[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 147 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1731-E1732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN MEMORY OF WORLD WAR II VETERAN BILL BASTIAN

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                          HON. TOM McCLINTOCK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 4, 2014

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life, achievements, 
and service of World War II veteran Bill Bastian.
   Bill joined the United States Army in 1942, serving during the 
height of the Second World War as an officer in the 203rd Engineer 
Combat Battalion. Throughout the course of the war, Bill served as 
company commander, assistant operations officer, and battalion motor 
and liaison officer.
   He was among the brave soldiers who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, 
June 6, 1944.
   After the invasion, Bill served as communication liaison officer. He 
risked his life to ensure that communications remained intact 
throughout the American advance in France.
   He was redeployed to Belgium just before Christmas of 1944, where he 
faced the brunt of the German offensive in the Battle of the Bulge. 
During the invasion of Germany, Bill helped construct the bridge over 
the Fulda River between Frankfurt and Kassel.
   As instrumental as this project was, Bill Bastian's contribution to 
protecting our country's ideals was far greater. He was a proven 
leader, who valued the resourcefulness of the Americans he commanded. 
Bill noted that most of the recruits did not even know how to drive a 
car when they joined the service, but by the end of the conflict, they 
could operate large machinery, build roads, and repair equipment.
   Bill once remarked: ``Americans are people that can look at a job, 
figure out how to get it done, and then get the job done.'' This is the 
same manner in which he led his life after the Army.
   Bill was more than a soldier; he was a loving husband to his wife of 
63 years, Melba. After her passing, Bill devoted his time to leading 
tours of the Normandy beachhead and the French cemeteries where many of 
his former comrades are buried. In recent years, Bill's moving radio 
commentaries have kept the stories of his generation's sacrifice alive.
   This brave veteran's service and devotion to the United States and 
to liberty lives on in the freedom enjoyed by all Americans. It is my 
privilege to rise in honor of the life and service of Bill Bastian.

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