[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 87 (Thursday, May 22, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S3111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                     TRIBUTE TO ORVILLE VON EHWEGEN

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, this month brims with milestones for 
students across America.
  In Iowa, more than 34,000 students are among the class of 2025. I 
congratulate our graduates and encourage you to keep working hard. The 
sky is the limit. You get to define your future because you live in the 
land of the free.
  That is because we have extraordinary patriots who have answered the 
call to serve and defend our cherished freedoms. One of these 
extraordinary patriots is a member of the class of 2025. His name is 
Orville Von Ehwegen.
  Orville's journey to East Sac County High School's commencement 
ceremony this past weekend took an unusual detour and extended 
timeline. He missed out on the pomp and circumstance as a teenager 
because he answered history's call to serve. You see, Orville is 107 
years old. He was born in 1917 and dropped out of school at age 14 to 
help on the family farm during the Great Depression.
  Later, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and fought in the South Pacific 
during World War II. When he returned, he opened an appliance store and 
was a successful small business owner alongside his wife.
  On Sunday, this remarkable World War II veteran received an honorary 
diploma from East Sac County High School, 93 years after his last day 
as a student. Orville's inspiring life story is an example of sacrifice 
and service, which his fellow graduates can emulate.
  I congratulate Orville and thank you for your service. I would be 
honored to have you share your story as part of my annual Veterans 
History Project so that future generations don't ever take freedom and 
liberty for granted and understand what it takes to preserve them.
  Orville's advice to the class of 2025 is a lesson for us all: Be kind 
and work hard.

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