[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 159 (Friday, October 4, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                  RECOGNIZING JOHNNIE RUTH HUBER BOYD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J. LUIS CORREA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 4, 2019

  Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Johnnie Ruth 
Huber Boyd. My constituent, Mrs. Boyd recently visited Washington, DC, 
as an Honor Flight Network participant to visit the memorials dedicated 
to honor the service and sacrifices of other American veterans like 
her.
  Johnnie, as she is known to her family and friends, was born 
September 28, 1924, in Brownfield, Texas, where cotton farming is still 
the backbone of the region. From an early age, Johnnie worked on her 
family's farm and attended school when she wasn't needed in the fields.
  At 14 years old, Johnnie moved hundreds of miles from home to serve 
as a caretaker for a family in Lueders, Texas. There, she attended and 
graduated high school. Thanks to her tenacity and determination, Ms. 
Boyd earned a scholarship to Texas State College for Women but was 
unable to submit her application in person because she could not afford 
bus fare.
  At 17 years old, while America was embroiled in World War II, Johnnie 
answered the nation's call to service by lying about her age to enlist 
in the U.S. Navy WAVES or ``Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency 
Service.'' These women held the same status as naval reservists. 
Johnnie was among 350,000 women who joined the Armed Services during 
WWII, serving at home and abroad.
  Upon enlisting in the U.S. Navy, she was stationed at Hunter's 
College in New York where she received her initial Navy training. After 
training, she was transferred to a base in San Francisco and lived in 
Berkeley. She took the ferry into San Francisco each day to board the 
ship, on which she served as Store Keeper 1st class alongside the 
paymaster and other soldiers. During this time, she also continued her 
education.
  She served from 1941 to 1945, and later married Raymond Huber, a 
Master Sargent in the United States Marine Corps. She went on to attend 
Santa Ana College and received her Associate's Degree in Business 
Finance in 1978.
  Johnnie, now 94 years old, currently resides in the City of Orange, 
where she continues her service to our great country as an active 
community member. She is the proud mother of 8, grandmother of 17, and 
great grandmother of 10.
  Please join me in saluting this WWII veteran who continues to 
contribute her wisdom, tenacity, and life-long American work ethic 
toward making America the greatest country in the world.

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