Rep. Zeldin Honors PFC Langhorn of Riverhead on 50th Anniversary of Heroic Actions
WASHINGTON - On January 15, 2019, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) entered the following tribute into the Congressional Record honoring the life and legacy of Medal of Honor recipient PFC Garfield M. Langhorn of Riverhead, New York, who saved the lives of his platoon mates at just 20 years old, by throwing himself on a live grenade in Vietnam’s Pleiku Province on January 15, 1969.
“Mr. Speaker, Today, I rise to honor the service and sacrifice of hometown hero and Medal of Honor recipient PFC Garfield M. Langhorn, from Riverhead, New York, who, 50 years ago today, saved the lives of his platoon members at just 20 years old, by throwing himself on a live grenade in Pleiku Province in Vietnam on January 15, 1969.
“PFC Langhorn served as a radio operator with Troop C, 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade, when his unit attempted to rescue the crew of a downed American helicopter. Finding no surviving crew, PFC Langhorn and his unit were returning the fallen aviators when they came under heavy fire from North Vietnamese forces. Under the cover of darkness, the North Vietnamese began to advance, throwing a hand grenade in front of PFC Langhorn who was just a few feet from his injured comrades.
“It was in that moment, PFC Langhorn selflessly chose the courageous act President Lincoln once referred to as “the last full measure of devotion” - to his brothers, his fellow soldiers and his country. In that moment, he “unhesitatingly threw himself on the grenade, scooped it beneath his body and absorbed the blast,” according to his Medal of Honor Citation and the first-hand accounts of his fellow soldiers he saved.
“For his extraordinary act of bravery, PFC Langhorn received a series of awards, including the highest, most prestigious personal military decoration - the Medal of Honor, and, most recently, the Riverhead Post Office was dedicated in his name.There is no doubt, PFC Langhorn has earned these commendations, but they mean little if we forget to look beyond the decorations and forever remember and honor the actions of the 20-year-old young man who earned them.
“In saving his fellow soldiers, PFC Langhorn’s life was extinguished too soon, but as President Lincoln continued, “we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.” Today, we must challenge ourselves as Americans to pick up that torch, to embody the bravery, selflessness and commitment to our great country. There is no memorial, no medal and no post office that can bring back PFC Langhorn, but he can live eternally in all of us, in our actions, and in our hearts.”