[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 18 (Monday, February 1, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E81-E82]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        CELEBRATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF JOHN T. ``MIKE'' WOLF

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DEREK KILMER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 1, 2021

  Mr. KILMER. Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to 
commemorate the 100th birthday of one of my constituents, John T. 
``Mike'' Wolf. In 2015, Mr. Wolf was awarded Congress' highest civilian 
award, the Congressional Gold Medal. He and three dozen American 
Fighter Aces were honored for their war contributions in World War II 
and subsequent wars.
  The ceremony that took place in May 2015 was convened by Seattle's 
Museum of Flight and recognized the accomplishments of the 1,447 
American Aces who achieved the elite designation. Six years ago, only 
77 Aces were alive, and approximately 36 of them gathered in 
Washington, D.C. to receive the recognition in person.
  As Mr. Wolf celebrates his 100th birthday on February 4th, I wanted 
to take a moment to bring distinction once again to his service and 
dedication to our country. The stories of the Fighter Aces cover some 
of the most formative periods in aviation history. Some gained their 
victories in open-cockpit biplanes, others in the powerful propeller-
driven fighters of World War II, and still others in the jets that 
fought over Korea and Southeast Asia. Aces come from each major combat 
branch of the U.S. military and nearly every state in the union.
  Wolf trained in a Boeing N-25-3 Shearman, then fought in a Grumman 
F6F-3 Hellcat and the Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat. He was a member of Fighter 
Squadron Two during World War II, whose roster included Lt. Cmdr. Butch 
O'Hare, namesake of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport; and Cmdr. 
Roy ``Butch'' Voris, who is the founder of the Blue Angels.
  Recounting his experience Mr. Wolf recalled, ``I was more scared of 
not being able to do the right thing. We had received six months of 
training. My fear was, can I analyze [the situation] and do the right 
thing?'' He didn't get a lot of time to analyze the situation. An 
engagement might last the few seconds it took to get some shots off, or 
it could be longer. All told, Wolf downed seven Japanese fighter 
planes--three in one day, and five between June 11 and 19, 1944. He 
received the Distinguished Flying Cross and four Air Medals.
  After the war, Wolf embarked on a career in life insurance to support 
his young family. The discipline of a Navy pilot came in handy because 
he didn't exactly enjoy selling life insurance. He would tell you, ``I 
got good at it and stuck with it.''
  Today, we honor and celebrate John ``Mike'' Wolf--whose love for the 
Navy has never wavered and whose service to his country and community 
is greatly appreciated and will be long remembered.

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