[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 21, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  A TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF THE LIFE-LONG ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MR. RUDOLPH 
      BERTHOUD AND THE LEGACY OF HIS SERVICE AS A TUSKEGEE AIRMAN

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                            HON. DAVID SCOTT

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 21, 2006

  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today deeply 
honored and humbled to recognize the contributions of one of the 140 
remaining Tuskegee Airmen, Mr. Rudolph Berthoud. To understand the 
achievements and sacrifice of Mr. Berthoud, I feel it is incumbent upon 
me to discuss the accomplishments of the elite group of fighters to 
which Mr. Rudolph Berthoud belonged.
  In thinking of the Tuskegee Airmen I am reminded of the words of Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., who once said that if a man is called to be a 
street sweeper, he should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of 
heaven and earth will pause to say, ``Here lived a great street sweeper 
who did his job well.'' The Tuskegee Airmen were called to a task far 
greater, both dangerous and unprecedented. As the first black combat 
pilots to serve in the air force they served just as Dr. King's 
metaphorical street sweeper.
  The Tuskegee Airmen flew and defended their country so well that 
their allies, as well as their opposition, knew them for their skill. 
One of the fighter squadrons that made up the all black 332nd fighter 
group was the only fighter group in World War II that never lost a 
fighter. The courage and commitment of the Tuskegee Airmen led to 
President Truman's decree to desegregate the U.S. Armed Forces less 
than a decade after the end of World War II.
  As a Tuskegee Airman, Mr. Berthoud was an American hero in the truest 
sense. He fought to defeat the destructive and xenophobic powers of his 
day that sought to extinguish the flames of freedom and liberty. Mr. 
Berthoud joined this prestigious group in 1942 at the tender age of 18. 
He received an assignment to the 477th Medium Bomber Unit which was the 
first black bomber unit in the United States Air Force. After receiving 
an official discharge, Mr. Berthoud bravely remained in service for a 
total of 3 years, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant. Upon leaving 
the Armed Forces, Mr. Berthoud continued with public service, returning 
to New York City, where he was born in 1924, to join the New York City 
Police Department.
  Tuskegee University recently recognized Mr. Berthoud for his service 
as a Tuskegee Airman. On May 14, 2006, Mr. Berthoud and 11 other 
Tuskegee Airmen received honorary doctorates in honor of the legacy of 
their service and numerous achievements. Today, Mr. Berthoud is a proud 
member of the national and Atlanta chapters of the Tuskegee Airmen, 
Inc. Mr. Berthoud has remained a committed member of Fountain of Faith 
Missionary Baptist Church in Riverdale, Georgia, for more than 10 years 
and served on many auxiliaries: the Feeding Ministry, the R.B. Newman 
Male Chorus, Men of Faith, and an officer for the Trustee Board.
  By honoring a man who so nobly served our nation abroad, in the face 
of discrimination at home and doubt in his equal ability, we are 
turning a page in history books yet written. Mr. Berthoud remains a 
modest and humble man and is truly deserving of this honor. I join 
Fountain of Faith Missionary Baptist Church in saluting a national hero 
who calls the 13th Congressional District of Georgia home.

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