[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MEEK STALLING

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. THOMAS M. BARRETT

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 31, 1998

  Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity 
to tell my colleagues about a proud American and a beloved Milwaukeean: 
Meek Gladney Stalling.
  Meek Stalling was born on June 20, 1921. On that same day, in 1782, 
our nation chose the eagle as its symbol. Those who knew and loved Mr. 
Stalling will tell you that he had a lot in common with our national 
symbol.
  Like the eagles that grace our nation's skies, Meek Stalling loved to 
fly. A year before Peal Harbor, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and 
served as a Tuskegee Airman. Like other members of this historic unit, 
Mr. Stalling fought two wars; a life and death battle against the most 
formidable air force in Europe, and a moral struggle against racial 
prejudice at home. Meek Stalling served proudly through it all, and at 
the end of the war, he returned home with an honorable discharge.
  Mr. Stalling's passion for flight continued in civilian life, as an 
active member of the Circle Masters Flying Club, the Milwaukee Public 
Schools Aviation Program, and the Jackie Robinson Aviation Program. He 
was also an accomplished airplane model builder, and his vigorous 
support for aviation won the recognition of NASA's Apollo Program and 
earned him the opportunity to accompany Milwaukee's 128th Air Refueling 
Group, during the Persian Gulf War.
  Meek Stalling, like our nation's symbol, also represented some of 
America's best qualities. As a World War II veteran, he demonstrated 
the strength and passion for freedom that have always been our 
country's hallmarks, and as a pioneer in the desegregation of America's 
armed services, he envisioned a future where patriotism, not race, was 
an American soldier's guide.
  Mr. Stalling also shared our country's firm foundation in faith. As a 
young man, he joined St. Mark A.M.E. Church in Duluth, Minnesota. When 
he moved to Milwaukee, in 1956, Mr. Stalling joined our community's St. 
Mark A.M.E. Church and began a long and distinguished service. He was a 
talented carpenter and volunteered his skills to ensure that the church 
buildings were always in good repair. He was one of St. Mark's oldest 
living Trustees.
  Two of our nation's core values, family and community, were also 
central commitments for Meek Stalling. He loved Ruby, his wife of 42 
years, deeply, and rejoiced with her in their son, Charles. Mr. 
Stalling was also an active community volunteer, serving as a 
Scoutmaster, a leader in several aviation related organizations, and as 
the unofficial sporting goods repair guru for the neighborhood's 
children.
  Mr. Speaker, Meek Stalling passed away, this week. Though our 
community is diminished by his loss, I ask that my colleagues join me, 
his family, and friends, in celebrating the remarkable life of this man 
who truly symbolized America at its best.

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