HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF NATIONAL COMMANDER WILLIAM M. DETWEILER; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 58
(Extensions of Remarks - April 03, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E397-E398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF NATIONAL COMMANDER WILLIAM M. DETWEILER
______
HON. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND
of louisiana
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Mr. RICHMOND. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of
William M. ``Bill'' Detweiler, a strong advocate for veterans who was a
former national commander of the American Legion. He passed away on
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at the age of 79.
Mr. Detweiler, a native of New Orleans, grew up near the St. Roch
Playground. He graduated from St. Aloysius High School and earned
undergraduate and law degrees at Loyola University.
Mr. Detweiler served in the Army. After graduating from its Infantry
and Intelligence schools, he was operations officer on the G-2 Staff of
the U.S. Air Defense Command at Fort Bliss, Texas. After his discharge
from active duty in 1965, Mr. Detweiler returned to New Orleans, where
he served in the Army Reserve, rising to the rank of captain.
Upon his return to civil life, Mr. Detweiler started practicing law.
In 1978, he was elected constable of New Orleans' First City Court, a
position to which he was re-elected twice and from which he stepped
down at the end of 1996.
In 1973, United States President Richard Nixon appointed Mr.
Detweiler to the Veterans Administration's National Rehabilitation and
Education Advisory Committee; he was named its chairman in 1975. He
also served on military advisory boards for the governor, the Louisiana
Senate and New Orleans' mayor.
In 1995, United States President Bill Clinton invited Mr. Detweiler
to fly with him on Air Force One to Russia to represent America's
veterans at the 50th annual commemoration of the Allies' victory in
World War II.
Mr. Detweiler received the Andrew J. Higgins Award for Exceptional
Leadership from the Mayor's Military Affairs Committee of Greater New
Orleans in 1998.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Mr. Detweiler
was a guiding force in getting the New Orleans VA Medical Center
rebuilt, serving on the advisory committee for the project's design
team. He was at both the new facility's groundbreaking and grand
opening and is credited with crafting the words now engraved in stone
at the front entrance of the medical center: ``THE PRICE OF FREEDOM CAN
BE SEEN WITHIN THESE WALLS.''
In 2010, Mr. Detweiler was appointed to lead the American Legion's
committee assigned to investigate the existing science and procedures
for treating traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
In 2013, Mayor Mitch Landrieu appointed Mr. Detweiler to the Board of
Directors of the New Orleans Building Corp. He was elected its
president in 2017, which was the year when the organization assumed the
responsibilities of the Canal Street Development Corp.
Mr. Detweiler also was instrumental in bringing what is now the
National World War II Museum to the city of New Orleans. He served as a
member of the executive leadership team for the museum until his death.
In December 2018, Mr. Detweiler was presented the French National
Order of Merit by Consulate General of France Vincent Sciama. He was
honored for his work at the museum, including helping launch the annual
World War II Conference at the museum in 2007 when it re-opened after
Hurricane Katrina.
Mr. Detweiler loved the city and the people of New Orleans. His
legacy will forever be a part of the city and his dedication to
community embodies the spirit of New Orleans. We cannot match the
sacrifices made by Mr. Detweiler, but surely, we can try to match his
[[Page E398]]
sense of service. We cannot match his courage, but we can strive to
match his devotion.
Mr. Detweiler, in addition to his wife, survivors include two sons
Scott Reed Detweiler and Keith Michael Detweiler; two daughters, Bonnie
Detweiler Shor and Jeannie Detweiler Miller; and six grandchildren.
Madam Speaker, I celebrate the life and legacy of National Commander
William M. Detweiler.
____________________