[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 175 (Monday, November 14, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8449-H8452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             LT. COL. LUKE WEATHERS, JR. VA MEDICAL CENTER

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill

[[Page H8450]]

(H.R. 6863) to designate the medical center of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs in Memphis, Tennessee, as the ``Lt. Col. Luke 
Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6863

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., was born December 16, 1922, 
     in Grenada, Mississippi, then moved to Memphis, Tennessee, at 
     age five.
       (2) Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., graduated from Booker T. 
     Washington High School and is an alumnus of Xavier University 
     in New Orleans.
       (3) Upon his graduation, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., 
     enlisted in one of the first training programs for Black 
     pilots, beginning his journey as a Tuskegee Airman.
       (4) Within his first few years active in the war, Luke 
     Joseph Weathers, Jr., named his plane ``Spirit of Beale 
     Street'', in honor of his hometown, Memphis, Tennessee. He 
     flew this plane with the ``Red Tails''.
       (5) He was credited with shooting down German planes while 
     protecting United States Army Air Corps bombers and shooting 
     down two Messerschmitt 109s in Italy while escorting a 
     damaged B-24 Liberator bomber.
       (6) During his military service, he rose to the rank of 
     Lieutenant Colonel.
       (7) Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., received numerous honors and 
     awards throughout his long and distinguished career.
       (8) Among them, he was presented with an Air Medal with 7 
     clusters and an American Theater Ribbon Victory Medal during 
     his military service.
       (9) Following the war, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., returned 
     to Memphis, receiving a hero's welcome and a key to the city.
       (10) On July 13, 1947, he married LaVerne Nailling at St. 
     Therese-Little Flowers Catholic Church in Memphis.
       (11) In 1960, he accepted a job with the Federal Aviation 
     Administration (hereinafter, the ``FAA'') as an air traffic 
     control specialist in Anchorage, Alaska.
       (12) In 1965, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., moved back to 
     Memphis, becoming the first Black air traffic controller in 
     Memphis.
       (13) Weathers later held positions with the FAA in Atlanta, 
     Georgia, and the District of Columbia, where he eventually 
     retired in 1985, after serving as a reservist in the military 
     for 23 years.
       (14) During retirement, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., remained 
     active with the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. and continued to 
     support African Americans in the military.
       (15) In 1995, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., moved to Tucson, 
     Arizona, shortly after marrying Jacqueline Moore Weathers.
       (16) In 2007, Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., and the Tuskegee 
     Airmen were honored with a Congressional Gold Medal.
       (17) On October 15, 2011, Luke Joseph Weather, Jr., died in 
     Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 90, leaving behind his wife, 
     two sons and daughters, 12 grandchildren, and 10 great-
     grandchildren as well as a legacy of countless lives he 
     touched.
       (18) On January 20, 2012, Lieutenant Colonel Luke Joseph 
     Weathers, Jr., was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF THE LT. COL. LUKE WEATHERS, JR. VA 
                   MEDICAL CENTER.

       The medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     located in Memphis, Tennessee, shall, after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, be known and designated as the ``Lt. 
     Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center''. Any reference in 
     any law, regulation, map, document, paper, or other record of 
     the United States to such medical center shall be considered 
     to be a reference to the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA 
     Medical Center.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ellzey) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to insert extraneous material on H.R. 6863.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Lieutenant Colonel Luke 
Joseph Weathers, Jr., a combat fighter pilot with the legendary 
Tuskegee Airmen, the first ever African-American air traffic controller 
in Memphis, and a trailblazing advocate for African Americans' military 
service.
  The bill before us, H.R. 6863, would appropriately name the VA's 
medical center in Memphis, Tennessee, the Lieutenant Colonel Luke 
Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center.
  Lieutenant Colonel Weathers embodied service to country in a way that 
we all can admire. Born in 1922 in Mississippi, Lieutenant Colonel 
Weathers moved to Memphis, Tennessee, at age 5, the place he would call 
home for decades after.
  After graduating from Xavier University in 1942, Lt. Col. Weathers 
returned to Memphis where he read a newspaper article about the newly 
created aviation cadet program in Tuskegee, Alabama, one of the first 
such programs in the country meant for aspiring African-American 
pilots.
  Despite the racial discrimination he endured, Lieutenant Colonel 
Weathers secured a one-on-one meeting with Memphis political boss E.H. 
Crump, who personally recommended Weathers' nomination to the Tuskegee 
program to President Roosevelt. From there, Lieutenant Colonel Weathers 
began his distinguished military service, fighting as a combat pilot 
among the legendary Red Tails during World War II.
  His noble accomplishments during the war included shooting down two 
German planes while protecting U.S. Army Air Corps bombers and shooting 
down two additional enemy aircraft in Italy while escorting a damaged 
B-24 Liberator bomber.
  Even after the war, Lieutenant Colonel Weathers' service to his 
country continued. In 1960, he became an air traffic control specialist 
with the Federal Aviation Administration, and soon after he became the 
first Black air traffic controller in Memphis.
  Lieutenant Colonel Weathers retired in 1985, all the while serving as 
a reservist in the military for 23 years. In retirement, he advocated 
tirelessly on behalf of African Americans in the military, paving the 
way for generations of citizens to serve this country honorably, just 
as he did.
  Lieutenant Colonel Weathers' lifetime of service earned him multiple 
honors and awards, including the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007, 
alongside 300 surviving Tuskegee Airmen.
  Lieutenant Colonel Weathers passed away in October 2011. Today, he 
and the Tuskegee Airmen continue to be a symbol of justice, 
determination, and solidarity, ideals which embody the very best of 
this country.
  The naming of the Memphis VA Medical Center in Lieutenant Colonel 
Weather's honor is a fitting tribute to his lifetime of service.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for H.R. 6863 
from The American Legion, the VFW, and Disabled American Veterans, as 
well as the Tennessee delegations of the House and Senate.

                                              The American Legion,


                                      Department of Tennessee,

                                 Nashville, TN, February 22, 2022.
     Hon. Steve Cohen,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Cohen: Please accept this letter as a 
     demonstration of the total support of the American Legion 
     Department of Tennessee, in recognition of renaming the 
     Memphis Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis, 
     Tennessee as ``Lieutenant Colonel ``Luke'' Weathers Veterans 
     Medical Center.''
       Lieutenant Colonel Weathers was a Grenada Mississippi 
     native and was the first-ever black Air Traffic Controller in 
     Memphis. Lieutenant Colonel Weathers was a member of the 
     famed Tuskegee Airman from 1942 to 1945.
       The Tuskegee Airmen flew 15,000 missions over North Africa 
     and Europe during the Second World War. Luke downed two 
     German fighter planes that attacked Army Air Force Bombers 
     that he had been charged with escorting.
       Lt Colonel Weathers, like other Tuskegee Airmen during 
     World War II, conducted missions throughout Northern Africa 
     and Europe for allied Forces and when Lt Colonel Weathers 
     returned to Memphis from the war in 1945, he was presented 
     with a parade down Beale Street and with the job 
     opportunities for a star black pilot were scarce and Luke 
     Weathers was fortunate to obtain a job as the first black air 
     traffic controller at the FAA in Memphis.
       The American Legion Department of Tennessee would like to 
     honor his amazing legacy of service to God, Country, his 
     fellow veterans, and his community of Memphis, TN with our 
     full support and we wholeheartedly support and encourage the 
     committee to sponsor and support legislation naming the new 
     Aurora Veterans Clinic after this distinguished WWII Veteran.
       On behalf of the 20,000 members of The American Legion in 
     Tennessee I am proud to fully, endorse this effort.
           Sincerely,

                                              Larry V. Kersey,

                                   Commander, The American Legion,
                                          Department of Tennessee.

[[Page H8451]]

     
                                  ____
                                         Veterans of Foreign Wars,


                                                  District 10,

                             Shelby County, TN, February 18, 2022.
     To Congressman Steve Cohen,
     Via VFW Tennessee Department Commander Bryan Walker
     Subject Renaming Memphis VA Medical Center
       It is with great pleasure that I write to tell you that our 
     members support the renaming of the Memphis Veterans 
     Administration Medical Center after the late Tuskegee Airman, 
     FAA Air Traffic Control Specialist, and Memphis Civil Rights 
     Pioneer, Lieutenant Colonel Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr.
           Very Respectfully,
                                                    Kapell Eugene,
     District 10 Commander.
                                  ____

                                         Veterans of Foreign Wars,


                                      Department of Tennessee,

                                                   March 17, 2022.
     To Congressman Steve Cohen,
     Re Renaming Memphis VA Medical Center
       It is with great pleasure that the membership of the 
     Department of Tennessee, Veterans of Foreign Wars supports 
     the renaming of the Memphis Veterans Administration Medical 
     Center after the late Lieutenant Colonel Luke Joseph 
     Weathers, Jr., a Tuskegee Airman, FAA Air Traffic Control 
     Specialists and Memphis Civil Rights Pioneer.
     Brian Walker,
       Department Commander.
     John Scott,
       Department Adjutant/Quartermaster.
     Kapell Eugene,
       District 10 Commander.
                                  ____

                                       Disabled American Veterans,


                                      Department of Tennessee,

                              Lawrenceburg, TN, December 21, 2021.
     Re Support Legislation in Naming the Memphis VAMC After Lt. 
         Col. Luke Weathers Jr.

     Congressman Mike Bost,
     Ranking Member, House Committee on Veterans Affairs, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Bost: Disabled American Veterans (DAV) 
     Department of Tennessee, with its membership of over 17,600 
     Veterans; wishes to support a legislative initiative by 
     Congressman Steve Cohen in naming the Memphis VA Medical 
     Center after Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr. Lt. Col. Weathers 
     flew as one of the original Tuskegee Airman with the ``Red 
     Tails'' during World War II and later returned to Memphis, 
     Tennessee to work in aviation and serve as a mentor to many 
     in the military and aviation communities. Weathers, who died 
     in October in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 90, was credited 
     with shooting down two Messerschmitt 109's in Italy while 
     escorting a damaged B-24 Liberator bomber in 1944. He 
     returned to a parade in his honor in his home town of Memphis 
     in 1945 and was given the keys to the city.
       DAV Department of Tennessee's membership would appreciate 
     your support in honoring Lt. Col. Weathers by naming the 
     Memphis, Tennessee VA Medical Center after him. Thank you for 
     your consideration in this matter.
           Sincerely,
     Michael L. Harman, II,
       Commander, Department of Tennessee, Disabled American 
     Veterans.
                                  ____



                                Congress of the United States,

                                   Washington, DC, March 15, 2022.
     Chairman Mark Takano,
     House Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mike Bost,
     House Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost: Please accept 
     this letter as a demonstration of our support for H.R. 6863, 
     a bill that would designate the Memphis Veterans Affairs 
     Medical Center (VAMC) in Memphis, Tennessee as the ``Lt. Col. 
     Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center.''
       Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr. was born in Grenada, Mississippi 
     and moved to Memphis, Tennessee when he was five. He 
     graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis 
     and Xavier University in New Orleans. He then enlisted in a 
     training program for Black pilots, beginning his journey as a 
     Tuskegee Airman in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Weathers flew 
     with the ``Red Tails'' in North Africa, Italy, France, and 
     Germany. He served with distinction, rising to the rank of 
     Lieutenant Colonel and receiving numerous honors and awards 
     throughout his career.
       At the end of the Second World War, Lt. Col. Weathers 
     returned to Memphis where he received a hero's welcome and a 
     key to the city. He participated in a war bond effort, 
     raising $1.5 million, the most raised by any African American 
     Group. In honor of this achievement, a B-24 Liberator was 
     named ``Spirit of Beale Street.''
       Weathers began a career as an Air Traffic Control 
     Specialist and in 1965 became the first Black air traffic 
     controller in Memphis. Throughout his life, he remained 
     active with the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. and was a mentor to 
     countless youth who had an interest in the military or 
     aviation.
       It is fitting to have the Memphis VAMC to be named after a 
     veteran with such a distinguished career and who represents 
     the city so well. We are proud to support this effort.
           Sincerely,
     Tim Burchett,
     Jim Cooper,
     Scott DesJarlais,
     Mark E. Green, MD,
     Diana Harshbarger,
     David Kustoff,
     Chuck Fleischmann,
     John Rose,
       Members of Congress.
                                  ____



                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                    Washington, DC, June 24, 2022.
     Chairman Mark Takano,
     House Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Mike Bost,
     House Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Bost: We write to 
     express our support for H.R. 6863, a bill that would name the 
     Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Memphis, 
     Tennessee the ``Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical 
     Center.''
       Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr. was born in Grenada, Mississippi 
     and moved to Memphis, Tennessee at age five. Upon his 
     graduation from Booker T. Washington High School and Xavier 
     University, he enlisted in a training program for African-
     American pilots. Upon completion, he began his career as a 
     Tuskegee Airman in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Weathers flew 
     with the ``Red Tails'' in North Africa, Italy, France, and 
     Germany. He was decorated with honors and awards throughout 
     his career. For his exemplary service, Weathers rose to the 
     rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
       Lt. Col. Weathers received a hero's welcome and a key to 
     the city upon his return to Memphis following World War II. 
     He then raised $1.5 million in a war bond effort--the most of 
     any African-American Group. A B-24 Liberator was named the 
     ``Spirit of Beale Street'' to honor this great achievement.
       In 1965, Lt. Col. Weathers became the first African-
     American air traffic controller in Memphis. He would spend 
     the rest of his career as an Air Traffic Control Specialist. 
     He remained active with the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. throughout 
     his life and mentored countless youth with interests in the 
     military or aviation.
       It is fitting to have the Memphis VAMC named after a 
     veteran with such a distinguished career, who embodied the 
     spirit of the Volunteer State. We wholeheartedly support this 
     effort.
           Sincerely,
     Marsha Blackburn,
       U.S. Senator.
     Bill Hagerty,
       U.S. Senator.

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support this bill, and I 
urge my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6863, a bill to 
designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
Memphis, Tennessee, the Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers, Jr. VA 
Medical Center''.
  Luke Joseph Weathers, Jr., was born on December 16, 1922, in Grenada, 
Mississippi, but called Memphis his home from an early age.
  Upon graduating from college, Luke Weathers joined a newly organized 
Army Air Corps training program. While there, he earned his pilot wings 
and commission as a second lieutenant and began his journey as a 
Tuskegee Airman.
  Lieutenant Weathers flew with the Red Tails in North Africa, Italy, 
France, and Germany. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for 
escorting and defending a damaged B-24 bomber against eight German 
fighters in November of 1944. He shot down two of them.
  Luke Weathers rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in a 
distinguished and highly rewarded military career.
  He began a second career as an air traffic control specialist, and in 
1965, he became the first Black air traffic controller in Memphis.
  Throughout his life, he remained active with the Tuskegee Airmen and 
was a mentor to countless youth who had an interest in the military or 
aviation fields.
  I cannot think of an individual more deserving to represent the VA 
presence in Memphis.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), my very good friend, who is the author of this 
legislation. He serves on the Committee on the Judiciary as chairman of 
the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee. He 
also serves on

[[Page H8452]]

the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Takano and Ranking Member 
Bost for bringing this bill to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our bill, H.R. 6863, to name 
the Memphis VA hospital in honor of a true World War II hero and a hero 
in American life, Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers, Jr.
  I didn't know of Lieutenant Colonel Weathers until his passing, and I 
read about his passing in the Memphis newspaper, the Commercial Appeal, 
and I went and attended his funeral at St. Theresa Little Flower 
Church, where he was a member. I think he integrated the church. The 
church is a large church and it was packed.
  In spite of the fact that he had moved to retire to Arizona, possibly 
in Tucson, maybe 15 or 20 years earlier, the people knew Lieutenant 
Colonel Weathers, they knew his work, they knew his good deeds in the 
community, and they knew his actions. I was honored to be at that 
funeral, and I thought this man is something else.
  It has been well documented what he did with his life and with the 
Tuskegee Airmen and the Red Tails and the several airplanes he shot 
down.
  There is a movie coming out now that is getting a lot of 
advertisement, and all Members of Congress have been invited to see 
this week, called ``Devotion,'' about an African-American pilot who was 
a star in the Korean war.
  It was Lieutenant Colonel Weathers and the Tuskegee Airmen who were 
the predecessors of that gentleman's opportunity to defend his country 
and to show his skills. That is another reason why his name at the 
veterans hospital will be so important, to inspire people to go into a 
military career and pursue aviation, which Lieutenant Colonel Weathers 
encouraged people to do, particularly African-American young men.
  I was also honored to attend his funeral. It was a funeral with a 
flyover, military caisson, and ``Taps,'' as befitting a gentleman who 
had served his country as he did.
  His family is very strong in Memphis in support of their father's 
legacy. I met them in St. Theresa Little Flower Church at his funeral 
in 2011.
  Lieutenant Colonel Weathers paved the way for many to become pilots, 
and his legacy endures in the countless lives that he touched.
  I thank our Tennessee delegation who unanimously supported this 
legislation and this naming of the new Memphis VA Medical Center. It 
was also endorsed by The American Legion, the Disabled American 
Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
  I thank Chairman Takano, Ranking Member Bost, and the members of the 
House Veterans' Affairs Committee for advancing the bill through 
committee and bringing it to the floor today. I thank Mr. Hoyer for his 
help with that, too.
  We have done a good thing today to honor a true American hero. I 
think fondly of him. I had commissioned a plaque to be created and 
installed at the Memphis airport recognizing his service in the Federal 
Aviation Administration and integrating that facility. I am honored I 
will be a part of keeping his memory alive forever.

                              {time}  1445

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. ELLZEY. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be associated with the 
passage of this bill to honor Lieutenant Colonel Weathers. I have the 
distinction of representing the University of California, Riverside, 
where resides the Tuskegee Airmen Archives.
  I am reminded by the Speaker's presence on the dais and the presence 
of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ellzey) that you are both veterans and 
that serving our veterans and remembering our veterans is not about two 
colors. It is not about red or blue, but it is about red, white, and 
blue, and that all colors of America have fought for the three colors, 
and they bled one color.
  It is important for us to remember the poignancy of our segregated 
fighting units of World War II, the last war in which we had segregated 
fighting units, and mark the progress that this country has made and 
that we must continue to make, so it is fitting that I call on all my 
colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 6863.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6863.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________