[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 143 (Thursday, October 1, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1413]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE LIFE OF EDNA AND JOHN W. MOSLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MAXINE WATERS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 2015

  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
the life and legacy of Edna and John W. Mosley, on the occasion of the 
grand opening of the school named in their honor in Aurora, Colorado.
  Both Edna and John Mosley were trailblazers and public servants.
  Lieutenant Colonel John Mosley graduated from Colorado State A&M 
College, where he participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program 
during his senior year. In 1943, he completed the program, but was 
still denied the right to serve his country as a pilot due to his race. 
But John was not discouraged.
  John and his family wrote letters to Congress and even the White 
House to petition for placement in the Tuskegee Airmen Pilot program, 
and due to his persistence and determination, he was finally accepted 
as a Tuskegee Airman. His accomplished military career spanned World 
War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
  After retiring from the Air Force, John served our country at the 
Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) in Washington, D.C., 
where one of his most important responsibilities was overseeing the 
newly formed Head Start Program in 1970.
  John received numerous awards, among them, the Congressional Medal of 
Honor in 2007 for his service as a Tuskegee Airman.
  Edna Mosley was a lifetime member of the NAACP, and worked to 
establish the organization's chapter in Denver. She served 12 years on 
the Aurora city council, becoming the first African American elected to 
the council in 1991. On the council, she championed important and 
pressing issues--civil rights, gender equality, veteran's interests, 
affordable housing, and educational opportunity.
  Mr. Speaker, Edna and John Mosley embody what truly makes our country 
and communities great--a selfless commitment to our neighbors, and 
fighting for the common good. I extend my best wishes for the academic 
success of the future graduates of the school, and their commitment to 
carrying forward the amazing legacy of Edna and John Mosley.

                          ____________________