[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 159 (Wednesday, September 26, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H8891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING LIEUTENANT COLONEL ADOLF ``WES'' WESSELHOEFT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Abraham) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible 
life of Lieutenant Colonel Adolf ``Wes'' Wesselhoeft, who, as a child, 
was one of 11,000 German-Americans placed in internment camps during 
World War II. You see his picture to my left.
  Wes was born to German immigrants in Chicago in 1936. When he was 
seven, his family packed what few things they could and were taken to 
Crystal City, Texas, to a detainment camp built there for German, 
Japanese, and Italian immigrants.
  Just a year later, in 1944, his family packed up once again and was 
sent to New York City to board the M.S. Gripsholm. The M.S. Gripsholm 
headed to Portugal where the Wesselhoeft family and 633 other German 
expatriates and repatriates were exchanged for American prisoners of 
war and then sent back to Germany.
  Once back in Germany, Wes and his family lived in the town of Hamburg 
with his grandparents. Unfortunately, Hamburg was the center of Allied 
bombings during World War II. Wes has vivid memories from the bombings, 
seeking shelter in bunkers with his family. Despite those experiences, 
Wes remained a true American patriot, and he was committed to coming 
back home to the United States of America.
  After the war ended, Wes and his family moved to Konstanz where he 
finished school and worked manual labor jobs to save money for a return 
to America. He stayed in touch with the American consulate in 
Stuttgart, riding his bike 2 days each way to meet with them until 
finally in 1958 the consulate informed him he could return home. He 
bought the cheapest passage to the United States.
  Upon arriving in New York, he went straight to a recruiting office to 
enlist in the United States Air Force. Wes served 22 years in the Air 
Force and flew EC-121Rs and B-52s during the Vietnam war. During his 
service, he was exposed to Agent Orange. He is now legally blind.
  Wes and his wife, Shirley, now live in Ruston, Louisiana, where I 
proudly represent them in Congress. Wes represents the best of America, 
a patriot who never gave up on his country. His service to his country, 
as well as the horrors he and his family suffered in Germany, will 
never be forgotten. America is better because of people like Wes, those 
willing to give up everything to serve the American cause.

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