,v  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dehj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #ba1 #bjbe,mr4 
,carbajal introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,armed ,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to       
authorize the ,president to award the   
,medal of ,honor to retired ,colonel    
,philip ,j4 ,conran for acts of valor in
 ,laos as a member of the ,air ,force   
during the ,vietnam ,war4  #a4          
,authority to award the ,medal of ,honor
 to retired ,colonel ,philip ,j4 ,conran
 for acts of valor in ,laos during the  
,vietnam war  7a7 ,findings ,congress   
finds the following3 7#a7 ,while a      
,major in the ,air ,force1 ,philip ,j4  
,conran demonstrated extraordinary      
heroism in military operations against  
an opposing armed force as ,aircraft    
,commander of a ,,ch-#c;,e helicopter of
 the #bast ,special ,operations         
,squadron1 #efth ,special ,operations   
,wing1 ,nakhon ,phanom ,royal ,thai ,air
 ,base1 ,thailand1 in action in ,laos on

 ,october #f1 #aifi4  7#b7 ,the military
 referred to ,laos as a classified      
location in ,southeast ,asia until      
decades after the ,vietnam ,war ended   
when the role of the ,united ,states in 
,laos was declassified4  7#c7 ,while    
attempting to rescue the crew of a      
downed helicopter1 ,major ,conran's     
aircraft was hit by intense hostile     
ground fire1 yet despite the hostile    
ground fire1 ,major ,conran continued   
the rescue operation and landed in the  
vicinity of the downed crewmen4  7#d7   
,once on the ground1 he successfully    
evacuated his aircraft and assumed a    
major role in defending the crash site  
against an overwhelming hostile force   
until rescue was possible six hours     
later4  7#e7 ,major ,conran repeatedly  
exposed himself to heavy barrages of    
enemy automatic weapons fire to extract 
essential equipment from the downed     
helicopters4  7#f7 ,in spite of         
receiving a severe leg wound while      
exposed to enemy fire and trying to     

strengthen their position1 ,major       
,conran continued to encourage the      
others and did not mention his wound    
until he had lost all feeling in his    
leg4  7#g7 ,major ,conran's decision to 
come to the aid of his downed comrades1 
his heroic actions above and beyond the 
call of duty while under severe hostile 
fire1 and his positive attitude         
throughout the ordeal were instrumental 
in enabling the two helicopter crews and
 #dd friendly troops to withstand       
superior odds until a rescue could be   
made4  7b7 ,authorization               
,notwithstanding the time limitations   
specified in section #ibgd of title #aj1
 ,united ,states ,code1 or any other    
time limitation with respect to the     
awarding of certain medals to persons   
who served in the ,armed ,forces1 the   
,president is authorized to award the   
,medal of ,honor under section #ibga of 
such title to retired ,colonel ,philip  
,j4 ,conran for the acts of valor in    
,laos described in subsection 7a7 for   

which he was previously awarded the ,air
 ,force ,cross4