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Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. Chairman, will the distinguished gentleman from California yield to me at this point?

Mr. MILLER of California. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

(By unanimous consent, Mr. ROBERTS was allowed to speak out of order.)

Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. Chairman, it is difficult to express the sadness and loss I feel at the tragic and untimely death this week of my good friend and courageous American, Audie Murphy.

Though he was this Nation's most decorated soldier in World War II, all who came into contact with him were struck with his humility and concern for others. It was hard to picture this soft spoken, modest man as the valiant infantryman who climbed atop a burning tank destroyer loaded with explosives to hold off an advancing company of German infantry with a machinegun. But that is the way Audie was, and I think that is the quality which made him so extraordinary.

For his acts of heroism, Audie Murphy was awarded 24 decorations, including our Nation's highest - the Congressional Medal of Honor. He will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery at 10 a.m. Monday, June 7, with the full military honors he so justly deserves.

It was my privilege not only to represent his hometown, Farmersville, Tex. but also to work with Audie over years in behalf of all of our veterans. Our country has lost a great American, and for those of us who knew and worked with him, the loss is doubly heavy.