[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S11250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              WALTER GREY HEMPHILL, JR., WORLD WAR II HERO

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, funeral services will be held today in my 
State for Walter Grey Hemphill, Jr., a World War II hero, who was also 
a very close personal friend.
  He was best known in our community as a former star athlete at Byram 
High School, who was recruited to play football at the University of 
Mississippi in 1941, as a successful coach and teacher at his alma 
mater, a respected vice president and general manager of Deviney 
Construction Co., an active member and chairman of the deacons at the 
First Baptist Church of Byram, and as a past worthy patron of the Order 
of the Eastern Star.
  While most of his friends knew that Walter Grey Hemphill, Jr., had 
been a veteran of World War II, few were aware of the details of his 
combat experiences. The fact that he was one of the true heros of the 
Battle of the Bulge was not something he talked about very easily.
  The citation he received awarding him the Silver Star for valor in 
battle described his bravery under fire and his willingness to risk his 
life to save the lives of his fellow paratroopers of the 101st Airborne 
Division in the fighting near Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. He 
destroyed a German gun emplacement with an explosive charge at close 
range while under heavy enemy fire. His courageous action saved the 
lives of the members of his unit, but he was seriously wounded in the 
process. He received two Purple Hearts and spent over a year in 
hospitals recovering from his injuries.
  After the war, he returned to the University of Mississippi and, 
although unable to play football, he earned his bachelor and master's 
degrees and became my high school world history teacher, as well as my 
football, basketball, and baseball coach. He was also our close 
neighbor whose friendship I enjoyed and appreciated. I'm confident that 
the lessons I learned from him on the athletic fields, in the 
classrooms, and in our neighborhood provided me with a firm foundation 
of values, attitudes, and work habits that made future academic and 
professional success possible.
  I will always remember and be grateful for his generous acts of 
kindness, his fair but firm discipline, and his thoughtful leadership.
  He is survived by a dear and loving wife, Elsie, and a devoted 
daughter, Patricia Windham, to whom I extend my sincerest condolences.

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