[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 72 (Friday, April 26, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E388-E389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING 1ST LIEUTENANT FRED ZIMRI WASHBURN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 26, 2024

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Fred Zimri 
Washburn, as the Middleborough community comes together to dedicate the 
1st Lieutenant Fred Z. Washburn Bridge in his honor.
  Born on October 11, 1944, to parents Margery and Zimri Washburn, Fred 
was raised on Fuller Street in Middleborough, Massachusetts, alongside 
his siblings, Margery and David. After Fred graduated from Memorial 
High School in 1962, he went on to receive a degree from Wenworth 
Institute before joining the United States Army. Fred first completed 
his basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, followed by Officer 
Candidate School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Fred later earned his pilot 
wings as a 2nd Lieutenant at the Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, 
Georgia.
  Fred was deployed to Vietnam on May 30, 1968, as an Army 1st 
Lieutenant in the 71st Assault Helicopter Company, where he piloted 
helicopters in rescue missions. Fred would write home to his mother 
about the feeling of reward he felt for helping to save the lives of 
his fellow service members. Fred's unwavering

[[Page E389]]

commitment to rescuing Americans injured in combat was undeniable 
throughout his time bravely serving in the U.S. Army.
  Sadly, we lost Fred too soon on October 2, 1968, nine days short of 
his 24th birthday, after his helicopter was shot down in the Quang Tin 
Province of South Vietnam. For Fred's bravery and sacrifice for our 
country, Fred's name is listed on panel 42W, line 65 of the Vietnam 
Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.
  After Fred's family and former Middleborough classmates took note 
that there was no memorial for Fred in his hometown, the community came 
together to request that the town allow for the culvert bridge on 
Wareham Street to be renamed in Fred's memory. The measure was approved 
by the Middleborough Select Board earlier this year, and on April 24, 
2024, the bridge will be dedicated in Fred's honor and named the 1st 
Lieutenant Fred Z. Washburn Bridge.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the life of 1st Lieutenant Fred 
Washburn. I ask that my colleagues join me in commending Fred's 
siblings, Margery and David; Steve Adelman, the Town of Middleborough's 
Veterans Service Officer; and the Middleborough Memorial High School 
Class of 1962 for their work to ensure that Fred's dedication and 
sacrifice for his community and our country be remembered for many 
years to come.

                          ____________________