the Army quickly put Merle on a transport and sent him off to war. He served on the front lines for more than 28 months in 10 major campaigns. And as the Third Infantry Division fought its way north from North Africa through Sicily, Italy and southern France, Merle gained a reputation as an exceptionally brave and heroic man. Think about this. He was wounded seven times in combat, yet he continued to fight. He was recognized with four silver stars, three purple hearts, and he didn't get a purple heart for every wound because he just didn't really seem to care about medals at that time. And yet, but his heroism and fearless leadership earned him a battlefield commission. And if you lead the history, he was revered by his soldiers. And he was recovering from a recent wound and due to return home soon. And Merle was working in the battalion headquarters as an intelligence officer on that day in January of 1945 when the Germans attacked the front left flank of the Seventh Infantry Regiment with more than 600 infantrymen, six tanks, and some tank destroyers. And Merle was only thinking about what the tanks could do to his battalion command post. Remember, he was in the rear right now and with no regard for his own life, he volunteered to direct artillery fire on the enemy. Now he could have done that from the rear, but he chose to go to the front. He ran 400 yards through enemy artillery fire and shrapnel, unrolling a telephone wire behind him for communications with the battalion command post. And then for more than three hours, under nearly constant heavy machine-gun fire and small arms, Merle directed friendly artillery onto the enemy from a shallow dish. Eyewitnesses later described the ditch as less than one foot deep and barely wide enough for Merle to wedge himself into. When you think about what Merle must have endured during those three hours is unimaginable. It was winter and bitterly cold. German infantry advanced to within five yards position and nearly surrounded him, yet Merle continued to call artillery onto the enemy and even on his position. He was only focused in stopping the enemy and Merle's artillery barrage has broke the enemy's momentum, stopping that enemy attack. And he assured the safety of his own battalion and prevented an unknowable number of friendly casualties. It's difficult to know what to say in the face of such exceptional bravery and selfishness. There were men, fathers, sons, and husbands who lived another day because of what Merle did on that day. There are children and grandchildren who exist because of Merle's actions. His courageousness, holy disregarding himself in the risk of his own life, was well above the call of duty. His legacy inspires us and will continue to inspire future generations of America. Thank you for being here today and please join me in welcoming the Secretary of the Army, Dr. Mark Esper. Well thank you, General McConville. First, let me welcome also all the distinguished guests who have joined us here for this long overdue recognition. Today we play tribute to Lieutenant Garland Merle Connor, whose actions outside Hausson, France, over 73 years ago are finally being recognized for what they are. Worthy of the highest and most prestigious military direct decoration awarded for acts of valor. A very warm welcome today to Merle's family, his wife Pauline, his son Paul, and Paul I'm struck by the resemblance to your father that we see on both screens here. Paul's wife Kathy, Merle's four grandchildren and his four great-grandchildren and I see they're much better shape now, aren't they, after lunch. Pauline, I want to thank you again for working tirelessly over the years for making this week this day possible. I know it's been a long road but we are finally able to pay Merle the recognition he deserves. To Richard Chilton, thank you for helping with this campaign since 1996 after learning of Merle's incredible accomplishments. To Walton, Haddix, and Luther Connor, you have both been vital to keeping this long journey moving forward so thank you for your persistence. Many others have played an important role in this incredible story as well. A story of a young man from a small town in Kentucky who answered the call to service in World War II like so many others from this greatest generation. A story of a man who endured 28, 28 consecutive months of combat in some of the most brutal fighting conditions our army has ever ever seen. A story of a man who was wounded seven times in combat and always found his way back to the front lines. And a story of a man who on January 24th 1945 and in complete disregard for his own life moved to a position forward of friendly lines. While under constant enemy fire Merle directed continuous artillery fire for three hours against the enemy force. And when the Germans advanced within a few yards of his location Merle directed friendly artillery fire onto his own position resolve to die if necessary in order to halt the enemy attack. These actions undoubtedly prevented his unit from taking heavy, heavy casualties. Yes this is the story of an American war hero akin to the likes of Audie Murphy and Sergeant York both of whom Merle and Pauline knew. But there's also another part of that story that I wish to tell today. It's the part of the story that is less well known and far more subtle. It's the story of Merle Connor's character and his values embodied in humility and selfless service. I'd done what I had to do and that's all there is to it. This was the response that Merle often gave when pressed to talk about his experiences in the war. Not one to brag about his heroics Merle simply thought he did what he was expected of him as a soldier fighting for his country. Even when his town organized a welcome home parade in his honor and asked him to speak to the crowd Merle chose to highlight his unit's achievements just like we spoke about earlier Pauline. He said nothing about his personal valor or the circumstances behind the distinguished cross service cross he was awarded four silver stars three purple hearts and the bronze star that he was awarded. For many years after the end of World War II even Merle's closest friends and family knew little of the actual details of his experiences and achievements. Merle seemed to just want to live a common life. He and Pauline married started a farm and raised a family. But as we all know today Merle was anything but common. Major General Lloyd Ramsey Merle's battalion commander during the war remarked at the conclusion of his career that Lieutenant Connor was quote the most outstanding soldier I've had the privilege of commanding unquote. An impressive statement from a man whose army career leading soldiers spanned 34 years and three wars. Despite Merle's common reframe when questioned about the war they simply done what I had to do we now know that he did far more than his country could ever expect him to do. It's clearly he placed the well-being of his fellow soldiers above his own characteristic of a true servant leader and his service to his fellow soldiers didn't stop after the war ended. In the later years of his life Merle with Pauline's support worked tirelessly to help disabled veterans receive their pension benefits and effort Pauline continues to this day. It should be no surprise to anyone who is familiar with Merle's combat record that he devoted so much of his own time to the service of others. Soldiers who rise above the call of duty during the most trying of circumstances draw on a well values that gives them strength. These are the same values that built our great nation hard work duty selflessness determination honor and compassion among others. Merle demonstrated these traits not only in war but throughout his life and although he served during a time when our army still was developing as a profession he demonstrated the values that define our army today. Merle would leave these values throughout his life. Paul as you recounted so well in the Medal of Honor video that was released last week your father's teachings were simple but direct. Do what you say you're going to do if you promise something fulfill your promise. These basic tenets define Merle as a man as an American and as a soldier and they guided him throughout the rigors of combat building trust between him and his men. As Maurice Williams one of Merle's soldiers stated after the war quote we would have followed him anywhere he wanted to go. It's a true testament to Merle's leadership. It is unfortunate that Merle did not receive this award before his passing in 1998 but I'm honored that Pauline Paul and many other family members joined us today to witness Merle inducted into the Hall of Heroes. I can only hope that by properly honoring Lieutenant Conner and calling attention to his sacrifices bravery and achievements that a new generation of Americans will be inspired to serve their communities and their country. Merle is an incredible example of all that is great about America. He represents the very best of our nation and our army. It is clear that he had a significant impact on so many people throughout his life not least of which were the men of the Third Battalion Seventh Infantry Regiment many whose lives were saved because of Merle's heroism. And while the Medal of Honor reflects Merle's valor and courage on that day it also exposes a lifetime of selfless service to his community our veterans and our country. Over these past two days we have had the chance to fully recognize Garland Merle Conner. We finally got it right. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. I'd now like to welcome to the stage the Deputy Secretary of Defense the Honorable Patrick Shanahan. Dr. Esper is it okay if I go off script a little bit? Okay good and I'll go off script just for a second. I know ever there are a lot of people to recognize and I would just like to acknowledge all the guests and and our teammates here but maybe just a special recognition to Pauline and her wonderful son Paul. It's my birthday today and so I got to hang out with Pauline and Paul in my office and I got a kiss from Pauline so whatever you do don't tell the president. So anyways our our secret so anyways as General Mcconville said this is this day is long overdue. I take every day working here as a blessing but some days are better than others. Some days allow us the time and space to acknowledge the meaningfulness of our military's work and the extraordinary fortitude of the select few who earn our nation's highest distinction for valor in combat. Today is one of those days the Medal of Honor is not a passive achievement it is recognition of the bravest actions. It honors the selflessness of those who go above and beyond the call of duty. Honor and selflessness two words we use quite often in this department to describe the brave men and women who go into harm's way to protect our nation's freedoms but how often do we pause to reflect on their meaning for who can truly understand the honor and selflessness it took for Lieutenant Connor to do what he did back in January of 1945. The honor and selflessness it took to slip out of a hospital with a still healing hip injury to return to the front line alongside his brothers in arms to run into the heart of a fierce enemy assault. The honor and selflessness it took to hold his vulnerable position for three hours mere feet away from the ferocious german enemy to direct fire to his own position fully accepting the high likelihood he would be killed as a result. Lieutenant Connor's actions in the heat of battle are the true embodiment of all that our men and women in uniform strive to achieve. Merle didn't acquire his selfless character in boot camp at Fort Lewis. He didn't learn it as he fought across North Africa Italy and France. You can't teach that type of character you either have it or you don't and Merle certainly did. This character followed Merle well after his service in the army that ended in 1945. All who knew him describe him as a humble quiet man never won to brag about anything let alone what happened in the war. At his welcome home parade in Kentucky Merle spoke to the good people of Clinton County about his time overseas. Other soldiers might have seized the opportunity to boast in front of such a captive audience eager to hear tales of triumph over the Nazis but as Secretary Esper mentioned Merle kept accounts of his courageous deeds to himself opting instead to describe the campaigns and praise his superior's operational planning yet his words made an impression on the audience that day they caught the attention of another war hero in the crowd Sergeant Alvin York the most decorated soldier of the first world war sparking a lifelong friendship between those who shared what former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes has termed the incommunicable experience of war. As a testament to the bond formed between those two kindred spirits we are honored to welcome some members of Sergeant York's family here today. At his parade in 1945 Merle's words also made an impression on another person his bride to be Pauline. They married shortly after and raised their son Paul on the same land Merle's great great grandfather Lawrence Connor had tilled a century and a half before. Land granted to the Connor family following Lawrence's own service to this nation in its very infancy under General Washington's command. For decades Merle Pauline and Paul lived a quiet tobacco farming life. Merle dedicated his life to helping others both those he knew and those he didn't just as he had in the war he spent his time bettering the lives of other veterans helping himself find peace along the way. He offered support to family and friends whenever they needed it donating countless hours of time to a second cousin Luther's run for office. For example even switching his registered political party so he could vote for him unbeknownst to Luther until much later. As a mark of the humble man he was Merle never hinted there was more to tell about his time in the army. He kept his distinguished service crosses purple hearts his bronze and silver stars packed away in a bag stored in a closet assuming they would never see the light of day again. Only when Richard Chilton came along hoping to learn a little bit more about his uncle's service did Merle's actions return to the light. Ever since it has been a testament to Merle's character that others have worked so diligently and tirelessly to make sure he gets the recognition he deserves. His actions on January 24th 1945 spoke volumes about Merle not just the soldier but as a person. His humility is inspiring his unassuming heroism a pillar of all our army and military stand for service above self. As Secretary Esper said before of his actions in the war Merle simply said I'd done what I had to do that's all there is to it. Now the nation has done what it needed to do to honor this incredible soldier. Thank you to all who played a part in making this momentous day a reality. I'm proud to be a part of it. Ladies and gentlemen please remain seated during the presentations. The President of the United States of America, authorized by active congress March 3rd 1863, has awarded in the name of congress the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant Garland M. Connor United States Army for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. First Lieutenant Garland M. Connor distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity while serving with Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. On the morning of January 24th 1945 near the town of Hussain, France, German forces ferociously counterattacked the front left flank of the 7th Infantry Regiment with 600 infantry troops, six mark six tanks and tank destroyers. Lieutenant Connor, having recently returned to his unit after recovering from a wound received in an earlier battle, was working as the intelligence officer in the 3rd Battalion command post at the time of the attack. Understanding the devastating effect that the advancing enemy armor could have on battalion, Lieutenant Connor immediately volunteered to run straight into the heart of the enemy assault to get to a position from which he could direct friendly artillery on the advancing enemy forces. With complete disregard for his own safety, Lieutenant Connor maneuvered 400 yards through enemy artillery fire that destroyed trees in his path and rained shrapnel all around him, while unrolling telephone wire needed to communicate with the battalion command post. Upon reaching the battalion's front line, he continued to move forward under enemy assault to a position 30 yards in front of the defending United States forces, where he plunged into a shallow ditch that provided minimal protection from the advancing enemy's heavy machine gun and small arms fire. With rounds impacting all around him, Lieutenant Connor calmly directed multiple fire missions, adjusting round after round of artillery from his prone position until the enemy was forced to halt its advance and seek cover behind a nearby dyke. For three hours, Lieutenant Connor remained in this compromised position and during the repeated onslaught of German infantry, which at one point advanced to within five yards of his position. As German infantry regrouped and began to mass in an overwhelming assault, Lieutenant Connor ordered friendly artillery to concentrate directly on his own position, having resolved to die if necessary to destroy the enemy advance. Ignoring the friendly artillery shells blanketing his position and exploding mere feet from him, Lieutenant Connor continued to direct artillery fire on the enemy assault, swarming around him until the German attack was finally broken. By his heroism and disregard for his own life, Lieutenant Connor stopped the enemy advance. The artillery he expertly directed while under constant enemy fire killed approximately 50 German soldiers and mooted an estimated 100 more, preventing what have been undoubtedly heavy friendly casualties. His actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 3rd Infantry Division and the United States Army. At this time, the Medal of Honor flag will be presented to Mrs. Connor. On 23rd October 2002, Public Law 107-248, Section 8143 established the Medal of Honor flag to recognize service members who have distinguished themselves by gallantry in action above and beyond the call of duty. The Medal of Honor flag commemorates the sacrifice and bloodshed for our freedoms and gives emphasis to the Medal of Honor being the highest award for valor by an individual serving in the armed forces of the United States. The light blue color with the gold fringe bearing 13 white stars are adapted from the Medal of Honor ribbon. The Medal of Honor plaque will now be unveiled, inducting 1st Lieutenant Connor into the Hall of Heroes. Thank you Deputy Secretary Shanahan, Secretary Esper, General McConville and Sergeant Major Daly. Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Pauline Connor. Don't be surprised I'm not much of a speaker. I am so honored to be here with my family and friends. To the many distinguished leaders and guests, thank you for making this occasion so memorable. I'm here today because of my late husband's bravery years ago and because many people worked hard to get Murl the recognition he deserved. Our only child, Paul, his wife Kathy, their four children and four grandchildren are all present. Murl would be so proud. He was really proud of his family. Always be grateful to Richard Chilton, Walton Haddix, former U.S. congressman Ed Whitfield, Dennis Shepherd, Luther Connor and former Miss America, Heather French Henry for relentless efforts over the last 22 years to challenge the awards process. It has been a lengthy one and we somewhat understand why. It's the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest award for valor. It was not easy. Verifying details and convincing various boards to review testimony and military records. But the story of my late husband Murl is fascinating and one for the history books. The truth is he never wanted notoriety and even resisted numerous attempts by his former commanding officer to seek the Medal of Honor for him. That commanding officer is the late Major General Lloyd Ramsey who said Murl was deserving as a matter of record but Murl made it clear that he was not interested. He said he didn't need another medal and his life's focus should be on living a faithful life in Kentucky and that he did. Kentucky is where we met and lived our lives. We stayed together through it all. In 1996 Richard Chilton, a man we'd never met, called from Wisconsin requesting a visit with Murl about the war and insights into heroic actions of Richard Zucco who also served with my husband. Though Murl was in poor health and spent most of his time in bed, he accepted the visit. I was surprised but Murl thought he could help a fellow soldier. Weeks later I was able to move Murl to a wheelchair and before Richard arrived he stayed with Murl for a good part of the day talking about the horrors of war. Some of it I heard, some of it I didn't. I did however bring out Murl's records. It was then that Richard learned Murl, my husband, was worthy of the Medal of Honor. The conversation led to Murl giving permission to seek the Medal as appropriate by the records. Appropriate and by the records we did it Murl. No more regrets. You see later in Murl's life he wondered if he did the right thing by rejecting the idea of a potential upgrade. After Richard's visit I remember pulling dusty boxes out of the closets. After Murl passed I became more aware of his heroic military actions. There was so much I didn't know. I came across notes from Major General Ramsey, Stephen Ambrose and many others stating that Murl was worthy of the Medal of Honor and as it turns out they were right after all. Murl was not about awards though he was proud of the many he and others earned. He was about service to our country and living a good faithful life. Our beautiful life together was simple. Our calling was having a family, building a home and a farm and helping family and friends, especially veterans who returned home with hardships. Veterans were so special to Murl. He helped them update records and get benefits over the years. I was his secretary. We met hundreds maybe thousands from 15 counties. Murl encouraged each to get their records straight. That said Murl reflected on why he didn't finish getting his records straight. He and I had many discussions about why he refused going through the middle upgrade process. As the years went by he expressed regret. I am amazed. He was so brave and he wrote a heroic battlefield. I never spoke spoke much of it. He was a humble man and is still my hero. I loved him very much. We met in 1945 at a home front celebration in Clinton County. 1945 and I'd never seen a parade. I was 15. Mom and dad put together a horse drone wagon for the whole family to see a guy by the name of Alvin C York. A world war one hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor and a more recent local war hero returning from Europe by the name of First Lieutenant Garland Murl Connor. He was a recipient of the distinguished service cross among other awards for action in the Second World War. I was all about seeing a hero a war hero. Again I was 15 soon to be 16. I could not believe my eyes. I saw Murl for the first time and said to mama my goodness that man could not have done all they said he did. I was expecting a giant. Murl was only five feet six inches tall and weighed approximately 120 pounds. A few weeks later I met him at a church revival and much to my mother's dismay about two weeks later we eloped into Georgia where parental consent was not required. We grew up together stayed true to our faith and had a beautiful boy. All who managed to take over the farm and raise great children. I'm all so much. There is so much to our story. Thank you again for being with our family and friends today to honor the service of my late husband First Lieutenant Garland Murl Connor. His service record speaks volumes on 24th of January 1945 with the Third Infantry Division. Murl kept going despite being surrounded by the enemy. He was so brave. Continue learning more about Murl's story and others reminding us the spirit of the American soldier never dies. Murl would want me to recognize his six brothers and four sisters. They were proud of one another and very proud of the men and women wearing the uniform. Four brothers fought in World War II and another brother fought in the Korean War. I challenge everyone to learn more about their family's military history even if it takes you to some old dusty boxes stuck away in a dark closet somewhere and this is what Murl would want me to say. God bless the United States of America. Thank you. Thank you Mrs. Connor. Ladies and gentlemen please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen please stand and join in the singing of the Army song. The words to the Army song can be found on your program. Ladies and gentlemen please pause for a moment at your seats to allow the official party Mrs. Connor and her family to exit the auditorium. Ladies and gentlemen please continue to remain at your seats until your row has been released. Thank you. This concludes today's ceremony.