[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 8, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           JOHN H. LEAHR AND HERBERT M. HEILBRUN POST OFFICE

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to come to the Senate floor 
today to speak in support of a bill sponsored by the entire Ohio 
delegation naming the post office in Avondale--of Cincinnati, OH--for 
two World War II aviators: John Leahr and Herbert Heilbrun.
  These two remarkable men--one Black and one White--grew up in 
Avondale, which is a neighborhood which is part of Cincinnati, OH. They 
dreamed of flying and signed up for the Army Air Corps after Pearl 
Harbor. John Leahr flew the P-51 Mustang with the Tuskegee Airmen, and 
Herb Heilbrun flew the B-17 bomber.
  The Tuskegee fighters were assigned to protect the bombers in the 
European theater. John and Herb worked together on some of the same 
missions, but as World War II airmen, they were segregated and did not 
interact. They didn't get to know each other until more than 50 years 
after the war ended.
  In 1997, Herb Heilbrun discovered that an event for the Tuskegee 
Airmen was going to be held in downtown Cincinnati. He decided to stop 
by and thank the fighter pilots who helped protect him and his bomber 
and his bomber squad in Europe.
  There, Herb met John Leahr, and the two men hit it off and discovered 
how much they had in common. They found out they had both grown up in 
Avondale and both spent time waiting for training working at the same 
engine plant: Wright Aeronautical in Lockland, OH. They realized they 
had been in the same third grade class at North Avondale Elementary 
School. Luckily, Herb had saved the class picture; and there, you can 
see them standing right next to each other, John and Herb.
  Their friendship was obviously meant to be. John Leahr had long 
wanted to make sure people knew about the Tuskegee Airmen and their 
contributions during the war. Together, John and Herb shared their 
story with schoolchildren and adults, talking about how things were 
different in the past and promoting racial understanding and the 
rejection of bigotry today.
  Here they are with a group of young people, Herb and John, with 
models of the airplanes that they flew.
  The Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations honored 
them for their work in 2003, and in 2007, there was a book--``Black and 
White Airmen: Their True History''--and it recounts their story.
  John died in 2015 at the age of 94. Herb died in 2020 at 100 years 
old.
  I believe naming this post office in their neighborhood for John 
Leahr and Herb Heilbrun is a fitting way to honor the memory of this 
team, who served our country with bravery and distinction in World War 
II but then continued an important part of their public service long 
after their military service ended.
  My hope is that this legislation will be passed by the Senate on a 
bipartisan basis and we can name this post office after these two 
remarkable men.
  (Ms. HASSAN assumed the Chair.)

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