[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN RECOGNITION OF COL. ALFRED ROBERT FRENCH II

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUBEN GALLEGO

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 20, 2015

  Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute, congratulate and 
recognize Col. Alfred Robert French II, M.D., for his distinguished 
military career and years of dedicated service to our nation as we 
celebrate his upcoming 89th birthday.
  Col. French II was raised in Bisbee, AZ and attended Bisbee High 
School, Wentworth Military Academy and Valley Forge Military Academy, 
graduating in 1944. Upon graduation, Col. French sought immediate 
induction into the U.S. Army and his journey in the service of our 
nation began in a crowded ship that left Brooklyn, New York, bound for 
Le Havre, France.
  Upon arrival, Col. French II was requisitioned by the 61st Signal 
Battalion of the Third Army and began his service as a driver and a 
courier in Eider Oberstein, Germany. On occasion, he would drive 
through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg and France, all in 
one day. He also spent time in the Saar Protectorate, and then moved to 
Neckersulm, Germany, where he served as a Guard in a Displaced Persons 
(DP) camp.
  Col. French was eventually transferred to Heidelberg, Germany and 
assigned to the 79th field Artillery group. There, Col. French II had 
the honor of attending General Patton's funeral service.
  Col. French II returned to Phoenix, AZ, and studied at the University 
of Arizona. Soon after, however, he decided to continue his service to 
our country by reenlisting in the Army. He was deployed to Japan with 
the Army of Occupation and subsequently participated in the first 
battle of the Korean War as part of Task Force Smith, the first U.S. 
ground maneuver unit to enter combat in Korea.
  Throughout his years of service, Col. French II has won numerous 
awards and distinctions, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat 
Infantry Badge, the Korean Service Medal, and the UN Service Medal.
  After the war, Col. French II returned to Phoenix, AZ, and utilized 
the G.I. Bill to receive a B.S. from Arizona State University. He later 
graduated from Tulane Medical School with a specialty in Ophthalmology 
in 1959 and joined his father, Harry French, M.D., in private practice. 
Col. French II joined the Army National Guard in 1976 and served until 
1993.
  Mr. Speaker, Col. Alfred French II is a proud member of the Greatest 
Generation. He fought for our freedom in two different wars and has 
lived a life defined by service and integrity. I am deeply honored to 
recognize all that Col. French II has achieved and pleased to 
congratulate him as he celebrates his 89th birthday.

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