[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 170 (Tuesday, November 8, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7183-S7184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO MR. LEDFORD STEPHENS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
respectable Kentucky veteran, Mr. Ledford ``Led'' Stephens. Ledford, 
who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, still remembers vividly the 
time he spent serving overseas in Europe during World War II.
  Led grew up across the creek from Lower Cal Hill Cemetery in Pine 
Knot, KY. When he was 18 years old, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After 
passing two physicals, Led was allowed to spend 2 weeks at home before 
he boarded a train at Stearns station to Fort Thomas. There he received 
his clothes and was then shipped to Fort Wheeler, GA, for basic 
training. After completing basic training, Led spent a short time at 
Camp New Jersey where he received his ``impregnated clothes,'' which 
were outfits that protected soldiers from gas--this was a clear 
indicator that he would eventually be shipped overseas.
  A short time later, Led remembers boarding a ship in New York that 
sailed for 14 days and nights before finally reaching Casablanca, North 
Africa. After arriving, Led and his group were placed with the 3rd 
Division and sent to assist in the Invasion of Sicily. Led was assigned 
to the position of 30-caliber machine gunner on his team.
  ``From there, I went on to the Invasion of Italy. We went in there on 
a beach and fought our way up,'' Led recalls. ``I met a fellow from 
Frazer, Kentucky, and we both promised that we

[[Page S7184]]

would find each other's people back home if anything happened to either 
of us. It ended up that he was killed . . . I tried to find his people 
when I came back home, but I never could find them.''
  The toil of war eventually took a toll on Led as well. During a 
battle, ``a shell went off close to me, and it did something to my 
ears,'' Led says. ``My face was numb . . . they loaded me into an 
ambulance and took me to the 106 Hospital in Naples, Italy.'' After 
that, Led spent time recovering in a rest camp and was taken out of 
combat and was assigned to a port battalion where he loaded and 
unloaded supplies.
  After the war, Led received many medals and ribbons, including the 
Bronze Star for his service. Once he returned home to Kentucky, Led 
began a career as a coal-truck driver--he is also an ordained minister 
in his spare time. Around his 70th birthday, Led fell in love with Lois 
Neal, a girl he had known from his childhood. The two have been married 
now for over 18 years and reside happily together in their home in Pine 
Knot, KY.
  I would like to ask that my Senate colleagues join me in thanking Mr. 
Ledford ``Led'' Stephens for his patriotism and selflessness. I commend 
Ledford for his service and accomplishments throughout his life--he is 
a true inspiration to Kentuckians everywhere. The McCreary County Voice 
in Whitley City, KY, recently published an article highlighting 
Ledford's honorable life and service. I ask unanimous consent that the 
full article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

            [From the McCreary County Voice, Aug. 11, 2011]

                         Memories of a Soldier

                           (By Eugenia Jones)

       As a youngster, growing up across the creek from Lower Cal 
     Hill Cemetery, Ledford ``Led'' Stephens never dreamed that he 
     would someday travel to distant lands to serve his country. 
     The American war veteran, who just recently celebrated his 
     90th birthday, has vivid memories of his time spent in World 
     War II.
       He recalls, ``When I was 18, I registered for the Army. 
     Next thing I knew, I got a call to go in and get two 
     physicals. I passed the first physical they gave me at 
     Stearns, and then I had to go all the way to Cincinnati for 
     the second one. When I was there in Cincinnati, they told us 
     to say, `Home' if we wanted to go back home for fourteen 
     days. Me and a buddy wanted to go back home for two weeks. 
     After we got those days at home, I caught a train at the 
     station at Stearns to go back to the Army. There were many 
     people at the station, and they were crying as we headed off 
     for the war. I ended up at Fort Thomas where they issued my 
     clothes. I went on to Fort Wheeler, Georgia, for basic 
     training and then to Camp New Jersey. A buddy of mine from 
     home was there with me. He had his guitar, and one night, he 
     started picking a song about going back home. All at once, he 
     told me that he wanted to go home, but I told him that they 
     would kill us if we took off. They issued us our impregnated 
     clothes there. Those types of clothes protect the soldiers 
     from gas. We just knew that being issued those clothes meant 
     that we were going overseas for sure.''
       The hunch about going overseas was correct, and Stephens 
     can still remember leaving the U.S. ``From New Jersey, I went 
     to New York where we loaded a ship and sailed for fourteen 
     days and nights. We ended up in Casablanca, North Africa. We 
     spent a couple of weeks there and were put in the 3rd 
     Division. Right about that same time, there was a surrender, 
     and I thought we might get to go home. Instead, we ended up 
     in the Invasion of Sicily. I was the first scout in the town 
     of Messina, Sicily, and, from there, I went on to the 
     Invasion of Italy. We went in there on a beach and fought our 
     way up. I met a fellow from Frazer, Kentucky, and we both 
     promised that we would find each other's people back home if 
     anything happened to either of us. It ended up that he was 
     killed. I was a 30-caliber machine gunner, and he was an 
     assistant with another gunner. That is how he was killed. I 
     tried to find his people when I came back home, but I never 
     could find them.''
       The war eventually took a physical toll on Stephens. He 
     explains, ``The Germans came in shelling us. A shell went off 
     close to me, and it did something to my ears. My face was 
     numb. They wanted me to wait to go to the hospital until the 
     36th Division could relieve us. When I did go to the medics, 
     they were in a long hospital tent. A fellow looked at me and 
     loaded me into an ambulance. They took me to the 106 Hospital 
     in Naples, Italy. After that, I went to a rest camp and some 
     other hospitals. I ended up being taken out of combat and was 
     assigned to a port battalion where I loaded and unloaded 
     supplies.''
       Stephens did have some fun times while he was overseas. His 
     face lights up with a grin as he tells about the two girls he 
     met while in Europe. ``While I was there in Italy, I was sent 
     to a rest camp. I could go to town whenever I wanted. Me and 
     a buddy met two girls in town one day. We went for a ride 
     with them, and I started seeing the girl named Connie quite 
     regularly. I went for a time without seeing her and decided I 
     would go to her house and find her. I went up the stairs and 
     knocked on the door, and an old woman came to the door. She 
     spoke English and said, ``Stephens, come in!'' The old woman 
     was Connie's mom. She and Connie were glad to see me. When we 
     shipped out, Connie wanted to go. I went back later to see 
     her, and, this time, there she was! She was locked in the 
     arms of a sailor! Of course, that was the end of our 
     friendship!''
       ``I met Esther when I was in France. When I first saw her, 
     she was crocheting, and she spoke English. Her sister's name 
     was Julie, and I told my buddy about Julie. The Germans had 
     taken their parents. One day, me and my buddy went and 
     visited. Julie's boyfriend came while we were there. Julie 
     was dating a boy named Scott from Tennessee. She was seeing 
     Scott and my buddy both at the same time. When I left France, 
     I told Esther that someday I would be back for her. When I 
     got back to the States, I planned to go back overseas, but 
     Mrs. Harmon of the draft board thought I should wait awhile. 
     I had already been overseas for thirty months and ten days. I 
     ended up never going back overseas, and I never saw Esther 
     again.''
       After returning to the States, Stephens, the recipient of 
     many medals and ribbons, including the Bronze Star, spent his 
     life working as a coal-truck driver and, for a few years, he 
     worked in Indiana. At the age of 62, he began working for the 
     Forest Service where he remained for more than three years. 
     Stephens also was an ordained minister.
       In his golden years, when he was about 70, Stephens fell in 
     love with Lois Neal. Lois, who, for many years, owned and 
     operated a grocery store at the top of Davis Hill in Pine 
     Knot, recalls, ``When Led started coming to the store, he 
     came regularly!'' ``Led'' adds with a chuckle, ``I enjoyed 
     helping her in the store. It sure wasn't the store that I was 
     after. It was Lois! I had my eye on her, and, then, she sent 
     me some roses! We had known each other when we were growing 
     up. Before I went overseas, I remember taking her for a ride 
     in a Model A. I was singing, I'm Sitting on Top of the World' 
     when we went for that ride.'' The two have now been married 
     for 18 years.
       When ``Led'' finishes telling the stories about his days in 
     WW II, it is easy to see that this man who traveled the world 
     serving his country as a young man is now happy to be 
     ``sitting on top of the world'' with his lovely wife Lois at 
     their home in Pine Knot, Kentucky.

                          ____________________