[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 63 (Friday, April 12, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING LT. COL. EDWIN COTTRELL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHUCK EDWARDS

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 12, 2024

  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Hendersonville, N.C. 
resident and 102-year-old Army veteran, Lt. Col. Edwin Cottrell, in 
recognition of his service and heroism as a fighter pilot in World War 
II.
  Ed flew 65 missions in 1944 and 1945 as a P-47 pilot with the 493rd 
Fighter Squadron of the 48th Fighter Group of the 9th Army Air Force.
  Many of Ed's missions were flown during the Battle of the Bulge, when 
U.S. troops on the ground were defending against a strong German 
counteroffensive. His missions included bombing German artillery and 
Tiger Tanks, as well as taking out bridges. His service saved countless 
of his comrades' lives.
  The engine of Ed's P-47 was shot up by a German Me-109 fighter during 
a mission on Dec. 17, 1944. With oil splattered across his plane's 
windshield and only 10 out of 18 engine cylinders still functioning, Ed 
was guided to the nearest friendly airfield over the radio, only to 
have his engine freeze just before landing. He maneuvered a dead-stick 
landing, rolled to a stop, and kissed the ground when he got out of the 
P-47. To this day, he credits the reliability of the P-47's Pratt & 
Whitney engine for getting him back to base.
  Ed's service did not end with WWII. He went on to serve in the Air 
Force reserves for 28 years. He worked as a director of athletics at a 
school for boys and later coached multiple sports at West Chester State 
College in Pennsylvania, where he went on to become the associate dean.
  In his adopted town of Hendersonville, Ed is a local legend. Ever the 
adventurer, he chose to go skydiving for his 100th birthday.
  Ed and his college sweetheart, Millie Cottrell, raised two loving 
daughters, Susan and Mary, and celebrated 76 years of marriage together 
before her passing in 2020.
  I thank Lt. Col. Cottrell for his brave and tireless service to our 
great Nation.

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