[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 109 (Thursday, July 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1062-E1063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF DR. ROSCOE BROWN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 7, 2016

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and celebrate the life of an 
American hero, Dr. Roscoe Brown, who will be greatly missed by all 
those inspired by him. Dr. Brown flew combat missions during World War 
II as a member of the prestigious Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-
American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. As a 
proud sponsor of the bill that awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, 
our highest civilian honor, to the Tuskegee Airmen in 2007, I was 
humbled to meet Dr. Brown who embodied the best that our nation has to 
offer.
  Our troops at home and abroad make the greatest sacrifices every day 
to defend our country. What makes the story of Dr. Brown

[[Page E1063]]

and the Tuskegee Airmen remarkable is their selflessness and devotion 
to a country despite the segregation and barriers they faced. These 
great men were willing to put their lives on the line for American 
values and freedoms even when discrimination compromised their own 
rights and liberties. Through their patriotism, the walls of 
segregation were finally removed from our Armed Forces on July 26, 
1948. It is then when I enlisted in the Army and was able to follow in 
Dr. Brown's footsteps as a decorated soldier in the Korean War.
  After the war and off the battlefield, Dr. Brown has left a lasting 
impact in my congressional district that continues to be felt today. 
His service to our nation took a new form after he settled in 
Riverdale, New York City. As a professor at New York University and 
City University of New York, Dr. Brown expanded African American study 
programs everywhere he taught, eventually becoming the President of 
Bronx Community College. A longtime member of the Boys and Girls Club 
of America and the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Dr. Brown worked 
tirelessly to improve the lives of everyone around him.
  Dr. Brown left his indelible mark as a veteran, educator, community 
leader, and an activist, devoting his life to the betterment of his 
fellow man, community, and country. I join my constituents and rest of 
the nation as we say goodbye and pay tribute to a true American hero.

                          ____________________