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[Page S5354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO BRIGADIER GENERAL RON VAN STOCKUM
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, recently my home State of Kentucky had
the opportunity to celebrate the 103rd birthday of a truly remarkable
individual. Brigadier General Ron Van Stockum marked the occasion by
sharing his lifetime full of rich memories in Shelbyville's ``Sentinel-
News.'' I would like to take a moment today to pay tribute to my friend
and join Ron's admirers across Kentucky in thanking him for his
service.
Ron was born in England in the midst of the First World War. His
father, a sergeant in the British forces, was tragically killed in the
Battle of the Somme a week before the birth of his son. While her heart
may have been broken, Ron's mother Florence felt determined to continue
serving their Nation in uniform. Before his second birthday, Florence
placed Ron in the care of their relatives and joined the Women's Royal
Air Force.
Through her service in the war effort, Florence first met Anton Van
Stockum, an immigrant to the United States who volunteered to serve his
adoptive homeland in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Florence and Anton
quickly developed an affection for one another, sharing a letter-
writing correspondence that lasted beyond the war's conclusion.
Returning home, Anton settled in Seattle, WA, and worked at a lumber
mill. Florence decided to travel with Ron, now nearly four, to visit
her pen pal. It was a journey that would forever change their lives and
set Ron on a previously unimagined path.
After traveling thousands of miles, Florence and Ron finally reunited
with Anton in British Columbia. They married and settled in the United
States to start a new family. Interestingly, no record was made of
Ron's entry into our country. That oversight would prove challenging in
the coming years when Ron, like his father, mother, and stepfather
before him, chose to serve in uniform.
While studying at the University of Washington, Ron sought to enter
the Advanced Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It would be his first
step in a distinguished career of service. Without an official proof of
citizenship, however, he almost wasn't allowed in at all. Ron and his
family were forced to gather multiple testimonials documenting his life
in the United States and attesting to his story. He was permitted to
join the ROTC and was later commissioned as a second lieutenant in the
U.S. Marine Corps. The experience led Ron to value the high honor of
calling himself an American.
For the next three decades, Ron honorably served as a marine. During
World War II, he was part of the amphibious assaults in the Pacific.
Ron also served at sea with the Navy aboard a battleship and an
aircraft carrier. Because of his diligent service and remarkable merit,
he eventually achieved the rank of brigadier general.
When Ron retired from active duty, he and his wife Susanne moved to
her family's historic farm in Shelby County, KY. Since 1970, our
Commonwealth has been made better because of Ron's many contributions
to the State. Here, he began his second career in education. Spending
11 years at my alma mater, the University of Louisville, Ron served as
the assistant dean for administration at the school of medicine and
later as the assistant to the president of Uof L.
In 1981, Ron began what he calls his second retirement, but his
friends knew there was no chance he would slow down. Since then, he has
written six books chronicling the history of our Commonwealth and his
own family lineage. He has also taken to writing for the ``Sentinel-
News,'' and he has published more than 250 columns on a wide variety of
interests.
Over the years, it is been a privilege to call this great American a
dear friend, and I've enjoyed reading his reflections. As he celebrates
his 103rd birthday, I share my sincere congratulations and best wishes.
We are so proud of his contributions to our Commonwealth and his
service to this Nation. I urge my Senate colleagues to join me in
wishing a happy birthday and many future successes to Brigadier General
Ron Van Stockum.
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