,v  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ebic  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #aj1      
#bjbe,mr4 ,bresnahan 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 ,ret4     
,col4 ,robert ,j4 ,graham for acts of   
valor while as a member of the ,air     
,force during the ,vietnam ,war4  #a4   
,findings ,congress finds the following3
 7#a7 ,on ,may #a1 #aiff1 during        
,operation ,birmingham in the ,vietnam  
,war1 then-,captain ,robert ,j4 ,graham 
launched his ,f-#ajj ,super ,sabre from 
an alert pad at ,bien ,hoa ,air ,base1  
despite being grounded due to driving   
monsoon conditions4 ,alongside his      
flight leader1 he provided close air    
support to an ,army fire base which was 
under heavy attack by enemy forces4     
7#b7 ,during the first strike pass1     
,capt4 ,graham's plane sustained severe 
damage from enemy anti-aircraft         

artillery 7,,aaa7 to the fuel boost     
pumps4 ,despite the loss1 he skillfully 
kept his engine running by relying      
solely on gravity fuel flow1 forcing him
 to fly barely above stall speed in     
hazardous weather4  7#c7 ,as ,capt4     
,graham attempted to return to base with
 his crippled plane1 an urgent request  
came in for support at another army     
base1 which was being attacked by over  
#d1jjj ,north ,vietnamese troops1 with  
the enemy about to breach the concertina
 wire perimeter4  7#d7 ,despite his     
battle-damaged plane and his own        
survival highly unlikely1 ,captain      
,graham carried on and executed strikes 
against enemy forces under the guns of  
friendly ,army defenders1 a feat never  
attempted in combat4  7#e7 ,with        
complete disregard for his own safety1  
,capt4 ,graham made more than #ae       
passes1 destroying all eight ,north     
,vietnamese ,,aaa gun positions1        
neutralizing over #a1ejj enemy troops1  
and saving hundreds of ,american lives4 

7#f7 ,his actions turned the tide of the
 battle and remain a testament to the   
highest ideals of service and sacrifice4
  7#g7 ,for his actions in ,operation   
,birmingham on ,may #a1 #aiff1 ,capt4   
,graham was awarded the ,silver ,star4  
7#h7 ,ret4 ,col4 ,graham served four    
tours in ,vietnam and flew more than    
#ejj combat missions4 ,he enlisted in   
the ,united ,states ,air ,force in #aiec
 and after completing basic training and
 flight school1 he continued to serve   
#bf years as a fighter pilot4  7#i7     
,ret4 ,col4 ,robert ,j4 ,graham deserves
 the ,congressional ,medal of ,honor for
 his heroic actions on ,may #a1 #aiff1  
going above and beyond the call of duty1
 where his undaunted courage in the face
 of danger saved the lives of hundreds  
of his fellow ,americans4  #b4          
,authorization for award of medal of    
honor to ,ret4 ,col4 ,robert ,j4 ,graham
 for acts of valor during the ,vietnam  
,war  7a7 ,waiver of time limitations   
,notwithstanding the time limitations   

specified in section #hbih 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 may award the ,medal of      
,honor under section #hbia of such title
 to ,robert ,j4 ,graham for the acts of 
valor described in subsection 7b74  7b7 
,acts of valor described ,the acts of   
valor described in this subsection are  
the actions of ,robert ,j4 ,graham1 as a
 captain in the ,air ,force1 on ,may #a1
 #aiff4