[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 2, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING DR. MIGUEL ENCINIAS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BEN RAY LUJAN

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 2016

  Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory 
of Dr. and Lt. Col. Miguel Encinias, who passed away on February 20th 
in Albuquerque at the age of 92.
   A native of Las Vegas, New Mexico, Dr. Encinias served in World War 
II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War during his long and 
distinguished military career. After joining the New Mexico National 
Guard at the age of 16, in the heart of the Great Depression, he 
applied for and was accepted to the air cadet academy following the 
attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, where he was one of the very few 
Hispanic pilots in the academy. Dr. Encinias was shot down over Italy 
in 1944 and became a German prisoner of war until the Russians 
liberated his camp in 1945. He also flew in the Korean and Vietnam Wars 
before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1971. During his career, he 
earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Purple Hearts, and fourteen 
Air Medals, making him one of New Mexico's most decorated veterans.
   Dr. Encinias continued to serve his country after his time in the 
Air Force when President Clinton asked him to join the World War II 
Memorial Advisory Board in 1995, where he helped oversee the creation 
of the World War II Memorial, a Washington, D.C. landmark that reminds 
us of the bravery, triumph, and sacrifice of our soldiers who fought 
for our freedom.
   Dr. Encinias was also a passionate scholar, studying at Georgetown, 
the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, and earning his doctorate 
in Hispanic literature and Education at the University of New Mexico. 
He taught throughout the state of New Mexico and helped develop New 
Mexico's Bilingual Education program. He also wrote several books on 
the rich history of New Mexico.
   I want to personally thank Dr. Encinias for his many decades of 
service to his country and his state. His bravery on the battlefield, 
passion for New Mexico, and love for his family and friends will be 
sorely missed. I extend my sincere condolences to Dr. Encinias' 
family--Jeannine, his wife of 52 years; his three children; and four 
grandchildren--and hope that during this sad time they find comfort in 
the enduring legacy that Dr. Encinias leaves behind.

                          ____________________