[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 23 (Friday, February 4, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H950]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             REMEMBERING THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF LOIS BOUTON

  (Mr. WOMACK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. WOMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the remarkable life 
of an honorable patriot, the late Lois Bouton of Rogers, Arkansas. She 
died recently at the age of 102.
  Most know her lovingly as the Coast Guard Lady, but that nickname 
didn't just stem from 20 years as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard 
Auxiliary Flotilla on Beaver Lake in Arkansas. During World War II she 
enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard Women's Reserve, where she acted as a 
radio operator. She was discharged in 1945 from the SPARs. That is the 
acronym reflecting the Coast Guard's motto: Semper Paratus-Always 
Ready.
  However, her passion for service never left. Lois made it a point to 
visit with wounded and recovering military members, always taking 
particular care to find her fellow Coasties. This was just the start of 
her mission to uplift others. She tirelessly wrote over 100,000 
handwritten letters to greet and encourage personnel. Her words have 
crossed oceans and seas, reaching legions of Coast Guard members and 
their families all over the world.
  Her dedication earned her the rank of Honorary Master Chief Petty 
Officer, Department of Defense Spirit of Hope Award, the U.S. Coast 
Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, and more. But she always 
maintained that her greatest accomplishment was the joy she helped 
spread.
  I want the Nation to know of this extraordinary American. Fair winds 
and following seas to the beloved Coast Guard Lady from Arkansas.

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