[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 131 (Friday, September 26, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10052-S10053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO THE LATE GEN. ROBERT E. HUYSER

  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, in the year that the Nation celebrates 
the 50th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Air Force, we must 
pause today to mourn the passing of an individual who was one of the 
key figures in the history of that service, Gen. Robert E. ``Dutch'' 
Huyser.
  For almost 40 years, Dutch Huyser helped to protect America through 
airpower. Drafted into the Army during World War II, he became a B-29 
pilot and flew numerous missions in the Pacific in support of Allied 
efforts to defeat Imperialism. Following the war, when the Air Force 
was established as a separate military service, he became a bright and 
promising young officer who would help to shape cold war policy and 
become known as the father of

[[Page S10053]]

the program which eventually yielded the C-17 Globemaster aircraft. 
Before he would reach the highest echelons of the Air Force though, 
Dutch Huyser still had a lot of flying to do, and he found himself in 
the cockpits of B-29's over Korea and B-52's in Vietnam when the United 
States became embroiled in conflicts in those nations.
  Throughout his career, Dutch Huyser established an impressive record 
of awards, citations, and medals that is far too extensive to cite 
here. Suffice it to say, he set an excellent example for devotion, 
patriotism, and professionalism for all Air Force officers to follow, 
and I am confident that he served as an important role model for many 
of his subordinates throughout his career.
  An obvious competent and talented officer, pilot, and manager, the 
career of Dutch Huyser progressed quickly. Following his service in 
Vietnam, he specialized in airlift matters and later became the 
Commander of the Military Airlift Command. In that position, he was an 
advocate for increased lift capabilities for the Air Force, and he 
fought hard for the modernization and expansion of the transport fleet. 
As mentioned above, he is universally credited as being the father 
credited as being the father of the C-17 program, an aircraft that 
proves its capabilities and worth on a daily basis as it transports 
troops and equipment to spots around the world.
  After three major wars, almost 10,000 flying hours, and 38-years in 
the Air Force, General Huyser finally hung his uniform up for the last 
time in 1981. Though he left the military, he continued to make many 
contributions to aviation and the security of the United States.
  Sadly, Gen. Robert ``Dutch'' Huyser passed away earlier this week, 
but perhaps fitting for a man who dedicated his life to the Air Force, 
he was on an Air Force base when he died. I am certain that the entire 
Senate would join me in saluting the many contributions that General 
Huyser made to the Air Force and the defense of the United States, as 
well as extending our deepest sympathies to his wife, Wanda, and their 
two daughters. They can be proud of all that their husband and father 
did to make our Nation a safer, stronger, and better place to live.

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