[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 23, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROBERT J. FRIEND

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 23, 2019

  Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of 
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jones Friend, who died on June 21, 2019 in 
Long Beach, California, surrounded by his family. Lieutenant Colonel 
Friend was a member of the heroic unit known as the Tuskegee Airmen 
during World War II.
  Robert J. Friend was born on February 29, 1920, in Columbia, South 
Carolina, to William A. Friend and Nella Mae Jones Liner. His father 
was an immigrant from Ecuador and a veteran of World War I. The oldest 
of four children, Robert was an aviation enthusiast from a young age, 
often building model airplanes and reading stories of World War I 
pilots during his childhood. While studying at Lincoln University in 
Pennsylvania, he joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program where he 
earned his pilot's license in 1939.
  Despite his passion for aviation, he was denied entry into flight 
training by the Army Air Force because of his race. Instead he joined 
as an air-cadet in the all-black 99th Pursuit Squadron, nicknamed the 
Tuskegee Airmen. During World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Friend flew 
142 missions for the 322nd Fighter Group. He began his tour in North 
Africa and was later sent to the European Theater to serve as a Combat 
Operations Officer where he was instrumental in orchestrating tactical 
air missions. He specialized in flying the P-47 and P-51 Mustang 
aircraft. He experienced multiple death-defying disasters, including 
when he had to abandon his plane over the mountains of Italy and when a 
German oil barge explosion nearly grounded his aircraft. He became the 
primary wingman to his commanding officer, Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, 
Jr., who would become the first black general in the Air Force. Robert 
and his fellow airmen were later awarded the Congressional Gold Medal 
for their service to our country.
  After his service in World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Friend 
continued his education and received a degree in astrophysics from the 
Air Force Institute of Technology, later graduating from the University 
of California, Los Angeles Business School. Additionally, he continued 
his career in the military for 28 years by serving as an operations 
officer during the Korean and Vietnam wars, working on the Delta, 
Titan, and Atlas rocket programs, and operating as an executive of the 
aerospace companies, Stanford Mu and Fairchild Stratos. Following his 
retirement from military service, Robert started an aerospace company 
and conducted speaking engagements, remaining dedicated to sharing the 
legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and keeping their history alive.
  Robert J. Friend is survived by his children: Thelma Hoffman, Robert, 
Jr., Michael, Debra Carter, Karen Crumlich, Clara Ann Browning, 18 
grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-
grandchildren. The memory of his son, Darryl, who was killed while on 
active duty in 2002, continues to live on today.
  It was my great honor to have known Lieutenant Colonel Friend, an 
intelligent, hardworking, and spirited man who spent his life in 
service to our country. I ask all members to join with me in 
remembering Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jones Friend, a true American 
hero.

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