[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 3, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING LEON E. BRAXTON

 Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the memory of 
Leon E. ``Bill'' Braxton, a World War II veteran and teacher who 
dedicated his life in service to our Nation and educated countless 
students throughout his career.
  Bill Braxton was born near Hope Hills, NC, on May 1, 1917. After 
graduating high school in 1934, he enlisted with the U.S. Army in April 
1935, serving in Panama, Austria, Germany, Japan, and Korea. He was an 
honor graduate of the Coast Artillery School, European Air Transport 
Service's Flight Captain's School, and the Air Force Office of Special 
Investigations. Bill flew combat missions in Indo China in 1954 and 
aided the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
  In 1959, he retired from the U.S. Air Force and enrolled at the 
University of Miami, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in 
German. He then received a fellowship under the National Defense 
Education Act to attend Kent State University, earning a master's 
degree in German in 1964.
  Bill's first teaching position was at Hialeah High School, teaching 
German and English. He taught at Stetson University before moving to 
Satellite Beach in 1971, where he joined Satellite High School. While 
there, he developed the school's German Student Program and was named 
teacher of the year for southern Brevard County. His proudest 
achievement was establishing the school's Fulbright Student Exchange 
program for German students before retiring from the school in 1979.
  In retirement, he continued to teach French, German, and Spanish at 
Brevard Community College and co-authored four nonfiction books based 
on his life experiences, people he met at home and abroad, and events 
he witnessed while serving in the military.
  Bill Braxton lived a full life and made a difference for his 
community and his country. I express my sincerest condolences to his 
four children--Thomas Braxton, Douglas Braxton, Patty Braxton, and 
Susan Braxton--his seven grandchildren, and his three great-
grandchildren. May God bless his family during this time of sorrow, and 
may they be strengthened by the memory of his life's service.

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