June 24, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 116 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON BIGGS

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                           HON. RUBEN GALLEGO

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 24, 2020

  Mr. GALLEGO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 95th 
birthday of George Washington Biggs, and recognize his service as a 
veteran of Army Air Corps and Air Force. As a Tuskegee Airman and 
recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, he is an exemplary American 
and Arizonan to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude.
  A native of Nogales, Arizona, Mr. Biggs joined the Army Air Corps in 
1943 and trained at the Tuskegee Institute, the all-black flight 
training school in Alabama. He was one of two Arizonans to graduate 
from the program. After training during World War II, Mr. Biggs re-
enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a non-commissioned officer and 
subsequently received direct commission as an officer in the newly 
formed United States Air Force. He went on to achieve the rank of major 
and flew B-47 and B-52 bombers in the Korean and Vietnam wars. 
Throughout his service, Mr. Biggs earned three Distinguished Flying 
Crosses, 7 Air Medals, and multiple bronze stars for a total of over 
thirty military citations and commendations.
  Since retiring from the military, Mr. Biggs has lived and worked in 
Nogales for the U.S. Customs Service. He has raised a family and since 
retired. In 2007, Mr. Biggs and other Tuskegee airmen received the 
Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian recognition awarded by 
Congress, for the group's ``unique military record that inspired 
revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.''
  I believe that Mr. Biggs' character and actions truly embody what it 
means to serve one's country. Not only did he fly in multiple wars, he 
rose above expectation and obligation as a Navigator and an officer. In 
addition to his time in the Army Air Corps and Air Force, his 
integrity, modesty, and principled character are values that we can all 
learn from and should strive to emulate.
  I would like to express my personal appreciation for the service of 
George Washington Biggs, and my hopes that he has a happy 95th 
birthday.

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