[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 23, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E156-E157]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING THE 98TH BIRTHDAY OF PAUL WOODS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 23, 2021

  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
incredible life

[[Page E157]]

and service of Paul Woods who celebrated his 98th birthday on February 
20, 2021. Along with defying the average lifespan and despite 
segregation, Paul Woods fought for our democracy in the Pacific Theater 
of World War II. As we celebrate Black History Month, I think there's 
no better example of American courage than Buffalo's own Paul Woods.
  Paul Woods was born in Alabama on February 20, 1923 in an era of 
racial oppression and segregation. When his father died, he and 
siblings were split at the gravesite among relatives. Paul Woods 
promised that he would raise his brother Sherman, and for the rest of 
his life ``Daddy'' has been taking care of people.
  Paul Woods joined the segregated U.S. Army in 1941 when he was just 
17 years old. He often says that ``A bullet knows no race, rank, or 
status. We were all brothers on the battlefield.'' The bravery of Black 
units overseas belied their second-class status at home and helped lead 
to the abolition of racial segregation in the military in 1948 as well 
as the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  In 2012, Paul and 30 other World War II vets were flown to the World 
War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Five years later, Wish of a 
Lifetime sponsored a trip to Australia where he visited the exact 
location of his service during World War II and was thanked by the U.S. 
Consul General. Today he is the World War II Coordinator for the Jesse 
Clipper American Legion Post 430.
  After helping to protect the Philippines, Paul Woods moved to the 
Buffalo region where he worked 16-hour days at Bethlehem Steel to feed 
his growing family. From Alabama to Australia, teenage recruit to war 
hero, and segregated soldier to seeing the first Black president, Paul 
Woods' life has spanned continents, a world war, and the fight for 
racial equality. The father of 15 turned 98 on February 20, 2021 having 
seen multiple children and grandchildren serve in the same military his 
bravery helped to desegregate.
  Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the chance to honor Paul Woods, a 
longtime Western New York resident who helped free the Philippines 
despite enduring injustice at home. A proud member of Prince of Peace 
Church of God in Christ in Buffalo and husband to the late Mary T. 
Woods, Paul Woods' 6' 4" stature is dwarfed only by his impact on his 
family, community, and country.

                          ____________________