[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 197 (Thursday, December 13, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO WILFRED R. DeFOUR, SR.

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                         HON. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 13, 2018

  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues' 
sad news that has struck my community with the passing of Wilfred R. 
DeFour, Sr. at the incredible age of 100.
  Mr. DeFour was raised in Harlem; a proud alumnus of Dewitt Clinton 
High School in the Bronx; and later graduate of both the City College 
of New York and New York University School of Commerce .
  Mr. DeFour was an aircraft technician working on many of the planes 
flown by the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. In fact, Mr. DeFour 
painted the tails of aircraft red by hand that lent the airmen their 
signature moniker of ``Red Tails''.
  He was a man of extraordinary dignity, the highest character and a 
great sense of humor. He personified the magnanimity of his generation 
that endured the division and animus of racial segregation in this 
country yet still fought for our country and its shared defense.
  Just a few weeks ago in New York City, I had the enormous privilege 
with my fellow elected officials and community leaders to officially 
unveil the renaming of the Post Office located at 99 Macombs Place as 
the ``Tuskegee Airmen Post Office Building.'' Mr. DeFour was our guest 
of honor and shared with us his experience and what his service meant 
to him. It is my intention to rename the Lincolnton Post Office located 
at 2266 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10037, where he worked after 
returning from his military service for over three decades.
  Just last month he said ``I regret so many of my comrades are no 
longer here with us. It was a great experience. We didn't know that we 
were making history at the time, we were just doing our jobs. That's 
about the size of it.''
  For a man with a larger than life presence, what struck me and those 
around him was his humility and grace. He told us ``After looking back 
at it, everyone was pleased with what we did. What we did, we did our 
best and our best was the greatest.'' We are lesser without him and can 
only hope to strive to match; but never exceed his example.
  Godspeed Combat Technical Sergeant Wilfred R. DeFour, Sr. It was a 
pleasure to have known him.

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