[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 128 (Monday, July 30, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5450-S5451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                 REMEMBERING WALTER ``BOOTS'' MAYBERRY

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Walter 
``Boots'' Mayberry, a World War II airman from Harrison, AR, whose 
military service, life, and career exemplify what it means to be a true 
patriot.
  Walter ``Boots'' Mayberry was born in Pine Bluff, AR, on August 11, 
1923, to a large family. Mayberry's nickname, ``Boots,'' came about 
during the Great Flood of 1927. His older sister, Dell, took the 4-
year-old Mayberry into town and bought him a pair of rubber boots with 
rubber red tops. From then on, Mayberry could always be found with his 
boots on, regardless of if he was bathing, in church, or in bed. The 
nickname became official when he began first grade and told the teacher 
that his name was ``Boots Mayberry.''
  Mayberry graduated high school in 1943 and was drafted shortly 
thereafter. He reported for duty at Camp Robinson and volunteered to 
join the Army Air Corps. After extensive training in several Stateside 
locations, he was attached to the 560th Bomb Squadron of the 388th Bomb 
Group in the 8th Air Corps. He was based at Knettishall, England, with 
the mission to bomb Germany and German-held territories, something he 
and the rest of the ``Mighty 8th'' did with honor.
  Mayberry served as a waist gunner, defending his B-17 from enemy 
fighter planes. He and his aircrew successfully completed nine missions 
before being hit by enemy fire on their 10th mission. Despite the 
severe damage to the plane, the pilot kept on course and dropped the 
bombs on their target. Mayberry and the crew were forced to bail out of 
the plane, which was a problem for Mayberry who never learned how to 
use a parachute because he never thought he would have to use one. 
Falling head first, he pulled the ripcord and the force broke his neck. 
As he drifted to the ground, he was in the crosshairs of German ground 
fire.
  Paralyzed and lying in a field, German civilians brutally checked 
Mayberry over before soldiers locked him up in a local jail. He was 
detained with another airman from his crew in a different secure 
facility for 10 days of solitary confinement. From there, he was taken 
to Frankfurt for interrogation and moved to several locations before 
ending up in a German POW camp,

[[Page S5451]]

Stalag 7A in Moosburg, Germany. He suffered inhumane conditions that 
tested his will to survive.
  Mayberry fondly remembered the American tank of the 14th Armored 
Division that smashed through the gate, liberating the camp on April 
29, 1945. Nearly 70 years after liberation, it was still emotional for 
Mayberry to talk about the experience of seeing the Stars and Stripes 
replace the Nazi flag at the camp. Two days later, Mayberry saw General 
George Patton who had come to survey the conditions of the camp.
  Mayberry didn't receive any treatment for his injuries until he was 
examined by a flight surgeon on his way to France, a staging area for 
soldiers heading home.
  After the war, Staff Sergeant Walter Mayberry lived a long, 
fulfilling life speaking about and writing a book on his experiences, 
his faith, and his love of country. He regularly participated at 
Veterans Day parades, Memorial Day programs, and many other civic 
events in and around Harrison. Sadly, Boots passed away on July 25, 
2018 at the age of 94.
  Mayberry was a member of the Greatest Generation and a patriot 
dedicated to serving his country. He was an American hero who will be 
missed. I extend my sincere condolences to his family and friends, and 
I hope that they find comfort in the incredible legacy of service and 
patriotism that Boots leaves behind.

                          ____________________