[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 5, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING SERGEANT FRESHOUR

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 5, 2008

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, a hero is someone that accomplishes great 
things for others without seeking glory for themselves. Heroes don't 
identify themselves with this title and try to shrug off accolades by 
living a life of strong character and silent modesty. We pass by many 
heroes throughout our lives and don't even realize it because they hide 
their true identities behind humble titles such as dad and grandpa.
  Sgt. David F. Freshour is a hero from the Second Congressional 
District of Texas. He recently passed away on Monday, February 18, 
2008. He was a World War II veteran and a member of the 15th Air Force, 
451st Bomb Group Heavy, 725th Squadron stationed in Italy.
  Sgt. Freshour's once described to me some of his fondest memories of 
military service. He repaired and maintained heavy bombers, 
specifically the B-24 ``flying boxcars.'' His overseas tour of duty 
began when his squadron was shipped over to Europe in the hold of a 
Liberty Ship. After 25 days in a convoy, they disembarked in Naples, 
Italy. During this time, the U.S. Infantry was still fighting the 
Germans on the west side of Italy just north of Naples.
  According to Sgt. Freshour, his convoy leader got confused and led 
the squadrons north instead of east. They soon realized their mistake 
when they began to hear the bombardment of ground troops. The convoy 
leader turned them around and led them over the mountains to the east.
  When they arrived, the base was not ready. They were then taken to a 
temporary location that they used for two months until the runway was 
so badly damaged that they had to move to another base in the south. 
They finally got to their final location on a plateau that overlooked 
Foggia Airbase occupied by the British Air Force.
  Their primitive base consisted of canvas tents, some of which were 
located in an olive grove. There was no way to heat the tents and their 
January arrival was in the middle of a cold Italian winter.
  Five other soldiers shared a tent along with Sgt. Freshour and they 
all decided that this was to be their house for the duration of their 
military service unless ``Axis Sally'' fulfilled her promise to bomb 
them out of existence.
  Instead of complaining about their circumstances, Sgt. Freshour and 
five other soldiers took it upon themselves to improve their rustic 
living conditions. They borrowed a truck and went to Foggia Airbase 
where they loaded it with stones from bombed out buildings and brought 
them back. A member of the group spoke some Italian and managed to hire 
local laborers to pour a concrete base for their house.
  Another member of the group was a construction worker and he 
supervised the roof and window installation. The man was so much of a 
perfectionist during the construction process that one time Sgt. 
Freshour had to cut one-eighth of an inch off a six-inch wooden board.
  Military men are known for being very resourceful and Freshour's 
group proved that by completing numerous projects with very limited 
resources. They built a stove which heated their new home using \1/3\ 
of a 55-gallon steel barrel and with copper tubing from a gasoline 
drum.
  Their efforts inspired a building boom in the area. Most of the 
ground crew, air crew and officers built houses instead of living in 
tents.
  Their enthusiasm in building extended into a desire for a permanent 
mess hall. Thinking about entertainment opportunities in the future, 
Freshour, along with several other men, began building a mess hall with 
a large stage to be the main focus of attention for the diners. The 
smart men used trusses for roof support instead of posts so that the 
soldiers' view of the stage would not be blocked. The stage had a 
curtain made of aircraft cotton and canvas on each side with murals 
painted by a Canadian air crew member. The stage was often used as the 
site for USO shows.
  A kitchen which included a steam table was also built inside the mess 
hall. The steam table didn't improve the food much, according to 
Freshour, but the mess sergeants tried. The finished mess hall was a 
proud display of American craftsmanship. During an inspection by Major 
General Nathan Twining, he said the mess hall was the finest in the 
15th Air Force.
  As a member of the air maintenance crew, one of Freshour's main jobs 
was replacing fuel cells damaged by anti-aircraft flack. The plates 
covering the cell had thousands of small screws and the only thing they 
had to use was a small hand drill to remove and replace them.
  Sgt. Freshour was additionally assigned as crew chief of a radar ship 
that was used as a lead ship to drop bombs when targets were obscured 
by clouds. It was sometimes used for rare night missions.
  There was also a guard group assigned to patrol the planes at night. 
One time, some of the guards got into a plane and played a prank on the 
crew by cutting out the parachute nylon and replaced them with rags. 
When the crew found these chutes, they were so furious that the 
officers were afraid a war would break out. The guards were removed 
that day.
  Sgt. Freshour and his fellow soldiers became the replacement guards. 
They were issued ammo for their carbines and spent the night on patrol 
protecting the planes and keeping the other guards and flight crew from 
killing each other over the parachute prank.
  Freshour recalled that the day Germany surrendered; the American 
troops put all of the planes on the base in the air for a great fly 
over. The end of the war in Europe was good news because it meant that 
they were on their way home. They returned on a fast troop ship that 
arrived in America in a little over six days as opposed to the usual 
35-day convoy.
  One day, while on the ship, Sgt. Freshour was emptying a trashcan 
overboard when he ran into his good friend from his neighborhood back 
home. He had been a radio man on a B-24. It was a rare chance encounter 
seeing a close friend thousands of miles from home.
  After returning to the U.S., Freshour was not yet able to immediately 
leave the military because the war in Japan was raging. He was assigned 
to an air transport squadron in Presque Isle, Maine. The ground crew 
they replaced had been there all throughout the war, but since they had 
been stationed state-side, their everyday lives were completely 
different from Freshour and his squadron because they had cars, part-
time jobs and their wives in the same location.
  While stateside, Sgt. Freshour was Charge Quarter on night duty. He 
had the job of waking the air crews up and leading them to the planes 
that were going to the war in the Pacific. As soon as Japan 
surrendered, they were discharged and Sgt. Freshour reentered civilian 
life.
  Sgt. Freshour married Doris and together they had four children: 
Karen, David, Sue and Denise.
  As a U.S. Representative, one of the most honorable things I have the 
privilege of doing is recognizing American heroes of past wars such as 
Sgt. David F. Freshour, for their honorable actions. On August 5, 2006, 
I presented him with medals and citations that he had earned more than 
60 years earlier for his service during World War II but had never 
received. I presented him with the Presidential Unit Citation, the Good 
Conduct Medal, the Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII, the American 
Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign, and the 
World War II Victory Medal in a ceremony at First Presbyterian Church 
of Kingwood.
  It was an honor to finally recognize an American hero. Our country 
owes a debt of gratitude towards those who fought and won World War II. 
We owe our lives and our liberty to ``The Greatest Generation'' of our 
time. The courage and sacrifice of the members of the United States 
Armed Forces and of the military forces of the Allied Powers who served 
valiantly to rescue the Pacific nations from tyranny and aggression 
should always be remembered.
  Our Nation is safer, stronger and better because of the sacrifice of 
Sgt. David F. Freshour and the thousands of other World War II 
veterans. Though his light here on earth has extinguished, his 
sacrifice has made America's lantern of liberty burn brighter.
  Thank you, Sgt. Freshour for being a loving father, a caring 
grandfather and a great American.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________