[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 18, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E326-E327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING IRENE HOSKING OF OWOSSO ON HER 105TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 18, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the remarkable life 
of Irene M. Hosking of Owosso, Michigan, who now celebrates an equally 
remarkable milestone: her 105th birthday. As a former Army nurse and a 
fierce advocate for women and veterans, Ms. Hosking has served both her 
patients and her country with pride.
  Irene was born April 20, 1918 to Harry and Hilma M. Cox in Hurley, 
Wisconsin, the oldest of five siblings. In 1936, as a young graduate of 
Lincoln High School, Ms. Hosking already knew she wanted to devote her 
life to helping others, and enrolled in the Milwaukee Passavant 
Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1940. When her brother 
survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Irene again knew exactly what she 
wanted to do: on May 15, 1942, she joined the United States Army Nurse 
Corps.
  It was then, as World War II raged, that Irene first came to 
Michigan, as she was assigned to Fort Custer, near Battle Creek. Soon 
after, she was dispatched to Camp McCoy (now Fort McCoy) in Wisconsin, 
and later to Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Camp Stoneman, California; and 
finally across the globe to Australia. There, she joined a legion of 
Army

[[Page E327]]

nurses tending to troops from the Pacific Theater, becoming one of the 
first female nurses to ever administer anesthesia to a wounded soldier. 
In total, Irene served more than two years overseas and earned the rank 
of First Lieutenant before separating from the service in 1946.
  But it was back at Camp McCoy that Irene's life changed forever, when 
she met a young G.I. named Louis W. A. Hosking from Michigan. They 
married, and at the war's end made their home in Owosso, where together 
they would raise one son, one grandson, and two great grandchildren. 
For many years, Irene served as superintendent of nurses at the 
Shiawassee County Hospital on Lyons Road, which later moved to Norton 
Street and was known as the Pleasant View facility.
  When Hosking came home and tried to join the VFW in 1946, she was 
told that women were not allowed. It took nearly four decades, but she 
persisted and finally became a member in 1984. But Irene was born to 
lead, and in 1995, the woman who was once forbidden to join became the 
first female commander at the Shiawassee County Council VFW Post No. 
4005. She served as chaplain of the organization until 2022, when it 
should be noted she was 104 years old.
  Irene Hosking represents the best of this Nation: selfless service, 
fearlessness in the face of obstacles, and a relentless dedication to 
her calling. With gratitude to the U.S. Army, the Michigan Veterans 
Affairs Agency, and to all who have shared Irene's story over her long 
and fruitful life, today I join in tribute and reflect the appreciation 
and admiration of a grateful Nation.

                          ____________________