[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 17 (Thursday, February 4, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF ARTHUR WILLIAMS

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                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 4, 2010

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. 
Arthur Williams, a World War II veteran, a Tuskegee Airman, and a true 
American hero. Arthur spent a lifetime dedicated to his country, his 
community, and a loving father, and I am proud to honor his life of 
service.
  Born in 1918 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Arthur grew up and lived in 
Pensacola, Florida. He joined the Army Air Corps at the height of World 
War II in 1942, hoping to become a pilot. A color blindness kept Arthur 
out of the sky, but would not keep him from serving his country. He 
entered the Army Air Corps Mechanic Training School in Lincoln, 
Nebraska, and graduated number one in his class in 1943. Arthur became 
a mechanic for the revered Tuskegee Airmen out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 
where he served honorably until 1946. These Airmen flew 1,500 combat 
missions during World War II and received 95 Distinguished Flying Cross 
awards among them. For his service as part of the Tuskegee Airmen, 
Arthur was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, our nation's highest 
civilian honor, in 2007.
  After his military duty, Arthur continued to serve his country. In 
1963, he became the first African-American supervisor at the Pensacola 
Naval Air Station Reworks facility. He went back to school to earn his 
Associate in Arts degree from Pensacola Junior College and became a 
licensed real estate broker. An active member of the community, Arthur 
enjoyed singing in the Mount Zion Baptist Church choir and being a part 
of the American Legion Post 193. In April of 2008, Arthur was one of 
the veterans who participated in the inaugural Emerald Coast Honor 
Flight Program to bring WWII veterans from Northwest Florida to 
Washington, D.C. to see their memorial.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am humbled 
to recognize Arthur Williams as a World War II hero and a community 
leader. Our nation is proud and grateful for his courage, service, and 
patriotism. My wife Vicki and I offer our prayers for his entire 
family, including his son, Charles, his six grandchildren, two great-
grandchildren, and entire extended family and friends as we remember 
and honor the life of Arthur Williams. He will be truly missed.

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