[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 135 (Thursday, July 30, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO COL. EDWIN DENT SELBY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. VERN BUCHANAN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 30, 2020

  Mr. BUCHANAN. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Col. Edwin Dent 
Selby of St. Petersburg, Florida, a World War II veteran who will be 
100 years old on October 16, 2020. He was born in 1920 at Fort Sam 
Houston, Texas, where his father, a career Army officer was stationed. 
He and his brother and sister were raised in many states and the 
Philippines.
  After attending college at the New Mexico Military Institute, he 
began active duty as a 2nd Lieutenant on December 27, 1941, shortly 
after the attack on Pearl Harbor. His training started on horseback in 
the Cavalry branch and later transitioned to tanks in the Armor branch. 
He served over three years in WW II in combat theaters in North Africa 
and Italy. At one time he was placed in charge of 5,000 German 
prisoners of war. His outstanding service led him to be assigned to a 
high level staff position in Italy at the Mediterranean Theater of 
Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), Allied Force Headquarters, 
Supreme Allied Command.
  Upon his return stateside he met and married 1st Lieutenant Elizabeth 
Moffat, a U.S. Army nurse. After post war service in Vienna, Austria, 
he was assigned as a tank gunnery instructor at the Armor school at 
Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 1957 he, his wife and four children moved to 
Taiwan (then Formosa) where he was an armor advisor with the Military 
Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG). While there, his beloved wife became 
suddenly ill and died. He returned to St. Petersburg, Florida, as a 
widower with four children 10 and under where he was placed in charge 
of the Army reserve units on the west coast of Florida. After over 21 
years of service he retired as a Colonel in 1962.
  Following his retirement, he started Selby Real Estate in St. 
Petersburg. It was a highly successful brokerage which eventually grew 
to have 100 sales associates who covered much of Pinellas County. He 
bought and later personally operated with his wife, Janice, a 100-acre 
citrus grove in Parrish, Florida, where they grew, sold and shipped 
worldwide 25 varieties of fruit. He later expanded the grove to include 
a llama and emu ranch. At the age of nearly 85 he finally retired from 
his third career to his home in St. Petersburg Beach where he lives 
today with his wife Janice. He has enjoyed a fulfilling life of service 
to others and has lived very active life that included swimming, 
horseback riding, skiing, tennis, golf and travelling.
  I appreciate this opportunity to honor him for his service and wish 
him a happy birthday.

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