[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E670-E671]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING MR. FRANCIS ALBERT SMITH'S 100TH BIRTHDAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MICHAEL WALTZ

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2023

  Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of Mr. Francis Albert 
Smith of Palm Coast, Florida, who, on July 18, 2023, will celebrate his 
100th birthday.
  Throughout his life, Mr. Smith has been unwavering and relentless in 
his service to the United States. Serving in the Pacific during WWII, 
taking part in the Invasion of Ie Shima during the Okinawa Campaign, 
and in his role

[[Page E671]]

as a Staff Sergeant in the Armed Forces from 1942 to 1946, Mr. Smith's 
service falls nothing short of true servant leadership.
  Mr. Smith was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1923. Throughout his life, 
he has taken on many roles, including that of husband, father, 
grandfather, and great grandfather. In 1944, he married Ms. Dorothy 
Murtha, and became the father of 4 wonderful children, Barbara, Diane, 
Douglas, and David. Over the years, his family has continued to grow, 
and now includes 11 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. In 2006, 
Mr. Smith married Gretta Woodward, a fellow veteran of WWII.
  Mr. Smith's service was, and remains, essential to maintaining the 
freedoms we as Americans are so fortunate to enjoy. Again, I thank him 
for his dedication and commitment to the United States of America.
  Every American owes a debt of gratitude to him. His dedication and 
courage in uniform helped to ensure the safety and prosperity of this 
Nation and all the people in it.
  Happy Birthday to Mr. Francis Albert Smith. Here is to many more.

                          ____________________