[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 176 (Tuesday, November 15, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S6689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING ERNEST LEE FLYNN

 Mr. TESTER. Madam President, today I would like to honor the 
life and service of a distinguished Montanan and Vietnam war veteran, 
the late Mr. Ernest Lee ``Ernie'' Flynn.
  Ernie was a native son of Montana, born May 8, 1949, on the Fort Peck 
Reservation in Poplar, MT. A member of the Assiniboine-Sioux Tribe, his 
grandparents raised him and first taught him the importance of service.
  Ernie was a fierce patriot who loved this country. Never one to shy 
away from service or sacrifice, he answered the call to duty in the 
Vietnam war by enlisting in the Army. A combat veteran of the First 
Infantry Division, the Big Red One, he saw hard fighting at Fire Base 
Gela near Lai Khe, Republic of South Vietnam. And it was there, in the 
line of duty, where he received concussive injuries that would soon 
leave him completely blind and deaf.
  After being honorably discharged from the Army, Ernie returned home 
to Montana, got married, and raised a family. He excelled in university 
studies and was a certified Mensa. But blindness forever changed his 
path in life. Veterans service became Ernie's life's calling, and he 
became a career veterans' benefits counselor with the U.S. Department 
of Veterans Affairs at Fort Harrison, MT.
  Ernie's upbeat, positive example instilled in veterans and others the 
courage to face disabilities. His example inspired and showed Montana's 
veterans--and veterans everywhere--that a disability shouldn't prevent 
you from achieving great things.
  Ernie could never see the many national, State, and local civic and 
veterans' awards that adorned his wall of honor, but he always felt the 
support of his fellow veterans who knew and honored him. Even after 
retirement from VA, the tens of thousands of volunteer hours Ernie 
spent supporting Montana's veterans showed his continued dedication to 
service.
  On October 30, 2022, Ernie passed away at home in Billings, MT, 
surrounded by his family and wife of 51 years, Yvonne Rose Brown. 
Today, it is my honor to commemorate his service and legacy.
  On behalf of myself and a grateful Nation, I commend Mr. Ernest Lee 
Flynn and extend our deepest appreciation to him and his family. His 
work will continue to be felt by Montana veterans for years to come, 
and he will be sorely missed.

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