[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 60 (Thursday, April 6, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E291-E292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING GEORGE T. MILEKOVICH, SR. ON HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor and in celebration of 
the 100th birthday of Mr. George T. Milekovich, Sr., a man who has used 
his life in service to his country, his community, and his family.
  While we would love to claim him as a native Michigander, George was 
born in Campbell, Ohio, on April 8, 1923. As a young man who came of 
age as World War II raged, he made the decision to enlist in the United 
States Navy on May 26, 1943. George was stationed for boot camp at the 
Great Lakes Naval Training Center before he reported to the USS West 
Virginia in August of that same year and headed to the Pacific theater.
  George took great pride in his role as a Shipfitter 2nd Class in the 
R Division onboard the West Virginia, which the crew affectionately 
referred to as ``The Mighty Wee Vee''. George and his shipmates took 
part in operations to capture Mindoro, Lingayen Gulf, Iwo Jima, and 
Okinawa. On April 1, 1945, while off the coast of Okinawa, the West 
Virginia was hit by a Japanese Kamikaze plane but was able to remain in 
action. It's a night forever seared into George's memory. So too is the

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much more pleasant memory of the camaraderie he experienced when he and 
his shipmates crossed the equator, transforming them from slimy 
``Pollywogs'' to trusty ``Shellbacks'' in the Navy's famous ``Crossing 
the Line: ceremony. Upon his return home, George was honorably 
discharged from Active Duty on February 6, 1946, but he continued to 
serve in the United States Naval Reserve for many years to come.
  Milekovich settled in Lansing, Michigan, where he married his late 
wife, Lureta, on February 14, 1947. Together, he and Lureta had four 
sons: James, Anton, Edmund and George Jr.; and had the pleasure of 
spoiling another generation of grandchildren. George retired on June 1, 
1985, from Michigan State University, where he served as an operating 
engineer for 26 years at the University Power Plant.
  The selflessness of veterans like George Milekovich, Sr., who 
answered our Nation's call to serve during World War II, defines the 
true character of our greatest generation. It is my privilege to wish 
him a happy 100th birthday, and to thank him for his inspiring service 
in the United States Navy and his lifelong dedication to his community 
and his family.

                          ____________________