[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 129 (Friday, August 9, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE LIFE AND SACRIFICE OF AIR FORCE 1ST LT. RAYMOND T. PLEVYAK

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                          HON. JUAN CISCOMANI

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 9, 2024

  Mr. CISCOMANI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
sacrifice of Air Force 1st Lt. Raymond T. Plevyak, who will be honored 
with a Memorial Headstone Marker Service at Arlington National 
Cemetery.
  Air Force 1st Lt. Plevyak was a distinguished F-51D Mustang pilot who 
went missing in action during the Korean War in 1952.
  Though he was declared Killed in Action (KIA) in December of 1953, 
his bravery and commitment to his country remain deeply honored.
  Plevyak entered the U.S. Air Force from Pennsylvania and was assigned 
to the 67th Fighter-Bomber squadron, 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing.
  On March 1, 1952, he departed Hoengsong Air Base in Korea, piloting 
an F-51D Mustang with the call sign ``Topkick Fox Three.''
  After completing its primary mission of targeting rail lines, the 
``Topkick Fox'' flight of four took fire on its secondary 
reconnaissance mission, resulting in damage to the lead aircraft.
  It was during this mission that 1st Lt. Plevyak went missing.
  Despite extensive searches by his fellow pilots, he was never found 
and remains unaccounted for.
  Plevyak's name is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the 
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and on the Korean War 
Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
  Along with other medals and citations, he is a Purple Heart 
recipient. Today, we honor his memory and the extraordinary sacrifice 
he made in service to our Nation.
  We must always recognize and honor the service members that made the 
ultimate sacrifice, like 1st Lt. Plevyak. We thank him and his family 
for his service.

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