[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 181 (Thursday, November 2, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE OF WILLIAM ``BILL'' CZMYR, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 2, 2023

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
accomplishments of William ``Bill'' Czmyr, Jr., who passed peacefully 
at the age of ninety-one. Bill has been a longtime friend of my office 
and is affectionately remembered by all who knew him. Through his life, 
Bill has been a true patriot and model citizen, serving in the United 
States Navy during the Korean War and dedicating himself to veteran's 
advocacy back home. His presence will be sorely missed in the Eastern 
Connecticut community.
  Born in 1932 to William and Viola Czmyr, Bill learned early on the 
value of volunteering and sacrifice for causes greater than oneself. 
Transitioning away from his work as a maintenance foreman, Bill 
enlisted in 1955 to serve in the Navy aboard the YAGR-1 Guardian. On 
this ship, Bill helped ensure that the airspace of the United States 
remained safe from enemy aircraft through its radar monitoring 
technology.
  Shortly after his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1957, Bill 
continued his service to his country--this time by building the boats 
which keep our shores safe. He joined General Dynamics, Electric Boat 
in Groton and worked for an impressive 37 years as an outside 
machinist, retiring in 1994.
  Bill did not squander his newfound time in retirement, dedicating his 
life to stewarding former servicemembers of all creeds. `No' was not a 
word in Bill's vocabulary, and he garnered a well-earned reputation for 
his tenacious advocacy for veterans who needed it the most. His 
championing the needs of his fellow veterans starts with American 
Legion Post 15 in Jewett City, Connecticut. In 1993, a year before 
Bill's retirement, the post was forced to close. Immediately 
recognizing the need for a new, rejuvenated Post, Bill got to work 
raising money to erase the old Post's debt and repaint the headquarters 
from top to bottom. By 1995, Post 15 was back in working order.
  Remaining active in Post 15, Bill embarked on his next big project to 
support former servicemembers: the rehousing of 18 homeless veterans. 
Bill was able to help facilitate the construction of two-room, 
furnished apartments in a building attached to the Post's headquarters, 
providing much needed access to medical care, shopping facilities, and 
a public library. Some of the residents of this new community were 
homeless for over a decade, and thanks to Bill's tireless efforts, they 
had a safe place under a roof to call their own.
  Bill worked with my office to make this dream a reality where he 
helped foster a multi-level partnership with the Department of Veterans 
Affairs and Connecticut Housing Finance Authority to secure funding for 
the project. For his monumental efforts, Bill was rightly named the 
Veteran of the Year in 2012.
  Mr. Speaker, I count myself incredibly fortunate to represent 
constituents like Bill Czmyr. Bill's patriotism and dedication to those 
who sacrificed the most in defense of liberty is an example all 
citizens should aspire to. The hole left by his passing will not soon 
be filled, though the Eastern Connecticut community can take solace in 
the fact that his legacy lives on through the lives of the countless 
people he has touched. We mourn with Bill's family, including his three 
sons Mark, Luke, and John, his six grandchildren, and all of their 
respective spouses.

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