[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 96 (Thursday, June 16, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S4296]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO FRANCES DOLEZAL

 Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, on January 9, 1915, the Dolezal 
family scurried around a humble homestead in Hingham, MT. The house had 
no heat, no plumbing, and no modern conveniences to combat the bitter 
Montana cold. Jerry and Grace Dolezal had just welcomed a brand-new 
baby girl--Frances. Her brother Bob Dolezal says, ``My father used to 
say, she was so small, she could have worn a ring as a bracelet.'' 
Frances was a premature breach birth, and the family took turns 
huddling around her crib, a small dresser drawer, refilling a hot water 
bottle each hour to keep the newborn warm. Frances would survive that 
night and many more. She celebrated her 101st birthday this last 
January.
  I would like to take this time to recognize and honor her service to-
our-country and her contribution to the children of Montana. We are the 
land of the free because of the brave, and as we continue to face 
foreign and domestic threats I am humbled by the service men and women 
who have protected and served. In 1942 the United States faced a 
shortage of military personnel due to World War II. In an effort to 
fill the void, the Women Accepted for Emergency Volunteer Service 
program, or WAVES, was created and allowed women to enlist in the U.S. 
Navy.
  After her brother George Dolezal survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, 
Frances was anxious to do her part and graciously enlisted in July of 
1943. She was stationed on Terminal Island in San Pedro, CA, for the 
next 2 years, serving as a second class aviation machinist mate, 
preparing airplanes before they were shipped overseas.
  When the war ended, Frances returned to Montana and earned her 
bachelor's degree in education from the Western Montana College of 
Education, now University of Montana Western, in Dillon. Frances would 
go on to be a first grade teacher and serve the communities of Cutbank, 
Malta, Havre, Zortman, Ledger and Browning for over 25 years.
  Frances was a tough teacher but fair. In Browning, where class 
attendance was low, Frances created an innovative cotton ball calendar 
tactic to motivate class participation. Her classes held the highest 
attendance rates and many of her schoolchildren would exit first grade 
with third grade reading levels. Her brother Bob says: ``Her ability to 
motivate little ones was what I was always impressed with. She 
instilled in them to never quit; keep trying until you can succeed.''
  On Frances' 100th birthday she was showered with letters, cards, and 
gifts from her former students. One student, now a successful 
businessman in Billings, MT, made it a priority to be in attendance for 
the celebration. The young man thanked Frances and said that, among all 
of his teachers and college professors, Mrs. Ordway was his favorite.
  In an effort to ensure all female World War II veterans receive their 
World War II service medals, Frances was recently honored by the 
Montana American Legion in Chinook, MT. Frances was pinned with her 
World War II Victory Medal in honor of her service from 1943 to 1945.
  It is stories like Frances's, the Dolezal family, and numerous others 
that remind us of the importance of preserving these stories through 
efforts like the Veterans History Project. Though many people may never 
know her name, Montanans and Americans owe her our appreciation. Thank 
you, Frances, for your patriotism and commitment to the education of 
young Montana minds.

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