[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 78 (Thursday, May 22, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LIFE AND DEDICATED SERVICE OF COMMANDER ROBERT JAMES 
                           FLYNN, USN RETIRED

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2014

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on May 15, 2014, Northwest 
Florida and our Nation lost a warrior--Commander Robert James Flynn, 
United States Navy, Retired. Commander Flynn honorably served our 
country as a member of the Armed Forces for twenty-seven years, and I 
am humbled to rise and pay tribute to his life and his unwavering 
devotion to God and country.
  Hailing from La Crosse, Wisconsin, Commander Flynn studied pre-law at 
the University of Minnesota until 1958 when he entered the Naval 
Aviation Cadet Program. Within two years, he became a Naval Flight 
Officer and then trained as a bombardier/navigator. On August 21, 1967, 
his life took a tragic turn when his A-6 aircraft, which launched from 
the USS Constellation, was shot down over North Vietnam. Commander 
Flynn spent the next five and a half years of his life in a Chinese 
prison. According to the POW Network, his unimaginable 2,030 days in 
solitary confinement makes it the longest amount of time a member of 
the U.S. Armed Forces served in solitary confinement. Commander Flynn 
was released on March 15, 1973.
  Commander Flynn was proud to say that his captors called him ``one of 
the most reactionary prisoners in their history.'' His relentless 
strength and courage were hallmarks of both his life and career, and it 
was his strong faith in God, his love for his family, and his 
commitment to duty, honor, and country that even in the darkest of 
times he held on and survived. His final assignment as Director of 
Aviation Warfare Training with Chief of Naval Education and Training at 
Naval Air Station Pensacola brought Commander Flynn back home to his 
beloved Northwest Florida. In 1985, he retired from the Navy after 71 
missions. Throughout his distinguished Naval Career, Commander Flynn 
earned and was bestowed multiple honors including the Legion of Merit, 
Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and Prisoner of War Medal.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, it gives me 
great pride to honor the life and service of an American hero and 
decorated warrior. Our Nation, the Northwest Florida community, and 
countless others will miss Commander Flynn's unwavering perseverance 
and optimism, but his legacy will endure for years to come. My wife 
Vicki joins me in extending our most sincere condolences to his wife, 
Kathy; their two children, Elizabeth and Robert; and the entire Flynn 
family.

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