[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 102 (Friday, June 11, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE RENAMING OF THE VA ANN ARBOR MEDICAL CENTER IN HONOR OF 
                     LT. COLONEL CHARLES S. KETTLES

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                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 11, 2021

  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the occasion 
of the renaming of the VA Ann Arbor Medical Center in honor of Lt. 
Colonel Charles S. Kettles. His lifetime of service to our Nation and 
his heroic legacy makes this an occasion worthy of commendation.
  Lt. Colonel Kettles was born on January 9, 1930, in Ypsilanti, 
Michigan. His father, Grant, was a pilot during World War I and II, so 
it was no surprise that, during his time in high school at the Edison 
Institute at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, he took to frequenting the 
school's Ford Motor Company flight simulator. After graduating from the 
Institute in 1949, he enrolled at Michigan State Normal College to 
study engineering but was drafted into the United States Army after two 
years. He later returned to the school, now Eastern Michigan 
University, to teach and develop the aviation program.
  Lt. Colonel Kettles completed basic training at Camp Breckinridge and 
attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Knox. On Feb. 28, 1953, he 
earned his commission as an armor officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. He 
graduated from the Army Aviation School in 1953, before serving active 
duty tours in Korea, Japan, and Thailand. During the Vietnam War, Lt. 
Colonel Kettles heard the call and volunteered for active duty and was 
trained to fly. In 1966, he was assigned as a flight commander with the 
176th Assault Helicopter Company, 14th Combat Aviation Battalion and 
was deployed to Vietnam.
  During the Vietnam War, Lt. Colonel Kettles was credited with saving 
the lives of 44 men when he selflessly flew into enemy fire in Duc Pho, 
South Vietnam, four times with a damaged aircraft to rescue his fellow 
soldiers. For this act of bravery, he was awarded the Distinguished 
Service Cross in 1968. On July 18, 2016, President Obama awarded him 
the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the United 
States.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life 
and legacy of Lt. Colonel Charles S. Kettles and celebrate the renaming 
of the VA Ann Arbor Medical Center in his honor. Lt. Colonel Kettles 
was a humble man, but due to his heroic actions, soldiers were able to 
return home safely to their families. With this medical center now 
bearing his name, it will ensure that his legacy and his bravery is 
remembered forever.

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