September 29, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 169 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SALUTING AMERICAN PATRIOTS OF WWII FOR SERVICE WITH THE CANADIAN AND 
                          BRITISH ARMED FORCES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TIM RYAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 29, 2020

  Mr. RYAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to formally honor the legacy of 
the Ohioans and all other Americans who volunteered to defend 
democracy, our nation, and our allies during the Second World War. 
These individuals joined the military by the thousands prior to the 
December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. President Franklin 
Delano Roosevelt encouraged the volunteerism through words and 
initiatives, and Hollywood supported these efforts in feature films.
  Notably, the responding patriots proactively fought the forces of 
Nazism and fascism before the U.S. was officially a combatant, which 
helped provide time for the United States to prepare. The practical 
skills and knowledge obtained through Canadian and British training and 
operations proved invaluable once our nation officially took up arms in 
Europe and Asia.
  The intrepid volunteers from the State of Ohio included Edward Tracey 
of Cortland, Donald James Matthew ``Don'' Blakeslee of Fairport Harbor, 
and Dominic Salvatore ``Don'' Gentile of Piqua. Gentile has been often 
referred to as a ``One Man Air Force'' and the ``Ace of Aces.'' I would 
be remiss if I did not mention Frank Zavakos of Dayton, who was a 
member of the famous No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron of the Royal Air Force, a 
unit largely comprised of American pilots, who gave his life.
  Madam Speaker, those American women who served in the British Air 
Transport Auxiliary are also deserving of recognition. Among this group 
was Bessie Lee Pittman, more commonly known as Jacqueline ``Jackie'' 
Cochran. Cochran was a pioneer of women's aviation and the first woman 
to fly a bomber across the Atlantic. She was the wartime leader of the 
Women Airforce Service Pilots and in the postwar era the first female 
to make a supersonic flight. Another was Helen Richey, who in 1934 won 
the premier air race in Dayton, Ohio, during the first National Air 
Meet for women. Richey was the first female pilot to be hired by a 
commercial airline in the United States. Ann Wood-Kelly was also an ATA 
standout, receiving the King's Medal for Service in the Cause of 
Freedom and eventually becoming an assistant to the U.S. air attache in 
London, a public relations manager for Northeast Airlines, and the 
first female vice-president of Pan American Airways.
  There are certainly more heroes to note. Kermit Roosevelt, the son of 
President Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., secured a commission in the British 
Army. John Gillespie Magee, Jr., enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air 
Force and subsequently composed the immortal sonnet High Flight. 
William Meade Lindsley ``Billy'' Fiske III, who was the youngest gold 
medalist in any winter sport until 1992, died as a Royal Air Force 
aviator. Joseph Charles ``Big Joe'' McCarthy of the Royal Canadian Air 
Force flew on Operation Chastise, the famous Dams Raid. William Robert 
``Poppy'' Dunn, either the first or second American ace of the 
conflict, served in the Canadian Army and Royal Air Force. William J. 
Vanderkloot, Jr., Prime Minister Winston Churchill's personal pilot, 
flew for the Royal Air Force Ferry Command. Chesley Gordon ``Pete'' 
Peterson earned a Distinguished Flying Cross while flying with the 
Royal Air Force. Last but not least was the inspirational Vernon 
Charles ``Shorty'' Keough, who flew many missions during the Battle of 
Britain. Keough was the most diminutive aviator in the Royal Air Force; 
yet his legacy is lofty in the annals of history.
  This year, 2020, marks the 75th anniversary of the formal ending of 
World War II. The bravery and foresight displayed by the volunteers 
from my state and the rest of the United States represent a largely 
unrecognized story of valor. Therefore, I ask you and my other 
distinguished colleagues to join me in saluting them.

                          ____________________