[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 125 (Thursday, September 18, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H7593-H7594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN MEMORY OF MAJ. GEN. HENRY MOHR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Talent] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. TALENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in honor of Maj. Gen. 
Henry Mohr, a personal friend, an honorable man, a devoted husband, 
father, grandfather, great grandfather, patriot, soldier and hero, who 
passed away in St. Louis on September 7, 1997.
  Henry Mohr's entire adult life exemplifies in the most profound 
manner what it means to be a ``citizen soldier.'' He enlisted as a 
private in September 1941 and was stationed at Pearl Harbor on that day 
that will live in infamy, December 7, 1941. While most of us know of 
Pearl Harbor from movies and books, Private Henry Mohr was there.
  In August 1942, he earned the gold bars of a second lieutenant by 
completing Army Officer Candidate School. As a field artillery officer, 
he served throughout World War II, participating in amphibious landings 
in New Guinea, the Philippines, and service in Korea.
  Following the war, Captain Mohr left active duty, but continued to 
serve in the Army Reserve until 1950. After North Korea's attack 
against the South, he volunteered for active duty and served throughout 
that conflict as well.
  Following the cessation of hostilities in 1953, Captain Mohr returned 
to Reserve status, serving in a variety of command and staff positions 
as he worked his way up through the ranks. He also participated in 
studies designed to improve the role of Army Reserve Forces, paving the 
way for the seamless integration of Active and Reserve components, 
years prior to Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird's formal 
implementation of the total army concept in the early 1970's.
  Throughout the early to mid 1970's, colonel and then Brigadier 
General Mohr served as chief of staff, deputy commander, and then as 
commander of the 102d Army Reserve Command, or ARCOM, in St. Louis.

[[Page H7594]]

  In June 1975, Henry Mohr was promoted to major general and called to 
active duty to serve as the Chief of the Army Reserve, commanding an 
Active Reserve Force of over 225,000 soldiers. During his 4-year 
command, General Mohr committed himself totally to the improvement of 
military readiness, appearing frequently before Congress to testify on 
immediate and strategic readiness issues, not the least of which was 
combat medical care, the first responsibility this Nation has to those 
it sends in harm's way.
  The medals he wore were a testament to his character. The Nation 
awarded him a Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star with ``V'' device for 
Valor, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak 
Leaf Cluster, and, upon retirement, the Distinguished Service Medal.
  Impressive as it is, Major General Mohr's character was by no means 
defined solely by his military service. He was a devoted husband to his 
wife Dorothy and father of 2 sons, Philip Mohr of Lake Saint Louis, and 
David Mohr of Table Rock, MO, 5 grandsons, and he had 10 great 
grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, to know General Mohr was to know a man of unmatched 
integrity and character, an officer who first and foremost cared for 
his troops, a man possessed of both physical and moral courage, a man 
who, as his family, his many friends and his fellow soldiers around the 
country will tell you, embodied what it means to be a patriot, a 
citizen soldier, a war hero, an American of the most exemplary kind. He 
always stood for the service and for his men, without regard to the 
consequences to himself personally.
  We have lost a good man in Maj. Gen. Henry Mohr, his lifelong example 
of selfless service most of us can only aspire to. The man who can fill 
his boots is a rare man indeed. I hope and trust that many will accept 
the challenge.
  To quote Shakespeare, in Julius Caesar,

       . . . the elements so mix'd in him that Nature might stand 
     up and say to all the world, ``This was a man!''.

  General Mohr, it was an honor to know you and consider you my friend. 
I appreciate the advice you gave to me on military issues over the 
years.
  Good-bye, General, God bless you. Your country will miss you.

                          ____________________