[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 153 (Wednesday, October 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOSEPH ZINNO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 21, 2009

  Mr. SKELTON. Madam Speaker, let me take this time to honor a great 
American service member, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Zinno. During a 
terrific storm in 1946, Lt. Col. Zinno successfully landed a plane 
carrying the members of the Sharon Rogers All-Girl Band, a USO 
sponsored orchestra which performed for American troops serving in East 
Asia.
  Born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1923, Lt. Col. Zinno developed a 
fascination with flight as a child and was often seen sketching planes 
on spare pieces of paper or sneaking to the local airport hangar to 
watch the occasional take-off. His passion for aviation led him to the 
Army Air Corps. After earning his wings and bars in 1944, Lt. Col. 
Zinno began his first assignment with the 63rd Troop Carrier Group in 
Sedalia, Missouri, part of my home district.
  Lt. Col. Zinno's skill as an aviator came to a test on January 20, 
1946, when he was ordered to ferry the Sharon Rogers All-Girl Band from 
Seoul, Korea, to Tokyo, Japan. When Lt. Col. Zinno flew through a 
treacherous thunderhead, his C-46 dropped 3,500 feet in a matter of 
seconds. Remaining calm, the courageous pilot navigated the storm with 
little visibility and safely landed the plane in the Shimonoseki 
Strait, a strip of water littered with mines and high tension wires. 
With every passenger and crew member alive and safe, a Japanese fishing 
boat brought the orchestra and flight crew to safe ground.
  Madam Speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Zinno has distinguished 
himself throughout his long career as a talented and courageous pilot. 
His nerves of steel and gutsy determination may well have saved the 
lives of the Sharon Rogers All-Girl Band. I trust that the Members of 
the House will join me in honoring this brave pilot for his 
contributions to our country.

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