[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 37 (Thursday, March 2, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          MOURNING THE PASSING OF CECIL BOSWELL, WWII VETERAN

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                           HON. DOUG COLLINS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 2, 2017

  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
impressive and meaningful life of Cecil Boswell, a World War II Veteran 
from Gainesville, Georgia who sadly passed away on Sunday, February 
19th at the age of 99.
  Cecil has long been a resident of Gainesville, and will forever be 
remembered as a hero by his neighbors, his friends, and all those who 
looked up to him in our corner of Georgia. Having been part of the 
second wave invading Normandy on D-Day, Cecil exemplified the bravery, 
courage, and selflessness it takes to serve one's country, and these 
traits followed him throughout his life, allowing him to touch the 
lives of all those who had the opportunity to sit and speak with him.
  Northeast Georgia is home to thousands of men and women who have 
diligently and passionately served the United States. As a chaplain in 
the U.S. Air Force Reserve, I feel strongly about our nation's need to 
meet its obligations to our service members, veterans, and their 
families, and to support the Americans who have sacrificed much for our 
freedom and way of life. I am proud of the relationship northeast 
Georgia has with our nation's bravest citizens, and Cecil Boswell was 
an important member of the veteran community back home, as well as the 
Gainesville community as a whole.
  He often told of his time fighting in World War II to his friends at 
the Big Bear Cafe, where he ate breakfast and lunch almost daily. Cecil 
also walked in each Memorial Day parade along the square, donning his 
Army uniform as he waved to the crowds. It wasn't until last year's 
Memorial Day parade that he decided to ride in a car instead of walk, a 
testament to his unwavering strength and dedication.
  Gainesville is better for the time Cecil Boswell gave it, and I am 
sure the life he led and the stories he told will live on for years to 
come. Northeast Georgia is blessed to have known Cecil Boswell, and he 
will be dearly missed.

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