[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 86 (Thursday, May 18, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





        IN RECOGNITION OF PETTY OFFICER MICHAEL JOHN CRUTCHFIELD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID A. TROTT

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2017

  Mr. TROTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise, today, to highlight the distinguished 
career of one of my constituents, Petty Officer Michael John 
Crutchfield.
  On April 27, 1970, when others were awaiting their draft notices, 20-
year-old Petty Officer Crutchfield took it upon himself to enlist in 
the United States Coast Guard and serve his county.
  A true patriot, in February 1972, Petty Officer Crutchfield, once 
again, decided to volunteer for our country, this time in Vietnam. 
Despite landing unarmed with a dozen of his colleagues, Michael 
fulfilled his mission and returned to Barbers Point, Hawaii, where he 
served the balance of his three-year assignment.
  Following his service in Hawaii, Petty Officer Crutchfield served as 
a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Heilo No. 1377 crew, conducting search 
and rescue missions in a HH-52A helicopter based out of Selfridge Air 
National Guard Base.
  Petty Officer Crutchfield's service to our nation is exemplified by 
such acts as saving a young man from having his legs amputated and 
aiding the search of 29 crewmen who perished when the Edmund Fitzgerald 
sank in the icy water of Lake Superior in November of 1975.
  But, Petty Officer Crutchfield is more than one man--he is a 
testament of the selfless patriotism and sacrifice embodied by the over 
35,000 veterans in Southeast Michigan.
  He is a representation of the bravery and honor embodied by so many 
servicemen and women in my district.
  Today, I would like to recognize each and every one of them, 
especially Petty Officer Crutchfield, for their outstanding service to 
our great nation.
  Representing them in Congress is my utmost honor, and I will continue 
to work tirelessly for them to give them the recognition and respect 
they deserve.

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