[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 28, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E831]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





               REMEMBERING MR. CALVIN LAMAR McDONALD, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MICHAEL GUEST

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 28, 2021

  Mr. GUEST. Madam Speaker, Calvin Lamar McDonald, Jr. was a 
distinguished Navy veteran who was loved by everyone who had the 
pleasure of meeting him. Born in Meridian, MS, he graduated from 
Meridian High School during World War II, which motivated him to enlist 
in the United States Navy. He loved his country and was honorably 
discharged from the Navy twice. After his time in the Navy was 
completed, he graduated with an engineering degree from Mississippi 
State University.
  During his second enlistment into the Navy, Lamar was placed in 
Gulfport, MS. He hitchhiked home nearly every weekend to see his future 
wife, Betty Jean Speed. They married, moved home to Meridian, and 
raised three children together.
  It has been said that Lamar McDonald was the most popular man in the 
City of Meridian. Going out to eat or to the grocery store was no small 
task because he had friends to talk to everywhere he went. As much as 
the town loved him, he loved it right back. When the Civil Rights 
movement was underway, Lamar was on the City Council and received 
threats regularly. Despite this, he continued to act in the best 
interest of all citizens. In the 1990s, when Congress considered 
closing the Naval Air Station in Meridian, Lamar stood up once more and 
defended the community that he loved. He truly believed that every 
single person was made in the image of God, and he treated people as 
such.
  For all the great stories of how Lamar cherished his community, there 
are many more to share about how he loved his family. He was a great 
man, husband, father, grandfather, and friend who left a lasting impact 
on countless lives, not just in Mississippi, but everywhere he went. 
Lamar will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and community, but 
the positive impact he made on Meridian, our state, and Nation will not 
soon be forgotten.

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