[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 51 (Wednesday, April 14, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E648-E649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO JACK SELVIAN ON RECEIVING A PURPLE HEART

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GEORGE RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 14, 1999

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Corporal 
Jack Selvian on receiving a Purple Heart. Jack served the Far East Air 
Service Command of the United States Air Force in World War II.
  The initial liberation of the Philippine Islands from Japanese 
occupation, operation RENO, began on October 20, 1944, on Leyte Island. 
The primary purpose of the Leyte campaign was to establish Allied air 
and logistic bases to support subsequent operations. On October 20, 
1944, after two hour naval bombardment, assault waves of four divisions 
landed between Dulag and Tacloban and quickly secured beachheads. 
Tacloban was October 24, and an air base was established. Leyte was

[[Page E649]]

never provided the major Allied air fields envisioned, but its seizure 
had other, more important results. By electing to fight a decisive 
battle at Leyte, the Japanese had committed their fleet and a major 
part of their air arm, both suffering crippling losses.
  Jack Selvian, Corporal United States Air Corps was wounded in the 
line of duty, while serving at Tacloban Air Base on Leyte Island. Jack 
was working near the flight line next to stacked aircraft engines, 
stacked two and three high. After dusk, work was being done under the 
illumination of artificial light, a Japanese fighter performed a low 
altitude bombardment in an attempt to destroy the stacked engines. 
There was a space of 6 inches between the crates, and debris was blown 
through this gap hitting Jack in the left wrist and the left knee. Jack 
was later released from duty on December 24, 1945. After four years 
away from his family, he left the U.S. Air Corps with an Honorable 
Discharge, yet no one ever submitted his name to receive the Purple 
Heart. The records have been corrected and Jack will receive the Purple 
Heart on January 2, 1999. This honor will be bestowed 54 years after 
being earned.
  Jack was born in Fresno on June 21, 1921, and upon his return from 
the war he married the former Violet Shumavon, the couple have been 
married for 51 years. They have two daughters, Susan Millard and Betty 
Gross, and have been blessed with five grandchildren. Jack and Paul 
Shumavon were proprietors of a grocery store for 20 years, and later 
co-owned the Chestnut Avenue Disposal Site. More recently Jack has been 
involved in farming grapes for raisin production.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Jack Selvian, Corporal, 
United States Air Force. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing 
Jack Selvian best wishes for the future and sincerest thanks for his 
wartime sacrifice.

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