[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 9, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4725-S4726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MARY BALLARD

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, it is always a privilege to honor the 
men and women of America's Greatest Generation. They defended our 
national values both at home and abroad, and we owe each one of them a 
tremendous debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice. Today, I 
would like to recognize one of these intrepid Americans from my home 
State of Kentucky. Mary Somers Ballard volunteered to serve in the U.S. 
Army Nurse Corps during World War II, providing healing care to wounded 
soldiers across the European theatre. This month, Mary will enjoy her 
100th birthday at a celebration with friends and family, and I would 
like to add my voice to the chorus of those praising her lifetime of 
achievement.
  When war broke out, Mary lived in Boston working as a nurse and 
attending school. Hearing stories from the front, she was called to 
leave her studies and put her talents to work for the war effort. At 
the age of 23, she joined the Army's 811th Air Evacuation Unit and 
sailed from New York City for Europe. Mary was deployed at a hospital 
in Manchester, England, where she cared for wounded soldiers flown back 
from France and Germany. In the aftermath of the invasion of Normandy, 
Mary traveled to the continent to support the Battle of the Bulge, one 
of Hitler's last-ditch efforts to stop the Allied advance. After the 
liberation of Paris, Mary was sent to the city to care for troops 
there. In her many posts, Mary delivered lifesaving care to many Allied 
soldiers, often in challenging surroundings.
  More than 59,000 Americans joined the Army Nurse Corps during the 
Second World War, many serving under enemy fire. Their service 
supported the recovery of countless wounded soldiers at evacuation 
hospitals like Mary's.
  After the war, Mary was stationed in Indiana where she met Al 
Ballard, a young surgical resident. The couple married and moved to 
Al's native Kentucky, where Mary has lived ever since. Together, they 
raised eight children and, like so many other members of the Greatest 
Generation, continued to contribute to their community and our country.
  Through the years, Mary has been honored for her brave service. To 
celebrate her 95th birthday, for example, she threw out the first pitch 
at a Lexington Legends minor league baseball

[[Page S4726]]

game. I am glad to join her family and friends in marking Mary's 100th 
birthday. With her lifesaving work in the Army and a longtime 
commitment to Kentucky, Mary has made a lasting impression on the lives 
of countless many. With all of them, I would like to wish her a happy 
birthday and thank her for her remarkable service to the United States. 
I urge my Senate colleagues to join me in honoring this Kentucky hero.

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