[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 169 (Friday, November 15, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H6024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    COMMEMORATING LOUIS BENNETT, JR.

  (Mr. MOONEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MOONEY. Madam Speaker, the national World War I Memorial here in 
Washington was recently completed with a sculpture known as ``A 
Soldier's Journey.''
  In the spirit of honoring our World War I veterans, I rise to 
commemorate Louis Bennett, Jr. of Weston, West Virginia. Bennett 
realized the power aviation could bring to the war effort and formed 
the West Virginia Flying Corps. When the corps failed to achieve 
military status, Bennett chose commendably to interrupt his studies at 
Yale and enlist in the British Royal Flying Corps.
  Bennet flew combat missions in Western Europe. Over the course of 
only 9 days, he amassed a remarkable high number of 12 kills of enemy 
aircraft. Lieutenant Bennett became known as the balloon buster for 
shooting down nine German surveillance balloons, which is dangerous 
because, when the balloons blow up, they sometimes take the plane down 
with them.
  On August 14, 1919, he was shot down and killed by German 
antiaircraft artillery. In honor of her only son, in 1992, Mrs. Sallie 
Bennett donated her stately home to Lewis County for a war memorial and 
library. Mrs. Bennett used her considerable wealth to fund memorials of 
World War I veterans. I am pleased we have a place to memorialize them 
here in our Nation's Capital.

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