[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 4, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E294-E295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO WALTER EHLERS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 4, 2014

  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to a 
dear friend of mine, Walter Ehlers. Walter passed away on Thursday, 
February 20, 2014. A long time resident of California, he was a pillar 
of the community and he will be deeply missed.
  Walter was born May 7, 1921, in Junction City, Kansas, and was raised 
from humble beginnings. While growing up, Walter spent many long, but 
rewarding days on the farm. This quickly changed when news of World War 
II broke and both Walter and his brother, Roland, decided that they 
wanted to join the Army and serve their country. The fact that Walter 
was underage at the time of his decision proved difficult, but after 
receiving special permission from his parents, the Ehlers brothers set 
out in 1940 to serve in the same unit. Their duty spanned from Sicily 
to North Africa, and became more intense as the war moved along. As 
what would become known as ``D-Day'' approached, Walter, 23, and his 
brother were split up into different units in an effort to better 
chances that at least one of them would survive the bloody attack.
  The morning of June 6, 1944, Walter, a squad leader and staff 
sergeant, was tasked with getting his 12 men safely through the danger 
zone on Normandy Beach and move inland in order to fulfill their 
mission of collecting data on German troop activities. He and his squad 
survived several rounds of heavy fire as they moved along and Walter's 
guidance to ``run for cover'' proved successful time and time again. On 
June 10, 1944, Walter's squad came under such extreme fire that the 
company commander ordered a withdrawal. Walter knew that in order to 
get his

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squad out of trouble, he would have to distract the enemy. He and 
another soldier began shooting at opposition forces as to draw fire 
onto themselves while the rest of the squad snuck away. An enemy sniper 
managed to shoot Walter in the back that fateful morning, but he still 
found a way to ensure that he and his fellow soldier, who had been more 
seriously injured, made it to safety. Because of his efforts and quick 
thinking, countless Allied soldiers' lives were saved that day. D-Day 
became a day that would live on as a costly success for all Americans, 
and especially for Walter, when he found that his brother had not 
survived.
  After the war, Walter returned to Kansas for a short time before 
permanently moving out west to California. He had always dreamed of 
making it big in Hollywood and acting in movies. Though he did earn one 
movie credit staring as West Point Cadet Mike Shannon in the 1955 film, 
``The Long Gray Line,'' his desire to serve within the community 
quickly became his top priority. Walter accepted a job as a benefits 
counselor at the Veterans Administration soon after and went on to help 
his fellow veterans in any way that he could for many years to come.
  It is no surprise that Walter became very decorated over the years 
considering the immense service he committed to the United States. He 
was the recipient of a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart 
for the injuries he sustained in combat, and the nation's highest 
military award, a Medal of Honor. Throughout his life Walter was highly 
sought after to attend speaking engagements, and also spoke to 
President Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II of England during the 50th 
Anniversary of D-Day in France. He even found himself with an 
invitation to every presidential inauguration since Dwight D. 
Eisenhower's. Walter's legacy will live on in the form of the Walter D. 
Ehlers Community Center in Buena Park, an action figure made in his 
likeness, and the street named after him in Manhattan, Kansas.
  Walter is survived by his loving wife, Dorothy; daughters, Cathy 
Metcalf and Tracy Kilpatrick; son, Walter Jr.; sisters, Leona Porter, 
Marjorie Justin and Gloria Salberg; 11 grandchildren and two great 
grandchildren.
  On Saturday, March 8, 2014, a memorial service honoring Walter's life 
will be held. Walter will always be remembered for his incredible 
leadership, service to our country, fearlessness, contributions to the 
community and love of family. His dedication to everything he did is 
truly a testament to a life lived well and a legacy that will continue. 
I extend my condolences to Walter's family and friends; although Walter 
may be gone, the light and goodness he brought to the world remain and 
will never be forgotten.

                          ____________________