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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROBERT J. FRIEND
______
HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jones Friend, who died on June 21, 2019 in
Long Beach, California, surrounded by his family. Lieutenant Colonel
Friend was a member of the heroic unit known as the Tuskegee Airmen
during World War II.
Robert J. Friend was born on February 29, 1920, in Columbia, South
Carolina, to William A. Friend and Nella Mae Jones Liner. His father
was an immigrant from Ecuador and a veteran of World War I. The oldest
of four children, Robert was an aviation enthusiast from a young age,
often building model airplanes and reading stories of World War I
pilots during his childhood. While studying at Lincoln University in
Pennsylvania, he joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program where he
earned his pilot's license in 1939.
Despite his passion for aviation, he was denied entry into flight
training by the Army Air Force because of his race. Instead he joined
as an air-cadet in the all-black 99th Pursuit Squadron, nicknamed the
Tuskegee Airmen. During World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Friend flew
142 missions for the 322nd Fighter Group. He began his tour in North
Africa and was later sent to the European Theater to serve as a Combat
Operations Officer where he was instrumental in orchestrating tactical
air missions. He specialized in flying the P-47 and P-51 Mustang
aircraft. He experienced multiple death-defying disasters, including
when he had to abandon his plane over the mountains of Italy and when a
German oil barge explosion nearly grounded his aircraft. He became the
primary wingman to his commanding officer, Colonel Benjamin O. Davis,
Jr., who would become the first black general in the Air Force. Robert
and his fellow airmen were later awarded the Congressional Gold Medal
for their service to our country.
After his service in World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Friend
continued his education and received a degree in astrophysics from the
Air Force Institute of Technology, later graduating from the University
of California, Los Angeles Business School. Additionally, he continued
his career in the military for 28 years by serving as an operations
officer during the Korean and Vietnam wars, working on the Delta,
Titan, and Atlas rocket programs, and operating as an executive of the
aerospace companies, Stanford Mu and Fairchild Stratos. Following his
retirement from military service, Robert started an aerospace company
and conducted speaking engagements, remaining dedicated to sharing the
legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and keeping their history alive.
Robert J. Friend is survived by his children: Thelma Hoffman, Robert,
Jr., Michael, Debra Carter, Karen Crumlich, Clara Ann Browning, 18
grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-
grandchildren. The memory of his son, Darryl, who was killed while on
active duty in 2002, continues to live on today.
It was my great honor to have known Lieutenant Colonel Friend, an
intelligent, hardworking, and spirited man who spent his life in
service to our country. I ask all members to join with me in
remembering Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jones Friend, a true American
hero.
____________________